Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann vs Jacob “Christmas” Volkmann
From one step away from a title shot to competing on the undercard, Kampmann (15-3-0) must now fight his way back to the top when he faces Volkmann (9-1-0) in a pivotal welterweight bout where a win will be extremely important for both fighters’ careers.
Both Kampmann and Volkmann are coming off of losses, as Kampmann was quickly stopped by Paul Daley and Volkmann was narrowly decisioned by Paulo Thiago. Fortunately for Kampmann, his kryptonite has been strikers who can get the better of exchanges on the feet and Volkmann prefers to end fights on the ground. Volkmann showed that he was not to be taken lightly in the fight with Thiago and pushed the Brazilian to the limit.
Barring a submission from either fighter, this bout is likely to go the distance and Kampmann will right the ship with a hard-fought decision victory. Volkmann may suffer from early-year roster cuts from the UFC, but after his impressive performance against Thiago and with injuries running rampant, the promotion would be well-served to keep him around.
Prediction:
Kampmann by Unanimous Decision.
Dan “The Upgrade” Lauzon vs Cole “Magrinho” Miller
Competing on the same card as older brother Joe, Lauzon (12-2-0) returns to the Octagon for the first time since 2006 when he takes on fellow youthful prospect Miller (15-4-0). Lauzon still holds the distinction as the youngest fighter to ever compete inside the Octagon and was just 18 years old when he succumbed to punches from Spencer “The King” Fisher at UFC 64.
It has been a long road for Lauzon since his previous tenure in the UFC, but he has won eight straight fights and has never gone to a decision. He last defeated Bobby Green at Affliction: “Day of Reckoning” last January, while Miller, who has stopped 13 opponents thus far and holds four UFC wins, is coming off of a crushing defeat against Efrain Escudero at UFC 103 and needs a big win to get back on track.
Lauzon has won an equal number of times by knockout and submission, but he is vastly outclassed by Miller on the ground and would be wise to keep this fight standing at all costs. Unfortunately for him, his efforts will not be enough and Miller will spoil his UFC return with an impressive submission midway through the first round.
Prediction:
Miller by Submission in round one.
Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz vs Ryan Jensen
This middleweight bout between Munoz (6-1-0) and Jensen (14-5-0) is an interesting clash of styles, but both fighters need a dominant and exciting victory in order to remain at all relevant in the division. Munoz most recently picked up a close Split Decision win over Nick Catone at UFC 102, while Jensen finally achieved a UFC victory with a highly controversial submission win over Steve Steinbeiss at UFC Fight Night 19.
Jensen began his career with just one loss in 12 fights, but dropped back-to-back first-round submissions to Thales Leites and Demian Maia in the UFC and was subsequently cut from the promotion. He was then brutally knocked out by Joey Villasenor in Strikeforce, but received another chance in the UFC after a pair of wins. His victory over Steinbeiss came under controversial circumstances, as Steinbeiss never submitted but the referee mistakenly stopped the fight.
Munoz rebounded from his devastating head-kick knockout loss to Matt “The Hammer” Hamill by winning his middleweight debut with Catone and he will make it two in a row here. If the fight stays on the feet, Munoz may be able to knock Jensen out, but this is likely going to the judges.
Prediction:
Munoz by Unanimous Decision.
Mike “Quicksand” Pyle vs Jake Ellenberger
This crucial welterweight tilt between Pyle (19-6-1) and Ellenberger (21-5-0) will be a telling indicator as to which of the talented fighters will step into contention and which will remain relegated to undercards for the foreseeable future.
Pyle is unquestionably one of the top submission fighters in the welterweight division and his nickname perfectly sums up his style of luring opponents into fight-ending mistakes. The 11-year veteran of the sport has won all but one fight by stoppage and holds 16 wins by submission. By contrast, Ellenberger has competed in mixed martial arts for less than five years, but has already battled some of the division’s top stars.
Both fighters always look for the finish and Ellenberger has stopped 18 opponents to date. He holds a significant advantage in the striking department over Pyle, but Pyle is a class above on the ground. While the sky is the limit for Ellenberger and he came perilously close to knocking out final WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit in his UFC debut, Pyle’s crafty style will be enough to trap Ellenberger in a submission in an action-filled fight.
Prediction:
Pyle by Submission late in round one.
John “Quick Guns” Gunderson vs Rafaello “Tractor” Oliveira
The final fight on the card is a lightweight battle between former International Fight League contender Gunderson (22-6-0) and the highly-touted Oliveira (9-2-0). Gunderson is making his UFC debut, while Oliveira lost a hard-fought decision to Nik Lentz at UFC 103.
Gunderson had ups and downs in the IFL, but holds a victory over recent WEC signee Bryan “Kid” Caraway and has won five of six fights since the IFL closed in 2008. He has finished all but two of his opponents to date. Oliveira is well-rounded and entered the UFC with considerable fanfare, but was defeated in his Octagon debut and needs a big win here to live up to expectations. That win will not come, however, as Gunderson picks up a mild upset with a second-round stoppage.
Prediction:
Gunderson by TKO in round two.
UFC 108 airs live tomorrow night on pay-per-view beginning at 10:00 P.M. Eastern, 7:00 P.M. Pacific. Preliminary bouts begin on Spike TV one hour before the PPV begins. MMARising.com will be providing live play-by-play of the event.