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Brazilian Warfare

 

The birthplace of MMA spawns a summertime heat worthy card this Saturday night, fight fans, and the best part is that it’s another FREE billing courtesy of Fuel TV. Headed by a long overdue rematch between 2 of Brazil’s finest heavyweights to ever step foot in a ring or cage, the action is stacked from top to bottom with Portugese slangin’ warriors who’ve been born and bred just for this kind of battleground. Time to fire up the grills and put the beers on ice, fans, Here comes the UFC on Fuel!

 

Facebook Prelims

 

Middleweight

 

Antonio Braga Neto (8-1-0, 1NC) vs. Anthony “Lionheart” Smith (17-8-0)

 

Jiu jitsu vs. freestyle fighting is how the card takes off on social media. The first fight on the Facebook card is between submission grappling ace, Antonio Braga Neto and Strikeforce vet, Anthony Smith. Having fought quite possibly the best submission artist on the planet (Roger Gracie), Smith is certainly not in unfamiliar waters, but he also got subbed by Gracie which shows he was, at the very least, a fish out of water when it comes to a ground battle with a high level submission specialist. He’ll have to put that experience with Gracie, as well as his striking edge, to use against a jiu jitsu virtuoso like Neto. If he can’t, we’ll likely get treated to a little ground drumroll with him tapping the floor.

Prediction: Neto by 3rd round submission

Middleweight

Caio “Hellboy” Magalhaes (5-1-0) vs. Karlos Vemola (10-3-0)

To the mat we go….or at least that’s how the next fight looks likely to turn out. BJJ black belt, Caio Magalhaes puts his submission grappling skills on display in front of the homecrowd against 6 time Czech Republic national wrestling champion, Karlos Vemola. Not beyond being submitted, Vemola needs to keep from extending any limbs too far so as to keep from getting one caught in a compromising scenario. Being as that wrestlers generally enjoy an edge in raw physical strength as well as mental grinding toughness, he could possibly gut out some tight spots, were he to get caught in a bad spot, but better to avoid it altogether. Rather, he needs to put that wrestling takedown defense to good use and force Magalhaes out of his comfort zone into a standing shootout.

Prediction: Vemola by unanimous decision

 

Featherweight

 

Rodrigo Damm (10-6-0) vs. Mizuto “Pugnus” Hirota (14-6-1)

Fast and furious featherweights accelerate the action in the third installment. BJJ world champion, Rodrigo Damm matches acumens with long time Japanese pro, Mizuto Hirota. Both have been on the pro level and been in with some of the game’s most elite players so the professional disparity is slim to none…..and “Slim” just left the building. The grappling pedigrees are rather spacious, but when you’re in against a gritty, long time pro like Hirota, that platitude ceases to be a factor in many instances. However, the better option for Hirota is to keep the fight standing rather than leap head first into the fire. From yet another intangible, Damm is Brazilian after all and Brazilians are generally no slouch on their feet, either.

Prediction: Damm by unanimous decision

 

Welterweight

 

Ildemar “Marajo” Alcantara (18-5-0) vs. Leandro Silva (11-0-1)

 

Native sons face off at welterweight in the next buildup to the main card. Dropping two weight classes, Ildemar Alcantara locks horns with Chute Boxe product, Leandro Silva. Comparisons are pretty relative besides Silva likely having a confidence edge being the undefeated fighter andcoming out of the legendary Chute Boxe Academy, striking favor will probably lean in his direction, as well. Having racked up seven of his 11 victories by submission, he’s also no stranger to a ground battlefield, either. As aforementioned, though, these are both Brazilians and as such, it won’t be surprising if this ends up a tactical chess match.

Prediction: Silva by 2nd round KO/TKO

 

Featherweight

 

Godofredo Pepey (10-1-0) vs. Felipe “Sertanejo” Arantes (14-4-1, 2NC)

 

Fellow Brazilians lock ’em up in a classic matchup of striker vs. grappler. High level jiu jitsu practitioner & TUF alumnist, Godofredo Pepey pits his submission pedigree against the brutality of Muay Thai afficionado, Felipe Arantes. Pepey isn’t necessarily a novice in the striking department, but he’d be well advised to stay with his base and try to bring the fight into his world rather than banging with a standup specialist.

Prediction: Arantes by 1st round KO/TKO

 

Middleweight

 

Ronny Markes (14-1-0) vs. Derek Brunson (10-2-0)

Middleweights clash once again in a showdown between Ronny Markes and former Strikeforce standout, Derek Brunson. The advantage in grappling will favor the Brazilian, though Brunson is a former D2 all-American. However, Brunson will enjoy a distinct striking advantage having finished more of his opposition by KO. Both men have outstanding records so the confidence level on each side of the cage will be sufficiently high.

Prediction: Brunson by unanimous decision

 

Bantamweight

 

Raphael Assuncao (18-4-0) vs. Vaughan Lee (13-8-1)

 

Battle forged journeymen round out the Facebook prelims with Brazilian standout, Raphael Assuncao throwing down with British scrapper, Vaughan Lee. Assuncao is undoubtedly the superior submission artist, but won’t find it an easy task tapping a tough-as-nails gladiator like Lee who has his own resume of submission victims. Still, Assuncao remains the clear grappling favorite as well as the more accomplished striker. It looks to be a clear case of one man simply outclassing the other, but the “what if” factor is always a considerable intangible in a sport with so many variations.

