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UFC 108 Predictions: UFC 108 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 107 has come and gone and we take a look at the UFC 107 results.

The next event for the UFC will be UFC 108, held on January 2, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and our UFC 108 predictions & preview will be posted below for UFC fans across the globe to enjoy. Also be sure to check out our popular "A Fans' View from his Couch" column where UFC fan Greg Vorse gives us his take & picks for each major UFC fight, including UFC 108, UFC 109, UFC 110 & more in the coming days and weeks and buy UFC tickets online here through Pro Fighting Fans!

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 returns to Las Vegas with a fight card that has experienced significant injuries. Former UFC Light Heavyweight champion and TUF 10 coach Rashad Evans returns to the Octagon to face Thiago Silva in the main event atop the UFC 108 fight card. The main card is not what you would call star-studded, but does feature several up-and-coming MMA fighters including Paul Daley, Dustin Hazelett, Joe Lauzon, Jim Miller, Martin Kampmann and Junior dos Santos. UFC 108 is available on PPV January 2nd.

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UFC 108 Predictions: Preliminary Card

Mike Pyle vs. Jake Ellenberger

Two of the International Fight League’s former staples will be featured on the preliminary card at UFC 108. Mike “Quicksand” Pyle (19-6-1) is trying to make it two in a row inside the octagon but will have to defeat Team Quest welterweight Jake Ellenberger (21-5), who is searching for his first win in the UFC.

The Xtreme Couture-trained Pyle debuted over ten years ago, and over the last decade, has participated in notable organizations like the WEC, IFL, Strikeforce, Elite XC, Sengoku, and Affliction. After losing to Jake Shields two years ago at an Elite XC show, he reeled off five consecutive and earned a slot in the UFC as a replacement at UFC 98. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to pick up the victory against Brock Larson in his debut at UFC 98, but did defeat Chris Wilson at a September Fight Night when he submitted him in the third round.

Ellenberger, 24, is young, but with over 25 fights to his credit, has a lot of experience as a professional. He began in April of 2005 and went on to win all of his first twelve bouts. The IFL, Bodog Fight, M-1 Challenge, and Bellator FC veteran won four in a row from July 2008 to June 2009, earning his position at UFC Fight Night 19 against former WEC champ, Carlos Condit. The bout was a tight back and forth contest for three rounds until Condit pulled out the split decision victory with an aggressive final round.

Prediction – Ellenberger over Pyle via submission

Mark Munoz vs. Ryan Jensen

Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz (6-1) will fight as a middleweight for the second time at UFC 108 when he takes on Ryan Jensen (14-5), who quite possibly is fighting for his UFC life.

Six years after his collegiate wrestling career ended at Oklahoma State, Munoz debuted in MMA and went on to win his first five fights. Among his first five victories included two wins in the WEC prior to the company folding its 205 and 185 pound divisions. At UFC 96 in March of 2009, Munoz was dealt a brutal head kick KO loss via Matt Hamill. He recovered at UFC 102 in August, fighting as a middleweight for the first time and defeating Nick Catone via split decision.

Ryan Jensen, 32, won eleven of his first twelve bouts over a span of ten years which included an absence from 1997-2002. He lost his first two fights in the octagon, both via 1 st round submissions, before putting back-to-back wins together outside of the organization. This, now his second stint in the UFC, Jensen is in a “must-win” situation once again after losing to Wilson Gouveia in September 2008 and defeating Steve Steinbeiss this September.

Prediction – Jensen over Munoz via decision

Vladimir Matushenko vs. Steve Cantwell

Vladimir “The Janitor” Matushenko (23-4) will try and deal Steve “The Robot” Cantwell (7-3) his third straight loss inside of the organization in a preliminary match-up at UFC 108.

Matushenko, 38, is in his second stint with the UFC after compiling a 3-2 record in his first tenure, including a loss to Tito Ortiz in the light-heavyweight championship at UFC 33. Leaving after his UFC 44 loss to Andre Arlovski, “The Janitor” won 9 of 10 while fighting in the IFL, Affliction and Call to Arms organizations. He returned at UFC 103 in September with a unanimous decision victory over Igor Pokrajac.

“The Robot” fought four times in the WEC, leaving with a 3-1 record and the company’s light-heavyweight belt prior to transitioning into the UFC. He continued his rise with a “submission of the night” performance at UFC: Fight for the Troops against Razak Al-Hassan. He has since dropped back-to-back unanimous decisions against Luiz Cane and Brian Stann at UFC 97 and UFC Fight Night “Diaz vs. Guillard” respectively.

Prediction – Matushenko over Cantwell via decision

Rafaello Oliveira vs. John Gunderson

UFC sophomore, Rafaello “Tractor” Oliveira (9-2) is attempting to win his first fight inside the octagon against UFC rookie and IFL veteran, John “Quick Guns” Gunderson (18-7), on the preliminary card at UFC 108.

