When it comes to iconic moments inside The Octagon, the battered, exhausted, completely dishevelled figures of Forrest Griffin and Stephen Bonnar embracing after THAT classic cannot be bettered.

Are we about to get another war? The potential is there...

For the first time since Michael Bisping, the UK will have a TUF winner. But will it be Ross Pearson or Andre Winner who catapults himself to stardom in Las Vegas?

At welterweight there's more UK hope as James Wilks meets DaMarques Johnson in what could be a blink-and-you'll-miss-it contest.

And then there's the main event... Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez running into the tornado that is Clay Guida in an attempt to earn a shot at the title. Are you foaming at the mouth yet? Sanchez will be.

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DIEGO SANCHEZ vs CLAY GUIDA

Diego Sanchez walks head-on into a storm this weekend, knowing that the promised land awaits on the other side.

Clay Guida will not stop. He will keep coming and coming and coming, so much so that the ref will have to physically drag him back to his corner at the end of each round.

That is Clay Guida, and that is what made his fight with Tyson Griffin one of the most memorable we've seen.

Just one problem. Guida lost that bout with Griffin.

Since then though Guida has won four of his last five, and he had Roger Huerta beaten in that sole loss before a miraculous recovery of epic proportions by Huerta.

What does Guida bring? Energy, relentless wrestling, a solid chin, and an insatiable will to win.

Sanchez has to keep the fight standing. He may have the superior Jiu-Jitsu, but that hardly helped Nate Diaz during Guida's last outing.

Sanchez is arguably one win from a title shot. He out-struck Joe Stevenson, he is a middleweight-turned-welterweight-turned-lightweight, and he has the strength to stuff Guida's suffocating takedown attempts.

However, wrestlers have been the Achilles heel of Sanchez's 22-2-0 career, Josh Koscheck (albeit in a strike fest) and Jon Fitch have got the better of him, but will he have too much power at 155?
PREDICTION: Guida - unanimous decision

ROSS PEARSON vs ANDRE WINNER

Whisper it quietly but the UK is coming to take over the lightweight division. With Terry Etim tipped for great things, The UFC are about to throw two more Brits into the mix in the shape of "Rossy P" and "Dre".

Two genuine talents, expectation is that both men  - win or lose - will end up with futures in The UFC.

Winner trains with Dan Hardy as Team Rough House. Pearson was going to do the same, but now TUF Finale rivalry means "Rossy P" has been working out at the Wolf's Lair ahead of the biggest fight of his life.

Pearson is heavy handed for a lightweight, he wears opponents down with his wrestling game, he's a nightmare opponent.

Winner is the technician. Deadly in the clinch and accurate in the stand-up, he will want to dictate the range, although his BJJ offers a solid escape route if Pearson takes the fight down.

Both will eventually train together, but for now they pose huge obstacles to each other in the bid to land that £100,000 contract.
Prediction: Winner - unanimous decision

DaMARQUES JOHNSON vs JAMES WILKS

How about a UK double? Can James Wilks keep UK MMA riding on the crest of a wave by defeating American Bisping-hater DaMarques Johnson?

Johnson always looks close to losing before he finds a way to win. An admirable quality or a weakness ripe for exposing?

Seemingly in trouble against Dean Amasinger before using the escape route that was Amasinger's Achilles heel - the triangle choke, Johnson then met more adversity in the semis, rocked so badly by Nick Ozipczak that he nearly lost the fight, although to his credit he showed great heart to come back and triumph.

Wilks enters as the underdog, a Leicestershire-born combatant fighting out of California with a Jiu-Jitsu background.

Submission victories via heel hook and armbar took him to the semis, where he beat Frank Lester for a second time - this time with knees - to reach the final.

Johnson's strength is his BJJ, Wilks likewise. Does the Brit have the striking capability to roll with the American?
PREDICTION: Johnson - TKO

Stevenson (34-10-0) has seen his stock plummet after losing back-to-back fights to Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez, leaving him with something of a make-or-break bought with Diaz at the TUF 9 Finale.

“Joe Daddy” remained exclusively on his feet in his last outing against Sanchez, losing a strike-fest that could have ended differently had he fought to his strengths.

Stevenson admits he has lost his way a little bit, and now the tee-totaller has turned to the coach of Georges St-Pierre, Rashad Evans and co – Greg Jackson – to help him find the form that made him a lightweight title contender.

“I’ve been over training with Greg Jackson and coachWinkeljohn – they’re awesome over there,” said Stevenson.

“They’ve pushed me harder than I’ve ever been pushed – I’ve thrown up more during this camp than any other.

“I think the gameplan we’ve come up with is superb, there is no way Nate Diaz can beat me.

“I got really content standing, forgetting what got me here in the first place.

“Greg has helped me return to my old self, taking people down, pounding them into submission.”

To watch the TUF 9 Finale live on Setanta Sports, which is headlined by Diego Sanchez v Clay Guida, click here.

The two lightweight appear to be massively evenly-matched, Pearson bringing intensity and wrestling power, Winner boasting the superior striking and BJJ.

There was only one way to preview the final, so setanta.com headed to the Team Rough House gym to speak to two men who know them better than anyone.

Nick Ozipczak, who also fights on the same card, and Dean Amasinger predict the winner of that £100,000 contract and a place in the UFC lightweight division.

THE VIEW ON ROSS PEARSON

Dean Amasinger:
“It’s funny how many people describe Ross as a pitbull. You see him train, you see his stature, he’s just relentless.

“We did pressure drills inside the TUF house where you have five different guys on you every minute, and he was coming out fresh as a daisy.

“Cardio-wise he is a machine and he takes training so seriously, he never shies away from anything.

“He is one intense guy. If it goes to a decision Ross will take it because of his intensity.”

Nick Ozipczak:
“They’ve both got a lot of strength. They’re both great fighters.

“Ross is just a natural born fighter. He will have the edge on the mat, although Dre will probably be powerful enough to pop straight back to his feet.

“Ross likes to go for that double-leg takedown which I think will come into play.”

THE VIEW ON ANDRE WINNER

Nick Ozipczak:
“Dre is really athletic, really quick hands, he’s explosive, strong and I think Andre will take the fight.

“I just think he’s slightly more dangerous than Ross, slightly more powerful than him and slightly more explosive than him.

“Training with him, he’s just a general bad man and it’s hard to imagine him losing to anyone. It’s mostly welterweights at Team Rough House and Dre copes well with us all. It’s hard to imagine him losing to a lightweight.

“I believe Dre will stop him in the third round with strikes.”

Dean Amasinger:
"I think Dre has the edge. Striking-wise Dre is more technical, although Ross has the better wrestling. Ross maybe hits harder too but Dre is definitely the better technical striker.

