UFC 131 preview and predictions

Junior Dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin

UFC 131 is all set for June 11 at the Rogers arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. Though Brock Lesnar will not be competing, a sufficient replacement has been found in Shane Carwin. Carwin and Dos Santos will face off to determine a number one contender for current heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. Junior Dos Santos already secured a title shot previously, but he risked it in order to seize the opportunity to coach the ultimate fighter 13 opposite Brock Lesnar. Dos Santos is undefeated in the octagon with six wins. Meanwhile, Shane Carwin tasted defeat for the first time in his career. After the loss to Brock Lesnar, Carwin was forced to go under the knife due to a a neck injury. Both fighters are equipped to knock out any opponent at any given time. Shane Carwin will possess an advantage in wrestling, while Dos Santos should have the edge with conditioning and speed.

Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes

In the co-main event, Kenny Florian will be making his featherweight debut. Florian lost his last fight to Gray Maynard, which ended his hopes at seizing a title at 155. With the move to featherweight though, Florian looks primed for a run at the featherweight title and José Aldo. First he will have to face Diego Nuñes, who is 16-1, with his only career loss coming to L.C. Davis. Nuñes defeated former champion Mike Thomas Brown in his last fight. Both fighters are well-rounded, but Nuñes lacks the experience Kenny Florian has while fighting on the big stage. With a win Florian likely positions himself as the front runner for a future fight with Aldo.

Dave Herman vs. Jon Olav Einemo

Also, on the main card Dave “Pee-Wee” Herman and John Olav Einemo will be making their respective debuts in the octagon. Herman has fought in many promotions and can sometimes be described as reckless with his style, but he has the talent to become a future factor in the division. Einemo is coming off a long layoff and his relevancy in the mixed martial arts world should be tested in this fight. Herman should have a big advantage on the feet, despite Einemo training at Golden Glory’s gym.

Demian Maia vs. Mark Munoz

Damien Maia and Mark Munoz are two of the top contenders in the middleweight division. Maia already got his title shot at Anderson Silva and will likely need a couple more impressive performances to be considered the number one contender again. Munoz has won five of six fights since dropping to middleweight. His only loss came to Yushin Okami in a semi-close decision. Munoz’s striking is improving rapidly and combined with this solid wrestling background he looks to be a rising star in the division. Muñoz has to be careful when he takes Maia down, but otherwise should be able to dictate where he wants the fight to go.

Donald Cerrone vs. Vagner Rocha

Donald Cerrone will face newcomer Vagner Rocha, who’s replacing Mac Danzig. Cerrone has to be careful on the ground, but otherwise should be able to control the stand up.

Sam Stout vs. Yves Edwards

In other action, Sam Stout faces Yves Edwards in a fight that is very difficult to predict. Both fighters are talented, but inconsistent. Edwards will likely have an advantage in submissions, but Stout always comes into fights in stellar shape. If Stout comes in with a solid game plan he should be able to press the action and wear Yves down.

Chris Weidman vs. Jesse Bongfeldt

Chris Weidman has been called the future of the middleweight division by many prognosticators. He defeated Alessio Sakara on late notice in a bout that allowed him to show flashes of his abilities. He now faces Jesse Bongfeldt with a full training camp and should be primed for a breakout performance.

Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Mike Massenzio

Krzysztof Soszynski is lucky just be fighting on the card. His opponent has been changed three times and will now settle on middleweight Mike Massenzio. Soszynski has improved by leaps and bounds and will likely look to apply his patented kimura on Massenzio. Massenzio is taking this fight on a week’s notice in a division 20 pounds heavier than his own. His only hope is to use his wrestling and keep Soszynski from controlling the fight. I think Massenzio is a live underdog though, as he has nothing to lose. Soszynski probably didn’t train a whole lot of wrestling and Massenzio is a tough competitor.

Nick Ring vs. James Head

Nick Ring has to look impressive after his last outing against Riki Fukuda. He faces James Head, who is fresh off a win over Gerald Harris. Ring has the better technical skills, but his conditioning has looked lackluster. If he doesn’t come in great shape, he’s going to struggle.

Dustin Poirier vs. Jason Young

Dustin Poirier will face Englishman Jason Young. Poirier is coming off his biggest career win over Josh Grispi and suddenly finds himself in the mix at the top of the division. Poirier will have the advantage in wrestling and should use it to his advantage.

Aaron Rosa vs. Joey Beltran

Aaron Rosa is a gutty veteran who has floated between light heavyweight and heavyweight throughout his career. He won his last fight over Abe Wagner at Titan fighting championships, which earned him a contract with the UFC. He will face a similarly tough fighter in Joey Beltran. There is no secret to what Beltran is going to want to do, and that is keep the fight standing and make it into an ugly brawl.

Michihiro Omigawa vs. Darren Elkins

Michihiro Omigawa has found little success fighting in the states, but he will hope to turn his bad fortunes around when he faces former lightweight Darren Elkins. Omigawa has the experience advantage and as long as he can evade Elkins’ wrestling he should find success.

My predictions for the fights are as follows…
Junior Dos Santos
Kenny Florian
Dave Herman
Mark Munoz
Donald Cerrone
Sam Stout
Chris Weidman
Krzysztof Soszynski
James Head
Dustin Poirier
Joey Beltran
Michihiro Omigawa