Picking and Grinning: UFC 119 Prelims
Jeff Sherwood Sep 24, 2010
It’s time to wipe the dust off of an old favorite.
I’m resurrecting a Sherdog.com feature from the 90s as today marks the return of “Picking and Grinning.” Sherdog.com staffers will register their predictions and put their bragging rights on the line in this here blog.
The first event on tap is UFC
119. Will the old “Cro Cop” show up, or will Frank Mir make
him cry uncle? Will Antonio
Rogerio Nogueira be able to punish and catch Ryan
Bader?
You’ll have to wait until tomorrow for main card predictions, but let’s get started with the prelims.
Brian Knapp:
Dollaway by first-round TKO. His wrestling will be too good for Doerksen, as he stops him with ground-and-pound.
Jeff Sherwood
Seems very strange that Zuffa let Doerksen compete in a non-Zuffa event after getting a big win over Tom Lawlor. I think that is a sign as to where Zuffa thinks “El Dirte” stands. Dollaway is a tough wrestler with an active submission game. I expect Dollaway to get by the vet with a dominating decision.
Matt Mitrione vs. Joey Beltran
TJ De Santis:
Mitrione has a little higher stock coming in to this fight. The stock may be falsely inflated as his last fight and victory was against Kimbo Slice. However, it was an impressive win nonetheless. With wins over an Internet legend and a fellow ex-NFL player turned mixed martial artist in Marcus Jones, Beltran is really the first test of Mitrione's career. Now with that said, Beltran's record isn't littered with accomplishments or wins of great significance; but he has shown that he is capable fighter and has even gone 25 minutes before in King of the Cage. I think Mitrione could turn in to something special, but I like Beltran based on experience alone.
Brian Knapp:
Beltran by decision. He'll outpoint Mitrione on the ground.
T.J. Grant vs. Julio Paulino
Jordan Breen:
As fights with Rick Story and Mike Pierce showed us, Paulino is in big trouble when he's not the better wrestler. In a fight with Grant, he's not the better anything. Grant showed his stand-up chops in the Kevin Burns fight, and lame point deduction and wacky scoring aside, the Hendricks fight. Against Paulino, he can have his druthers by sprawling and brawling all over the "Dominican Demon," or he can outgrapple him on the mat. Won't set the world on fire, but Grant shouldn't have a ton of trouble.
Brian Knapp:
Grant by decision. I think he thoroughly out-grapples Paulino.
Waylon Lowe vs. Steve Lopez
Brian Knapp:
Lopez by third-round TKO. How can I not pick someone who's beaten The Gooch?
TJ De Santis:
After essentially getting his shoulder mangled in his debut at UFC 103, the second time around should be better for Lopez -- emphasis on “should.” Fighting in his home state, Lopez will likely be able to win a decision over the wrestler.
Mark Hunt vs. Sean McCorkle
Brian Knapp:
Hunt by first-round TKO.
TJ De Santis:
McCorkle is unknown to me. Short of his appearance on this week's Jordan Breen show, I have no idea whom this man is. When I set up the interview with his manager Monte Cox, I accidentally called the man Seth McCorkle. Not a shining moment in my week of radio duties. Now Hunt is a man all hardcore MMA fans know. From his K-1 accomplishments to the Randy Couture dubbed "atomic butt-drop" that he landed on Wanderlei Silva in Pride, Hunt is a fighter that has excited me since I saw him debut against Hidehiko Yoshida. McCorkle is undefeated and for the most part untested. If you listen to the Breen show you can tell how badly he wants this win. But if Hunt can muster up the skill and confidence that he once had, he should win his UFC debut.
Thiago Tavares vs. Pat Audinwood
Jordan Breen:
Despite the "Awesomely Awesome" nickname, Pat Audinwood isn't awesome at anything. He's competent everywhere, but there's nothing outstanding about his game. Tavares hasn't reached the lofty heights some predicted for him after his thrilling bout with Tyson Griffin, and he's been hampered by injuries, but Audinwood's straightforward wrestling and solid-but-unspectacular top game won't be particularly threatening. There is a reason Audinwood was supposed to debut against Aaron Riley, and not Tavares, in the first place. Tavares finds himself well-chosen strikes and a few dominant positions en route to a clear-cut decision win.