“In the clinch Dre has really good knees, he’s got excellent Jiu Jitsu, so if you did a tally of who has the better attributes I think Dre comes out on top.

“Dre’s takedown defence is amazing and I think he might stop it due to his striking. His striking was the best in the house.”

THE VIEW ON BOTH MEN

Nick Ozipczak:
“They’ve both got what it takes to go all the way in The UFC and they’ll be around for years to come.”

Franklin revealed to setanta.com after his split decision triumph over Wanderlei Silva that it is time to negotiate a new deal with The UFC.

The Cincinnati man goes into those talks on a strong footing after out-striking Silva at UFC 99, a victory that Dana White later admitted will secure Franklin a 'big fight' at 205lbs.

With obvious contenders Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans locked up in TUF 10 matters, the temptation could be to give Franklin a chance at revenge against Machida - who was the first man to ever beat the former middleweight champion.

Franklin is not eyeing the golden shot though, insisting he is still fighting an inferiority complex that cost him the fight with Dan Henderson.

“I wouldn’t want anybody to think I didn’t approach the Henderson fight at anything over than 100 percent. Maybe I showed him too much respect. I didn’t attack him as much as I should have done," Franklin told setanta.com. 

“Facing Wanderlei was the same situation, so I had to prep myself and tell myself I’m good enough to be here. I had to tell myself I’m every bit as good as these guys and I can’t let history intimidate me.  

“I’m about at the point where I renew my contract with The UFC, so we’ll talk with Dana and see what he’s got lined up.

“Both myself and Lyoto are much improved from our first fight, but right now Lyoto isn’t in my sights. My last fight at 205 was a loss to Dan Henderson, so I’m not sure where a victory at 195 puts me.

“I’m not sure where I figure in the division right now, what with the new season of TUF and Rampage and Rashad acting as coaches...we’ll have to wait and see."

One thing that is clear is that Franklin can mix it with the best strikers in the world. He took all that Wanderlei had to offer and still nearly knocked The Axe Murderer out.

“The key to knocking somebody out isn’t about how hard you punch but punching in the right spot. Wanderlei caught me behind the ear, I’m not sure how hard the punch was, maybe he just caught me in the right spot. But he does have the capability to do the damage.

“To be honest, in that second round he was close to putting me away. I was dazed over and that could have been bad news for me.

“I caught him a couple of times in the first round and he looked a little bit dazed, and there was another time when I caught him and he stepped back looking glassy-eyed.

“Wanderlei’s been clipped a few times in his recent fights and people have been questioning his chin, but we didn’t want to rush in and make a mistake and then get caught in the blanket motion of his arms."

Davis issued an immediate statement from his changing room after the UFC 99 contest, insisting he had ‘won 12 minutes of the fight’ and demanding ‘an immediate rematch’.

Hardy did not shirk the issue in the post-fight press conference, claiming the pair could fight once a week and always have a tight dust-up.

However, it is setanta.com’s understanding that The UFC want Hardy to continue looking onwards and upwards, even if the Briton feels he has unfinished business.

“I never like a split decision win. When one judge doesn’t feel I did enough to win, it means I haven’t done my job correctly,” Hardy told setanta.com.

“I know I spent a lot of the fight defending takedowns but I also felt like I landed the cleaner strikes. I hurt him more than he hurt me. More than anything from him it was pressure.

“I understand that Davis is unhappy with the decision and I understand he still isn’t happy about the stuff that went on before the fight. I understand that, it’s not like I said those things without the intention of upsetting him.

“I went into the changing room after the fight to shake his hand and he said ‘I won the fight’. So I said to him ‘I’m not going to argue with you’. I didn’t say that because I agreed, I just said it because I’m done with conflict for a week.

“I apologise for not delivering the knock-out I promised, there was some blood, but what can I say, it wasn’t my best night by a long shot.”

Hardy also seemed to rule out the prospect of fighting Mike Swick in his next fight, claiming Swick is too far ahead of him at the current time. Click here for the full story. 

Rumours have already started that Swick, who beat Ben Saundes via TKO, could be Hardy's next opponent, in what would be a real head-to-head for a place in the UFC welteweight division's top five.

However, Swick is desperate for a top top fight after amassing a 9-1 record in The UFC, and he even pleaded with Dana White to give him either GSP, Thiago Alves or Matt Hughes in the post-fight press conference.

Hardy predicts a battle with Swick would be 'awesome', but he believes the former middleweight is a step too far right now.

“With all due respect to Mike Swick, I think he’s a little ahead of me," Hardy told setanta.com.

“He’s 9-1 in The UFC, I’m 3-0. He really needs to get a big fight like he’s been asking for.

“I got chance to spend time with Mike during the Fight for the Troops week, he’s a great guy and I wish him all the best.

“If our paths cross in the future it would be an awesome fight, but as it is right now, he needs a bigger fight than me."

Swick trains with the likes of Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch and Cain Velasquez at the American Kickboxing Academy, but Hardy insists the American does not have an advantage when it comes to their respective quests for the 170lb title.

“I’ve got a really strong team building at Team Rough House.

“Jim Wallhead is on the verge of something amazing, I’m confident of that. I’ve got Paul Daly, Dean Amasinger, Nick Ozipczak, Andre Winner, it’s a great camp.

“All these guys push me, every day is a slog so I don’t think the likes of Swick have any advantage.

“I train out in America and have some tough sparring sessions, but I know the guys back in England will push me as far as I need to go when it comes to fight camp."

Speaking to setanta.com, Etim laughed off a broken nose to reflect on a rollercoaster victory over Justin Buccholz in the lightweight division.

Buchholz dropped Etim midway through round one and was seconds away from victory before the Briton snapped back into action - escaping from a barrage of punches with an armbar.

From there, Etim bought himself time and eventually took control with a flurry of Muay Thai knees - before finishing things with a darce choke.

Etim's finish grabbed him the $60,000 Submission of the Night award, plus a whole load of respect, and now he is hoping The UFC reward him with his first big name.

"I hope so, I think this is the biggest win of my career" he told setanta.com.

"All credit to Buchholz, he caught me with a great shot in the first round, but I managed to hang in there and then get to round two where I got a nice sub.

"I can remember the shot, I knew I'd been hit - he broke my nose but I didn't completely black out.

"A lot of people haven't seen me like that, it's not a good thing, but it's kind of good to come from behind and show I can take a hit.

"I hope I get a big fight now, but I'll keep taking each fight as it comes, I'm still 23 so I'll get back to the gym and await the next fight."

Both men put their chins on the line, both men got rocked on several occasions, but it was the superior technical striking of Franklin that stole the day.

