MMANEWS.COM Staff Writer</B><BR><BR>
This Saturday night is something of a fight fans dream; three colossal cards, each stacked with competitive and relevant bouts, cluttered with marquee names both experienced, and on the rise. The greatest challenge for most will be determining just which event to tune into.<BR><BR>
Enough mindless babble, let?s begin our predictions with the highly anticipated Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Kharitonov card, which will afford a few lucky professionals the chance to advance to the finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.<BR><BR>
<B>STRIKEFORCE: BARNETT VS. KHARITONOV</B><BR><BR>
<B>Pat Healy vs. Maximo Blanco:</B> Blanco enters this bout with momentum on his side. A six fight win streak will certainly endow Maximo with an extra air of confidence, and the brutal slugger can make this fight extremely ugly if he can prevent Healy from wrestling him to the mat. That said, stuffing a Healy shot is no cakewalk. Expect to see Pat taste some nasty power from his foe before utilizing his experience, and forcing this one to the mat. Once there, it will be positional control, followed by a steady barrage of ground-and-pound that sees Healy exit the victor via unanimous decision.<BR><BR>
<B>Muhammed Lawal vs. Roger Gracie:</B> The general consensus seems to be that ?King Mo? will be able to control this fight with his tight knit wrestling. I think that?s a terrible idea, and hopefully, Lawal has been working his standup extensively, because Roger Gracie isn?t your typical jiu jitsu practitioner. Roger eats some shots, but eventually Lawal falls back on his bread and butter: the wrestling. This will ultimately be the royal one?s downfall, as Gracie ensnares Lawal late in the second round to force a tap, keeping his unbeaten record intact.<BR><BR>
<B>Luke Rockhold vs. Ronaldo Souza:</B> I like Luke. He?s got solid submission skills, he?s young, he?s hungry, and unfortunately, he?s severely outmatched here. ?Jacare? toys with Rockhold for a round or so before showcasing his world class jiu jitsu. Both men like to work their opponent?s backs, and it will be Souza who capitalizes on a scramble and sinks a rear naked choke for the win.<BR><BR>
<B>Daniel Cormier vs. Antonio Silva:</B> This one is a no-brainer for me. Cormier is one of the finest wrestlers in the division, but he?s extremely outsized, lacks experience, and quite frankly, has never swam with a shark as vicious as ?Big Foot?. Cormier shows his grit in surviving three rounds, but he loses unanimously on the scorecards.<BR><BR>
<B>Josh Barnett vs. Sergei Kharitonov:</B> This is the big mystery of the night. Barnett?s been a top flight heavyweight for? well, damn near forever. His submissions skills are excellent and his striking has come a long way. If there?s a question mark to be fixed to Barnett, it?s his heart. When he gets tagged with big power, you can actually see him lose confidence. The majority of pundits are picking Barnett to win this fight, but I?ve got a gut feeling that the hard-nosed Kharitonov avoids the early takedown attempts and lands a staggering punch. I see two follow up strikes putting Josh away. Sergei punches his ticket to the tournament final, despite the odds.<BR><BR><!--more-break-->
<B>BELLATOR FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIPS 49</B><BR><BR>
The Bellator Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinals get underway on Saturday as well, and while we?ll be seeing plenty of familiar faces, we may see some surprises.<BR><BR>
<B>Brent Weedman vs. Chris Lozano:</B> Weedman has proven the kind of character who can beat just about anyone on any night. That said, he seems to stumble in the big bouts. Fortunately for Brent, Chris doesn?t have the kind of name or menacing presence to put doubt in his mind. Lozano is tough, and he?s aggressive, but Weedman?s experience is going to be the big difference in this fight. This one goes the distance, with Brent seeing his hand raised, after the judges score the bout 29-28 across the board.<BR><BR>
<B>Ben Saunders vs. Chris Cisneros:</B> I?m a firm believer that Saunders is a special commodity. This guy could be a champion within a few years, and though Cisneros is an extremely well rounded opponent, he lacks the moxy that Ben possesses. Look for rangy strikes and big knees from ?Killa B?, that leave Cisneros face down on the canvas within the opening frame.<BR><BR>
<B>Dan Hornbuckle vs. Luis Santos:</B> Being a fan of Hornbuckle, I hate making this prediction. Luis Santos is too seasoned, with too many tools to lose this bout. Dan?s got some well-rounded skills himself, but he?s too inconsistent, and if an opponent with solid wrestling and proven submission defense can put him on his back, he?s in trouble. Santos is going to surprise the American crowd as he convincingly grinds out a decision victory over everyone?s favorite Native American.<BR><BR>
<B>Douglas Lima vs. Steve Carl:</B> This fight represents two virtual mirrors waging war. Both men are slick with submissions, both are steadily refining their striking, and both can take a punch. Although Lima enters the cage with momentum on his side (he?s beaten six consecutive foes, including Ryan Ford and Terry Martin), Carl holds the advantage of being a Bellator veteran. The question is, will that experience be enough to see Steve to victory? I think not. Lima submits Carl midway through the second round.<BR><BR><!--more-break-->
<B>BAMMA 7</B><BR><BR>
Flying under the radar is the British Association of Mixed Martial Arts? seventh show. While the North American audience will likely be captivated by the Strikeforce card, the good gents across the pond will certainly be paying close attention to this event, as a series of intriguing matches fill this 15 fight card.<BR><BR>
<B>Leonardo Santos vs. Rob Sinclair:</B> Santos has proven a durable fellow with a knack for submitting foes. However, Sinclair is an offensive machine with power to spare. The longer this fight remains on the feet, the better it favors Sinclair. Now, if Santos can secure a few takedowns things will get extremely interesting. Call me crazy, but I?m actually picking Sinclair to blitz Santos, stunning the crowd as he puts away the Brazilian with strikes early in the fight. Remember, being a Nova Uniao representative doesn?t guarantee victory!<BR><BR>
<B>Joey Villasenor vs. Che Mills:</B> I guess the question mark looming over this bout is: which Joey Villasenor shows up? The precise, tactical veteran who?s put away the likes of Phil Baroni, or the hesitant caricature who was blown away by Murilo Rua and Robbie Lawler? Given the fact that ?Smokin Joe? has failed to notch a win since 2009, I?m inclined to believe that the well versed Che Mills earns himself a comfortable unanimous decision win.<BR><BR>
<B>Paul Daley vs. Jordan Radev:</B> I can?t sell Radev short: he?s a bad man who?s toppled some excellent opponents in his time. The problem is he tends to be willing to settle for decision victories, coasting when ahead on points. Against Paul Daley, you cannot coast, not for one moment. I?m a fan of Jordan?s, but Saturday night will not go well for the Bulgarian. Expect Jordan to look comfortable for a round, until Daley lands that brutal left hook of his, which will spell the beginning of the end. Daley by TKO in two.<BR><BR>
<B>Frank Trigg vs. Jim Wallhead:</B> This is a battle of extremely experienced men who both happen to be on the downside of their careers. Who has more left to offer? I?m picking Trigg. He?s got the wrestling advantage, and as long as he can avoid being thrown by Wallhead, he?ll likely spend the majority of this fight in the top position dishing out punishing ground-and-pound. A battered Wallhead comes out for the third round, only to be knocked unconscious by a fresher Trigg, who?s delivered enough punishment early to create a big opening.<BR><BR>
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Gesias JZ Calvancante Luiz Cane Dos Caras Jr Phil Cardella Roan Jucao Carneiro
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