Brian Knapp:
Tavares by decision.
I’m resurrecting a Sherdog.com feature from the 90s as today marks the return of “Picking and Grinning.” Sherdog.com staffers will register their predictions and put their bragging rights on the line in this here blog.
Advertisement
You’ll have to wait until tomorrow for main card predictions, but let’s get started with the prelims.
C.B.
Dollaway vs. Joe
Doerksen
Brian Knapp:
Dollaway by first-round TKO. His wrestling will be too good for Doerksen, as he stops him with ground-and-pound.
Jeff Sherwood
Seems very strange that Zuffa let Doerksen compete in a non-Zuffa event after getting a big win over Tom Lawlor. I think that is a sign as to where Zuffa thinks “El Dirte” stands. Dollaway is a tough wrestler with an active submission game. I expect Dollaway to get by the vet with a dominating decision.
Matt Mitrione vs. Joey Beltran
TJ De Santis:
Mitrione has a little higher stock coming in to this fight. The stock may be falsely inflated as his last fight and victory was against Kimbo Slice. However, it was an impressive win nonetheless. With wins over an Internet legend and a fellow ex-NFL player turned mixed martial artist in Marcus Jones, Beltran is really the first test of Mitrione's career. Now with that said, Beltran's record isn't littered with accomplishments or wins of great significance; but he has shown that he is capable fighter and has even gone 25 minutes before in King of the Cage. I think Mitrione could turn in to something special, but I like Beltran based on experience alone.
Brian Knapp:
Beltran by decision. He'll outpoint Mitrione on the ground.
T.J. Grant vs. Julio Paulino
Jordan Breen:
As fights with Rick Story and Mike Pierce showed us, Paulino is in big trouble when he's not the better wrestler. In a fight with Grant, he's not the better anything. Grant showed his stand-up chops in the Kevin Burns fight, and lame point deduction and wacky scoring aside, the Hendricks fight. Against Paulino, he can have his druthers by sprawling and brawling all over the "Dominican Demon," or he can outgrapple him on the mat. Won't set the world on fire, but Grant shouldn't have a ton of trouble.
Brian Knapp:
Grant by decision. I think he thoroughly out-grapples Paulino.
Waylon Lowe vs. Steve Lopez
Brian Knapp:
Lopez by third-round TKO. How can I not pick someone who's beaten The Gooch?
TJ De Santis:
After essentially getting his shoulder mangled in his debut at UFC 103, the second time around should be better for Lopez -- emphasis on “should.” Fighting in his home state, Lopez will likely be able to win a decision over the wrestler.
Mark Hunt vs. Sean McCorkle
Brian Knapp:
Hunt by first-round TKO.
TJ De Santis:
McCorkle is unknown to me. Short of his appearance on this week's Jordan Breen show, I have no idea whom this man is. When I set up the interview with his manager Monte Cox, I accidentally called the man Seth McCorkle. Not a shining moment in my week of radio duties. Now Hunt is a man all hardcore MMA fans know. From his K-1 accomplishments to the Randy Couture dubbed "atomic butt-drop" that he landed on Wanderlei Silva in Pride, Hunt is a fighter that has excited me since I saw him debut against Hidehiko Yoshida. McCorkle is undefeated and for the most part untested. If you listen to the Breen show you can tell how badly he wants this win. But if Hunt can muster up the skill and confidence that he once had, he should win his UFC debut.
Thiago Tavares vs. Pat Audinwood
Jordan Breen:
Despite the "Awesomely Awesome" nickname, Pat Audinwood isn't awesome at anything. He's competent everywhere, but there's nothing outstanding about his game. Tavares hasn't reached the lofty heights some predicted for him after his thrilling bout with Tyson Griffin, and he's been hampered by injuries, but Audinwood's straightforward wrestling and solid-but-unspectacular top game won't be particularly threatening. There is a reason Audinwood was supposed to debut against Aaron Riley, and not Tavares, in the first place. Tavares finds himself well-chosen strikes and a few dominant positions en route to a clear-cut decision win.
Brian Knapp:
Tavares by decision.
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