Wanderlei had returned to his Muay Thai routes, employing his former trainer, and he came out with a noticeably stricter Muay Thai stance.

The first round started cagey before exploding into life as Wanderlei caught a body kick and swept for the takedown. From there he failed to employ his BJJ black belt, eventually posturing up.

Franklin bided his time, waited for the attempted bomb, snuck out the back door and sent Wanderlei back to his corner chewing on a big straight left.

Cue the fireworks.

Franklin went to work with the jab, with the straight left, but all the time you could just sense the power of Wanderlei’s wild swinging hooks.

Finally one connected, Franklin’s legs wobbled and Wanderlei followed up with another. Back came Franklin with a left to rock Silva – nobody wanted the bell when it sounded.

The final and decisive round, edged by Franklin’s more accurate striking as Wanderlei tired. Both men threw down, both men got dazed.

Wanderlei waved his arms to rouse the crowd, he launched towards Franklin, but the former UFC middleweight champion is so clever, he found a takedown, and the fight was his.

The future for Franklin?

“Cutting weight wasn’t a problem. I’m gonna stick at 205 and put on some exciting fights.

For Wanderlei, “the result wasn’t important”.

After this classic, we agree.

Velasquez manhandled Kongo from start to finish, using his relentless All American skills to dish out the beating of Kongo’s life.

That is no exaggeration, Kongo was left bloodied, battered, and he would have been out of it had he not been saved by the final horn.

If there is a positive for French kickboxer Kongo, it must be that he rocked Velasquez in all three rounds, but the AKA man’s response was awesome – dropping levels to take his opponent down and dominate – completely.

Rumour has it Kongo’s knee wasn’t in the best shape going into the fight. He wanted a quick finish and almost got it with a big right at the start of stanzas one and two, but as soon as Velasquez closed the space – Kongo had no answers.

Velasquez’s slam takedowns and transitions to mount were exceptional, he pounded away on Kongo for fully 15 minutes in what is easily the toughest experience of the Frenchman’s career.

Kongo’s friend was the bell, each time giving him a chance in the stand-up, where Velasquez still has work to do, but the final bell was the most significant as it saved Kongo from tapping out to strikes – simultaneously signalling Velasquez as the main contender to the heavyweight crown.

Mirko Cro Cop made a successful, although hugely controversial, return to The UFC with a first round TKO of Mostapha Al Turk.

Cro Cop had the Briton rocked midway through round one, dropping him with a big left, but Al Turk clung on to get back to his feet.

From there came the controversy, Cro Cop catching Al Turk in the eye with a stray finger, the Briton turned his back in pain but the ref waved the fight on – allowing Cro Cop to finish the job against a defenceless opponent.

“It made no difference to the outcome,” said Cro Cop afterwards.

He may have been right, but now we’ll never know. Poor refereeing.

Earlier, Mike Swick sent a message to Dana White with an outstanding TKO victory over the highly-rated up-and-comer Ben Saunders.

Swick is desperate for a title fight, or even a big fight, after taking his UFC record to 9-1 with a TKO stoppage at 3.47 in round two.

At 6ft 3, Saunders is tipped for a big future at 170, but after he spent the majority of the opening stanza resisting Swick from bottom position, he tired badly in round two.

One big Muay Thai knee momentarily worried Swick, but a huge right from the former middleweight had Saunders in all sorts of trouble.

Two more, one to the temple, and Saunders was done.

“I want to keep moving up. This is my 10th fight, I’m 9-1, I wanna fight Matt Hughes, GSP and Thiago Alves,” roared Swick afterwards. “Give me the top guys man.”

In the night’s other main card bout, Spencer Fisher claimed a unanimous decision after a snoozefest with Cael Uno.

The Outlaw produced a huge second round, dropping Davis with a huge Muay Thai knee, but it was anything but one-sided as Davis responded to floor Hardy in the third.

It was a tight decision. To say Davis disagreed is an understatement.

"I won the fight, I won 12 minutes of the fight and they gave it to him?" moaned Davis. 

"You bet your ass I want a rematch right away. Let's do it in Ireland or Boston. He landed one elbow which cut me and they judge the whole fight on that?

"He dropped me with a knee, but I knocked him down with a hook. I also scored more takedowns, more submission attempts and outpowered him the whole fight.

"He came into my dressing room and I said 'I won'. He said 'it was close'. And he wouldn't argue. That took something I guess but he's not apologised for going too far with the talking. I won the fight."

After all the trash talk, the bout opened up in cagey fashion, Davis predictably going for the takedown and getting it before securing mount. The Irish Hand Grenade’s extra bulk was visible and he controlled Hardy, pounding away before Hardy returned to his feet to land a huge right late in the round.

It was time for Hardy to make his presence felt.

Hooking and jabbing superbly, Hardy lured Davis into him before suckering him with a huge Muay Thai knee that floored the veteran. Time for Hardy to look for the finish, pounding away and then sucking more wind out of Davis with another knee as the fight returned vertical.

One round apiece. Time for the decider.

Davis began well, unbalancing Hardy with a straight left before pounding away from half guard. Hardy has been putting in huge amounts of work with partner Jimmy Wallhead though, and he forced back to his feet with two minutes left before landing his own takedown.

An elbow then opened Davis’ nose up wide, and Hardy continued to pepper his foe until the death – taking a massive decision.

“Marcus is one of the toughest guys in this division,” Hardy said afterwards. “I respect Marcus, and people keep supporting him –we need him in The UFC.”

John Hathaway and Paul Kelly both snatched tight decision wins over Rick Story and Rolando Delgado respectively, whilst Paul Taylor and Terry Etim delivered completely opposite but equalling outstanding displays against Peter Sobotta and Justin Buchholz.

Taylor gave an exhibition in kickboxing as he took apart local boy Sobotta, smashing his opponent with leg kicks and head kicks as he dominated from start to finish for a unanimous decision victory.

The Birmingham-born fighter’s work with Xtreme Couture had clearly paid off as he stuffed a host of takedowns, and the only thing missing was the knock-out his work deserved.

Etim meanwhile, had to escape the jaws of defeat against Justin Buchholz to claim victory via darce choke.

Buchholz had the Liverpudlian in all sorts of trouble with a big right that dropped Etim, who then ate a flurry of heavy bombs as the ref began to step in.

However, an armbar attempt and then some good Jiu-Jitsu saved Etim, who then regained his composure to snap out those trademark leg kicks and re-establish himself in the fight.

Buchholz came forward in the second but all he succeeded in doing was walking into a plethora of Muay Thai knees, before Etim sunk on the darce choke for a huge victory.

Earlier in the night, Paul Kelly took the slimmest of decisions against Rolando Delgado, who twice took the Liverpudlian’s back and seriously threatened a rear naked choke finish.