Prediction: Assuncao by 3rd round submission

 

Main Card

 

Featherweight

 

Rony Jason (13-3-0) vs. Mike “The Warrior” Wilkinson (8-0-0)

 

TUF Brazil winner, Rony Jason gears up for battle against undefeated prospect, Mike Wilkinson in his featherweight debut. Wilkinson has collected his number of limbs in his submission victories, but facing an opponent who’s as decorated in that aspect of the game, going to the ground doesn’t sound too attractive. Rather, Wilkinson should obviously err on the side of a standing effort while his homefield advantage having opponent should use his striking as mostly a diversion to segue into his main strength. If it remains on the feet, the advantage is unclear, for the most part. The same cannot be said if the struggle hits the mat and if Wilkinson can’t keep it from occurring, his ‘0’ will most likely have to go.

Prediction: Jason by unanimous decision

 

Middleweight

 

Daniel Sarafian (8-3-0) vs. Eddie Mendez (7-1-1, 1NC)

 

Being basically a life practitioner, Daniel Sarafian would seem to be a clear favorite in the next stage of Saturday night’s Fuel card, but this is the biggest show in MMA afterall and his opponent is certainly worthy of the UFC ranks. More of a freestyle fighter, Mendez is solid in all areas of a scuffle, but would show solid judgment by exercising some stingy takedown defense and keeping his chances at their greatest odds by making Sarafian leave his submission attacking comfort zone.

Prediction: Sarafian by 1st round submission

 

Welterweight

 

Erick Silva (14-3-0, 1NC) vs. “The Kansas City Bandit” Jason High (17-3-0)

 

Impressive records face off in the welterweight slugfest between rising prospect, Erick Silva and Jason High. Both men have very solid grappling backgrounds, great athleticism, explosion, deep gas tanks, and formidable striking. On paper, it’s a “you pick ’em” matchup. Silva could be riding the high of being in front of his hometown crowd, but that aspect can be a double edged sword. If it gives him a high level of confidence, he’ll be even more hell to deal with than usual, but if it wracks his nerves, he could very well be susceptible to making unusual errors that High could capitalize on. Generally speaking, though, having the home court advantage is viewed as an advantage and an uncomfortable disadvantage for the visitor.

Prediction: Silva by split decision

 

Light Heavyweight

 

Thiago Silva (14-3-0, 2NC) vs. Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (11-3-0, 1NC)

 

Up next is yet another very even comparison on paper. Top light heavyweight contender Thiago Silva looks to rebound from his recent issues in giving former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champ, Feijao,” to the Octagon. Being as that Strikeforce fighters have made rather smooth transitions into the UFC based upon being used to a cage and being also a U.S. based promotion (unlike the often rough debuts of former Pride standouts), Feijao will probably be completely at ease in his much anticipated crossover, but then again, this is also in front of his hometown folks so there couldbe an added level of anxiety. Facing another Brazilian may actually be a make-shift soothing balm, of sorts, though the literal feeling of Silva’s punches and kicks will feel like anything but “soothing.”

On the ground, even as a BJJ black belt, Silva isn’t quite on Feijao’s level, but it’s very unlikely that the ground is where matters will be settled here. Each man has far more knockout victories than any other method of victory.

Prediction: Feijao by 3rd round KO/TKO

 

Welterweight

 

William “Patolino” Macario (7-0-0) vs. Leonardo Silva dos Santos (11-4-0)

 

One fight away from the main billing and it’s a classic striker vs. grappler match-up. Upper echelon striking, six KO finishes, and having finished every one of his professional fights is the story, thus far, of Patalino’s career. In his face-off with fellow countryman, Santos, he faces what is usually the antithesis for high level striking which is, of course, high level grappling. Santos is not only a BJJ black belt, but is also a 7x jiu jitsu world champion. On most occasions, the Muay Thai traditions in Brazilian fighting follow rather closely behind jiu jitsu, but trying to fight to Patolino’s strength would be nothing shy of stupidity. That being said, Santos’ game plan is obvious. On the flipside, Patolino’s is equally as simple. Avoid the guard pulling and takedown attempts to keep dos Santos in unsteady waters.

Prediction: Patolino by 2nd round KO/TKO

 

Main Event

 

Heavyweight

 

Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira (34-7-1, 1NC) vs. Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum (16-5-1)

 

Finally, the highly anticipated re-match of their 2006 contest in Pride has arrived. MMA legend, “Minotauro” Nogueira goes for win #2 over highly decorated BJJ master and long time top MMA heavyweight, Fabricio Werdum. In their first meeting, Nogueira earned a unanimous decision victory over Werdum. Since then, each man has continued to fight MMA’s finest so the skillsets, though a bit faded by Father Time, remain honed. Werdum has spent much of his pro career training with some of the game’s most vaunted strikers and striking coaches to bring his standing game to the level of his extraordinarily deep submission pedigree. Nogueira, on the other hand, has had a formidable striking game for a very long time now to match his exceptional ground skills. His fights with Randy Couture, Heath Herring, Brendan Shaub, and Josh Barnett are testaments to his crisp boxing and strong Thai clinch. With a likely respect for his opponent’s superior ground weapons, “Big Nog” will probably opt to keep Werdum at range while Werdum won’t shy away from standing, but will surely be the one to initiate any takedown attempts should there be any.

Prediction: Nogueira by unanimous decision

 

The UFC on Fuel TV 10 can be viewed through your local internet provider beginning at 3PM/5PM ET/PT on Facebook. The main card continues on Fuel TV and FOX Deportes via your local cable or satellite provider beginning at 5PM/8PM PT/ET.

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