Jeffrey Harris: Rosholt seems to be the type of guy that doesn’t want to rely on his best attributes to prove he can stand and bang. Grove himself has a suspect chin, but his coming off a boring loss to Ricardo Almeida after he looked to be back on a winning track. I expect Rosholt’s wrestling to come through for him in this fight if he’s smart about it. Grove couldn’t really defend the takedowns of Almeida, I think here it will be the same.

Winner: Rosholt, DEC.

Todd Bergman: Even in defeat the last time out, Kendall Grove proved that he still belongs in the UFC. this fight will more than likely be his swansong as Rosholt’s wrestling will prove to be too much for him. I’m hoping that Grove will prove me wrong and defeat Rosholt, but logically Rosholt holds the strength advantage, and Grove has shown in the past that he can be bullied around the cage.

Winner: Jake Rosholt, Decision

Jonathan Solomon: Jake Rosholt is back on television (he is 1-1 overall on TV) and fights on the mainstays of the middleweight division, Kendall Grove. Rosholt was a top collegiate wrestler at Oklahoma State with a boatload of accolades. in his last fight, he submitted Chris Leben with an Arm Triangle. Rosholt is 6′1 while Grove is 6′6 but height does not matter much if Rosholt can take him down all day. Grove trains with BJ Penn’s camp while Rosholt is an Xtreme Couture fighter. Grove’s reach may pose problems for Rosholt but I am curious to see how well Grove’s ground game as improved. something tells me, we’ll find out on Saturday night when Rosholt takes him down with ease.

Winner: Jake Rosholt, TKO, round 2

Jeremy Lambert: this is another do or die fight for Kendall Grove. He’s been a relative bust as a TUF winner and he needs a win to probably stick around with the company. Jake Rosholt turned in an impressive performance at UFC 102 against Chris Leben showing improved striking and a really good chin. Rosholt is a powerful wrestler who could probably takedown Grove at will even though Grove has some pretty good jiu-jitsu and almost tapped out Ricardo Almeida. Rosholt seems to hit pretty hard so he may decide to keep things standing and test Grove’s suspect chin. If it stays standing I think Rosholt will knock him out but if he decides to put Grove on his back then I think Grove will catch him with his long limbs. Chances are that it stays standing.

Winner: Jake Rosholt, TKO, round Two

Samer Kadi: Rosholt looked tremendously impressive in his fight with Chris Leben at UFC 102. this is Rosholt’s fight to win, and if he can avoid being caught with a submission from the bottom, he will have this one under control. He showed the willingness to stand and trade with Chris Leben, but also displayed some wicked top control and finished with a neat arm triangle. Grove isn’t known for his bottom game although he almost submitted Ricardo Almeida with an armbar, while his chin will always be a liability. Outside of catching Rosholt early, I don’t see how Grove can win this fight.

Winner: Jake Rosholt, TKO, round 3.

Dan Plunkett: the best chance for Grove to win this fight will come standing, but it’s going to be hard to put Rosholt away with strikes when he keeps dumping “Da Spyda” on his back. Grove is a long fighter with good submissions so he could catch Rosholt on an armbar or triangle off his back, but Rosholt is constantly improving his submission defense. I think the former 3-time NCAA wrestling champion will control the fight from the top and avoid submissions on his way to a decision victory.

Winner: Jake Rosholt, Decision

The staff picks Jake Rosholt, 6-0.

Welterweight bout: Marcus Davis vs. Ben Saunders

Jeffrey Harris: I definitely favor the experience of Davis in this fight. Davis has proven to be a strong welterweight fighter over the year, but he’s more or less mid-tier. He’s come close to being a contender but that usually gets dashed either by a loss to Mike Swick or recently Dan Hardy (one could still make a good case that Davis won). Saunders has looked good in the UFC against some cans and smaller name guys, but he got manhandled and beat up when he got in the cage with Mike Swick. I expect it will be the same here, but it could be a good, little scrap for two rounds.

Winner: Marcus Davis, TKO, R2.

Todd Bergman: whether people want to admit this or not, this fight is extremely dangerous for Marcus Davis. Saunders will have the advantage in reach and his Muay Thai strikes will be even more dangerous when you consider that Davis is much shorter. in his last fight against Dan Hardy, Marcus Davis showed a tremendous weakness to knee strikes. the usual Marcus Davis strategy of wadding in and landing a huge left simply won’t work here. I’m going with the upset here and taking Saunders to stun Davis midway through the 2nd round.

