UFC 97 is this weekend in Montreal and I am expecting a rocking crowd, just like last time. I honestly wish they would have booked the Big O. Put the cage at the old home plate, fill in the grandstands behind and then add some temp bleachers where the basepaths would be. Could probably put 30,000 in there and set a North American attendence record.
Not a huge card but anytime Anderson is fighting it's a worthwhile card to watch. Yesterday I realized I can't even picture Thales Leites in my head. I have no idea what the guy looks like. Not good when I can't even recognize the challenge for the UFC Middleweight title. I think I am already looking past Leites at the bunch of guys that are in line for a MW title shot in the next 12 months. Yushin Okami, Demian Maia, Nathan Marquardt, and Michael Bisping. I would like to see Okami get a shot next (August or so), and then Maia (December show), and then assuming that Bisping gets by Henderson, have Bisping fight Marquardt (November or so) and then the winner there fight the MW champ in April 2010. I think it is impossible for Joe Silva to screw up the MW division over the next year or so.
Obviously being in Canada, this card has a ton of Canadians on it. Could be a tough night for some of them. Sam Stout needs a win desperatley to stay in the UFC. He losses and he will be cut I guarantee, and I do think he is going to lose to Wiman. Great to see TJ Grant in the UFC, although he has a tough fight in Ryo Chonan. Not sure who I am going to pick in that fight yet. Bocek and Soszynski should both pick up W's. Great to see David Loiseau back in the UFC with his elbows that get razor-sharp by putting them in a pencil sharpener I do believe. Going to be in tough with Herman, it's a bad style match up for Loiseau, but I am still going with the Crow to pick up the W. Denis Kang should take Foupa-Pokam down and beat him there, but Kang has looked like crap lately so Foupa-Pokam could get the W. Sometime I will explain why I think Kang was one of the most over-rated fighters of the 2000's. Jason MacDonald is the last Canadian on the card, and he will be in very tough with Nate Quarry. I am picking Quarry to win and I think Jason MacDonald could be in trouble if he losses this fight. A loss would drop him to 5-5 in the UFC, and will have dropped 3 of his last 4. He is not a ticket seller and not very marketable and I think he could be gone from the UFC if he losses.
Guys who I think will be cut from the UFC if they lose: Sam Stout, Ryo Chonan, David Bielkheden, Jason MacDonald, and Vinicius Magalhaes
Excited cause since attending UFC 92 back in December, this will be the first UFC I have gotten to watch as it happened. That is the only thing that sucks about working nights, don't get to watch fights.
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