Kelly’s resistance was admirable, but if this had been a Jiu-Jitsu contest he would have lost badly.

Fortunately for the Wolf’s Lair fighter, he dominated the final seven minutes of the fight – pounding away from top position to take a unanimous decision.

Things were just as tight for John Hathaway, who mixed it for three rounds with Story before taking a split decision.

Rich Franklin simply could not afford to lose. His middleweight days are over and, if he had tasted canvas on Saturday, his light-heavyweight prospects would have been too.

Wanderlei Silva has put his 205 days behind him. It was time for him to lay down a marker as the biggest threat to Anderson Silva's middleweight crown, but was he outwitted by Franklin?

Also on the main card, Wolf's Lair fighter Cheick Kongo bidded for a title shot against Cain Velasquez, Mirko Cro Cop made his hugely-anticipated return to the heavyweight scene, and Dan Hardy led a team of six Brits on a quest for success against Marcus Davis.

Relive all the action here...

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 RICH FRANKLIN vs WANDERLEI SILVA (Rich Franklin wins via unanimous decision)

Third round: Good straight left Franklin, more exchanges, Wanderlei stumbles, low blow by Franklin. Franklin rocks Wanderlei, Wanderlei rocks Franklin, the crowd go wild, head kick Silva. Wanderlei misses with a haymaker. Body kick Franklin, jabbing away, Wanderlei launches in to finish but Franklin takes him down - that takedown could be the deciding factor.
Who knows! Decision pending...

Second round: Head kick blocked by Franklin, jab/straight left combo by Franklin, he's connecting right now, leg kick, Wanderlei almost lands a right hook on the counter, the combos are Franklin's but Silva only needs one punch. Great left counter by Franklin, Wanderlei looks tired and eats a jab, Silva almost connects with a big right, the danger is still there. This time he does connect and Franklin wobbles. Another big one rocks Franklin but Silva can't finish. Franklin rocks Wanderlei! This is mega!
Franklin's round...just

First round: Leg kick Wanderlei, this is cagey, big right by Wanderlei lands. Good left Franklin, reddies the nose, Muay Thai kick to the head by Silva, Franklin kicks to the body, Silva catches and sweeps for the takedown. Silva's in Franklin's guard - how's his BJJ? Franklin dodges a big right and escapes, now he's on top and attempting to pound out of half guard. Controlling Silvas bacl now but Wanderlei is back up, great left to finish by Franklin. Good round.
Even round

IT'S TIME! Stand by for our first round update...

Wanderlei lights up the place as he arrives to Darude "Sandstorm", Franklin gets a few boos - it's clear who the crowd want to win this one...

This is the big one. Brute force against sheer technique....

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 CAIN VELASQUEZ vs CHEICK KONGO (Velasquez wins via unanimous decision)

Third round: Another big right by Kongo at the start of the round but Velasquez eats it. This time Kongo gets the two-leg takedown but Velasquez is far too good. Back to controlling the Frenchman's back, both men bleeding from the mouth but it is Velasquez doing all the pounding. Even if Kongo pulls out a miraculous win, you have to feel Lesnar would destroy him on this evidence. Back to the feet, Kongo clinching and kneeing to the midsection, much better as he rocks Velasquez again but the AKA man is so good at taking the fight down. Side control for Velasquez, now mount, pounding away with elbows and punches, another minute and Kongo would have been gone.
Velasquez's all the way

Second round: Kongo drops Velasquez again but Velasquez just takes the fight straight back down! This is unreal. Standing, it's Kongo's, horizontal it's all Velasquez. Another takedown to the All American, he's controlling Kongo's back again. Velasquez is basically just picking the Frenchman up and placing him where he wants him. Superb wrestling, another takedown into side control, more pounding, Kongo is helpless. Huge knees to the ribs by Velasquez as he continues to control Kongo's back, these are rib-breakers.
Velasquez's round

First round: Kongo comes out jabbing, rocks Velasquez with a right but the AKA man takes it straight to the deck. They scramble and Velasquez has Kongo's back, switching to side control. Now to mount and now taking Kongo's back, the rear naked choke is in but Kongo escapes and stands up. Huge takedown Velasquez! Pounding away from half guard, then controlling Kongo from his back, Velasquez is all over him like a rash. Big slam takedown by Velasquez! Into mount, he takes Kongo's back, pounding away, short choke, Kongo is being manhandled.
Velasquez's round

THIS IS THE CO-MAIN EVENT...stand by...

Kongo is inside The Octagon...man that guy is huge. This could be a case of whoever connects first...

This is arguably the most exciting fight on the card. Two heavyweights who know victory could spell a title shot. Who's your money with?

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 MIRKO CRO COP vs MOSTAPHA AL TURK (Cro Cop wins by TKO)

First round:  Al Turk comes out swinging and looks dangerous. Cro Cop seems slow, Al Turk lands a left hook but cannot clinch successfully. Al Turk is making all the first moves, Cro Cop stalking, looking for the counter, good left by Cro Cop - the first he's landed. Cro Cop rocks Al Turk and drops him with a straight left...he pounds away but Al Turk resists. CONTROVERSY, back to the feet and Cro Cop appears to catch Al Turk in the eye with a finger, it's clear but the ref doesn't stop it and Cro Cop smashes his way to victory against a defenceless Al Turk.

Marcus Davis is not happy with the Hardy decision. Go to our UFC homepage for more...

Here we go, this place is going beserk for Cro Cop!

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 BEN SAUNDERS vs MIKE SWICK (Swick wins by TKO)

Second round: Both fighters try to make things happen at the start of the second, throwing knees and head kicks, but the first telling moment is a Swick takedown. Nothing doing so the ref stands them up, Swick attempts some Muay Thai knees, good leg kick Saunders, massive right Swick! Another and another, on onslaught...Saunders is down and out - it's over!

First round: Saunders clinches immediately and attempts to pull Swick down, but only succeeds in pulling Swick into his guard. Swick postures up and then stands up altogether, attempting to drop some bombs but Saunders' defence is solid. The ref stands them. Great knee to the ribs by Saunders, the fighters trade punches, this is better, they clinch against the fence, Saunders using that 6ft 3 frame to work those knees into the midsection.
Even round

This could be over quickly. Cannot wait for this, two seriously good welterweights...

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SPENCER FISHER vs CAEL UNO (Spencer takes a unanimous decision - what do we know!)

