UFC kicks off a busy two weeks tomorrow night, with possibly their best-ever live show on “free” US Cable TV. The first ever “UFC on Versus” card eminating from Broomfield, Colorado features a pair of excellent co-main events, with four fighters among or near the top ten in their divisions battling it out to get ahead of their respective packs. Waiting in the wigs is next Saturday’s UFC 111 and Fight Night: Florian vs Gomi on the 31st. Oh yeah, and another one of those reality show things that I got kind of sick of about two years ago…

Anyway, the staff has weighed in, so on to the show!

Breaking it down for your pleasure with me (TH) are Jacob Lawton (JL), and Bryan Belangia (BB). As always our predictions are for entertainment purposes only, so no lawsuits if we cost you your mortgage.

Main Event, Light Heavyweights: Brandon Vera (11-4) vs. Jon Jones (9-1)

JL: Jones is still by far one of the top fighters in the world. His first career setback was a DQ loss to Matt Hamill, a fight that he dominated but lost after using illegal “twelve-to-six o’clock” elbows. Vera, to me, is uninspiring — a solid ground game and technically proficient striking, but nothing to set the world alight — unlike ‘Bones’, who’s brilliant, unorthodox striking and explosive wrestling power make him one of the hottest prospects in MMA. A loss can improve a fighter, and I can see ‘Bones’ being even more dominant. Jones by first round T/KO.

BB: As I wrote earlier, Vera has a lot to prove at this point. He looked great in a hot UFC start — dynamic and was always the one who initiated the action. Something happened to him when he was out of the sport for a year because ever since his return against Tim Sylvia, he’s just been way too tentative. He’s got a lot of tools- really solid striking including kicks and knees, and good wrestling and jiu jitsu but he fights like he doesn’t want to give the fight away now instead of fighting to win — which is exactly what Jon Jones does. Jones is a beast and is an equal to Vera in nearly every aspect of fighting except jiu jitsu. The difference maker will be Jones’ relentless pace which will put Vera on the defensive for the entire fight. Vera’s tough to finish so I’ve got Jones taking it with a unanimous decision.

TH: I want to believe in the “Truth” but everything Bryan says there is correct. I think he’ll have some moments with leg kicks on the outside and maybe even a strong ground sequence but it won’t be enough. Jones in a competitive bout by a decision.

Co-Main Event, heavyweights: Junior Dos Santos (10-1) vs. Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga (11-4)

JL: The fight of the night! I struggle to believe the UFC are ready to a) give this fight away on free TV, and b) as a co-main event. Gonzaga fought for the UFC Heavyweight title in the not too distant past, while Dos Santos is coming off sizzling performances over established and respected names in Mirko Filipovic and Fabricio Werdum. Though I can see jiu-jitsu standout Gonzaga trying to ground this and look to submit the youngster, I’m sure he has the confidence in his abilities to stand with Dos Santos: his chin is solid and he has got a knockout power, as he famously demonstrated against Cro-Cop. But Dos Santos is great on his feet, very fast and can survive on his back. I’m unsure that Gonzaga will be able to get him down in the first place. This is a coin flip for me — it wouldn’t surprise me if either fighter ended it early on via some form of fireworks — but I’m plunking with Dos Santos via a tight decision.

BB: Gonzaga doesn’t look to take the fight to the mat anymore. His past few fights he’s been content to stand and trade punches and that will get him knocked out in this one. Dos Santos is too good of a striker for Gonzaga to stand with. His speed and power will easily overcome the size of Gonzaga. Dos Santos round 1 KO.

TH: As good as he’s looked at times, I actually think Gonzaga is being used as an opponent here for Dos Santos. He’s shown a suspect mental game and one may even draw a parallel to Vera there. Unless the sudden and untimely death of Black House’s Muay Thai coach Luiz Alves (RIP) effects him dramatically, I expect Dos Santos by a round two T/KO.

Heavyweights: Cheick Kongo (24-6-1) vs. Paul Buentello (25-11)

JL: Oh, look. The UFC are putting a very good kickboxer with fine wrestling skills in with a guy who likes to swing for fences. This probably won’t last long and means so little to me I can’t be bothered to analyse it properly. Kongo via first round ground and pound.

BB: This is the easiest fight to pick. Both men are strikers but Kongo is clearly the better striker of the two: more powerful, faster, and more diverse. Look for Buentello to soften up with kicks and clinch game for another first round T/KO for Kongo.

TH: And we are unanimous. I’m no fan of “Cup Cheick” and I’m surprised that the classy Buentello was such a huge underdog here, like five to one at some sites. But… yeah, a Kongo round one T/KO win is sadly the most likely outcome.

Middleweights: Alessio Sakara (18-7, 1 NC) vs. James Irvin (14-5, 1 NC)

JL: Irvin makes a rare excursion to the middleweight division against career gatekeeper Legionarius. Sakara brings a lot to the table, including his famous facial hair, but I can see Irvin schooling him on the feet with his superior Muay Thai… en route to a Irvin second round stoppage.

BB: Very tough fight to pick considering both men are strikers and both have been stopped quickly a few times in the past. This one could end very quickly. I think pure striking ability has to go to Sakara. He’s a more technical striker than Irvin even though Irvin might be the more dynamic of the two. After trading punches for half a round or so, Sakara should be able to find a hole in Irvin’s game and put fist to face. Sakara by round 1 TKO.

TH: Yeah, kind of a tough call, with two strikers kind of in the middle-of-the-road, who have even split fights with common opponents (Houston Alexander and Thales Leites). But of the two, Irvin “strikes” me better at finding a way to impose his game, mixing Muay Thai with wrestling to take the advantage more often than not, while the boxer Sakara’s union with American Top Team hasn’t panned out as well. I think eventually enough of his shots will get through and we’ll see an Irvin T/KO in the third.

As always, enjoy the fights!