Oliveira, 27, debuted five years ago by winning his first six fights, five of which were in Brazilian promotions. After recording a victory in Hawaii at Rumble on the Rock in February 2008, Oliveira suffered his first loss at a Sho XC event in October. However, after winning his next three fights over the next two months, he earned a position on the UFC 103 preliminaries. He came in with big expectations against little-known Nik Lentz but left on the wrong end of a unanimous decision.

John Gunderson, a 30 year old Oregon-native, won all of his first seven fights as a professional. He dropped two of his next three before reeling off victories in eight consecutive, including defeating Charles “Crazyhorse” Bennett at Gladiators Challenge 40. The former member of the Nevada Lions of the IFL won five of his last six fights to earn his UFC debut. He last fought and won in October, using a kimura to submit Steve Sharp at MMA Xplosion in Las Vegas.

Prediction – Oliveira over Gunderson via submission

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UFC 108 Predictions: Spike TV Televised Card

Cole Miller vs. Dan Lauzon

American Top Team’s Cole Miller (15-4) will go for his fifth career victory in the organization when he opposes Dan Lauzon, the younger brother of UFC lightweight Joe Lauzon (12-2), on the preliminary card at UFC 108.

Miller, a TUF 5 contestant, won 11 of 13 prior to joining Team Pulver on the Spike TV fight series. He lost to Dan’s brother, Joe in the quarterfinals of the show after winning his opening round bout. Since his appearance on the show, he has recorded four victories and only two defeats. He holds stoppage wins over Andy Wang, Jorge Gurgel, and Junie Browning as well as a unanimous decision over Leonard Garcia. He suffered losses against Jeremy Stephens and, in his most recent action at UFC 103 in September, to Efrain Escudero.

Lauzon, now 21 years old, was the youngest fighter (18) to ever fight inside of the octagon when he lost via TKO to Spencer Fisher at UFC 64. Shortly after his UFC debut, he lost another bout in a smaller organization but recovered and put together eight straight victories, including a January rear naked choke submission victory against Bobby Green at an Affliction show to earn his return ticket back into the UFC.

Prediction – Lauzon over Miller via decision

Martin Kampmann vs. Jacob Volkmann

Former Middleweight contender Martin Kampmann is trying to get back on track after his UFC 103 upset loss against Paul Daley when he goes head-to-head with Minnesota Martial Arts Academy fighter, Jacob Volkmann (9-1) on the main card at UFC 108 in a bout that will be viewed on Spike TV.

Kampmann, a 27-year old Denmark native, won nine of ten prior to joining the UFC. When the UFC bought out the WFA in 2006, Kampmann joined the UFC Middleweight division and defeated four straight opponents before losing to Nate Marquardt. He then dropped to welterweight and defeated Alexandre Barros at UFC 93 and Carlos Condit at an April Fight Night. His loss to Paul Daley at UFC 103 was considered an upset and did some damage to his chances at a future title shot.

Jacob Volkmann is making his UFC sophomore fight as a short notice replacement fighter. After winning nine consecutive to start his career inside organizations like Max Fights, XFO and Bellator, Volkmann was given Paulo Thiago at UFC 106. He fought valiantly but was on the losing end of a unanimous decision in his octagon debut. He will now fill in for an injured Rory Markham, who injured his knee during training camp.

Prediction – Kampmann over Volkmann via decision

UFC 108 Predictions: Main Card

Jim Miller vs. Duane Ludwig

Rising lightweight Jim Miller (15-2) will now face Duane “Bang” Ludwig (18-9), a former UFC fighter who is returning to the organization for the first time in three years, in a main card bout at UFC 108. Ludwig is filling the position that was left vacant when former lightweight champion Sean Sherk withdrew due to injury.

Miller, the brother of UFC middleweight Dan Miller, won ten of his first eleven fights, including the Reality Fighting Lightweight Title and the Cage Fury Lightweight Title. He also won his only IFL fight in May of 2008 with a unanimous decision over Bart Palaszewski to earn a chance in the UFC’s octagon. So far he has been consistent, piling up four wins and one loss since debuting in September 2008 at UFC Fight Night “Diaz vs. Neer.”

Duane Ludwig was 9-2 when debuting at the April 2003 UFC 42, a split decision victory over Genki Sudo. He lost back-to-back bouts outside the promotion before posting another victory at UFC Fight Night 3 over Jonathan Goulet. Since that January 2006 bout, he has bounced around recording victories in Strikeforce and the Ring of Fire promotions. His last fight was a 1st round submission loss to Lyle Beerbohm in June at a Sho MMA event.

Prediction – Miller over Ludwig via submission

Joe Lauzon vs. Sam Stout

Lightweights Joe Lauzon (18-4) and Sam Stout (14-5-1) are both attempting to win back-to-back fights in hopes of moving into a contender role when the two 155-pound fighters meet on the UFC 108 main card.

Lauzon debuted in 2004 and picked up victories in 13 of his first 16 bouts, including a win over former WEC champ, Mike Thomas Brown. Lauzon surprised many when he pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history when he used a KO to defeat Jens Pulver at UFC 63 in September 2006. He went on to participate in the TUF 5 tournament, making it to the semifinals. Since that experience, Lauzon has gone 4-1 inside the octagon and is currently riding the strength of back-to-back UFC Fight Night victories over Kyle Bradley and Jeremy Stephens.

