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UFC 118 Predictions: UFC 118 Picks, Predictions & Fight Previews

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Pro Fighting Fans is the home of UFC fans across the world and we now bring you the best place to find the latest UFC preview & predictions. UFC 117 has come and gone and we take a look at the UFC 117 results & recap.

The next event for the UFC will be UFC 118, held on August 28, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and our UFC 118 predictions & preview are posted below for UFC fans across the globe to enjoy. Also be sure tobuy UFC tickets online here through Pro Fighting Fans to make sure you get the best seats and prices for UFC fights!

For more UFC events to be held in 2010 and lists of which Mixed Martial Artists are schedule to fight, be sure to check out the future UFC event fight cards.

The UFC makes its first trip to Massachusetts after the state's recent acceptance of MMA to put on UFC 118 in Boston on August 28, 2010. The UFC 118 fight card is loaded with local fighters (Kenny Florian and Joe Lauzon) a top contenders bout (Florian vs. Gray Maynard), a highly-anticipated MMA legend vs. former boxing champion bout (Randy Couture vs. James Toney) and a UFC Lightweight Championship fight featuring former champ BJ Penn against current champ Frankie Edgar. UFC 118 will take place on Saturday, August 28, 2010 and Pro Fighting Fans will track all of the UFC 118 fight results online as soon as each fight becomes official.

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UFC 118 Predictions: Preliminary Card

Mike Pierce vs. Amilcar Alves

Veteran UFC welterweight Mike Pierce (11-3) will try and make it back-to-back octagon victories when he welcomes promotional newcomer Amilcar Alves (11-1) to the organization on the UFC 118 preliminary card. Pierce won his most recent bout at UFC on Versus this past March; Alves hasn’t fought this year, his last win came in December while fighting in Brazil.

Pierce is former wrestler at Portland State University. He remained in the Great Northwest to train at the Brave Legion gym. His professional fighting career began in 2007, as he won four of his first six fights. However, after winning his next three fights, he was awarded a spot on the March 2009 WEC 39 card against Justin Haskins. He has no trouble with Haskins, defeating him via TKO, but had to win one more in the minors before earning a shot in the UFC. He has won two of his three inside the octagon. He defeated Brock Larson in his UFC Fight Night 19 debut, lost to fellow wrestler Jon Fitch at UFC 107, and defeated Paulino this past March at UFC on Versus.

Alves hails from Brazil where he trains with the well-respected Nova Uniao fight camp. Alves debuted in June 2006, and while using his Judo background, dominated eleven of his first twelve opponents including the last eight. All of his career fights have come in Brazilian promotions, Shooto Brazil and Planet Fight among them. He has not fought since a December 2009 Platinum Fight Brazil bout where he KO’ed his opponent Fernando Paulon. Alves has stopped seven of his eleven opponents so far.

Prediction – Pierce TKO

Nick Osipczak vs. Greg Soto

Both TUF 9 veteran Nick Osipczak (5-1) and Pellegrino MMA’s Greg Soto (7-1) will try and shake off the first losses of their respective careers when they meet at UFC 118 on the preliminary card. The winner of this welterweight bout should be in a comfortable position under the UFC banner; however the loser may be walking a very thin line.

Osipczak, 25, is a former Kung Fu practitioner who made a successful transition into MMA with the help of his appearance on TUF 9. The Team Rough House fighter came into the ninth season of the Spike TV show with only three professional fights to his credit. Although he wasn’t able to come up with the tournament crown, he did secure his position with the organization thanks to his TUF 9 finale victory over Frank Lester. He built off that debut victory with a UFC 105 3rd round TKO victory over Matt Riddle. Coming in riding back-to-back octagon victories, Osipczak was dealt his first career loss at UFC 112 this past April when Rick Story earned the split decision nod.

Soto is a New York-born former wrestler who has made the transition over to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with the help of Pellegrino MMA. In September 2006 he began his professional career and went on to win his first seven fights while competing in Combat in the Cage, Battle Cage Xtreme, and Ring of Combat organizations. He came into his UFC 111 debut riding the strength of seven consecutive victories, however after he struck his opponent, Matt Riddle, with an illegal up-kick, he suffered his first career loss. Soto has five finishes out of seven career victories.

Prediction – Osipczak decision

Gerald Harris vs. Joe Vedepo

Gerald “Hurricane” Harris (17-2) will try and keep his good fortunes going when he meets returning UFC veteran Joe Vedepo (11-3) in a UFC 118 preliminary card bout in the Middleweight division. Harris has won all three of his bouts since returning earlier this year; Vedepo has been a winner in each of his last four bouts.

