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UFC 116 Predictions: UFC 116 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 115 has come and gone and we take a look at the UFC 115 results & recap.

The next event for the UFC will be UFC 116, held on July 3, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and our UFC 116 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 comes home to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the much-anticipated return of Brock Lesnar to the Octagon as he defends his UFC Heavyweight belt for the first time in over a year against Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin. The UFC 116 fight card has had some recent changes of late with Forrest Petz now facing Daniel Roberts on the preliminary card and Chris Leben replacing Wanderlei Silva in facing Yoshihiro Akiyama. UFC 116 will take place on Saturday, July 3, 2010 and Pro Fighting Fans will track all of the UFC 116 fight results online as soon as each fight becomes official.

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UFC 116 Predictions: Preliminary Card

Jon Madsen vs. Karlos Vemola

The Ultimate Fighter 10 heavyweight Jon Madsen (5-0) will put his undefeated record on the line against Karlos Vemola (7-0) in a UFC 116 preliminary card bout.

Madsen, 30, is a native of South Dakota but has since relocated to Illinois where he trains at Matt Hughes’ HIT Squad. He debuted in 2008, and after three victories in mid-level organizations, was picked to appear on TUF 10. He made it into the quarterfinal round on the Spike TV show, however was knocked out by eventual runner-up Brendan Schaub. He went on to earn a spot at the December 2009 finale and took a split decision victory over Justin Wren. He added a UFC 112 victory this April over Mustapha Al-Turk, this time by unanimous decision.

Vemola, 24, is a Czech Republic born fighter who trains in England at London Shootfighters. He won his first seven career fights, all by stoppage including 3 by KO and 4 by submission. Six of the seven bouts took place in the England-based Cage Fighters Championship organization. This will be his first bout outside of England.

Prediction – Madsen decision

Gerald Harris vs. Dave Branch

Former TUF 7 participant, Gerald Harris (15-2) will try for his third consecutive UFC victory at UFC 116 against newcomer Dave Branch (6-0) in a preliminary card bout in the middleweight division.

Harris, 30, is an Oklahoma-born wrestler who has made a successful transition into MMA. He now trains at the Grudge Training Center in Colorado. He made his pro debut in August 2006 and went on to win his first six bouts before dropping back-to-back IFL bouts. He has since found his groove, winning seven straight including a stop on TUF 7, where he won one bout before being eliminated by eventual winner Amir Sadollah. He defeated John Salter in his UFC Fight Night 20 debut via 3 rd round KO (Knockout of the Night), and then stopped newcomer Mario Miranda via 1 st round TKO in March at UFC Fight Night 21.

Branch is a Renzo Gracie-trained fighter who has earned his black belt in BJJ. The New York-based fighter made his debut in September 2007 fighting in the Florida-based Cage Fights organization. He also appeared for Ring of Combat (New Jersey), DCF (Washington DC), UCC (New Jersey), and Bellator FC. Two of his last three victories have come in the Bellator organization including his most recent victory on April 22 nd. At BFC 15, he submitted Derrick Mehman during the 2 nd round of their contest.

Prediction – Harris TKO

Seth Petruzelli vs. Ricardo Romero

The Ultimate Fighter 3 cast member and “Kimbo Killer” will return to the organization as a light-heavyweight at UFC 116 in a preliminary card bout against UFC newcomer Ricardo Romero (10-1).

Petruzelli, 30, is a Florida born and based fighter who has his own gym along with current UFC fighter Tom Lawlor, Jungle MMA and Fitness. He made his pro debut in 2000 and won seven of his first nine to earn a position on TUF 3. He didn’t win the tournament, but did earn a spot on the finale where he lost against Matt Hamill and although he was given Fight of the Night honors, was released afterwards. He won a bout outside of the octagon, and then was brought back six months later at UFC Fight Night 9 but was released again after being submitted by Wilson Gouveia. He has won four consecutive since his release including a 1 st round TKO over Kimbo Slice at Elite XC: Heat in October 2008. His most recent win came in England for the BAMMA organization, a 1 st round submission victory over Ryan White.

