UFC on Versus 5 takes place this Sunday night and the main card has five very interesting bouts. Here are my picks for the contest.

UFC Welterweight Bout – Dan Hardy (23-9) vs. Chris Lytle (40-18-4) – Hardy and Lytle should put on quite a show. Both men like to slug it out and give something exciting for the fans. However, once this fight gets heated, I expect some grappling to take place. Lytle has a clear edge in that category, which is why I like him to win by decision. Lytle can take a punch, while Hardy can’t stop a takedown.

UFC Lightweight Bout – Jim Miller (20-2) vs. Ben Henderson (13-2) – This should be a great fight. Miller is on the verge of earning a lightweight title shot while Henderson is a former WEC champ. This should be primarily a grappling exhibition, and I think Miller is just a little bit better than Henderson in that department. I could see Henderson sneaking in a choke, but ultimately, my pick goes with Miller by decision in a great contest.

UFC Lightweight Bout – Charles Oliveira (14-1) vs. Donald Cerrone (15-3) – This should be another great fight. Both men are tremendous grapplers. The key in this contest will be striking. Oliveira thinks he has some good striking, which is never a good thing for a grappler. If he attempts to exchange with Cerrone, “The Cowboy” will pick him apart. Cerrone may not have knockout power, but he will be able to control the fight. I see Cerrone winning this fight by decision thanks to his boxing and ability to stay out of submissions.

UFC Welterweight Bout – Amir Sadollah (6-2) vs. Duane Ludwig (28-11) – Sadollah is a great grappler and has good muay thai striking, but Ludwig has one-punch power. I think Sadollah will ultimately win by submission, but he has to avoid that early surge from Ludwig. After the early surge, Sadollah should be able to push a pace that Ludwig can’t keep up with. I see Sadollah winning by choke in the third round.

Like a typical UFC on Versus card, the weigh-in results didn’t exactly go on as planned.

But, this time around, it wasn’t a catastrophic mess like the Nate Marquardt situation.

Main event contender Dan Hardy failed to make weight the first time for his bout with Chris Lytle for Sunday’s card. Hardy originally weighed in at 171.5 pounds, but was able to weigh in at 170 pounds with a little extra time, making his contest with Lytle official and the main event of UFC on Versus 5.

In the co-main event, lightweight contenders Jim Miller and Ben Henderson both came in on weight. Henderson weighed 156 pounds while Miller was at 155.5. Henderson had to strip down to his birthday suit to hit his mark. Miller is looking to secure a lightweight title shot with a win.

In another intriguing lightweight contest, Donald Cerrone (156) and Charles Oliveira (155) both came in on weight. The two had an intense stare down while UFC broadcaster, Joe Rogan, proclaimed the fight to be one of the best in the century.

For complete UFC on Versus 5 weigh-in results, check out the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

UFC on Versus 5 will take place this Sunday from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and the card features some very intriguing fights.

Oddsmakers from BetOnFighting.com have released odds for four of the main card bouts, and each fight has some pretty close money lines.

The main event features a welterweight clash between sluggers Dan Hardy and Chris Lytle. Both men come into the fight with a money line of -115. This should be an entertaining fight if nothing else, as both men are fearless strikers. Lytle should have the edge on the ground, while Hardy may have a little more power in his hands.

In the co-main event, Jim Miller looks to become the No. 1 contender to the UFC Lightweight Championship when he takes on Ben Henderson. Miller has the odds slightly in his favor, at -150, while Henderson has a money line of +120. This should be a great grappling contest, as both men have strong wrestling and submission backgrounds.

For the rest of the odds for UFC on Versus 5, check out the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

A big match between two top lightweight contenders was announced late Monday night as Steve Feitl of MyJerseyCentral.com broke the news of an upcoming UFC bout between Jim Miller and Ben Henderson.

Jim Miller will get his next chance this August to stake his claim for a title shot in the crowded lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The Whippany-based mixed martial artist is expected to face former World Extreme Cagefighting champion Ben Henderson, sources close to the UFC confirmed to New Jersey Press Media late Tuesday.

The bout is scheduled for “UFC on Versus 5” on Aug. 14 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wis.

Henderson (13-2) made his UFC debut last month, defeating Mark Bocek by decision.

This should be an exciting fight, but I think it is more dangerous for Miller, who has more to lose.

It is pretty well understood that Miller is the next in line for a title shot after Anthony Pettis gets a crack at the winner of Gray Maynard-Frankie Edgar III (assuming Pettis beats Clay Guida in June).

Henderson is not considered a top-10 lightweight by some, so a win over Miller would propel him into an immediate top contender in the UFC.

Stylistically, Henderson seems to have the grappling to contend with Miller and the two are similar fighters.

This should be a great scrap and I am looking forward to seeing it.