Third round: More clinching, more boredom. We've had a strong right from Fisher but nothing to write home about. Uno goes for a leg kick but only succeeds in unbalancing himself enough to topple over. Fisher looks like he could do something with uppercuts from the clinch, Uno finishes with some ground and pound from on top, but it's a snoozefest and neither man deserves the W.
Uno's round. Decision pending...we think Uno's got it

Second round: Uno changes levels to get an early takedown, but there's nothing more forthcoming as the crowd boo again. Good leg kick Fisher, Uno responds with two of his own before he shoots again...only to see Fisher stuff it. Transitions lead to Uno securing top position, but they're quickly back to their feet, Fisher uppercutting well again. Uno lands another takedown but Fisher is straight back up. This is dull as dishwater.
Uno's round

First round: Uno looks comfortable, waiting for his moment to pounce, but the first three minutes give way to a whole lot of clinching as the crowd show their disapproval. Fisher lands a leg kick and then a powerful uppercut, Uno suddenly not looking so comfortable.
Fisher's round

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 MARCUS DAVIS vs DAN HARDY (Hardy wins via split decision 28-29, 29-28, 28-29)

Third round: Davis drops Hardy from the off with a straight left and instantly tries to pound away from guard. Bad news for Hardy, Davis gets to half guard, still pounding, and then goes fo the heel hook! Hardy escapes back to his feet but Davis is clinching again, Hardy gets the takedown now into Davis' guard. Davis is cut, by an elbow to the nose we think, the ref has the cut checked and now we return to Hardy being in Davis' guard. Good shots by Hardy, one minute left as the ref stands them. Great left hook Hardy, good body kick answered by a left from Davis as the rounds ends.
Hardy's...just. Decision pending...

Second round: Leg kick Hardy to open the second stanza, Davis launches for the takedown but eats a left hook. Hardy is hooking well, jabbing well, nice leg kick by Hardy too, another left hook and then a big Muay Thai knee drops Davis! Hardy looks to finish but Davis puts up a strong guard, elbowing well from bottom position. Davis looks for the armbar and it's deep but Hardy pulls out, continuing to pound from Davis' guard. The ref stands them up and Davis immediately clinches, but Hardy sends him packing with a knee to the body. Davis lands a powerful right jab/straight left combo and gets the takedown, pounding away from Hardy's guard as the round ends.
Hardy's round

First round: A predictably cagey opening, Davis kicking and then clinching against the fence, looking for the sweep and eventually getting it. Davis begins to pound and secures the mount, Hardy spins away but Davis is still in The Outlaw's guard. Davis is controlling Hardy's back, pounding the side of the head, looking for the rear naked choke, but Hardy gets back to his feet, landing a huge right that hurts Davis! Muay Thai knees but Davis clinches and gets a hiptoss takedown as the round closes.
Davis' round

We are ready to go...this is gonna be HUGE...

Hardy enters to "England belongs to me", now it's the House of Pain "Jump Around" as Davis enters...

We tell a lie! It's not Spencer Fisher vs Cael Uno, it's the big grudge match. Here's comes The Outlaw, the Lanxess Arena is pumping, as is my blood...

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WE ARE LIVE! Five phenomenal fights to come and, after the Lanxess Arena got their internet supply sorted, we should be able to bring you uninterrupted coverage right here!...

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We now await the live show, apologies for losing connection, we should be good for the rest of the night! Updates to appear from 8pm BST...

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TERRY ETIM vs JUSTIN BUCHHOLZ (Etim wins via Darce choke)

Second round: Leg kick Etim, huge leg kick Etim, he’s taking his time now. Buchholz catches a kick but Etim responds with multiple Muay Thai knees, Anderson Silva-like stuff from the Liverpudlian! He looks for the darce choke– and gets it!

First round: Huge round for Buchholz who rocks Etim with a big right hand, before raining down bombs that has the ref moving in to stop it. Just before he does, Etim attempts and armbar, but Buchholz slams out. Etim finishes strongly, looking for a heel hook, but the first round is Buchholz’s.
Buchholz's round

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DENNIS SIVER vs DALE HARTT: (Siver wins via rear naked choke)

First round: Siver shin blocks an early kick from Hartt – there’s a message. Siver catches Hartt with a low one but they fight on, Siver lands a big right than visibly hurts Hartt, but the American responds with a takedown. Siver attempts the armbar but Hartt slams out of it, but all the good work is coming from the German who moves into half guard. Siver works some ground and pound, taking Hartt’s back and then locking on the rear naked choke! Huge win and what a response from the crowd! They love it! Superb display by Siver!

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PAUL TAYLOR vs PETER SOBOTTA (Taylo wins by unanimous decision)

Third round: Great body kick by Sobotta, but Taylor replies with a charging flurry that hurts Sobotta, although the German takes his man down on the counter. Taylor forces his way back up against the cage, and then stuffs another takedown to move into side control. Sobotta manages to return Taylor to half guard, but he’s not winning the fight from here. It’s Taylor in control, now from full guard, he postures up to rain down some bombs, and then stands the fight back up. This is Taylor’s fight to lose with a minute remaining, more leg kicks and then a big high kick, and then lands with a huge flurry at the death! Superbly dominant display!
Taylor’s round

Second round: Taylor opens with a solid leg kick but Sobotta lands his first takedown, but Taylor’s comfortable – forcing back up to the feet. More leg kicks by the Brit who is cut under his right eye, followed by a big head kick, and then changing levels back to the legs. Massive right Taylor and then a head kick rocks the German, Taylor’s stand-up is different class. Great leg kick floors Sobotta, who is now moving extremely slowly. Another big left/right combo by Taylor, two more leg kicks, these are thudding into Sobotta’s thighs. Huge body kick by Taylor, who tosses his man to the floor and lets him stand again. More leg kicks, it’s all one-way traffic, Taylor fires forward but then the round comes to a premature end when the ref responds to a hooter in the crowd! Bizarre scenes!
Taylor’s round

First round: Taylor controls the Octagon, snapping out leg kicks before taking a low blow from the German. Sobotta shoots by Taylor stuffs and returns to striking. Sobotta lands a head kick but Taylor comes forward with more leg kicks, low blow Taylor this time – the crowd go beserk! Good jab Taylor but this time Sobotta catches him with a low one. Great leg kick by Taylor unbalances Sobotta who instantly looks for the takedown, resisted by Taylor who falls into Sobotta’s half guard. Taylor enquires with an arm triangle but then allows Sobotta back to his feet. Sobotta gets the two-leg takedown only for Taylor to reverse into half guard – fine work by the Brit as the round closes.
Taylor’s round

Sobotta's the big crowd favourite - Taylor's not used to being the enemy...

Time to keep the British momentum going - it's Paul Taylor - Mr Fight of the Night so often, but will he win one for once?

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PAUL KELLY vs ROLANDO DELGADO (Kelly wins by decision - that is a close one!)