Harris, 30, is a well-rounded mixed martial artist who has trained with both Team Quest and Arizona Combat Sports, but now calls the Denver, CO-based Grudge Training Center his home. He began in August 2006 and won his first seven fights on the local Oklahoma and Kansas fight promotions. After a perfect start to his career, Harris fell in both of his IFL bouts. A failed stint on TUF 7 followed, however he worked hard to get back to the octagon, winning seven straight from November 2007 until September 2009 fighting for organizations like Shark Fights, C3 Fights, and Freestyle Cage Fighting. Since his return, Harris has won all three of his bouts, defeating John Salter at UFC Fight Night 20 in January, Mario Miranda at UFC Fight Night 21, and Dave Branch at UFC 116 in July using a spectacular slam KO for the finish.

Vedepo is an Iowa-born fighter who goes by the name “The Doctor”. Vedepo is a well-rounded mixed martial artist who began his professional career in April 2006 by winning seven of his first eight in organizations like Extreme Challenge, XFO, and MCC. He earned a position on the UFC’s roster, however dropped back-to-back bouts at UFC Fight Night 15 and UFC Fight Night 18 making his stay short-lived. He quickly put together four straight stoppage victories to earn his way back. His most recent victory came in June at Revolution Combat Championships 11 with a submission over Dennis Reed.

Prediction – Harris TKO

Dan Miller vs. John Salter

New Jersey-born Dan Miller (11-4, 1 NC) is in a must-win situation at UFC 118 when he faces John Salter (5-1) in a middleweight bout on the preliminary card. Although always giving it his all, Miller has been on the losing end in each of his last three fights. Salter, on the other hand, won in his most recent outing in May after losing in his UFC debut in January.

Miller, 29, is a former wrestler who now specializes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which he owns a black belt in, and trains at the AMA Fight Club. He began his career in late 2005 and won eight of his first ten while fighting all over the east coast for Reality Fighting, Cage Fury Fighting Championship, IFL and Ring of Combat. The former IFL middleweight champion debuted for the UFC in September 2008 and won his first three inside the octagon. Recently, however, he has hit a rough patch losing all of his last three bouts, albeit against top-level competition such as Chael Sonnen, Demian Maia, and Michael Bisping this May at UFC 114.

Salter, 25, is an Alabama-born mixed martial artist who trains in his home state near Tuscaloosa at Headhunter Combatives. The former NAIA wrestling champ from Lindenwood University near St. Louis, MO began fighting as a professional in early 2009 and won his first four fights. Three of those first four victories came against notables like Roberto Traven and former TUF fighters James Hammortree and Jeremiah Riggs. Debuting this past January at UFC Fight Night 20, Salter was outclassed by Gerald Harris and was defeated via TKO for his first career loss. He has since earned his first promotional victory with a UFC 113 TKO victory over Jason MacDonald. He was initially supposed to fight Phil Baroni at this event, however Miller filled in when Baroni bowed out due to injury.

Prediction – Miller decision

> Find the UFC 118 results after the fights are complete at Pro Fighting Fans, check out the UFC schedule and look ahead to future UFC events including the UFC 119 fight card and more.

UFC 118 Spike TV Televised Fights:

Andre Winner vs. Nik Lentz

TUF 9 runner-up Andre Winner (11-3) will try for his third consecutive octagon victory when he takes on Minnesota Martial Arts Academy’s Nik Lentz (18-3-1) in a UFC 118 Spike TV preliminary bout contested in the lightweight division. Winner comes in with back-to-back UFC wins; Lentz hasn’t lost in the octagon after three fights.

Winner, 28, is an English-born fighter who continues to train in his homeland at Team Rough House. He made his professional debut in 2006 and became a fixture on the British fight circuit where he won nine of his first twelve bouts. He earned an appearance in the TUF 9 house and fought to a runner-up finish when he lost to Ross Pearson at the finale. He took advantage of his second chance by winning at the November 2009 UFC 105 event over Rolando Delgado. He has since followed that win up with a UFC Fight Night 21 victory over Rafaello Oliveira this past March.

Lentz, 25, is a former Division I wrestler at the University of Minnesota. After graduation, and picking up the nickname “The Carny”, Lentz began training mixed martial arts at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy with the likes of Brock Lesnar and Chris Tuchscherer. He made his August 2005 debut with aspirations of making it to the big show; however it would take four years to do that. After winning sixteen of his first twenty bouts, including six consecutive, he came into the UFC. He posted a victory at his September 2009 UFC 103 debut over Rafaello Oliveira, and then fought Thiago Tavares to a majority draw at UFC Fight Night 20 this January. In his most recent fight at UFC Fight Night 21 in March, Lentz defeated Rob Emerson by unanimous decision.

Prediction – Lentz decision

Joe Lauzon vs. Gabe Ruediger

The Ultimate Fighter 5 alumni Joe “J-Lau” Lauzon (18-5) will try and get back to his winning ways against another TUF 5 vet, Gabe Ruediger (17-5), who returns to the octagon for the first time in four years. This lightweight bout will be one of the two that is featured on the Spike TV preliminary bouts special. Lauzon was defeated in his most recent bout at UFC 108; Ruediger won his most recent fight in July.

