UFC Fight Night Preview & Predictions: UFN 20 Predictions

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 Fight Night previews & predictions. Along with the main UFC events on Pay Per View, the UFC features up-and-coming fighters several times each year on UFC Fight Night televised live and for free on SpikeTV.

The next Fight Night event for UFC will be UFC Fight Night 20 (UFN 20), held on January 11, 2010, live on Spike TV from Fairfax, Virginia, and our UFN 20 preview is now posted below for UFC fans across the globe to enjoy.

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 fight cards.

Nick Catone vs. Steve Steinbeiss

Middleweight Nick Catone (7-2) will be fighting for his UFC life against former WEC and UFC veteran Steve “The Hooligan” Steinbeiss (4-3) in a UFC Fight Night 20 preliminary card in the 185-pound division on January 11th.

Catone joined the UFC middleweights after a little over a year fighting in mid-level promotions such as Reality Fighting, CFFC, and Ring of Combat. He ran off six straight victories in regional shows to earn a spot at UFC Fight Night 17 where he produced his only organizational win to date. He executed a key lock submission victory over Derek Downey at the February bout and then dropped back-to-back fights to Tim Credeur and Mark Munoz at UFC Fight Night 18 and UFC 102.

“The Hooligan,” an Arizona Combat Sports fighter, went 4-1 while fighting for Bodog Fight, MTXAFN, and Rock and Sock Promotions. Since his impressive minor league career Steinbeiss hasn’t been able to find the winning column, losing bouts in both the WEC and UFC. He first lost was a WEC 36 split decision to Carmelo Marrero in November 2008. He then lost to Ryan Jensen via technical submission at UFC Fight Night 19 this September.

Prediction – Catone over Steinbeiss via TKO

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Mike Massenzio vs. Gerald Harris

“The Master of Disaster,” Mike Massenzio (11-3), will face The Ultimate Fighter 7 participant Gerald Harris (13-2) after his original opponent, “Crazy” Tim Credeur, was forced out with a lingering injury. The bout will be part of the preliminary portion and will take place in the middleweight division.

Massenzio, 27, debuted in April of 2005 by winning ten of his first eleven bouts while fighting in east coast promotions such as Reality Fighting and Ring of Combat. He earned his UFC debut at Fight Night 15 in September 2008 and didn’t disappoint when he defeated Drew McFedries with a 1st round kimura submission. Three months after his debut, Massenzio was defeated via 1st round TKO at UFC 92 against CB Dollaway. His UFC Fight Night 20 bout will be his first action in over a year.

Harris has been an under-the-radar type prospect, even though he appeared on The Ultimate Fighter 7 in the spring of 2008. He won his first five fights before dropping back-to-back bouts in the International Fight League. Since then, he has reeled off seven consecutive wins while fighting with C3 Fights, Freestyle Cage Fighting, and Shark Fights promotions. His last fight was in September against former WEC and UFC veteran Nissen Osterneck. Harris overwhelmed Osterneck with strikes and earned the Shark Fights MW Title with a 46-second KO victory.

Prediction – Harris over Massenzio via TKO

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Kyle Bradley vs. Rafael dos Anjos

It looks as if fast-paced lightweights Kyle Bradley (14-6) and Rafael dos Anjos (12-4) will be fighting for a roster spot in the crowded 155-pound lightweight division at UFC Fight Night 20 in a preliminary card bout.

Bradley, a 27-year old Louisiana-born Team Voodoo fighter, began his professional career in July 2003, however it took him three years to gain consistency. In May of 2006, Bradley began a streak of seven consecutive stoppage victories in a variety of different southern-based mid-level promotions. Soon after, his UFC career got off to a bumpy start, losing to both Chris Lytle and Joe Lauzon via TKO. He finally got a much-needed victory at UFC 98 in May 2009 with a 1st round TKO over Phillipe Nover.

Rafael dos Anjos, 25, began fighting in his home country of Brazil where he won eleven of thirteen while piling up seven stoppages. In his November 2008 UFC 91 debut, dos Anjos got caught with a brutal highlight reel KO uppercut against Jeremy Stephens. He lost his second in as many fights via unanimous decision at Fight Night “Condit vs. Kampmann” in April against Tyson Griffin. Like Bradley, he picked up a much-needed win in his third fight for the UFC with a unanimous decision victory over Rob Emerson at UFC 103 in Dallas, Texas.

Prediction – dos Anjos over Bradley via decision

Mike Guymon vs. Rory MacDonald

UFC rookies Mike Guymon (11-2) and Rory MacDonald (9-0) will go head-to-head in a 170-pound bout on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 20 from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA.

Thirty-five year old Mike Guymon debuted in 1999 with a draw in his professional debut in the Kage Kombat promotion. It took the 6’0” 170 pound fighter three years to get back in the cage, however when he finally did, he fought consistently for the next seven years mostly in the KOTC organization, although he did receive a fight in the International Fight League before the organization folded. He won 11 of 13 after his debut, losing only to UFC veterans Diego Sanchez and Pat Healy. Currently on a five-fight winning streak, Guymon picked up his most recent victory with a TKO against Quinn Mulhern in October.

