Ben “Killa B” Saunders vs “The Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis

Rob: First on the undercard, and airing live on Spike TV before the PPV telecast, is a welterweight showdown between Ben Saunders and Marcus Davis.

Mike: I have grown to dislike Davis as of late. His constant whining and inability to deliver fights matching his word have lowered his stock. Meanwhile, Saunders’s goofy grin and balls-to-the-wall fighting style has grown on me. Therefore, I give this fight to Saunders.

Rob: Davis would win every major title in the sport if complaining was part of MMA’s scoring criteria, but he’s failed miserably in recent outings and cannot accept the fact that Dan Hardy rightfully beat him. He’s still focused on Hardy and he’s overlooking a very underrated Saunders, who will make him pay for such a mistake.

 

Predictions:

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

 

 

Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove vs Jake Rosholt

Rob: Also airing on the Spike TV pre-show is a middleweight bout between TUF 3 winner Kendall Grove and Jake Rosholt.

Mike: After a rough start to a promising UFC career, Rosholt is back on track with his choke out of Chris Leben. He is a high-level NCAA wrestler who exerts his dominance on the ground. Grove is a goofy-looking giant who beats mediocre talent just often enough to stay in the UFC. Rosholt wins this and Grove is subsequently dropped from the UFC.

Rob: Grove was one loss away from being cut by the UFC before he rallied to beat Jason Day, but Rosholt is a significant step up and will spell Grove’s end with the promotion. Rosholt has never gone the distance in his career and this will be no different, as he takes advantage of Grove’s highly questionable chin and sends him packing.

 

Predictions:

Rob: Rosholt by KO in round one.
Mike: Rosholt by Unanimous Decision.

 

 

Brock Larson vs Brian Foster

Rob: Next up is yet another welterweight fight pitting Brock Larson against Brian Foster.

Mike: I am a huge fan of Larson. I loved watching him back in the WEC and saw big things for him in the UFC. He is a threat to anyone on the ground and also has heavy hands. Foster has a history of losing to chokes and I see this fight being no different.

Rob: Larson was defeated by Mike Pierce at UFC Fight Night 19 in one of the worst cases of lay-and-pray that has ever been displayed and he will be looking to show that the loss to Pierce was a minor bump in the road. A gigantic welterweight, Larson has been on the brink of title contention before and he will make Foster his latest victim in his quest for UFC gold.

 

Predictions:

Rob: Larson by Submission in round one.
Mike: Larson by Submission in round two.

 

 

Caol “Uno Shoten” Uno vs Fabricio “Morango” Camoes

Rob: The next fight is a lightweight bout between Japanese legend Caol Uno and newcomer Fabricio Camoes.

Mike: Uno is a legend in the sport and Camoes is a second-degree Black Belt under Royler Gracie. Uno has solid striking and an excellent ground game, while Camoes just has the ground game. The match will be exciting on the ground, but they will roll to a draw and the difference will be made on the feet.

Rob: This fight is tailor-made for Uno to win and he would have to make a considerable mistake to throw it away. Uno only ever struggles against talented strikers and Camoes’s striking needs a lot of work. While the most obvious choice is to pick Uno via hard-fought decision, I believe that he will actually be able to submit the jiu-jitsu ace and make a big statement in the process.

 

Predictions:

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

 

 

George Sotiropoulos vs Jason “Dynamite” Dent

Rob: The final fight on the card is a lightweight fight between George Sotiropoulos and Jason Dent.

Mike: Sotiropoulos was a standout on TUF and was assured a spot in the finale, while Dent was a failed veteran who never made it big. After his upset loss to Tommy Speer in the semi-finals, Sotiropoulos has been on a tear and has gone 3-0 in the UFC. I think that he has a future in the UFC, while Dent’s future lies solely in the win column of Sotiropoulos.

Rob: Dent had already been cut from the UFC once by the time he showed up on TUF and this will be the first (and final) step towards his exit once again. Sotiropoulos is a wizard on the ground and Dent simply cannot compete with his jiu-jitsu mastery. Barring an early KO for Dent, this is all Sotiropoulos.

 

Predictions:

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

 

 

For the first time, MMARising.com is united in its picks for the fights on Saturday, but history has shown that anything can happen. The preliminary bouts for UFC 106 will air live on Spike TV at 9:00 P.M. Eastern, 6:00 P.M. Pacific, with the pay-per-view telecast beginning one hour later.

MMARising.com will have live play-by-play of the action as it happens.