UFC on Fuel 6 – Cotai Arena, Macau - Preview

UFC on Fuel 6 – Cotai Arena, Macau

This is a massive event for the Asian Pacific area: Sure the UFC has been to Japan recently and of course they visit Australia on a regular basis. But this is the first of what we are promised is a new front in Asia. An offensive by the UFC that could take in India, The Philippines, hell even Singapore has been mentioned.

Let’s hope!

Bout 1:

Hyun Gyu Lim (10-3-1) vs David Mitchell (11-2-0)

Lim should be well know to Asian MMA fans most recently due to a four fight winning streak at Pacific Xtreme but this is a major step up and a chance for him to make a name for himself in the biggest league and also of course it will reflect well on the PXC organization.

Mitchell has already tasted the glamour of the UFC but it has not been a sweet taste for him with two losses, this is surely his last chance to impress. Pre UFC he was unbeaten and to be fair he did go the distance in both his UFC bouts.

This is a tough bout to call, Lim will have to be on the top of his game to pull through.

Bout 2:

Takeya Mizugaki (15-7-2) vs Jeff Houland (10-5-0)

WEC and UFC veteran Mizugaki is going to provide a real test for anyone, sure his latest record is win one lose one but in that sequence his next result should be a win.

Both these fighter are used to going the distance so cardio should not be an issue here.

Hougland is tough and more than capable of taking Mizugaki to the final bell, it’s just whether or not he has the skillset in his ground game. To blunt Mizugaki’s power.

Bout 3:

Riki Fukada (18-6-0) vs Tom DeBlass (7-1-0)

Deep veteran Fukada is 2-1 in his UFC career and will face Deblass who lost his UFC debut via decision., I don’t really see him getting a win here either, Fukuda has too much experience.

Bout 4:

John Lineker (19-6-0) vs Yasuhiro Urushitani (19-5-6)

Lineker although only 22 has already notched up 25 bouts the last of which was his UFC debut and a loss after a run of 13 straight wins.

Urushitani  has spent most of his career in Japan where a draw happens way too often and makes people records look strange. What we do know is he lost in just 11 seconds of the second round against Joseph Benavidez in his  UFC debut and last bout.

Bout 5:

Tiequan Zhang (15-3-0) vs Jon Tuck (6-0-0)

Zhang enters the UFC cage on the back of two previous defeats so he is sailing very close to the wind and will need to pull out an impressive victory against ex PXC fighter Tuck.

Tuck makes a big step up and on the back of an unbeaten record he would hope to make a big noise. He famously beat the highly rated Eduard Folayang in just 8 seconds. However that was in 2009 and he has only had one fight since then. His is ready?

Bout 6:

Alex Caceres (7-5-0) vs Motonobu Tezuka (19-4-4)

Careres you may recall from TUF,  since that show he has not really shone and his UFC record is just 2-3.

Tezuka is a Deep and Pancrase veteran and will have a tough first fight in the UFC against the  unpredictable Caceres.

Bout 7:

Takanori Gomi (33-8-0-1) vs Mac Danzig (21-9-1)

Ex Pride favorite Gomi since joining the UFC has not had it easy, having to face the likes of Kenny Florian, Tyson Griffin, Clay Guida and Nate Diaz, Mac Danzig does not offer a much softer landing.

Danzig is one of the few UFC fighters to survive a three fight-losing streak and since then has hung on with a win one, lose one record. If that continues he’s due a loss, I think he might buck the trend.

Bout 8:

Dong Hyun Kim (15-2-1) vs Paulo Thiago (14-4-0)

Kims last fight was a strange one when he crumbled to what turned out to be a rib injury after just 47 seconds against Demian Maia.

Thaigo has promised so much and delivered much less and his last outing was even shorter than Kims at just 42 seconds when he was knocked out by UFC debutant Siyar Bahadurzada. I feel he has to win this to keep his place on the UFC roster, That might be the threat he needs to bring out his A game.

Bout 9:

Thiago Silva (14-3-0-1) vs Stanislav Nedkov (12-0-0)

Silva is coming off of what must be the worst period of his career – with just one win in his last five bouts.

Nedkov is about as difficult an opponent as there is out there; he can knock you out or submit you.

Main Event

Rich Franklin (29-6-0-1) vs Cung Le (8-2-0)

For me Franklin has this to lose. Le’s two fights in the UFC have not impressed and Franklin is one of the smarter veterans in the UFC and will approach this fight with a good game plan to nullify any hopes Le may have.

As is often the case, the main event is probably not going to be the best fight on what promises to be a very exciting nights fighting. I have never been convinced that Cung Le was right for the UFC not at age 40.

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Pickathon Picks:

The Editor

11)   Lim vs Mitchell -  Mitchel – via sub  rd 2

22)   Mizugaki vs Houghland -   Houghland via sub rd 2

33)   Fukuda vs Deblass  - Fukada via tko rd 2

44)   Lineker vs Urushitani – Linekar via dec

55)   Zhang vs Tuck - Tuck via tko rd 2

66)   Caceres vs  Tezuka – Caceres rd 2 sub

77)   Gomi vs Danzig – Danzig via dec

88)   Kim vs Thiago – Thiago via dec

99)  Silva vs Nedkov – Nedkov via tko

110) Franklin vs Le – Franklin via tko rd 2

The Coffee Boy

1) Hyun Gyu Lim def. Mitchell via TKO rd 1
2) Hougland def. Mizugaki via Decision
3) Fukuda def. DeBlass via Decision
4) Urushitani def. Lineker via Submission rd 2
5) Jon Tuck def Zhang via Submission rd 1
6) Caceres def. Tezuka via TKO rd 1
7) Gomi def. Danzig via Decision
8) Dong Hyun Kim def. Thiago via KO rd 1
9) Thiago Silva def. Nedkov via TKO rd 2
10) Franklin def. Cung Le via TKO rd 3