Alan “The Talent” Belcher vs Wilson Gouveia

Belcher has made a big deal about being left off of the main card, but he needs to remember that he was only on the main card for his last two outings due to the name power that his opponents possessed. He lost to Yoshihiro Akiyama and must now fight his way back into contendership.

Gouveia is the epitome of inconsistent. He picks up one or two huge wins, then gets demolished. In between, he misses weight at least once. This fight was changed to a 195-pound catchweight when Gouveia’s camp decided that he could not make 185 pounds.

In the UFC, Gouveia’s pattern is two wins for every one loss. He just lost to Nate Marquardt at UFC 95 and he knows that another loss could mean the end of him in the promotion. As a result, Belcher is in for a short and painful night.

Prediction:

Gouveia by TKO in round one.

 

 

“Sugar” Shane Nelson vs “Handsome” Matt Wiman

Nelson was handily defeated by Aaron Riley the last time out, while Wiman was arguably robbed of a deserved decision when he squared off with Sam Stout. Both need a win to stick around and both will be hungry to get it. This comes down to which fighter wants it more.

Nelson and Wiman are both fairly well-rounded, but Wiman should hold an edge in the wrestling and striking departments. He will need to be wary of submissions on the ground, but Nelson’s submission game isn’t exactly at the top of the division. Short of a big mistake from Wiman, this fight is all his.

Prediction:

Wiman by Unanimous Decision.

 

 

Johny Hendricks vs Ricardo Funch

Hendricks defeated TUF Winner and UFC posterboy Amir Sadollah on the main card at UFC 101 and that earned him a spot on the undercard here. Interesting. This is a battle between undefeated fighters who prefer to end fights with their fists. It should be an exciting bout.

Funch will be making his UFC debut here, while Hendricks has already competed for Zuffa promotions on multiple occasions. He put on a very impressive display against Sadollah and will repeat that here. Funch should be kept around in the promotion because he has potential, but Hendricks will fight his way back onto the main card with a quick win.

Prediction:

Hendricks by TKO in round one.

 

 

Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares vs Lucio “Spartan” Linhares

This is a very interesting middleweight clash, as Palhares’s incredible submission skills meet the solid jiu-jitsu and competent striking of Linhares, who has already battled some of the top middleweights in the sport. Linhares’s main weakness has been his chin and that should not be an issue here.

Palhares will no doubt look to take the fight to the ground right away where he can lock on one of his patented leg or ankle submissions, but he’ll have to fight through the punches and kicks of Linhares to get there. Palhares should have little trouble doing so and will pick up the win soon after.

Prediction:

Palhares by Submission late in round one.

 

 

DaMarques Johnson vs Edgar Garcia

Both of these fighters are coming off of disappointing losses, as Johnson came up short in the TUF 9 finale and Garcia dropped a contested Split Decision to Brad Blackburn on the same card. Each will be looking to end this fight in quick and emphatic fashion.

Garcia, while still relatively unknown in the UFC, has very heavy hands and always looks for the finish. Johnson is fortunate to still be in the UFC due to his average record, but he is still a dangerous opponent. He will not be enough for Garcia, though, as Garcia gets back in the win column with a big victory.

Prediction:

Garcia by TKO in round one.

 

 

Kevin “The Fire” Burns vs TJ Grant

It wasn’t long ago that Burns was competing on the main card and Grant was being touted as a rising contender. Both are now relegated to undercard status and a loss will likely propel one out of the promotion. Grant needs to put on the performance of his life if he hopes to stay.

Burns has engaged in brawls throughout his tenure in the UFC and he will be well advised to try to do the same here. Grant’s game plan will be simple and he will look to take the fight to the ground early and often. Burns simply needs to defend the takedowns and he’ll have little trouble escaping with the victory.

Prediction:

Burns by Unanimous Decision.

 

 

UFC 107 airs live later tonight on pay-per-view beginning at 10:00 P.M. Eastern, 7:00 P.M. Pacific. MMARising.com will be providing live play-by-play of the event.