Rory MacDonald is a 20-year old British Columbia, Canada native with a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and muay-thai fighting style. In October of 2005, he earned the first of nine straight stoppage victories taking place in organizations such as Extreme Fighting Challenge, Rumble in the Cage and KOTC Canada. His last fight took place in September where he earned a KO over Nick Hinchcliffe at a KOTC Canada show.

Prediction – Guymon over MacDonald via TKO

Nik Lentz vs. Thiago Tavares

Minnesota Martial Arts Academy’s Nik Lentz (17-3-1) has already had two potential opponents bow out from a January Fight Night 20 bout. Now, with the bout back on, Lentz will face Brazilian Thiago Tavares (14-3), a UFC veteran who has been out of action for nearly a year.

Lentz, a former University of Minnesota wrestler, began in 2005 fighting in a variety of small and mid-level organizations (i.e. EFX, TCT, X-1, and XFO) for the first four years of his pro career. When finally getting the call to the UFC, he was on an impressive 9-fight unbeaten streak which became ten after his UFC 103 unanimous decision victory over fellow UFC rookie, Rafaello Oliveira.

Tavares, 25, won the first ten bouts of his career while fighting in the United States, Brazil, Holland, and England. He improved his undefeated streak to twelve with victories in his first two trips inside the octagon. Since then, however, he has compiled a 2-3 UFC record, although he did win his most recent bout at UFC 94 one year ago by outpointing Manvel Gamburyan.

Prediction – Tavares over Lentz via decision

Rick Story vs. Jesse Lennox

Welterweights Rick “Horror” Story (8-3) and Jesse “Ox” Lennox (11-1) are attempting to win back to back fights for the first time in their respective UFC careers. The fight will take place on the unaired preliminary portion of the UFC Fight Night 20 fight card.

Story lost two of his first three professional bouts before putting together six consecutive victories in notable promotions such as Sportfight and Extreme Warrior Challenge. In his UFC 99 debut, Story was outscored on the judges’ cards and lost a unanimous decision to John Hathaway. He rebounded by submitting Brian Foster at UFC 103 in his most recent action.

Lennox, a Miletich Fighting Systems disciple, went 7-0 before losing in his only International Fight League bout in April 2008. He put together back-to-back wins to earn a WEC 38 fight with Blas Avena. Lennox impressed Zuffa brass with a knockout victory so they transferred him into the UFC 170-pound division where he defeated Danillo Villefort at UFC 101 in August.

Prediction – Lennox over Story via submission

Chris Leben vs. Jay Silva

UFC journeyman and The Ultimate Fighter 1 veteran, Chris “The Crippler” Leben (18-6), will head into the octagon for the fourteenth time against UFC sophomore Jay Silva (5-2). Leben does however find his name among the preliminary competitors at UFC Fight Night 20.

Leben, a Portland-born middleweight who now is stationed in Hawaii where he teaches and trains at Icon Fitness MMA, began his career in 2002. He won ten of his first eleven becoming the first WEC Middleweight Champ along the way. After his much-publicized stint on The Ultimate Fighter, Leben won the first five fights in the UFC until getting jumped by Anderson Silva at Fight Night 5 in June of 2006. Since then, he has produced a mediocre 3-4 octagon record losing back-to-back fights against Michael Bisping (UFC 89) and Jake Rosholt (UFC 102) in his two most recent bouts.

Jay Silva, a muay-thai and boxing styled fighter with ties to Team Rampage’s training camp, is still quite new to the sport after debuting less than two years ago. By taking fights in promotions like Ring of Combat, Sparstar Productions, KAP, Extreme Challenge, and Call to Arms, Silva was able to win five of first six bouts producing stoppages in all of his victories. In his UFC debut against CB Dollaway at UFC Fight Night “Diaz vs. Guillard” in September, Silva was outscored on the judges’ cards for the unanimous decision loss.

Prediction – Leben over Silva via TKO

Amir Sadollah vs. Brad Blackburn

Former The Ultimate Fighter 7 winner Amir Sadollah (2-1) will try and put together back-to-back victories for the first time in his young career however will have to do so against former IFL veteran “Bad” Brad Blackburn (17-9-1), a 32 year old all-rounder who is undefeated in three attempts inside the octagon. The fight will be the first Spike TV-televised fight on the main card portion at UFC Fight Night 20.

Sadollah, 29, defeated Steve Byrnes, Gerald Harris, Matt Brown, and CB Dollaway in order to reach the finals of TUF 7. At the finale, Sadollah defeated Dollaway for the second time in the tournament by executing a 1st round armbar submission to earn the six-figure UFC contract. Sadollah took 14 months off before fighting Johnny Hendricks at UFC 101 where he suffered his first loss of his career after getting knocked out early in the 1 st round. In November, Sadollah got back in the win column with a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Phil Baroni.

