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UFC on Fuel TV 3 Predictions: UFC on Fuel TV 3 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 on FX has come and gone and we take a look at the UFC on FX results.

The next event for the UFC will be UFC on Fuel TV 3, held on May 15, 2012 from the Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and our UFC on Fuel TV 3 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 2012 and lists of which Mixed Martial Artists are schedule to fight and be sure to check out the future UFC event fight cards.

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UFC on Fuel TV 3 Predictions:

Alex Soto vs. Francisco Rivera

Bantamweight Alex Soto (6-1-1) will welcome fellow 135-pounder Francisco Rivera (7-2) back into the organization to fight at UFC on Fuel TV 3 in a preliminary card contest.

Soto, 28, is a Mexico born mixed martial artist who fights out of Team Hurricane Awesome in San Diego, California. Soto made his professional debut in July of 2009 and won his first six bouts while fighting in regional circuits across Mexico and California. In June 2011, Soto fought Seiji Akao to a draw at DEEP 54 in Japan, however was invited to debut under the UFC banner five months later. Soto lost his first career bout while making his UFC 139 debut last November after being knocked out in 56 seconds by Michael McDonald.

Rivera is a California based mixed martial artist who fights out of United Mixed Martial Arts. “Cisco” made his professional debut in June of 2008 and won his first five contests while fighting mostly out of the regional circuit in California. After a quick and successful beginning to his career, Rivera was welcomed into the WEC, however was one and out after a TKO loss to Erik Koch at WEC 52 in November 2010. He was moved into the UFC where he lost via submission at the TUF 13 Finale against Rueben Duran in June of 2011. Since his release last year, Rivera has won back to back bouts while fighting for Tachi Palace Fight. He earned a forty second KO this past December and then pasted Antonio Duarte in 1:15 this March.

Prediction – Soto Decision

Jeff Curran vs. Johnny Eduardo

Fourteen-year mixed martial arts veteran Jeff “Big Frog” Curran (33-14-1) is still in search of his first promotional victory and will meet Brazilian submission specialist Johnny Eduardo (25-9) in a UFC on Fuel TV 3 preliminary card bout that will be contested in the 135-pound division.

Curran, 34, is an Illinois based mixed martial artist who fights out of his own Team Curran gym. “Big Frog” made his professional debut in 1998 and won ten of his first sixteen before appearing in the WEC for a first time. He then made his UFC 46 debut in 2004 but lost a tough fought decision against Matt Serra. Curran won fifteen of his next sixteen from March 2004 through August 2007 to earn a contract with the WEC for a second time. He won his return bout but dropped four in a row and was cut loose by the organization. He bounced back and won four of his next five bouts while fighting in organizations like Strikeforce, Bellator and Xtreme Fighting Organization. Curran lost in his UFC 137 return last October with a decision defeat to Scott Jorgensen.

Eduardo, 33, is a Brazilian native who fights out of New Jersey and trains with the Nova Uniao and Black House gyms. His professional debut came in 1996 and Eduardo went on to win fourteen of his first twenty-six bouts while fighting in several regional promotions across Brazil. He hit his stride and won eleven in a row from February 2008 through April 2011 to earn a UFC opportunity. In his octagon debut this past August; Eduardo was defeated by decision against Raphael Assuncao.

Prediction – Curran Submission

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Kamal Shalorus

Hard-hitting Rafael dos Anjos (15-6) is trying to remain relevant in the crowded UFC 155-pound division and will meet WEC import Kamal Shalorus (7-2-2) at UFC on Fuel TV 3 in a preliminary card bout.

Dos Anjos, 27, is a Brazil native who fights out of Evolve MMA in Rio de Janeirio. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt made his professional debut in September 2004 and won eleven of his first thirteen including nine straight in Brazil before earning a UFC contract. In 2008, dos Anjos dropped his first two octagon bouts before bouncing right back to win his next three. With consecutive victories over Rob Emerson, Kyle Bradley, and Terry Etim, dos Anjos was steadily climbing the lightweight ladder. He has hit a rough patch once again losing two of his last three including his most recent at UFC 139 via split decision against Gleison Tibau.

Shalorus is an Iran born mixed martial artist who now fights out of Austin, Texas. Shalorus made his professional debut in 2008 and won four of his first five professional bouts fighting in regional events across Texas and New Jersey. He joined the WEC in 2009 and went unbeaten through his first four bouts for the organization before being absorbed into the UFC in 2011. Since arriving in the octagon however, Shalorus has dropped back to back bouts losing first to Jim Miller at UFC 128 via TKO and then to newcomer Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC on FX via submission.

