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UFC 112 Predictions: UFC 112 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 111 has come and gone and we take a look at the UFC 111 results.

The next event for the UFC will be UFC 112, held on April 10, 2010 in Abu Dhabi, and our UFC 112 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!

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 heads to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates for another Pay Per View event to take place on April 10, 2010. After a successful UFC Fight Night 21 event on March 31 to cap off 3 UFC events in 11 days, UFC 112 will feature two title fights as both the Lightweight (155lbs) and Middleweight (185lbs) belts will be on the line. In the Lightweight title fight BJ Penn puts his belt on the line against Frankie Edgar while Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva takes on Demian Maia as well.

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UFC 112 Predictions: Preliminary Card

Paul Kelly vs. Matt Veach

British finisher, Paul Kelly (9-2), will be looking to get back in the win column when he steps into the octagon against HIT Squad fighter Matt Veach (11-1). This bout will be part of UFC 112’s preliminary card and will be contested in the lightweight division. Kelly fought last at UFC 105 in November losing to Denis Siver by TKO. Veach earned fight of night honors at his December TUF 10 Finale bout against Frankie Edgar, however, dropped the bout after being submitted.

Kelly, 25, began fighting in 2005 and was part of several notable British promotions. He earned a perfect record after his first six fights prior to joining the UFC. He pulled off an exciting decision victory at his UFC 80 debut over Paul Taylor, but was dealt a setback in his sophomore bout losing to Marcus Davis. Victories over The Ultimate Fighter alums Troy Mandaloniz and Rolando Delgado put him back on track that is until he lost to Siver this past November.

Veach is an Illinois-born fighter who trains with Matt Hughes’ HIT Squad. He became a professional in 2006 picking up ten victories (nine stops) without a loss in organizations all over the United States. He was brought in to the UFC at the February 2009 Fight Night event where he earned an impressive TKO against Matt Grice. He performed admirably in his TUF 10 finale bout with Frankie Edgar, however losing after being submitted.

Prediction – Veach over Kelly via TKO

DeMarques Johnson vs. Brad Blackburn

The Ultimate Fighter 9 runner-up DeMarques Johnson (13-7) will find out where he stands in the growing welterweight division against gatekeeper “Bad” Brad Blackburn (15-10-1, 1 NC) when the two meet on the UFC 112 preliminary card. Johnson earned submission of night bonus against Edgar Garcia at UFC 107 in December. Blackburn lost his first bout in the octagon against Amir Sadollah this January at UFC Fight Night 20.

Johnson, 27, is a Utah-born fighter who trains out of Elite Performance. He debuted in 2005 and lost three of his first four bouts while fighting for four different organizations. He pulled it together later in his career winning six consecutive from October 2007 through September 2008. At the TUF 9 finale, he represented Team USA in the finals, but lost to James Wilks by 1 st round submission. He did earn a victory in a must-win situation at UFC 107 over Edgar Garcia.

Blackburn, 32, made his professional debut in 2001 and went on to fight for several organizations. He became a notable fighter when he joined the IFL in April 2006 and went on to win four of his six fights with the defunct organization. He won his UFC Fight Night 14 debut in July 2008 over James Giboo, as well as fights with Ryo Chonan and Edgar Garcia later on. He dropped his first UFC fight in January against Amir Sadollah by decision.

Prediction – Blackburn over Johnson via decision

Nick Osipczak vs. Rick Story

Undefeated British welterweight, Nick Osipczak (5-0), gets red-hot Rick “Horror” Story (9-3) in a UFC 112 preliminary card bout. Osipczak defeated Matt Riddle in November at UFC 105 by TKO. Story was successful in January at Fight Night 20 by decision over Jesse Lennox.

Osipczak, 25, is an English-born Team Rough House fighter who became a professional two years ago. He fought and won three bouts before his TUF 9 appearance. He submitted Frank Lester in June 2009 at the TUF 9 finale in his official debut. He followed that up with a TKO of Matt Riddle in November.