Canadian, Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout is in his third separate stint with the promotion. His first stint ended when he split a pair of fights, defeating Spencer Fisher and losing to Kenny Florian. His second run with the UFC ended after a loss to Fisher in their second fight. He returned for a third time and has produced two wins and two losses. His most recent fight was an April decision victory over Matt Wiman at UFC 97.

Prediction – Lauzon over Stout via submission

Paul Daley vs. Dustin Hazelett

Paul “Semtex” Daley (22-8-2) will go for his second victory in as many chances when he faces Dustin “McLovin” Hazelett (12-4) in a main card bout at UFC 108. Hazelett hasn’t fought in over a year while being sidelined because of a number of different ailments and injuries.

Daley, a Team Rough House fighter, debuted in the summer of 2003 and bounced around several different British promotions including UKMMAC, CWFC, and Cage Rage. He saw his stock rise in September of 2006 after capturing the Cage Rage British Welterweight championship. Two fights later he won the FX 3 Welterweight Championship and then, in the midst of a six-fight win streak, he defeated Mark Weir for the Cage Rage Welterweight Title. Since migrating to fight in North America, he has appeared for Strikeforce, Elite XC, MFC and the UFC, among others. He earned a victory in September at UFC 103 with a 1st round TKO over Martin Kampmann in his debut with the organization.

Dustin Hazelett, 23, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Jorge Gurgel, built a respectable 7-2 record over his first two years as a professional fighting for Extreme Challenge, Gracie Fighting Championships, FFC, and King of the Cage. He suffered a defeat in his UFC debut in October 2006, however bounced back with three straight victories over Diego Saraiva, Stevie Lynch, and Jonathan Goulet. He was knocked out by Josh Koscheck at UFC 82 in March of 2008, but again has put back-to-back wins together, the most recent being at UFC 91 winning “Submission of the Night” bonus with a 1st round inverted armbar submission over Tamdan McCrory.

Prediction – Daley over Hazelett via TKO

Junior dos Santos vs. Gilbert Yvel

An intriguing Heavyweight bout between dangerous striker Junior “Cigano” dos Santos (9-1) and UFC newcomer, Gilbert “The Hurricane” Yvel (36-13-1) is set to take place on the main card at UFC 108.

“Cigano” won six of his seven fights while fighting in his home country of Brazil prior to coming over to the UFC. At his UFC 90 debut, dos Santos exploded with an upset victory over Fabricio Werdum after a 1st round KO earned him “KO of the Night” honors. He also earned a TKO over Stefan Struve at UFC 95 in February and a victory over Mirko Filipovic at UFC 103 this September which allowed him to make a significant leap in the organizations’ heavyweight division.

Yvel is a longtime veteran of mixed martial arts and has been in the cage with many notable heavyweights. Beginning in 1997, Yvel fought in promotions such as PRIDE, 2H2H, Rings and Its Showtime where he knocked off fighters like Semmy Schlit, Gary Goodridge, and Cheick Kongo. From July 2006 through November 2008, “The Hurricane” won seven consecutive bouts in a variety of promotions. He did lose to Josh Barnett at a January Affliction event, however rebounded to defeat Pedro Rizzo at Ultimate Chaos in June to get back on track.

Prediction – Yvel over dos Santos via TKO

UFC 108 Main Event: Rashad Evans vs Thiago Silva

Former UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans (13-1-1) is coming off his coaching stint on The Ultimate Fighter 10 and will take on dangerous Brazilian striker, Thiago Silva (14-1), in a main event bout at UFC 108 that may have future title implications.

Evans, a former Michigan St. wrestler, won the first five bouts of his professional career fighting on Gladiator Challenge and Dangerzone fight cards. He then defeated Brad Imes to win the TUF 2 Heavyweight Tournament and earn a six-figure contract in the UFC. He immediately dropped down to 205-pounds and went on a tear, winning his first four LHW bouts. A draw against Tito Ortiz at UFC 73 in July of 2007 slowed his progression for awhile but he bounced back to win three straight against top-contenders, Michael Bisping, Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin. His UFC 92 win over Forrest Griffin also made him the UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion until he lost the belt in his very next fight against Lyoto Machida at UFC 98 in May.

Thiago Silva, 27, an American Top Team fighter, won all nine of his pre-UFC fights. He participated in organizations such as, Pancrase, Fury FC, and Shooto – Brazil. At UFC 71 he earned a TKO victory over James Irvin in his organizational debut. In all, Silva won four straight to start his UFC career over tough competitors including Thomas Drwal, Houston Alexander and Antonio Mendes. He also lost to Lyoto Machida via 1st round KO at UFC 94 in January but rebounded with an impressive 1st round KO over Keith Jardine at UFC 102 in August to earn the main event slot at UFC 108.

Prediction – Evans over Silva via decision

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

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