Lauzon, 26, is a Massachusetts-native who trains at his home gym Lauzon MMA. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt has been competing as a professional since 2004. He won thirteen of his first sixteen bouts fighting all over the Northeast before pulling off one of the UFC’s biggest upsets ever. He actually defeated Jens Pulver by 1 st round KO at UFC 65 before entering the TUF 5 house. He didn’t win the TUF 5 tournament, but did win his first two official bouts inside the octagon before suffering a loss to Kenny Florian at UFC Fight Night 13 in April 2008. He rebounded to win back-to-back fights over Kyle Bradley and Jeremy Stephens before losing against Sam Stout at UFC 108 in January.

Ruediger, 32, is a California-native who trains at Team Quest. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Ruediger began competing as a professional in 2002 for the WEC. He lost his very first professional bout, but turned it around in a hurry winning his next nine including the WEC lightweight belt, which he defended twice. He also appeared inside the octagon before TUF 5, losing to Melvin Guillard at the same UFC 63 event. He has some weight cutting problems on the TUF 5 show and didn’t receive an opportunity to fight at the finale. However, after losing two bouts after his TUF appearance, he put together six victories to earn a return trip to the organization. In his most recent fight, Ruediger defeated previously unbeaten Lenny Lovato at Tachi Palace Fights 5 this July.

Prediction – Lauzon TKO

> Find the UFC 118 fight results after the fights are complete at Pro Fighting Fans, check out the UFC fight schedule online.

UFC 118 Predictions: PPV Televised Card

Nate Diaz vs. Marcus Davis

After speculation that he may return to the lightweight division, TUF 5 champ Nate Diaz (12-5) will instead appear as a welterweight in back-to-back bouts against Marcus Davis (17-6) on the UFC 118 main card. Diaz was victorious at UFC 111 in March against Rory Markham; Davis rebounded from back-to-back losses with his UFC 113 TKO over Jonathan Goulet.

Diaz, 25, is a Stockton, California-native who stays near home to train with the Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu gym. He debuted in 2004, and instead of working his way up through the mid-major circuit, he pounded out five victories in his first seven bouts while fighting for notable organizations such as WEC, Strikeforce, and Pancrase. He really made his mark after winning TUF 5 and continued his successful path with victories in his first five octagon fights. He did drop back-to-back bouts to Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson at UFC 94 and the TUF 9 finale respectively. He finished up his lightweight run with a victory over Melvin Guillard at UFC Fight Night 19 and a loss to Gray Maynard at UFC Fight Night 20. He jumped up in weight this past March with a 1st round TKO over Markham at UFC 111.

Davis, 36, is a former TUF 2 participant and Team Sityodtong-trained fighter. He debuted in 2003 after a pro boxing career ended and joined the cast of TUF 2 with only five professional bouts under his belt. He lost at the TUF 2 finale, and had to win five bouts outside of the UFC to rejoin the organization. He did just that and re-joined in October 2006 winning his next six bouts, however since that successful run, has seen limited fortunes. He has split his last six, although did pick up a victory in his most recent fight this May at UFC 113 over Jonathan Goulet.

Prediction – Diaz submission

Demian Maia vs. Mario Miranda

Former #1 contender Demian Maia (12-2) will try and shake off his lackluster performance at UFC 118 against fellow Brazil-native Mario Miranda (12-1). This middleweight tilt will be seen as part of the main card pay-per-view broadcast. Maia has lost two of his last three; Miranda comes in with a victory in his last fight this June.

Maia, 32, is a Sao Paulo, Brazil native who now trains at the Wand Fight Team gym in Las Vegas, NV. Maia is a second degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu who debuted in 2001 as a professional. He won his first six bouts before arriving in the UFC in late-2007. He debuted for the promotion at UFC 77 and defeated Ryan Jensen via submission, and then added victories over Ed Herman, Jason MacDonald, Nate Quarry, and Chael Sonnen before suffering his first career loss. He was defeated at UFC 102 by Nate Marquardt, but after a UFC 109 unanimous decision over Dan Miller, he found himself competing for the middleweight title. He was overwhelmed at UFC 112 this April losing all five rounds of his title fight with current champion Anderson Silva.

Miranda is a Rio de Janeiro, Brazil-native who now trains in the United States at AMC Pankration in Seattle, WA. The BJJ and Greco-Roman wrestling specialist made his pro debut in 2006 and won his first eleven bouts while fighting for organizations like Icon Sport, Sportfight, and Alliance Fights. He lost his UFC Fight Night 21 debut via 1st round TKO against Gerald Harris, but recovered and earned a 2nd round TKO victory over David Loiseau at UFC 115 in June to even up his record inside the octagon.

