By Russell Cejas
UFC 128 kicks off their plans to take over the east coast on March 19th at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. The fights between Urijah Faber vs.Eddie Wineland and Nate Marquardt vs. Dan Miller are just the tip of the iceberg that is the Rua vs. Jones card. The fights leading up to the main event will be more than entertaining. In fact they are filled with fighters we all know and love. Brendan Schaub will be in the fight of his life when he faces Mirko Cro Cop in what will be a slug fest to prove who is next in line for a possible title shot against Velasquez. Even the fights showing on Facebook are stacked with talent. It would appear there has been a change of pace on this card. Numerous weight divisions and several legends of the sport all meet under one roof on the 19th. Here are my breakdowns/predictions for each one.
Mirko Filipovic (27-8-2-1) vs. Brendan Schaub (7-1)
This fight is somewhat like a veteran vs. the rook. Keep in mind that Cro-Cop has more losses than Schaub has pro fights, and has fought the best all over the world. The Croatian might find it entertaining that his opponent is a green belt in defendo (a martial art created for law enforcement) but unfortunately will not change up his style for it, or for anything else that Brendan Schaub has for him. Mirko’s inability to change with the times in his style of fighting will expose him to his unorthodox opponent. It is unlikely either will be submitted, and Schaub might be a little star struck, so my prediction is, BRENDAN SCHAUB via TKO.
Nate Marquardt (30-10-2) vs. Dan Miller (13-4-1)
Do not worry Marquardt fans, this fight is not for a title, so Nate “The Great” should show up to win this one. Dan Miller is a very good fighter, but, he is a submission fighter and Nate has not been submitted since 2003 and has fought the best the UFC has to offer since then. I would look to see Marquardt stand and bang for a while to test Millers boxing. Nate had eight knockouts to his credit, where Miller has only one, so it is safe to say who will get the better of the exchange. If and when the fight does go to the ground, I see The King Of Pancrase being able to defend Dan Miller’s efforts. In this case size will not matter as they are very similar in stature, but Nate will have the edge with experience. Most times Nate does not show up to fight when he needs to, but I do not think this will be the case for this fight, so my prediction is, NATE MARQUARDT via UNANIMOUS DECISION.
Jim Miller (19-2) vs. Kamal Shalorus (7-0-2)
For this fight Kamal Shalorus is taking a huge leap into the talent pool when he faces Jim miller in the cage. Miller has fought the best the UFC has to offer, and while they both share a win over Bart Palaszewski, that is not all they share. These two fighters have very similar backgrounds and styles. There will be no size advantage either as they are identical in build and reach. With the majority of his wins coming via KO, Kamal will definitely want to box for a while due to Millers submission record. Although he has studied BJJ, Miller is a black belt and an NCAA wrestler. Kamal does have zero losses to his credit, but, Jim Miller’s only two losses come by way of Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard respectfully. I would have to give the edge to Miller due to his familiarity to the big show. Kamal is a tough guy, and deserving of this fight. My prediction is, JIM MILLER via SUBMISSION.
Urijah Faber (24-4) vs. Eddie Wineland (18-6-1)
It has been a while since the California kid has been on top. You can tell that it bothers him and he will be looking to run right through Eddie Wineland. Since Faber moved to bantamweight, he looks fit and massive at 135. Eddie Wineland however has been fighting at this weight for a while and is not ready to be dominated by the shorter opposition. Wineland will however be out strengthen by Faber’s wrestling abilities. If he can use his reach to keep Urijah off of him, he has a great chance of getting a bantamweight title shot. With fantastic Jiu-jitsu, the slight edge will have to go to Faber. It will not be easy for him, but my prediction is URIJAH FABER via TKO.
Mauricio Rua (19-4) vs. Jon Jones (12-1) for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship belt
There is no room for one mistake in either fighters showing on the 19th. One held punch or slight brain fart will be enough for the other to capitalize and have their hand raised. What is there you can say about Rua or Jones that hasn’t been said. Rua has fought the best in the world, all over the world. Some of the most brutal and entertaining fights have come via Mauricio Rua. His legacy is safe no matter the outcome, but his face is not; definitely not around Jon Jones. He is truly the future of this sport.
This is the fighter that has the best parts of everyone else we watch. He throws things you would see Shonnie Carter or Cung Le throw and has success with it. He has outwrestling and submitted collegiate athletes like Ryan Bader and Jake O’Brien. He has knocked out guys with hands like Brandon Vera and Vladimir Matyushenko. He will be hard pressed though to walk right through Mauricio Rua like he has in his recent fights with others. Rua has beaten the best with wins over Rampage,Overeem and Randleman.
Those fights however where five and six years ago. The two guys he fought in the UFC that where under forty, he loss to! All that I mean by that is beating Mark Coleman and Chuck Lidell is great, but with losses to Forrest and Machida (the first time) he will be earning his pay check with Jon Jones. His only dominance will be with BJJ. Let’s see him use it. My prediction is that JON JONES will be the new light heavyweight champion via TKO.
