Paulo Thiago vs Jacob “Christmas” Volkmann

Rob: Moving up to the main card as a result of the cancellation of the Parisyan-Hazelett bout is a welterweight contest between Paulo Thiago and Jacob Volkmann, whose nickname is bad beyond words.

Mike: I believe that Paulo Thiago versus Jacob Volkmann is an interesting fight and a smart business move by the UFC. Thiago was given his chance to rise to the top at 170 and failed against Jon Fitch; one of the belt guardians that GSP has hired. Volkmann is young blood with a perfect record and impressive résumé to match.

Rob: Ignoring the fact that Volkmann’s nickname is truly laughable, he has won all nine of his fights and only two have gone the distance. He is well-versed in submissions and in striking, but Thiago showed against Koscheck that he is a dark horse in the division and Volkmann will become his latest victim unless he can take Thiago down and keep him there. This will be Thiago’s first step back towards the top of the division, but he’ll suffer another setback soon enough.

Mike: If Thiago wins, he has a chance to rebound and show that he is still a legitimate threat at welterweight. If he loses, then he makes room for another hot shot who does not have the blemishes that Thiago does. Paulo showed that he still has a lot of room to grow in his loss to Fitch, but I think that he has more than enough talent to defeat Volkmann, who will hopefully receive an easier opponent next time and notch up his first UFC win.

Predictions:

Rob: Thiago by Submission in round two.
Mike: Thiago by Submission in round two.

Luiz “Banha” Cane vs Antonio Rogerio “Minotoro” Nogueira

Rob: Moving on, we have a light heavyweight bout between rising star Luiz Cane and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who is making his long-awaited UFC debut.

Mike: Cane versus Nogueira is another fight that I am intrigued to see. Cane has thus far been largely disregarded in mentions of title fights and top contenders at 205. While I admit that he still has a lot to prove, from what he has shown, I have been impressed. A stone chin, agile hands backed with power and a ground game to match.

Rob: I guarantee that a significant portion of the “casual” UFC audience is going to confuse Rogerio with his twin brother Rodrigo, but their fighting styles have become significantly different over the years. In addition, Rogerio is a southpaw and his striking is superior to that of his brother. The Nogueira brothers are among the nicest individuals in the sport and it is great to see Rogerio finally receive his shot in the UFC. While I’m wary of a shocking KO from Cane, I feel that Rogerio will win this.

Mike: Cane, with a win here, should be vaulted to the top of the light heavyweight division and given a top contender to face. Sadly for Cane, Nogueira has a slightly cracked granite chin, medals in boxing and an excellent jiu-jitsu pedigree. My opinion? This will be fight of the night. Both guys have a lot to prove in the UFC and a loss will be a huge setback for either. Nogueira has fought higher calibre opponents and has a huge experience advantage over the relative upstart Cane.

Predictions:

Rob: Nogueira by Submission in round two.
Mike: Nogueira by Unanimous Decision.

Amir Sadollah vs “The New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni

Rob: The final main card bout is a welterweight fight between TUF 8 winner Amir Sadollah and Phil Baroni, who returns to the UFC for the first time since UFC 51 after being cut by Strikeforce.

Mike: In his previous bout, Sadollah weighed in way under the 170-pound weight limit, looked out of place and was controversially knocked out. Baroni is trying to rejuvenate his career and change his lifestyle.

Rob: Why Baroni is back with the UFC again is a mystery, but the UFC was desperately trying to sign any talent away from Strikeforce and they succeeded here. Does Baroni have any shot at all of becoming a title contender? Absolutely not, but Sadollah has had endless problems since coming off of The Ultimate Fighter and he’s going to be in more trouble here unless he can submit Baroni quickly or drag the fight into the later rounds.

Mike: Baroni has huge power in both hands and, with some semblence of cardio, now poses a serious threat to Sadollah and his legacy as worst TUF winner. I see Baroni using his size and strength to keep the fight standing and winning by knockout.

Predictions:

Rob: Baroni by KO in round one.
Mike: Baroni by TKO in round one.