Third round: Delgado lands an axe kick that only puts fire in Kelly's belly, the scouser sweeps to the deck but then allows his man back up. Delgado looks for the takedown but Kelly reverses into full mount, smashing down on his opponent before allowing him to stand again. This is one way traffic although Delgado threatens the armbar. They're back to their feet, Delgado shoots but Kelly stuffs to move into half guard, pounding some more before standing again. Another stuffed takedown has Kelly on top again but he cannot fire off his trademark ground and pound.
Kelly's round, but did he lose the first two? Decision pending...

Second round: Kelly once again finds himself fighting off the rear naked choke after initially rocking Delgado with a big right. The Liverpudlian resists the choke once again and a later kneebar to land some blows from Delgado’s guard.
Even round

First round: Apologies, we lost connection for the first round. All you need to know is that Delgado won it and so nearly had Kelly in a rear naked choke.

Here he comes, cornered by Bisping. This commentary might sound biased, and that's because it is! Come on Tellyz!

You've gotta love Paul Kelly. Fist of fury! He would love to be in a fight that sparks as much blood as that last one - that's just the way the man rolls!

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DENIS STOJNIC vs STEFAN STRUVE (Struve wins by rear naked choke)

Second round: Struve opens big with a knee to the body but Stojnic sees him to the mat. This looks like a horror movie - there's so much blood - it's pouring from Struve's scalp! Struve attempts the heel hook, no joy, secures mount and now takes Stojnic's back, tries the body triangle and a rear naked choke - forcing the tap!

First round: Stojnic comes out with a low stance and swings that hefty right at his 6ft 11 opponent. Struve replies with a big knee to the midsection and tries to take it to the mat but Stojnic ends up in Struve's guard. Struve attempts an armbar but Stojnic postures up and drops some hammer fists. Struve locks on a triangle from bottom position but Stojnic rips out, remaining in guard. Struve looks for the kimura as Stojnic reigns down more big blows - great round! - here comes the triangle from Struve again and now a kimura but Stojnic rips clear for more hammer fists - cutting Struve badly on the scalp. The ref stops the fight to have the cut looked at, but we're back in action, Stojnic firing more blows from standing guard as the round reaches an end. Superb fight.
Stojnic's round

Struve is in town and he looks pumped! Remember his defeat to Junior Dos Santos? Where he got slapped silly? He'll want to erase that here...

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JOHN HATHAWAY vs RICK STORY (Hathaway wins by unanimous decision - big call!)

Third round: Hathaway launches the first attack of the final stanza, backing Story to the deck, although the American looks for a kimura, it looks locked but Hathaway holds on to force him to give it up. Story drops a big bomb from standing guard, Hathaway attempts the triangle but Story stands and drops another bomb. This is Story's round with two minutes remaining, Story gets the takedown and attempts more ground and pound but it's all over.
Decision pending, we think Story's got it by split decision...

Second round: Hathaway comes out with some fine Muay Thai knees, and then lands a rush takedown, only to land straight in Story's guillotine. IT LOOKS TIGHT but Hathaway forces his head out of danger, establishing top control. Story looks for another guillotine but it's Hathaway landing elbows from inside the guard. The ref stands them up with a minute remaining, this is Story's best hope but Hathaway shoots, only to be stuffed as Stoy gains top control on the buzzer.
Hathaway's round

First round: Hathaway is first to score with a high-crotch takedown, but he loses mount instantly as Story bursts to safety. Slam takedown this time by Story - he knows what he's doing in there, looking for the kimura, but Hathaway resists. Story lands a sharp right hook, Hathaway clinches against the fence and looks for his own kimura, but he never quite has it as the round reaches a close.
Even round

Rich Franklin simply cannot afford to lose. His middleweight days are over and, if he tastes canvas on Saturday, his light-heavyweight prospects could be too.

Wanderlei Silva has put his 205 days behind him. It's time for him to lay down a marker as the biggest threat to Anderson Silva's middleweight crown, but will he be outwitted by Franklin?

Also on the main card, Wolf's Lair fighter Cheick Kongo bids for a title shot against Cain Velasquez, Mirko Cro Cop makes his hugely-anticipated return to the heavyweight scene, and Dan Hardy leads a team of six Brits on a quest for success against Marcus Davis.

If Hardy wins, could Ben Saunders or Mike Swick be his next opponent? Get the lowdown by using the links below...

 SILVA vs FRANKLIN

 VELASQUEZ vs KONGO

 DAVIS vs HARDY

 SAUNDERS vs SWICK

 CRO COP vs AL TURK

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THE TALE OF THE TAPE

Strictly unofficially, Ben Saunders had been the man The UFC were lining up as Marcus Davis' next opponent - before Dan Hardy stepped up to the plate.

Davis was willing to fight the 'next big thing' in the welterweight division, although setanta.com understands The Irish Hand Grenade was luke warm to the idea.

Now we have 6ft 3 Saunders up against Mike "Quick" Swick, in a battle that could yield the next opponent for Dan Hardy - should he overcome Davis.

Saunders is yet to lose. He drew his first two fights and has never looked back since. A terrific all-rounder, Saunders brings purple belt Jiu-Jitsu to the table, although recent exploits suggests he performs to a higher level on the deck.

Boasting such height and reach, Saunders is an awkward customer when striking, and he will be no easy holiday for Swick wherever the fight goes.

Swick is just as well-rounded though, and he has won eight of his last nine fights, losing only to middleweight Yushin Okami - who beat Anderson Silva (albeit by decision).

Swick's kickboxing skills give him the kind of knock-out power that disposed of Jonathan Goulet in 33 seconds during his last outing, while he has the ground game to squeeze out results - as shown against Marcus Davis.

An AKA member, the 29-year-old wrestles with some of the best in the business alongside Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, and he believes he should be much closer to a title shot than he currently is.

Saunders is the up-and-comer who will wait for his chance, Swick is the middleweight-dropped-to welter who has the bit between his teeth. 

EXPERT'S VIEW: A tight one to call, Swick has the experience at doing enough to earn a victory, but there is growing momentum behind Saunders, who may just surprise a few people come Saturday.

PREDICTION: Saunders - submission

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THE TALE OF THE TAPE

Make no mistake, the return of Mirko Cro Cop is bad news for every other heavyweight in The UFC.

He may be past it, as his form suggested during his last spell with the organisation, when he was decisioned by Cheick Kongo and had his head kicked off by Gabe Gonzaga.

He may be past it. But then again, he may not.

Two victories and a No Contest since backs up Cro Cop's claim that he has rediscovered his appetite. If that's true, we're in for a treat.

The former military man boasts a kicking game so lethal that Wanderlei Silva has never been the same since.