Story, 25, is a Washington born fighter who trains out of the Brave Legion gym in the Northwest. He banged out an amateur record of 5-0 before beginning his pro tenure in late-2007. He lost two of his first three pro fights before turning it around and winning six in a row. He lost his UFC 99 debut via unanimous decision against John Hathaway, but recovered to win his next two fights inside the octagon. He first submitted Brian Foster at UFC 103 in September and then earned a decision victory over Lennox in January.

Prediction – Story over Osipczak via decision

Paul Taylor vs. John Gunderson

British slugger, Paul “Relentless” Taylor (10-5-1, 1NC), will try and find some consistency at UFC 112 against Lion’s Den fighter John Gunderson (22-7). Taylor is coming off of a loss at UFC 105 in November against John Hathaway. Gunderson made his UFC debut in January at UFC 108 losing a unanimous decision against Rafaello Oliveira.

Taylor, 30, is a British-based fighter who made his debut in 2002. He fought some tough competition over his first four years and compiled a 7-1-1 record. He made it to the UFC in April 2007 and has fought in the octagon seven times over a three year span. He is one of the rare UFC fighters who carry a losing record; however, it’s his fast-paced action-packed style that keeps him employed. He has won three "fight of the night" bonuses over his UFC career.

Gunderson, 30, is an Oregon-based veteran of eight years. He won fifteen of his first seventeen bouts before catching on with the IFL. He produced a sub-par 2-3 record, although after the organization closed its doors, he won five of his next six bouts. His recent hot streak has earned him an opportunity on the UFC big stage. His UFC debut didn’t go as planned, losing a decision to jiu-jitsu ace Oliveira in January.

Prediction – Gunderson over Taylor via submission

Jon Madsen vs. Mustapha Al-Turk

The Ultimate Fighter 10 alum, Jon Madsen (3-0), will look for his second octagon victory when he meets Mustapha Al-Turk (6-5) at UFC 112 on the preliminary card. Madsen defeated Justin Wren at the TUF 10 finale in December. Mustapha Al-Turk was defeated last June at UFC 99 against Mirko Cro Cop.

Madsen, 30, is a former South Dakota State University wrestler who made his way to the HIT Squad gym in Illinois. He made his pr debut in May 2008 and it only took him two victories before catching a break as a member of the TUF 10 cast. He made it to the semi-finals in the tournament but earned a fight at the finale anyway. He earned a tight split decision victory over Justin Wren at the finale for his third career victory.

Al-Turk, 36, is a Lebanon-born heavyweight who lives and trains in England with the London Shootfighters. He debuted in early-2002 and fought nine times for British promotions like XFC and Cage Rage. He posted a 6-3 record in England over a six-year period defeating the likes of Mark Kerr, Gary Turner, and James McSweeney. He was signed to the UFC in 2008 and made his debut the same year. He lost to Cheick Kongo at UFC 92 via 1 st round TKO and then again at UFC 99 six months later against Cro Cop. His latest victory doesn’t come without controversy; he was poked in the eye by Cro Cop, however, the referee didn’t see it and the bout continued.

Prediction – Al-Turk over Madsen via TKO

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Phil Davis

Someone’s “O” must go in this UFC 112 preliminary card bout between undefeated light-heavyweights, Alexander Gustafsson (9-0) and Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (5-0). Gustafsson picked up his first UFC victory in November at UFC 105 over Jared Hamman. Davis was able to grind out a decision victory at UFC 109 in February over Brian Stann.

Gustafsson, 23, is a Sweden native who made his professional debut in 2007. He won his first eight fights (7 stoppages) fighting in Finland, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, and Poland. He then picked up his first UFC victory at UFC 105 in November with a 41-second KO of Jared Hamman.

Davis, 25, is a former Penn State University wrestler who now splits his training between AKA and Team Lloyd Irvin Kickboxing Academy. He made his fighting debut in October 2008 and went on to stop three of his four opponents prior to joining the UFC. He made his organizational debut in February at UFC 109 and dominated Brian Stann by unanimous decision.

