UFC 117: Don’t Call it a Preview
__________________________________________________________________________An already promising pay-per-view will be aided and abetted by the budding feud, not between Silva and Sonnen (who will be competing in the main event), but between Anderson Silva and Dana White.
Dana White has threatened harsh action should Anderson Silva perform the same bizarre, silly antics he has come to be infamous for when he is stuck in fights he feels are below him. 
We won’t have to worry about this as Silva prepares to take on the American (thus vulnerable) Chael Sonnen.
Aaaw here it goes.
Anderson Silva (-525) over Chael Sonnen. We know Anderson Silva’s history against fighters who ‘push the action’. Anybody who views Chael Sonnen as a punishment for Anderson Silva’s recent antics, in fights that Stevie Wonder could have seen bomb from a mile away, is sadly mistaken.
Anderson Silva will take Chael Sonnen apart, just like he did Forrest, just like he did Irvin, just like he did Franklin, and the fight will probably be quicker than the preview for this particular fight.
Thiago Alves (-105) over Jon Fitch. We know Jon Fitch is in our fight club, and rightfully so, but while we are high on Jon Fitch he has been quite stale in victory in his last few fights.
Fitch’s thrilling victory over Thiago Alves has been burning a dangerous fire in Alves for quite some time. It doesn’t help that the heavily anticipated rematch has been preempted in the past.
Despite winning his last four fights, Jon Fitch seems to be struggling to a certain degree as he has flirted with mediocrity and a possible loss for months. Thiago Alves could win this one with expert striking that has made him a player in the UFC.
Clay Guida (-125) over Rafael Dos Anjos. I’ve gone back and forth with this one, but I like a desperate Clay Guida more than a surging Rafael Dos Anjos. I don’t care how exciting Clay Guida fights are, if you’re an exciting fighter who loses most of his fights you quickly become Tank Abbot.
One has to believe that this is a “win or go home” match for Guida, and I can see him delivering one last time (until he’s fed to another potential contender).
Ricardo Almeida (-165) over Matt Hughes. A part of me is hoping that Matt Hughes loses just so we can be that closer to seeing him finally hang em up after what has been a wonderful career. Ricardo Almeida has looked strong recently, winning his last three fights, while Hughes seems to be hanging on for dear life (dude fought Renzo Gracie and Matt Serra in his last two fights).
Ricardo Almeida, will have a bit more of a spring in his step than the last two prehistoric pugilists who stepped into an octagon with Matt Hughes, and I can easily see a situation where Hughes is caught early after a slight misstep, the type of incident that comes with the territory of an aging fighter.
Ricardo Almeida by TKO in the second round. Did I mention Matt Hughes is too old to be fighting.
Roy Nelson (+250) over Junior Dos Santos. You say upset, I say easy money. Taking nothing away from the increasingly impressive Junior Dos Santos, Roy Nelson has all the tools to not only create a match up nightmare for the upstart heavyweight, but to beat him convincingly as well.
Nelson will not want to be stubborn and fall in love with his stand up game, although his striking is strong. It’s basically an even fight if these two decide to stand and trade as Junior Dos Santos has shown what he can do with those fists.
What Nelson will want to do is shoot in for a single leg takedown, put a belly on Dos Santos, and test this kid’s ground game which has been largely untested to this point.
With a sound game plan, I don’t see how Roy Nelson can lose this fight. Seriously.
Projected Fight Honors
Fight of the Night: Junior Dos Santos vs. Roy Nelson
Knockout of the Night: Anderson Silva over Chael Sonnen
Submission of the Night: Clay Guida over Rafael Dos Anjos
Projected Buyrate
As mentioned above, UFC 117′s buyrate will be supplemented by the subplots implicated on this card, which include Dana White’s displeasure with Anderson Silva as well as the winner of Dos Santos/Nelson receiving a heavyweight title shot.
This will be the UFC’s first pay-per-view in approximately a month, so fight fans will have money to spend without worrying about the money they laid down for a previous pay-per-view had it occurred more recently.
With SummerSlam one week away, the UFC pay-per-view buyrate is expected to take a slight hit, but Chael Sonnen has used some pro wrestling tactics of his own to talk up this fight.
775,000 buys
Related Stories
Tags: Anderson Silva Dana White, Dos Santos vs. Roy Nelson, Silva vs. Sonnen, UFC 117
