Punch Drunk Preview: UFC 113

Punch Drunk Previews: UFC 113

With UFC 113 just a couple of days away, everyone has already pored over the UFC Countdown show on Spike TV, interviews with all the major participants, and in-depth analysis of the entire fight card. Chances are, you’ve already forgotten some of the important information you need to know heading into this weekend’s festivities in Montreal.

With that in mind, Heavy delivers the Punch Drunk Previews, a one-stop shop for quick coverage of the full fight card. From Jason MacDonald and John Salter, right through to the highly-anticipated rematch between Lyoto Machida and “Shogun” Rua, we’ve got the need-to-know information ready in small, easy-to-digest servings.

Please enjoy responsibly.

Jason MacDonald (24-13-0) vs. John Salter (4-1-0)

David Loiseau’s loss was Jason MacDonald’s gain. With Loiseau initially unable to obtain a license, MacDonald was selected as the Canadian fighter to face Salter in his obligatory second fight with the company. As a fighter who previously stepped in on short notice, this is the fight Salter gets as a “thank you” for filling in against Gerald Harris in January. Many of the spectators won’t have arrived at their seats by the time these two take to the cage. That should tell you all you need to know about this matchup.

Johny Hendricks (7-0-0) vs. TJ Grant (15-3-0)

For the life of me, I can’t understand why this fight isn’t higher up in the order of things Saturday night. Hendricks is unbeaten and riding a two-fight winning streak since moving to the UFC, while Grant enters off his first round knockout of Kevin Burns in December. Hendricks has an edge in the wrestling department, but Grant counters with better submissions. On the feet, they’re about even. That makes this an early candidate for Fight of the Night.

Joey Beltran (11-3-0) vs. Tim Hague (10-3-0)

For a pairing of two guys who weren’t intended to be on the UFC roster, this has the potential to be an entertaining contest. Beltran looked solid in his upset of Rolles Gracie, and outside of his seven-second smashing at the hands (literally) of Todd Duffee, Hague has been solid. Of note, the Canadian started working with the team at Xtreme Couture after his initial release, and promises an improved “Thrashing Machine” this time around.

Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-4-0) vs. Mike Guymon (11-3-1)

No matter how many wins “Zenko” collects over his UFC career, he’ll forever be remembered for the two savage knockouts he suffered at the hands of Josh Koscheck and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. As for his opponent, I recall being asked to join a Facebook group called 100,000 fans want Mike Guymon’s fights aired live on UFC. There are presently 2,741 people who are a part of said group. I would say that sums things up nicely.

Marcus Davis (16-6-0) vs. Jonathan Goulet (22-10-0)

The second contender for Fight of the Night, this will surely be the slugfest of the evening, as both men live to throw bombs and go toe-to-toe. Goulet is 4-4 in eight UFC contests, but hasn’t fought since December 2008 when he was stopped in 33 seconds by Mike Swick. Davis is riding back-to-back losses to Ben Saunders and Dan Hardy. With both men desperate for a win, expect some serious fireworks.

Tom Lawlor (6-2-0) vs. Joe Doerksen (44-12-0)

There might not be a better name in MMA than “The Filthy Mauler,” and Tom Lawlor has the personality to pull it off as well. When analysts are talking about your nickname and personality, it should tell you what they think of your competition for the evening. Joe Doerksen is a tough veteran, but he’s got a career 1-6 record in the UFC and hasn’t had a “name brand” win since defeating Patrick Cote. That was in 2005.

Patrick Cote (13-5-0) vs. Alan Belcher (15-6-0)

After two serious knee injuries, Cote returns to the cage after a nineteen-month layoff to meet the ever-improving Alan Belcher. Both guys like to stand, so this has the potential to be an exciting contest. However, Cote’s extended absence from competition leaves me sceptical, and a little worried for my fellow countryman.

Kimbo Slice (4-1-0) vs. Matt Mitrione (1-0-0)

It will be interesting to see how much more evolved each of these fighters are since their official UFC debuts on the TUF 10 Finale last December. Two things that you need to remember when breaking down this fight: (1) Slice was knocked out by light heavyweight Seth Petruzelli, and (2) Mitrione dropped 6’6”, 265-pound Marcus Jones with a stiff right. I’m just saying is all…

Sam Stout (15-5-1) vs. Jeremy Stephens (16-5-0)

Our third entry in the Fight of the Night contest, this could be reminiscent of Stout’s two classic encounters with Spencer Fisher, as neither man has been knocked out in their careers and they both enjoy trading shots. Get your snacks before this fight gets under way because it should be 15 minutes of serious action.

Josh Koscheck (14-4-0) vs. Paul Daley (23-8-2)

Daley earned the win in the pre-fight trash talk contest, but who comes away victorious after the fight all depends on how Koscheck approaches this encounter. If he works the way he did against Anthony Johnson, mixing solid striking with his tremendous wrestling, the AKA product should find a submission at some point. If he stands, he’s in trouble. When you play with fire, you get burned. When you mess around with “Semtex” you get knocked the hell out.

Lyoto Machida (16-0-0) vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (18-4-0)

After what happened the first time, there is no telling what is going to take place in the second meeting. So long as Cecil Peoples isn’t sitting cageside, I’m happy.