Romero is a New Jersey-based fighter who fights out of the Advanced Martial Arts gym. He debuted in 2007 and has fought exclusively for Ring of Combat. He won the organizations’ heavyweight belt in just his third bout, but suffered his only loss in September 2008 at ROC 21 against Glen Sandull for the vacant light-heavyweight title. He ended up winning that title three fights later and has defended it twice including in his most recent victory in November 2009 at ROC 27 over Silmar Rodrigo.

Prediction – Petruzelli decision

Daniel Roberts vs. Forrest Petz

Daniel “Ninja” Roberts (9-1) was expected to fight Julio Paulino on the UFC 116 preliminary card, however an injury has forced Paulino off, taking his place is fellow welterweight and 5-fight UFC veteran, Forrest “The Meat Cleaver” Petz (18-7).

Roberts is an Oklahoma-based submission specialist who trains primarily at Ghost Dog Boxing in Tulsa. He debuted as a professional in 2007 and fought all over his home state winning 9 straight bouts. He was given an opportunity in the UFC on the UFC on Vs 1 fight card where he was knocked out in the 1st round by John Howard.

Petz, 34, is an Ohio-based fighter who completes his training at Strong Style Fight Team near Cleveland. He debuted in January of 2002 and fought all over the Midwest fight scene for the first 4½ years, winning 11 of 13. It was his April 2006 unanimous decision victory over Dan Hardy that earned him his first look in the UFC. His first UFC run lasted five fights and about 14 months, as he recorded a 2-3 record by compiling victories over Sammy Morgan and Luigi Fioravanti. He was released in October 2007 after losing to John Burkman and since then has fought in Adrenaline MMA, TKO, ICF, NAAFS, and Moosin organizations. This May, he won a unanimous decision over Ralph Johnson on the Moosin card to earn another UFC call.

Prediction – Roberts submission

> Find the UFC 116 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 117 fight card and more.

UFC 116 Predictions: Spike TV Televised Card

Kendall Grove vs. Goran Reljic

Both Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove (11-7, 1 NC) and Goran Reljic (8-1) are coming off of losses and need this UFC 116 Spike TV preliminary card middleweight bout to return to contention.

Grove, 27, is a Hawaii-based fighter who completes his training with BJ Penn’s MMA. He debuted in 2003 and fought in Total Combat, Rumble on the Rock, Superbrawl, King of the Cage, and other promotions before earning his TUF 3 stint. He surprised many and won the middleweight bracket at TUF 3 with a finale victory over Ed Herman. He officially won his first three octagon appearances, although has since been hot and cold. After defeating Evan Tanner and Jason Day in 2008-09, he lost to Ricardo Almeida, defeated Jake Rosholt, and in his most recent fight in April at UFC 112, was knocked out by Mark Munoz.

Reljic, 26, is a Croatian-born ground fighter who holds a brown belt in BJJ. He debuted in 2004 and won his first seven bouts while fighting all over Croatia and Holland. He made his UFC light-heavyweight debut at UFC 84 in May 2008 and was impressive with a fight of the night performance defeating Wilson Gouveia. It was almost two years before he would return to the octagon, this time as a middleweight, but lost via unanimous decision against CB Dollaway at UFC 110.

Prediction – Reljic decision

Brendan Schaub vs. Chris Tuchscherer

TUF 10 runner-up Brendan “The Hybrid” Schaub (5-1) will try and make it two in a row against Chris Tuchscherer (18-2, 1 NC) in a UFC 116 Spike TV bout in the heavyweight division.

Schaub, 27, is a former professional football player who made the transition into MMA with the help of Jackson’s Submission Fighting. The purple belt in BJJ made his pro fighting debut in 2008 and compiled four consecutive TKO’s before earning a TUF 10 roster spot. He came through TUF 10 and made it to the final where he was knocked out in the 1 st round by Roy Nelson. He rebounded in March at UFC on VS and won via TKO against Chase Gormley.