Prediction – Davis over Gustafsson via TKO

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UFC 112 Predictions: PPV Main Card

Kendall Grove vs. Mark Munoz

In the night’s first televised pay-per-view bout, Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove (11-6, 1 NC) takes on Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz (7-1) in a middleweight bout. Grove won his most recent fight at UFC 106 in November submitting Jake Rosholt. Munoz won via submission over Ryan Jensen at UFC 108 in January.

Grove, 27, is a Hawaii-native who fights and trains out of BJ Penn’s MMA. He debuted in 2003 and built a 5-3-1 record fighting mostly throughout Hawaii and Mexico. He excelled at TUF 3 winning the middleweight tournament over Ed Herman. He picked up two more victories before dropping back-to-back fights against Patrick Cote and Jorge Rivera. Since his back-to-back losses, he has won three of his four fights including his submission over Rosholt that sent him out of the organization.

Munoz, 32, was first an outstanding wrestler at Oklahoma State before transitioning into MMA where he made his debut in July 2007. He went 3-0 before signing with the UFC’s sister promotion, the WEC. He picked up two more wins inside the WEC cage bringing his record to 5-0. It was then, that the UFC and the WEC merged their welterweights, middleweights and light heavyweights including Munoz. He dropped his octagon debut against Matt Hamill, but made the decision to compete as a middleweight shortly after. He has found his groove as a middleweight winning both fights, first a split decision over Nick Catone at UFC 102 and then submitting Jensen five months later.

Prediction – Munoz over Grove via TKO

Terry Etim vs. Rafael dos Anjos

Surging lightweight prospects, Terry Etim (14-2) and Rafael dos Anjos (13-4) will meet in a UFC 112 main card bout. Etim submitted Shannon Gugerty at UFC 105 in November in his most recent action. The Brazilian, dos Anjos, earned a unanimous decision victory over Kyle Bradley in January at UFC Fight Night 20.

Etim, 24, is a British-based fighter who trains out of little-known Team Kaobon. He made his professional debut in May 2005 and won his first nine bouts while fighting in his homeland. He faced much tougher opponents once he got into the UFC in 2007, including Matt Grice, whom he submitted at UFC 70 for his first submission of the night bonus. He dropped back-to-back bouts against Gleison Tibau and Rich Clementi but has since posted four consecutive victories. Victories over Sam Stout, Brian Cobb, Justin Buchholz, and Gugerty have followed his two-fight losing streak giving his much confidence going into his next bout.

Rafael dos Anjos, 25, is a Brazilian fighter who fights out of Evolve MMA. He made his debut in September 2004 and compiled an 11-2 record while fighting four years in his native Brazil. After losing two of his first four, he posted nine straight wins to get a UFC berth. He dropped his first two UFC bouts, but has come back with back-to-back victories. A September UFC 103 victory over Robert Emerson preceded his January victory over Bradley.

Prediction – dos Anjos over Etim via KO

> Find the UFC 112 fight results after the fights are complete at Pro Fighting Fans, check out the UFC fight schedule online.

Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie

Two legends will square off at UFC 112 as former welterweight champion, Matt Hughes (43-7), takes on the legendary Renzo Gracie (13-6-1, 1 NC). Gracie will be making his UFC debut; it has been over three years since he last fought in the Elite XC organization. Hughes has been less busy since growing into an elder statesman; he fought last May and earned a unanimous decision over Matt Serra at UFC 98.

Hughes, 36, is a former Division I All-American wrestler turned mixed martial artist. He fought for the first time as a professional in 1998. He bounced around fighting for Extreme Challenge, Superbrawl, Rings and other organizations, included three fights in the UFC where he won twice. He was 30-3 when joining the UFC for good at UFC 34 in November 2001. He would soon win the welterweight title and defend it five times before losing to BJ Penn in 2004. He worked his way back up and won it again later that year going on to defend it two more times before losing to GSP. Since losing the title, he has dropped three of his five fights; however, he did earn a dominating decision over Serra last May.