Prediction – dos Anjos TKO

TJ Grant vs. Carlo Prater

Canadian submission specialist TJ Grant (17-5) meets Brazilian grappling veteran Carlo Prater (30-10-1) in a lightweight bout that will be part of the UFC on Fuel TV 3 preliminary card.

Grant, 28, is a Canadian born mixed martial artist who fights out of Nova Scotia. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt made his professional debut in 2006 and won thirteen of his first fifteen while competing for organizations such as King of the Cage, TKO, and several other Canadian organizations. Grant made it into the UFC in April of 2009 and has alternated wins with losses over his seven octagon appearances. The newly crafted lightweight will be trying to put together back to back victories for the first time under the UFC banner. His octagon wins have come over Ryo Chonan, Kevin Burns, Julio Paulino, and Shane Roller in his most recent fight last October at UFC Live on VS 6.

Prater, 30, is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who fights out of Texas with the Thugjitsu team. The finishing specialist made his professional debut in 2002 and won twenty-one of his first twenty-six bouts while traveling on the Brazilian and American regional fight scene. In 2008, Prater signed with the WEC but dropped both of his bouts there and was released shortly after. Prater’s career was in the dumps after his WEC release losing several more bouts but finally got it together and won four in a row to earn his opportunity in the UFC. The ten year professional won his UFC 142 debut by disqualification over Erick Silva while competing at 170 pounds.

Prediction – Grant TKO

Brad Tavares vs. Dongi Yang

The Ultimate Fighter 11 competitor Brad Tavares (7-1) will attempt to rebound from his first official loss last summer and when he enters the octagon at UFC on Fuel TV 3 against Dongi Yang (10-2) in a middleweight contest that will be positioned on the preliminary card.

Tavares, 24, is a Hawaii native who now fights out of Las Vegas, Nevada. The former Team Tompkins fighter made his professional debut in June of 2007 and won his first five bouts while competing in his native Hawaii in different regional events. Tavares earned a slot on The Ultimate Fighter 11 and was chosen for Team Liddell. He advanced into the semifinal round where he was defeated by eventual winner Court McGee. Tavares was positioned opposite of Seth Baczynski on the TUF 11 Finale where he earned the decision victory for his first official octagon win. He made it two in a row at UFC 125 last January with a KO victory over Phil Baroni. His seven fight winning streak came to an end last July when he was outpointed by Aaron Simpson at UFC 132.

Yang, 27, is a South Korean mixed martial artist who fights out of the Korea Top Team. The Judo specialist made his professional debut in June of 2007 and won his first nine fights while competing in Japan and South Korea for organizations like DEEP and Sengoku. Yang’s first professional loss came in his octagon debut at UFC 121 last October losing via split decision against Chris Camozzi. He picked up his first promotional victory at UFC on VS 3 when he knocked out Rob Kimmons last March but lost last September at UFC Fight Night 25 via unanimous decision against Court McGee in his most recent action.

Prediction – Yang Decision

Cody McKenzie vs. Marcus LeVesseur

The Ultimate Fighter 12 competitor Cody McKenzie (12-2) will welcome promotional newcomer Marcus LeVesseur (21-5) into the organization at UFC on Fuel TV 3 in a preliminary card lightweight bout.

McKenzie, 24, is an Alaska born mixed martial artist who now fights out of Washington at the Throwdown Training Center. McKenzie made his professional debut in 2007 and won his first 11 professional fights across the Canadian and American regional fight scene. He earned a spot on The Ultimate Fighter 12 and was chosen by Team GSP but lost in the quarterfinals round against Nam Phan via TKO. He returned and won in his first official UFC bout at the TUF 12 Finale in December of 2010 submitting Aaron Wilkinson. He has dropped back to back bouts via submission losing to Yves Edwards at UFC Fight for the Troops 2 last January and to Vagner Rocha at UFC Fight Night 25 last September.

LeVesseur, 29, is a Minnesota based mixed martial artist who has transitioned from a successful amateur wrestler in both high school and among the collegiate ranks. The four time state wrestling champion in high school made his professional MMA debut in 2003 and has toiled among the regional fight scene for over eight years. A veteran of regional organizations in Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, California and Illinois, LeVesseur lost only one time over his first ten bouts. He continued his consistent rise losing only three times over his next ten fights bringing his record to an impressive 16-4. Since fighting in professional bout number twenty, LeVesseur has won five of his last six including all three in 2011. The well rounded LeVesseur hasn’t competed in 2012; his most recent fight took place last August when he posted a unanimous decision victory over Taureen Bogguess in Minnesota.