Cro Cop is also well-rounded enough to have taken the unofficial pound-for-pound king Feder Emilianenko to a decision.

Not many manage that.

But is he past it? And are we underestimating Mostapha Al Turk, who is rated highly enough by The UFC to be thrown in against Kongo and Cro Cop back to back?

Al Turk worked his way to the Cage Rage championship before signing with The UFC, and he combines a variety of powerful strikes with a well-versed submissions game to ensure he is a danger on any level.

However, Kongo dropped him with two bombs before pounding him out, and Cro Cop will be expected to do likewise. 

EXPERT'S VIEW: Cro Cop is devastating. Unless we see a shadow of his former self, Al Turk can expect another painful night.

PREDICTION: Cro Cop KO

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THE TALE OF THE TAPE

A fight filled with venom or a media-hyped case of handbags?

It does not matter. When all the smoke clears and Marcus Davis looks into Dan Hardy's eyes, we are set for one humdinger of a fight.

Davis has never been knocked out. Hardy has never been knocked out. Both arrive in Cologne intent on re-writing their own little bit of history.

Hardy doesn't like Davis' "plastic paddy gimmick". Davis detests Hardy's 'arrogance' and personal jibes at his sexuality. The line of professional trash talk has been crossed, these guys cannot bear the thought of losing to each other.

Hardy has never been better prepared. No illness like he had in the build-up to Akihiro Gono, no minor leg knock like he had in the build-up to Rory Markham.

The Outlaw's grappling skills have never been better, his fitness unquestionable. Six rounds of sparring against six different fighters with just a minute's break in between tells its own story, Hardy is training for far more than a three-round war.

Davis is bulking up, just as he did for the Mike Swick fight, which ended up grounded for near on 15 minutes. Back then Davis says he had to take the fight down due to injury. Saturday will tell us if he tries the same.

"The Irish Hand Grenade" has the ability to end things in one punch, his movement remains cunning and difficult to read from that southpaw stance that has been grounded in 15 years of combat. The 35-year-old will have to mix that boxing base with unpredictable takedown attempts in order to close the distance and ruin Hardy's rhythm.

Hardy hasn't even begun to show his full array of kicks. He will snap out the leg kick, keep Davis biting from distance, looking to tag the veteran whenever he rushes in.

The points game is Hardy's, the knock-out game is anybodys.

EXPERT'S VIEW: Hardy has to remain calm. The more the fight goes on, the more cocky he gets and the more he wants to engage. That is when Davis is most dangerous. Davis has sharp submissions but Eddie Bravo has Hardy well-versed off his back. Expect Hardy to dictate with a skilful display of striking.

PREDICTION: Hardy - unanimous decision

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THE TALE OF THE TAPE

Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir watch closely, one of these two men is coming for your belt.

When Heath Herring withdrew from UFC 99, there is not an MMA fan out there who could not have rejoiced as Herring's loss was Cheick Kongo's gain.

Velasquez v Herring was intriguing. Velasquez v Kongo is blockbuster.

Based on their past three fights, you cannot split them, mainly because neither fighter has shared an Octagon with a fellow heavyweight contender. In fact, Velasquez has never faced anything like a title contender, while Kongo has had mixed results - beating Mirko Cro Cop but losing to Heath Herring.

Now both men are ready to provide the acid test to each other.

Velasquez is the outstanding wrestler who moved into MMA to quench his thirst for hitting people. His employment of the Salaverry technique to pound out Jake O'Brien made people sit up and take notice, and his heavy hands mean the AKA fighter is a danger wherever the fight goes.

Jon Fitch describes Velasquez's work ethic as 'unrivalled' (quite a compliment coming from Fitch), while heavyweights across The UFC are actively ducking the up-and-comer.

Full credit to Kongo for taking the fight on three weeks' notice, although this is a Cheick Kongo who smells his own destiny.

Mixing a powerful kickboxing game with brutal brutal ground and pound, you would struggle to name a more impressive specimen of a man in The UFC.

But at 34 years of age, this could be his last chance. Little over a year ago, Kongo knew victory over Herring (the irony) would land him a title shot. The Frenchman blew it.

He may not get a third chance.

Working with Rampage Jackson and Mike Bisping, Kongo's wrestling will be far from shoddy. Jackson used to identify himself with powerslams, while Bisping is one of the best in the business at forcing his way back to his feet.

Kongo has the reach advantage on Velasquez in the stand-up plus the greater variety, but does he have destiny on his side?

EXPERT'S VIEW: Kongo loves to clinch against the fence, secure the takedown, and pound his man into oblivion. Velasquez's wrestling base will be too well-versed to allow that scenario to occur, meaning he can capitalise on Kongo's leaden-footed stand-up. 

PREDICTION: Velasquez - TKO

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THE TALE OF THE TAPE

Stylistically, this is a beaut of a match-up. The thunderous animal-instinct brawler with devastating Muay Thai skills up against the technically superb striker who out-thinks the best of them.

Wanderlei was and, who knows, maybe still is a beast. A former PRIDE champion, the Brazilian will drop to middleweight after this catch weight contest, where his smaller frame should be perfectly suited to a crack at Anderson Silva's title.

Franklin is the thinking man's Mixed Martial Artist, who has combined with "The Wizard" Matt Hume to plot his way to the 205lb title.

The Cincinnati man has lost to just three men in his nine-year career. Those men? Former PRIDE champion Dan Henderson, current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, and current UFC light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.

Silva by contrast, has lost to more opponents in the past three years than Franklin has in his entire career, although once again the roll of honour reads Mirko Cro Cop, Dan Henderson, Chuck Liddell and Rampage Jackson.

The key to the fight will be the pace of it.

Wanderlei needs to come out steaming, like he did against Keith Jardine, try to hurry Franklin into a mistake - get inside and let those deadly hooks do the talking.

Unsurprisingly, Franklin's job is to keep Silva at arm's (or more importantly leg's) length, mixing up the same body kicks that shattered Matt Hamill to establish a range that Wanderlei cannot close.

The jab, the straight left and the body kick are Franklin's friends, the man is arguably the closest thing The UFC has to Lyoto Machida for pure skill, if he can keep the tempo slow he can pick Wanderlei off all day long.

A flash KO will see Silva's arm raised, a points decision has Franklin written all over it.   

EXPERT'S VIEW: Wanderlei will become frustrated if he cannot inflict pain early, Franklin has all the options - particularly bearing in mind that his long limbs would allow him to fire shots out of Silva's guard should the fight go horizontal.

PREDICTION: Franklin - Unanimous decision

Hardy is just one day away from the biggest fight of his career against Marcus Davis, a man who has never been knocked out – only stopped due to cuts.

Not that Hardy is put off by that statistic.

