BY MATT PELKEY, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Well the historic UFC 100 is now behind us, and UFC 101 is upon us. If you're feeling a bit weighed down by UFC numbered events, too bad, because UFC 102 will be here in three weeks. It may take its toll on your wallet, but its pretty much guaranteed to satisfy your appetite for fistic combat. UFC 101 is clearly being sold on the top two fights, but the rest of the card doesn't have much of a drop-off from 3-11. As disappointing as Kendall Grove vs. Ricardo Almeida may be as the third best fight on a card, Matt Riddle vs. Dan Cramer is pretty darn good for the worst fight on a card. I don't have time to babble today, so let's get right into the picks.


Jessie Lennox vs. Danillo Villefort

I really hope this fight makes the telecast. Lennox is a compact bruiser who's competed at middleweight previously, but will be taking on Villefort at welterweight in the UFC debut for both. They were both casualties of the WEC's decision to disband their top three divisions, and the winner of this fight gets their foot in the door of the UFC's deep welterweight division. Villefort uses a manic (and I mean manic) submission game to try to force his opponents into a mistake. He'll do the same here and choke Lennox out on his twenty-second submission attempt of the fight...about three minutes into a furious first round.

Prediction: Villefort by submission in round 1


George Sotiropoulos vs. George Roop

This fight originally had Rob Emerson in Roop's spot, but he was forced out due to injury. This will be Sotiropoulos's first fight at 155, and he'll be fighting a guy in Roop who's competed at bantamweight in the past. I originally picked Roop in our preview podcast because I questioned George's heart, and that's the one thing Roop really has going for him. The more I think about it, though, the more I think Sotiropoulos's size and skill advantage will be so far in his favor, that heart will never come into play. Plus, Sotiropoulos is a black belt on the mat, and Roop is highly submittable.

Prediction: Sotiropoulos by submission in round 1


Matt Riddle vs. Dan Cramer

This is a battle of prospects, plain and simple. Riddle has the better wrestling and the brighter future here. Neither is much of a finisher at this point in their careers, so look for Riddle to take a controlling, convincing, but not overly exciting decision.

Prediction: Riddle by decision


Alessio Sakara vs. Thales Leites

I know my colleagues think this one will be elementary, with Leites getting the takedown and submission shortly after the bell rings, but I think we're in for a bit of a firefight here. Leites has shown a willingness to get into senseless brawls in the past, and with his performance against Anderson Silva still weighing heavily on his mind, I think he'll feel the pressure to fight exciting rather than smart. I think he'll stand and trade with Sakara for a round and a half before common sense kicks back in and he realizes ultimately the win is more important.

Prediction: Leites by submission in round 2


Tamden McCrory vs. John Howard

This is about the closest you'll come to seeing a freak-show type of fight in the UFC. Yes, they're both welterweights, but with McCrory standing 6'4 and Howard at a vertically challenged 5'7, this will just look downright funny. I also wouldn't be surprised if this is McCrory's last fight at 170. He's getting bigger daily while he grows into his frame and four or five months from now, the weight cut might be too much. As it stands here, I expect McCrory to keep Howard at bay for three full rounds, smartly using his length to stay away from Howards compact, powerful punches. Should the fight his the mat, McCrory's guard should be at least good enough to neutralize Howard's attack until he can get the fight back upright. This should be a fun little fight, but I don't see either man being finished so don't be surprised if you end up paying $1.99 to see this on Sunday.

Prediction: McCrory by decision

For the rest of his main card big-fight predictions and odds, including Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin and B.J. Penn vs. Kenny Florian, click link below. (or PWTorch App users, just search "MMATorch" in the App Store on your iPhone or iPod Touch and download the free MMATorch App to get all MMATorch articles on your phone.)

FULL ARTICLE HERE

We suggest these recent related articles...

PUNK INJURY: C.M. Punk's UFC debut delayed (MMATorch)

WM32 NEWS: Ronda Rousey rules out WrestleMania appearance

MOVIE NEWS: C.M. Punk & A.J. Lee to co-star in horror movie