Prediction – McKenzie Submission

Jason MacDonald vs. Tom Lawler

Longtime octagon veteran Jason MacDonald (25-15) will attempt to remain in the organization at UFC on Fuel TV 3 when he meets TUF 8 veteran Tom Lawler (7-4, NC) in a middleweight bout that will be on the event’s main card.

MacDonald, 36, is a Canadian native who remains home and fights out of Pure Fitness in Calgary. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt made his professional debut in 1999 and won sixteen of his first twenty-seven bouts before entering the octagon for the first time in late 2006. The King of the Cage, Maximum FC, and ECC veteran won five of eight under the UFC banner during his first stint with victories over opponents like Ed Herman, Chris Leben, and Joe Doerksen. He then dropped back to back bouts inside the octagon in 2008 and was released shortly after. To earn his way back, MacDonald had to win three of his four regional bouts, which he did to fight his way back into the organization in 2010. Since returning in May of 2010, MacDonald has lost two of three bouts including his most recent at UFC Fight Night 25 last September against Alan Belcher.

Lawler, 28, is a Massachusetts born mixed martial artist who fights out of Rhode Island with Lauzon MMA. Lawler made his professional debut in 2007 and lost only one time over his first six bouts on the regional circuit. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt earned a position on TUF 8 and was chosen for Team Mir. Lawler drew eventual winner Ryan Bader in the first round of the competition and was knocked out during their encounter. Her returned at the TUF 8 Finale and won his bout over Kyle Kingsbury as well as his next fight at UFC 100 against C.B. Dollaway but hasn’t seen much success since. Since his back to back victories, Lawler has won only one time in his last four fights. In his most recent fight, Lawler lost to Chris Weidman via rear naked choke submission at UFC 139 last November.

Prediction – Lawler TKO

Igor Pokrajac vs. Fabio Maldonado

Croatian striker Igor Pokrajac (24-8) will meet Brazilian Fabio Maldonado (18-4) in a UFC on Fuel TV 3 main card light-heavyweight bout. Pokrajac comes in riding the strength of back to back victories while Maldonado dropped his most recent fight.

Pokrajac, 33, is a Croatian born mixed martial artist who fights out of the Croatia Top Team. Pokrajac made his professional debut in 2003 and won twenty-one of his first twenty-six professional bouts while fighting mostly in small regional events in his home country. In late 2009, Pokrajac made his octagon debut losing back to back bout against Vladimir Matyushenko and James Te-Huna however made the most of his third opportunity submitting James Irvin with a 1 st round rear naked choke. Although a loss to Stephan Bonner followed, Pokrajac got back in the winner’s circle with back to back victories over Todd Brown and Krzysztof Soszynzki.

Maldonado, 32, is a Brazil native who fights out of Team Nogueira. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt made his professional debut in 2000 and went on to win seventeen of his first twenty bouts, most of which were fought in small regional Brazilian promotions. After a ten fight winning streak in the minors, the UFC came calling giving Maldonado an opportunity. The hard-hitting Brazilian won his UFC 120 debut with a TKO finish of James McSweeney, however lost last June at the TUF 13 Finale with a unanimous decision defeat against Kyle Kingsbury.

Prediction – Pokrajac TKO

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Yves Jabouin vs. Jeff Houghland

WEC veteran Yves Jabouin (17-7) will shoot for his third straight UFC victory when he meets submission expert Jeff “Hell bound” Houghland (10-4) at UFC on Fuel TV 3 in a main card bantamweight bout.

Jabouin, 32, is a Haitian born mixed martial artist who fights out of the Tri-Star Gym in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Jabouin made his professional debut in May of 2001 and won fourteen of eighteen to begin his career. After dominating the regional fight circuits in Canada, he signed and debuted with the WEC in late 2009. Losing back to back bouts in the WEC made his future look grim but after winning his final promotional fight, he was transferred into the UFC in 2011. He was submitted by Pablo Garza at UFC 129 last April but followed with back to back victories against Ian Loveland and Walel Watson in his two most recent appearances.

Houghland is a Chicago, Illinois born mixed martial artist who fights out of Washington at the Combat Sport and Fitness gym. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt made his professional debut in 2002 losing four of his first five contests including a WEC 6 contest with current Strikeforce Lightweight Champ Gilbert Melendez. After struggling early in his career, Houghland went on to win eight in a row for organizations like IFC, Gladiator Challenge and Rumble on the Ridge across Washington and California. His eight straight victories earned his a chance to fight for the world’s largest MMA organization, the UFC. At UFC 132 last summer, Houghland picked up a dominating unanimous decision victory over Donny Walker for his debut win.