Blackburn, 32, is a nine-year professional with over 25 bouts to his credit. During his first three years, he produced a respectable 8-3-1 record; however the two-year period that followed was not as productive. From January 2005 through April 2007 Blackburn lost six of eight bouts, many of which were while he was participating for the Seattle Tiger Sharks in the IFL. Lately, Blackburn has returned to his prime form, going unbeaten over his last six fights including a 3-0 mark in the UFC. He knocked out James Giboo at Fight Night 14 in July 2008, upset Ryo Chonan at UFC 92 in December 2008, and then took a split decision over Edgar Garcia at The Ultimate Fighter 9 finale in June 2009.

Prediction – Blackburn over Sadollah via decision

Tom Lawler vs. Aaron Simpson

Both Tom Lawlor and Aaron Simpson are 2-0 in their respective UFC careers and with a victory in this UFC Fight Night 20 main card bout, will become relevant in the 185-pound division.

Lawlor debuted in March of 2007 winning four of six minor league bouts with organizations like Kick Enterprises, XFO, WFC, and FFP. After his stint on The Ultimate Fighter “Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir” ended with a knockout loss against Ryan Bader in the 1st round of the tournament, he was still given an opportunity to fight at the finale. He outscored Light-Heavyweight Kyle Kingsbury at the finale in December winning via unanimous decision in his official debut. At the historic UFC 100 in July, Lawlor stopped CB Dollaway with a guillotine submission giving him the submission of the night honors in his middleweight debut.

Aaron Simpson, a 35-year old former Arizona State wrestler, began MMA in October of 2007 and produced three consecutive knockout victories in small promotions. He continued his rise with an 18-second KO of David Avellan at WEC 36 in November 2008. When the WEC closed their 170, 185 and 205-pound divisions, Simpson was transferred into the UFC where he has earned back-to-back wins over Tim McKenzie and CB Dollaway at UFC Fight Night 18 and UFC 102 respectively.

Prediction – Simpson over Lawlor via TKO

Efrain Escudero vs. Evan Dunham

The Ultimate Fighter 8 winner Efrain Escudero (12-0) will battle another undefeated lightweight, Evan Dunham (9-0), in a co-main event at Fight Night 20.

Escudero, 23, came into The Ultimate Fighter 8 with an impressive 10-0 record submitting nine of those opponents in promotions like Rage in the Cage, Cage Supremacy, and Full Moon Fighting. After defeating Phillipe Nover at the TUF 8 finale to become the tournament winner, he was tested against Cole Miller, another TUF veteran. Miller and Escudero met at UFC 103 in September with Escudero using his power to KO Miller in the 1st round of their main card bout.

Dunham, 28, an Oregon born member of Xtreme Couture, debuted in April of 2007 and produced seven consecutive victories. Six of the seven wins were via stoppages in organizations such as Gladiator Challenge, Rise FC, Elite Warrior Championship, Desert brawl, and Palace FC. At his UFC 95 debut in February, Dunham stopped Per Eklund with a 1st round (technical) knockout. He continued his success with a split decision victory over Marcus Aurelio at UFC 102 in August for his ninth straight victory.

Prediction – Escudero over Dunham via TKO

Gray Maynard vs. Nate Diaz

In a bout that could have title implications, undefeated TUF 5 contestants Gray Maynard (9-0 1 NC) and Nate Diaz (11-4) will meet in the main event at UFC Fight Night 20 from Fairfax, VA.

Maynard, a former Michigan State wrestler, had only three bouts under his belt before his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter 5. Although he didn’t win the TUF 5 tournament and had a bizarre ending in his debut that resulted in a No Contest, “The Bully” reeled off six consecutive victories to get his current main card position. Five of his six victories have ended in decisions and only his Fight Night victory over Joe Veres (TKO) ended early. His latest victory came against Roger Huerta at Fight Night 19 in September via decision.

Nate Diaz came into the organization with a little more experience than that of his main event counterpart. Prior to winning TUF 5, Diaz compiled a 5-2 record with his most notable fight being a WEC 24 lightweight title loss against Hermes Franca. He put together five straight victories to open his UFC career that saw him rest toward the top of the 155-pound division. However, after dropping back-to-back bouts to Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson, he had lost his position as a top contender for the belt. He has taken one step closer to regaining contender status with a September Fight Night victory over Melvin Guillard.

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer

Past UFC Fight Night Previews & Projections:

• UFC Fight Night 19 Predictions: Diaz vs Guillard
• UFC Fight Night 18 Predictions: Kampmann vs Condit
• UFC Fight Night 17 Preview: Lauzon vs Stephens
• More UFC predictions & fight previews from ProFighting-fans.com
• More MMA news articles from ProFighting-fans.com