Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipović vs Anthony “The Hippo” Perosh
Originally set to feature Filipović (25-7-2, 1 NC) against former IFL standout “Big” Ben Rothwell, this heavyweight fight was changed yesterday after Rothwell was forced to withdraw due to what is suspected to be a staph infection. In his place, Australia’s Perosh (10-5-0) will step into the fire against Filipović.
There’s little to be said about this fight. Filipović has been very tentative in recent appearances and may have had a tough time against Rothwell, but Perosh, a natural light heavyweight, has already been knocked out three times in his career and poses very little danger to the Croatian KO king. Barring a monumental upset, this is Filipović’s fight to handily win. The only question is how long Perosh can survive. The answer is not long.
Prediction:
Filipović by KO in round one.
“The American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar vs Krzysztof “The Polish Experiment” Soszynski
The first undercard bout is a light heavyweight matchup between TUF 1 runner-up Bonnar (11-6-0) and IFL veteran Soszynski (18-9-1), as both fighters look to rebound from losses.
Bonnar has posted a respectable 5-5 record in the UFC against formidable competition, but he has dropped two straight fights and once again finds himself on the preliminary undercard. Aside from a doctor stoppage against current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida in 2003, Bonnar has never been stopped in his career.
Known for his vicious Kimuras, Soszynski has had considerable success since the closing of the IFL in 2008 and he put together a six-fight winning streak before dropping a Unanimous Decision to Brandon “The Truth” Vera at UFC 102. Now forced to fight his way back into contention, Soszynski will look to make an example of Bonnar as he works his way back up.
Bonnar is an ultra-durable fighter and he has shown excellent submission defence in past fights, but his only real hope here is to land a big punch that dazes Soszynski and sets up a finish. Soszynski could possibly submit Bonnar, which would be a major accomplishment, but this one is all but assured to go the distance. While Bonnar will put on a game performance as always, Soszynski will pick up the mild upset in a razor-thin fight.
Prediction:
Soszynski by Split Decision.
Chris “Lights Out” Lytle vs Brian Foster
Heavy-hitting welterweights collide when Lytle (27-17-5) looks to pick up yet another Fight of the Night bonus when he takes on Foster (13-4-0), who is coming off of a big victory over former WEC title challenger Brock Larson.
The UFC’s perennial gatekeeper, Lytle, sports a less than spectacular 6-9 record inside the Octagon, but he has rarely if ever been involved in a boring fight. Quickly becoming the promotional king of fight night bonuses, Lytle has made hundreds of thousands of dollars with Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night honours, but he has struggled to put together winning streaks.
Foster has never gone the distance in his career and he is coming off of his biggest victory to date. He has won 11 of his last 13 bouts and sent an emphatic message to the rest of the welterweight division with his dismantling of Larson. With heavy hands and a submission game to match, Foster is a legitimate threat to most of the UFC’s 170-pound roster.
On paper, Lytle should win this fight by decision and have little trouble doing so. A few years ago, that is precisely what would have happened. Lytle may have even picked up a stoppage win by knockout or submission. However, he has recently abandoned his technical boxing and grappling skill in favour of throwing wild haymaker bombs in order to ensure that he walks away with a FOTN or KOTN bonus. That will be his downfall here, as Foster keeps the fight on the mat and takes a one-sided decision.
Prediction:
Foster by Unanimous Decision.
CB “The Doberman” Dollaway vs Goran Reljic
Next up is a middleweight matchup between TUF 7 runner-up Dollaway (9-2-0) and the unbeaten Reljic (8-0-0), who will be making his first appearance in nearly two years after a serious back injury.
Dollaway has faced peaks and valleys in his short UFC career. He looked spectacular against Jesse “JT Money” Taylor, but suffered quick losses to Amir Sadollah and “Filthy” Tom Lawlor and did not look particularly impressive in wins over Mike Massenzio and Jay Silva.
Reljic debuted in the Octagon back at UFC 84 and destroyed then-contender Wilson Gouveia, but was then sidelined for over 18 months due to a back injury that required extensive surgery. Now fully recovered, Reljic will make his long-awaited return tomorrow night, but ring rust may be a factor.
The long layoff aside, this is truly Reljic’s fight to lose. He is a better striker than Dollaway and is more than competent enough to avoid Dollaway’s submissions while employing his own. This fight may make it out of round one, but not by much.
Prediction:
Reljic by submission late in round one.
James Te Huna vs Igor Pokrajac
The final fight on the card is a light heavyweight bout between Australia’s Te Huna (11-4-0) and Croatia’s Pokrajac (21-6-0), who trains alongside Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipović.
Both fighters are proven finishers, with Te Huna stopping nine opponents thus far – including late-replacement main card participant Anthony “The Hippo” Perosh – and Pokrajac finishing 18 inside the scheduled distance. This is unlikely to go to a decision, as both are heavy-handed and skilled on the ground.
Pokrajac holds a significant edge in experience, both in number of career fights and level of opposition, and has already competed in the UFC. He dropped his promotional debut to Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko at UFC 103. That experience will benefit him here, as he picks up a first-round stoppage win.
Prediction:
Pokrajac by KO in round one.
UFC 110 airs live tomorrow night 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.