Prediction – Jabouin Decision

Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens

Former WEC title contender Donald Cerrone (17-4, NC) is trying to make the move to UFC contender when he meets hard-hitting Jeremy Stephens (20-7) at UFC on Fuel TV 3 in a main card bout that will be contested at 155 pounds.

Cerrone, 29, is a New Mexico based mixed martial artist who fights out of Jackson’s Submission Fighting. The former kick boxer made his professional MMA debut in 2006 winning his first seven bouts while competing in Colorado regional events. “Cowboy” made the move into the WEC in 2007 and won six of his ten bouts for the organization, losing only three times in lightweight title bouts to Benson Henderson and Jaime Varner. Cerrone was moved into the UFC in 2011 and won his first four with victories over Paul Kelly, Vagner Rocha, Dennis Siver, and Charles Oliveira. While inching ever so close to a 155 pound lightweight title bout, any thoughts of that was extinguished when he was defeated by Nate Diaz at UFC 141 this past December via decision.

Stephens, 25, is an Iowa born mixed martial artist who now fights out of Alliance MMA in San Diego. “Lil Heathen” made his professional debut in 2005 and won twelve of his first thirteen while competing in a variety of Midwest based regional organizations. His UFC 71 debut was spoiled when his opponent, Din Thomas submitted him; however he found success with victories over three of his next four octagon fights. Stephens’ momentum was halted in 2009 when he dropped back to back bouts against Joe Lauzon and Gleison Tibau. He rose back up the lightweight ladder with four victories over his next five fights to solidify his roster spot with the promotion. In a pivotal bout, Stephens was defeated by split decision at UFC 136 last October against Anthony Pettis.

Prediction – Cerrone Decision

Amir Sadollah vs. Jorge Lopez

The Ultimate Fighter 7 winner Amir Sadollah (5-3) is trying to rebound from his loss last summer that snapped a two bout winning streak when he meets precision striker Jorge Lopez (11-2) in a UFC on Fuel TV 3 welterweight bout that will be positioned on the main card.

Sadollah, 31, is a New York born mixed martial artist who fights out of Las Vegas at the Throwdown Training Center. Sadollah entered the TUF 7 house with no professional fighting experience and only four amateur bouts to his credit. The Team Forrest fighter won TUF 7 with a submission victory over runner-up C.B. Dollaway at the June 2008 Finale. The grappling specialist made the move to welterweight for his next bout, which was a loss to current contender Johny Hendricks at UFC 101. Following the loss to Hendricks, Sadollah won four of his next five defeating opponents like Phil Baroni, Brad Blackburn, Peter Sobotta, and DaMarques Johnson. He had his two fight winning streak stopped last summer at UFC on VS 5 losing a decision against Duane Ludwig.

Lopez is a Las Vegas born mixed martial artist who fights out of the Wand Fight Team. “Lil Monster” made his professional debut in 2007 and won eleven of his first twelve, including ten in a row, before signing with the UFC late last year. The Tachi Palace Fights veteran lost his September 2011 UFC Fight Night 25 debut via unanimous decision against Justin Edwards.

Prediction – Sadollah Submission

UFC on Fuel TV 3 Main Event - Chan Sung Jung vs. Dustin Poirier

“The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (12-3) will try and put a halt to the fast rising Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier (12-1) and his five fight winning streak at the UFC on Fuel TV 3 main event that will play a role in the 135 pound title picture.

Jung, 25, is a South Korean native who fights out of the Korean Top Team. The former kick boxer made his professional MMA debut in June of 2007 and won his first eight bouts while competing in regional events across South Korean as well as Japan. “The Korean Zombie” signed with one of Japan’s top promotions in 2009 and won two of his three bouts for Sengoku to spark interest from the WEC. Jung was impressive in the WEC but dropped back to back bouts in 2010 before transitioning into the UFC last year. Since moving into the UFC, Jung has defeated both Leonard Garcia at UFC Fight Night 24 and Mark Hominick at UFC 140 last December with a seven second KO.

Poirier, 23, is a Louisiana native who fights out of the Gladiator Training Center. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist made his professional debut in May of 2009 and won his first seven fights while fighting mostly on the regional circuit in his home state. His undefeated start earned him the opportunity to fight in the WEC where he lost his WEC 50 debut before rebounding to win his second bout at WEC 52. After defeating Zach Micklewright at WEC 52, “The Diamond” has strung together four consecutive victories inside the octagon. Victories over Josh Grispi at UFC 125, Jason Young at UFC 131, Pablo Garza at UFC on Fox, and Max Holloway at UFC 143 this past February to inch towards the 135 pound title fight.

Prediction – Poirier Submission

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

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