Gracie, 43, is a Brazilian-native who has a series of schools where he teaches Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. When he began his fighting career in 1992, he fought sparingly. He did win his first eleven fights including bouts for PRIDE, MARS, and the Rings organization. In 2000 he went into a slump losing six of seven fights spanning over five years. He has won his last three fights, although it has taken him almost four years to do so. His last fight was in February 2007 earning a DQ over Frank Shamrock.

Prediction – Hughes over Gracie via TKO

UFC 112 Co-Main Event: BJ Penn vs. Frankie Edgar

BJ “The Prodigy” Penn (15-5-1) will defend his lightweight title against Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (11-1) in the UFC 112 co-main event. Penn defended his title most recently in December at UFC 107 by earning a TKO over Diego Sanchez. Edgar worked his way up the 155-pound ladder and sealed his title opportunity with a TUF 10 finale stoppage victory over Matt Veach in December.

Penn, 31, is a Hilo, Hawaii-native who has developed into a jiu-jitsu and boxing specialist. He made his debut in May 2001 at UFC 31 winning five of his first seven bouts. He lost to Jens Pulver and fought Caol Uno to a draw in his two title fights during that span. He left the organization after his UFC 46 welterweight title victory over Matt Hughes, however, after winning three of four, he returned two years later. He dropped back-to-back fights upon his return and then went on to coach The Ultimate Fighter 5 opposite of Jens Pulver. He defeated Pulver in the finale and Joe Stevenson at the January 2008 UFC 80 for the lightweight title and still maintains the belt over two years later. His only loss over the last three years was a UFC 94 TKO defeat by George St Pierre for the welterweight title. Penn has won two fights since the loss.

Edgar, 28, is a New Jersey-born fighter who still trains in his home state with Team Renzo Gracie. “The Answer” debuted in late-2005 earning five victories in little over a year of fighting for Ring of Combat, Sportfighting, and Reality Fighting organizations. He debuted at UFC 67 by defeating Tyson Griffin in a Fight of the Night performance. Victories over Mark Bocek and Spencer Fisher followed prior to a UFC Fight Night 13 decision loss to Gray Maynard. Since his only career loss, he has won three in a row to earn his title shot. He defeated Hermes Franca, Sean Sherk, and Veach earning Fight of the Night bonuses against Franca and Veach.

Prediction – Penn over Edgar via submission

UFC 112 Main Event: Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia

Anderson Silva (25-4) will make his next middleweight title defense against Demian Maia (12-1) in the UFC 112 main event. Maia is replacing Vitor Belfort, who had to bail out over a month ago due to injury. Maia is a suitable alternative; he won his February UFC 109 bout with Dan Miller via unanimous decision. Silva has been out of action since last August when he defeated Forrest Griffin at UFC 101.

Silva, 34, is a Brazilian-born striker who trains with Team Black House. He debuted in 2000 and by the time he made his 2006 UFC appearance, he was 15-4 while fighting for PRIDE, Cage Rage, and Rumble on the Rock. He earned a 49-second KO of Chris Leben at Ultimate Fight Night 3. He won the title in his next fight at UFC 64 over Rich Franklin and defended it six times in three years. He defeated Travis Lutter, Nate Marquardt, Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Patrick Cote, and Thales Leites in title fights and earned two more in light heavyweight bouts over James Irvin and Forrest Griffin.

Maia, 32, is a Brazilian-born fighter who trains in Las Vegas with the Wand Fight Team. He debuted in 2001 and posted six victories without a loss prior to fighting inside the octagon. He earned five consecutive submissions, three of which submission of the night bonuses, before suffering his first career loss. At UFC 102, he was knocked out in 21-seconds by Nate Marquardt and believed his title aspirations were over. After his February 2010 UFC 109 victory over Dan Miller, the title opportunity fell into his lap.

Prediction – Silva over Maia via TKO

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

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