Prediction – Maia submission

Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard

Kenny Florian (14-4) will try and secure his third opportunity to fight for the UFC lightweight title with a victory over his UFC 118 opponent Gray “The Bully” Maynard (9-0, 1 NC). This main card bout will be featured on the PPV broadcast. Florian comes in with back-to-back victories; Maynard has posted victories in seven straight.

Florian, 34, is a former soccer player at Boston College turned mixed martial artist training out of his own gym in Massachusetts and Tri-Star Gym in Canada. Florian began as a professional in 2002 and won three of four before joining the original cast of The Ultimate Fighter. He competed as a middleweight at TUF 1 and finished the runner-up before dropping to welterweight and winning two as a 170-pounder. He eventually dropped to his current weight of 155 and has remained there. Florian has fought for the lightweight title twice, losing to Sean Sherk at UFC 64 and again to BJ Penn at UFC 101. Other than those two losses, he has never lost as a lightweight. Since his August 2009 loss against Penn, he has posted back-to-back wins over Clay Guida and Takanori Gomi.

Maynard, 31, is a former Michigan State wrestler who now trains out of the Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas. He fought as a professional first in April 2006 winning two bouts before entering the TUF 5 house. He was ousted from the TUF 5 tourney and suffered a double KO no contest in his first official UFC bout, but since that confusing ending, hasn’t lost at all. He has won his last seven bouts including six by decisions. He has pulled out victories over the likes of current champion Frankie Edgar, Roger Huerta, and in his most recent bout in January Nate Diaz.

Prediction – Florian TKO

Randy Couture vs. James Toney

UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture (18-10) will be the first fighter to welcome boxing champion James “Lights Out” Toney (0-0) into the mixed martial arts world as the co-main event at UFC 118. Couture has recently seen another rebirth winning his last two bouts; Toney hasn’t seen action since a September 2009 boxing victory.

Couture, 47, is a former NCAA wrestler who has built a legacy within mixed martial arts as a fighter and trainer. The Washington state native came into MMA in 1997 and helped build the Oregon-based Team Quest. He trained there for several years throughout much of his career, including his UFC 13 heavyweight tournament reign and UFC Ultimate Japan Heavyweight title run. Couture has since re-located to Las Vegas, where he has built Xtreme Couture, one of the most-recognizable images in the sport today. Overall, Couture has won the heavyweight title three times, light-heavyweight title twice, interim heavyweight title once, fought in fifteen UFC title bouts, and was the first person to hold titles in two different weight classes. His recent run has come as a light-heavyweight defeating Brandon Vera at UFC 105 and Marc Coleman at UFC 109 this past February.

Toney, 41, is a two-sport athlete competing in professional boxing, and now in mixed martial arts. The Grand Rapids, Michigan native has fought in six different weight classes throughout his career. He began his professional career in 1988 and didn’t lose a single bout until a 2004 bout with Roy Jones Jr. for the Super Middleweight Title. He has also victories over Evander Holyfield, Rydell Booker, and Saul Montana, among many others. Toney has only competed once in the past year defeating Matthew Greer by 2 nd round KO last September.

Prediction – Couture TKO

UFC 118 Main Event: Frankie Edgar vs BJ Penn

Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar (12-1) will fight former Champion BJ Penn (15-6-1) in his first title defense since he took the title from his opponent this April. This instant rematch will serve at the UFC 118 main event. In April, Edgar was able to beat Penn at his own game, outclassing him on his feet with his boxing skills.

Edgar, 28, is a New Jersey native who trains in state with the Renzo Gracie Combat Team. He began fighting after finishing up a Division I wrestling career at Clarion University in Pennsylvania. He began fighting as a professional in late 2005 and won his first five fights in Ring of Combat, Sportfight, and Reality Fighting organizations. He joined the UFC in February 2007 and won his first three before dropping his only career fight against Gray Maynard at Fight Night 13 in April 2008. He has since posted four straight victories defeating Hermes Franca, Sean Sherk, Matt Veach, and Penn to capture the belt. The current champion has won “Fight of Night” on three different occasions.

Penn, 31, is a Hawaii-native who trains in his home state at his home gym at BJ Penn MMA. The BJJ black belt began in 2001 with the UFC however was unsuccessful in his first two title tries. He lost first to Jens Pulver at UFC 35 and then fought Caol Uno to a draw at UFC 41. He did capture the welterweight title belt at UFC 46 with a victory over Matt Hughes, but soon left the organization for over two years to fight in Japan for K-1. He returned in 2006, but lost back-to-back bouts against George St. Pierre and Matt Hughes. He did finally earn the lightweight belt at UFC 80 in January 2008 with a submission over Joe Stevenson. He defended that belt three times until losing it in his most recent fight at UFC 112 this April against Edgar.

Prediction – Penn decision

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Senior MMA Staff Writer

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