Tuchscherer, 34, is a North Dakota native who now trains at the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy. He debuted in 2004 and went undefeated after his first 15 bouts before suffering his first loss to Travis Wiuff in the Yamma Pit Fighting final. He won his next three bouts after that and was placed on the UFC 102 main card against Gabriel Gonzaga. He was knocked out by Gonzaga, but quickly recovered this February at UFC 109 by taking a majority decision victory over Tim Hague.

Prediction – Schaub decision

> Find the UFC 115 fight results after the fights are complete at Pro Fighting Fans, check out the UFC fight schedule online.

UFC 116 Predictions: PPV Televised Card

George Sotiropoulos vs. Kurt Pellegrino

The winner of this UFC 116 main card bout between Australian George Sotiropoulos (12-2) and Kurt “Batman” Pellegrino (15-4) will emerge as a legitimate top contender for the lightweight belt.

Sotiropoulos, 32, is an Australian-born grappler who now trains in Washington State with Fisticuffs Gym. The black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu debuted as a pro in November 2004 and won seven of his first nine bouts fighting in countries like Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Guam. He made his way to the UFC through the TUF 6 house and earned his first two organizational victories as a welterweight. He has won the last three octagon bouts as a lightweight including the February UFC 110 Fight of the Night and unanimous decision victory over Joe “Daddy” Stevenson.

Pellegrino, 31, is a New Jersey-based lightweight who also specializes in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He debuted in August 2002 and won seven of his first eight before debuting four years later for the UFC. He lost at UFC 61 against Drew Fickett, so, before he returned to the octagon, he had to earn a victory in the Florida-based Absolute FC organization. He returned at UFC 64 and hasn’t left since. He has been most impressive as of late winning all of his last four octagon bouts. He submitted Fabricio Camoes at UFC 111 this March in his most recent appearance.

Prediction – Pellegrino decision

Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Stephan Bonnar

A well-earned rematch between Krzysztof “The Polish Experiment” Soszynski (19-9-1) and Stephan “The American Psycho” Bonnar (11-7) will be contested on the UFC 116 main card. Their February UFC 110 bout was ended in controversial fashion when Soszynski accidently head butted Bonnar forcing a TKO cut stoppage.

Soszynski, 32, is a Polish-born fighter who relocated to Canada during his childhood. The current Team Quest-trained fighter made his pro debut in 2003 and would fight for a wide variety of organizations like Strikeforce, IFL, HD Net Fights, and others over his first five years. With fifteen victories to his credit, Soszynski was one of the most experienced fighters to go through the TUF 8 house. He didn’t win the TUF 8 tournament but earned a roster spot nonetheless, and has made the most of it. He is 4-1 in the organization with victories over Shane Primm, Andre Gusmao, Brian Stann, and Bonnar.

Bonnar, 33, is an Indiana-born fighter who now trains in Las Vegas at Xtreme Couture. He debuted in 2001 and won six of seven before setting foot in the original TUF house. He will always be remembered as the tough-luck loser in the historical TUF 1 finale slugfest with Forrest Griffin. He was also awarded a contract at the finale, and started off as a contender winning five of his first seven. He has hit a rough patch lately, losing all of his last three fights, albeit against solid LHW’s Jon Jones, Marc Coleman, and Soszynski.

Prediction – Soszynski decision

Chris Lytle vs. Matt Brown

Chris “Lights Out” Lytle (28-17-5) will meet Matt “The Immortal” Brown (11-8) in a UFC 116 main card bout between two welterweights trying to break and into contention.

