UFC 132 Preview

UFC's traditional Fourth of July Weekend card takes place this weekend as UFC 132: Cruz vs Faber is tomorrow night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event is for the UFC Bantamweight championship between rivals Dominick Cruz (Champion) vs Urijah Faber.
   Besides the main event of the night, there are still a few fights that catch the eye and are worth talking about.
Tito Ortiz (MMA 15-8-1, UFC 14-8-1) takes on Ryan Bader (MMA 12-1, UFC 5-1) in a light heavyweight battle.
   Ortiz (36), who is on a three fight losing streak, is heading toward the end of an outstanding UFC career. He defended his UFC Light Heavyweight title five times after defeating Wanderlei Silva for the title in April of 2000, until losing the belt in September of 2003 to UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture. Ortiz has other notable wins over former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin, Ken Shamrock, and Victor Belfort. He is a fighter known specifically for his wrestling, but the power to win a fight via stand-up as well.
   Bader (28) is one of the rising talents of the light heavyweight division. He has solid wins over Keith Jardine and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. His last fight was in February where he was submitted by now the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. Bader is also known for his wrestling ability and was an All-American while at Arizona State University.
 Prediction: Both Bader and Ortiz have the same fighting styles, so expect lots of boxing with takedown opportunities for ground and pound. Although Ortiz has the experience and a better fighting resume, I have to give this fight to Bader because of youth and wrestling ability.
  Bader wins in the 3rd round via TKO.
   The co-main event looks to be very exciting when Chris Leben (MMA 25-7, UFC 11-6) takes on Wanderlei Silva (MMA 33-10-1, UFC  2-3) in a middleweight bout.
   Leben has wanted this fight for over a year now, and he finally gets his wish. He is a very versatile fighter, who can win on the ground or standing up, but he is best known for his knockout power. Leben has notable wins over Patrick Cote, Jorge Santiago, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Mike Swick. In January, Leben's quest for a UFC Middleweight Title shot was pushed back when he lost via TKO to American war hero Brian Stann.
   Although his UFC record does not show it, Silva is considered to be one of the best fighters have all time. He has wins over Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Dan Henderson, and Michael Bisping. However, due to knee surgery in July of 2010 Silva has not fought since February of 2010 against Bisping. He has lethal hands that can knockout any opponent, but the fact that Silva's recent performances have been a concern.
Prediction: "Fight of the Night" candidate for sure. Both fighters have stellar knockout power, so try not to blink while watching this fight; anything can happen. Silva will have some ring rust going into this and I still have concerns about the knee, so I gotta give this fight to Leben.
  Leben wins in the second round via KO.
   The UFC Bantamweight Championship between Champion Dominick Cruz (MMA 17-1, UFC 0-0-) vs Urijah Faber (MMA 25-4, UFC 1-0) will definitely bring the most fireworks of the night.
   Cruz, who is ranked number sixth in the pound-for-pound, is a boxer/wrestler who wins most of his fights via decision. This shows he has great stamina and that he knows how to win in tough situations. He has great wins over Brian Bowles and Joseph Benavidez in his career. His one loss came From Faber previously. He defended his WEC Bantamweight title twice before the WEC merged with the UFC.
   Faber "The Californian Kid" is considered to one of the faces of the UFC and in MMA in general. Known for his college wrestling background and kickboxing, Faber has notable wins over Jens Pulver, Eddie Wineland, and Takeya Mizugaki. He can go the distance in a fight if needed, and is an excellent submission fighter.
  Prediction: This fight could go the distance, because both fighters are the energy to do it, however, I think due to Faber's experience and submission capability, at the end of the night, Urijah Faber will be the new UFC Bantamweight Champion of the world.
Faber wins in the fourth round via submission.