“I’ll stop him late second. He’ll get back to his corner at the end of the first and realise things aren’t going to go his way,” Hardy told setanta.com.

“He’ll lose heart, try to brawl, and then I’ll start tagging him until I land the shot that puts him to sleep. Everybody gets knocked out.”

Team Rough House fighter Hardy expects to have the superior stand-up game against boxer Davis in Germany, so he anticipates the “Irish Hand Grenade” will look to take the fight horizontal.

It is there that Hardy insists his work with Jimmy Wallhead will come to the fore, insisting his takedown defence has never been better.

“It appears Marcus is back on the weights and I believe he’s working on a gameplan to take me down – which is the smart thing to do,” said Hardy.

“If you look at us both and compare our skills, the best thing for him to do is to take me down.

“But I’ve got Jim Wallhead. I’ve wrestled with hundreds of sparring partners across the world and Jimmy is by far the toughest training partner you could ever want.

“He is the perfect training partner – he’ll always put the pressure on.

“We’ve got that base covered, and I’ve been working a lot of Jiu-Jitsu too and Muay Thai too. So I’ve got all bases covered.”

Top of the food chain is of course Dan Hardy's war with Marcus Davis, but below him there are some hugely significant fights.

Mostapha Al Turk can make a huge name for himself at heavyweight against MMA beast Mirko Cro Cop, while at the opposite end of the scale Terry Etim will shoot up the lightweight ladder if he beats Justin Buchholz.

Paul Kelly knows his lightweight debut will become his UFC farewell is he loses to Rolando Delgado, while Paul Taylor will fear the same should he be defeated by Peter Sobotta. Meanwhile, John Hathaway makes only his second appearance in the first fight of the night.

What are their chances? Setanta.com previews each bout below...

John Hathaway

Rugby prospect turned MMA fighter John Hathaway made short work of Ireland’s Tom Egan in front of the Irishman’s own fans at UFC 93. The undefeated LondonShootfighter will be looking to make it two in two against American former College Football standout Rick Story at UFC 99. Story is 7-2 since turning pro, but shouldn’t survive the first round against the undefeated Brighton ‘Hitman’.
Prediction: Hathaway via KO

Paul Kelly:

Kelly bounced back from defeat at the hands of Marcus Davis to claim victory last time out at UFC 95. The Liverpudlian Wolf’s Lair Alumni has recovered from a darn sight more than a guillotine choke in his well documented past and will be looking to blast his way past TUF 8’s Rolando Delgado at UFC 99. Delgado was twice defeated while on TUF 8’s team Mir (and has some dubious Jiu Jitsu credentials to boot) . But the self confessed ‘Crazy Cuban’ bounced back demonstrating his skills with a submission victory on the under card of the season 8 finale.
Prediction: Kelly went in head strong and careless against Marcus Davis, he’ll be well aware of Delgado’s submission acumen and is sure to be decisive and tidy this time out. Kelly via KO.

Paul Taylor:

Paul Taylor has claimed three ‘fight of the night’ awards in his last four. Little consolation perhaps for a trio of defeats sandwiching a razor thin split decision win against affable Frenchman Jess Liaudin at UFC 85. Taylor can ill afford a war of attrition in the only direct England v Germany head to head on the card. His opponent Peter Sobotta is one of Germany’s hottest young prospects, a 22 year old who’s knocked out or submitted all but one of his opponents and is debuting on home soil before what’s sure to be a riotous German crowd. Sobotta will come out the blocks like a bat out of hell, and if Taylor can’t lock in a submission on the back foot or land with a wild counter, the Relentless one will be the evening’s first Brit to fall.
Prediction: Sobotta via submission

Terry Etim:

Terry Etim is a young man with the world at his feet. With an ever improving ground game and strikes that come in fast slick combinations, if he does nothing more than continue to improve at the current rate, he’ll be knocking on the lightweight door within a year or two. Snapping Brian Cobb’s nine-fight win streak in his last outing at UFC 95, Etim is a wrecking ball for sure, but opponent Justin Buchholz will bring more than just his flamboyant hairdos to the octagon. Last time out at UFC 86 he upset freakishly long limbed (infamous leg break victim) Corey Hill. The taller man had entered the bout a three-to-one favourite. Etim’s defeats in octagon to date have been at the hands of wiley veterans Clementi and Tibau, as the Brit becomes more seasoned himself his formidable talents should increasingly come to the fore, with Buchholz hopefully on the receiving end.
Prediction: Etim via flying knee

Mostapha Al-Turk:

Al-Turk faces arguably the toughest of all tests among UFC 99’s British contingent. Three years ago you’d be betting only on how long it would take the Cage Rage vet to return to training once Crocop had kicked his head off his shoulders. But things as we know have changed a great deal since then. The Croatian former counter-terrorist bobby has looked to be a fading force. Since having his own head kicked off, in a defeat as shocking as it was ironic at UFC 70, the Croatian sensation has looked increasingly uncomfortable and laboured. After trading a succession of illegal cup shots in a tepid display against Kongo at UFC 75, the Croatian began a self imposed sabbatical with the UFC’s blessing. He was well on his way to losing again, against Dutch wrecking ball Alistair Overeem before repeated and inexplicable infractions (cup shots again!) on the Dutchman’s part rendered the Dream 6 bout a no contest. Crocop’s last opponent Hong Man Choi was a gigantic Korean most recently seen chasing a destitute former baseball player around the ring at Dream 9. So quite where the former PRIDE knockout legend’s mind and body are at at the moment is frankly anyone’s guess. For Al-Turk, who was steam-rolled by a ferocious Kongo in his UFC debut, it’s a chance to get back on the horse against one of the biggest names in all MMA. Even a courageous and hard fought defeat will only do the Londoner’s standing the power of good and showcase his significant talents to an American audience who won’t have seen the heavy hands and vicious ground and pound that were synonymous with the Briton's Cage Rage tenure.
Prediction: Cro Cop via Split Decision...just.

Dan Hardy:

Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy is the latest Brit to line up against adopted Irishman Marcus Davis in easily the most high profile of UFC 99 bouts involving Brits. Dan Hardy has ignited what looks to be a tactical war of words and Davis by all accounts looks to have taken the bait. But will Hardy bring something different to the table against a seasoned campaigner who has made a habit of derailing British prospects? Is Marcus Davis too experienced a veteran to rush in a reckless rage and let the younger man pick him apart? Might Hardy have talked himself into an embarrassing beating? Or will an emotional and uptight Davis play right into the Brit's hands? It’s a tough call, Hardy has predicted a second round TKO, but I’d venture a more difficult night in prospect for the fighting pride of Nottingham.
Prediction: Hardy via (hard fought) decision.