Lytle, 35, is an Indiana-born fighter who trains at the Integrated Fighting Academy in Indianapolis. He made his debut in 1999 and fought for Pancrase, Extreme Challenge, and Hook-n-Shoot before beginning his UFC career. He began with his current promotion in late-2000 at UFC 28, and has been with the promotion on and off over the last decade. He became a UFC fighter for good after The Ultimate Fighter 4 "The Comeback" where he fought to a runner-up finish in the welterweight bracket. Win or lose, Lytle is an entertaining fighter, as evidence of his four Fight of the Night, one Knockout of the Night, and two Submission of the Night performances. He has won back-to-back bouts defeating Kevin Burns and Brian Foster at the TUF 9 finale and UFC 110 respectively.

Brown, 29, is an Ohio-born fighter who now trains out west as the Warrior Training Center. He debuted in October 2005 and was very inconsistent early on. Actually he was the only fighter to come into the TUF 7 house with a losing record (7-8). He has been steadier since TUF 7, where he didn’t win the tournament, but did defeat Matt Arroyo at the Finale. After losing a September 2008 UFC 88 tight split decision against Dong Hyun-Kim, he went on a streak of three consecutive victories. That streak was active until his most recent bout at UFC 111 when he was submitted by jiu-jitsu expert Ricardo Almeida.

Prediction – Lytle decision

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Chris Leben

Japanese middleweight Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama (13-1, 2 NC) will not be fighting Wanderlei Silva, instead he will meet a rejuvenated Chris “The Crippler” Leben (20-6) in a UFC 116 main card bout.

Akiyama, 34, is an Osaka, Japan native who specializes in Judo. “Sexyama” debuted in late 2004 and fought mostly for the K-1 organization, however has made appearances for Yarennoka and DREAM. He has compiled an impressive list of victories over the last five years including victories over Dennis Kang, Melvin Manhoef, and Katsuyori Shibata. He made his highly anticipated UFC debut in July 2009 at UFC 100 and didn’t disappoint. Akiyama earned Fight of the Night and a split decision victory over rising star Alan Belcher. He was expected to fight Wanderlei Silva for some time now. The fight was called off late last year, however Akiyama chose to wait; I guess he will have to wait even longer.

Leben, 29, is an Oregon-born fighter who fights and teaches at the Hawaii-based Icon Fitness MMA. He made an August 2002 pro debut and won 10 of his first 11 bouts before turning into the joker on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. He won his first five official UFC bouts before being manhandled by Anderson Silva at UFC Fight Night 5. He then went on to lose four of his next seven bouts, but found success recently. He won back-to-back bouts for the first time since 2008 defeating previously unbeaten Aaron Simpson just days ago.

Prediction – Akiyama submission

UFC 116 Main Event: Brock Lesnar vs Shane Carwin

The UFC Heavyweight Champion, Brock Lesnar (4-1), will be in action for the first time in a year at UFC 116 facing the Interim Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin (12-0) in the main event to unify the titles.

Lesnar, 32, is a South Dakota native who now trains at Team Death Clutch. He made his MMA debut in June 2007 after a professional wrestling career that lasted about six years. He won his pro debut for the K-1 organization by punching out Min Soo Kim for the submission victory. He debuted for the UFC in February 2008 at UFC 81, but lost via submission against Frank Mir. He bounced back with a unanimous decision victory at UFC 87 over Heath Herring, and then claimed the title at UFC 91 via 2nd round TKO over Randy Couture. He has defended the title once, at the July 2009 UFC 100 over Frank Mir.

Carwin, 35, is a Colorado-based fighter who splits his training time between the Grudge Training Center and Jackson’s Submission Fighting. He made his pro debut in October 2005 and won his first eight fights while competing for the WEC, Extreme Wars, Ultimate Texas Showdown, Ring of Fire, and Art of War promotions. He made an UFC 84 debut with a KO victory over Christian Wellisch, and then went on to defeat Neil Wain, Gabriel Gonzaga, and Frank Mir. The victory over Mir came this March at UFC 111 and earned him the Interim HW Title.

Prediction – Lesnar TKO

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

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