Winner: Ben “Killa B” Saunders, TKO, 2nd round

Jonathan Solomon: Check out Jeffrey Harris’ great interview with Marcus Davis (conducted earlier in the week) and you will learn Davis (at least publicly says he) wants to keep the fight standing. That’s no secret because Davis always talks about wanting to have exciting fights. He may run into problems because Ben Saunders is on the tallest welterweights in the UFC, Saunders will have a six-inch height advantage. Saunders game is all about his striking, his Muay Thai and because he has a tremendous reach, he can be effective. Saunders ran into trouble when he fought Mike Swick because his ground game was negated and Swick was too fast for him. Davis is a former pro boxer who says his footwork and speed is better than we have previously seen. this fight can go either way, either Davis will move around the cage and look for angles and land his powerful shots. Or Saunders will use his reach to keep Davis at bay and when the fight goes to the clinch, he will punish Davis with wicked knees and elbows. either way, this fight is not going the distance.

Winner: Marcus Davis, Decision

Jeremy Lambert: the best thing about this fight is the fact that I don’t have to pay to see Marcus Davis fight. the worst thing about this fight is that Ben Saunders is rather mediocre and if Davis wins, I’ll have to pay to see him fight again. I expect this to stay on the feet with Saunders using his reach to give Davis trouble and Davis just trying to get inside and use his superior boxing. unfortunately for Davis if he gets inside, Saunders throws some wicked knees and Davis’ muy thai defense isn’t as good as it should be under mark Dellagrotte. I’m very bias in picking this fight because I’m not a big Marcus Davis fan and I hope he loses and I never have to see him again.

Winner: Ben Saunders, TKO, round One

Samer Kadi: I was surprised this fight didn’t initially make the main card and was relieved when it was announced it would be aired on SPIKE. While Marcus Davis is a good striker with professional boxing experience, it will be very tricky for him to find his way past Saunders’ reach and unorthodox kicks. Saunders knows how to utilize his long legs efficiently and keeping his opponent at bay, but also possesses some brutal knees inside in the clinch. Davis certainly has the better hands and will be looking to slip in and land his combinations. Davis has show he is never shy of taking the fight to the ground, but Saunders has a very good defensive guard, using his lanky legs to hold his opponent down and prevent him from posturing. this is a tough fight to call as Saunders presents many match up problems for Davis, but his fight with Mike Swick showed he’s still not ready for a step up in competition.

Winner: Marcus Davis, Unanimous decision.

Dan Plunkett: this fight should be on the main card, but the UFC is banking on it being an exciting fight that will entice viewers to buy the PPV. both men will be trying to get back in the win column here. I think this fight will stay standing, where I think Marcus has the advantage, but he has to watch out for the very dangerous clinch (see Wolff, Brandon) of Ben Saunders. I was going to pick Marcus Davis to finish it with a TKO in the third round, but looking at his record he’s never won by any form of knockout after the first round, so I’ll go with a decision.

Winner: Marcus Davis, Decision

The staff picks Marcus Davis, 4-2.

THE MAIN CARD:Welterweight Bout: Amir Sadollah vs. Phil Baroni

Jeffrey Harris: a very interesting match as Baroni makes his UFC return after getting beat up by Joe Riggs in Strikeforce. Sadollah got beat in his last fight though some argue it was a bad stoppage. Sadollah looked good, an inexperienced newbie beating all these tough and seasoned veterans on TUF and even beating CB Dolloway twice by submission. some wonder if Sadollah is even cut out for MMA or he will just be used as a TV broadcast personality for the UFC (Amir hosts TUF Aftermath on the Spike TV website). Despite having not having a great record, Baroni’s known for his exciting fights and MMA “feuds” as well as having a few impressive KO’s to his name. And honestly, I’m going for Baroni to get the quick KO here because I’m hoping for another wild Baroni victory celebration followed by a curse-laded post-fight interview with Joe Rogan and Rogan demanding a shot at GSP’s title.

Winner: Baroni, KO, RD 1.

Todd Bergman: While I love Phil Baroni, I don’t like this match up for him. Amir’s stand up should be good enough to avoid the big strike and then it will only be a matter of time before Baroni gasses. Phil has told me in the past that he always fears gassing in a fight which makes it his Achilles heel. Until Phil gets over that and just fights, he will always be fighting with caution. While I didn’t pick Amir in his last fight because of his long layoff, I think that he will get a submission win and look a lot better in this fight due to not having any ring rust.

Winner: Amir Sadollah, Submission, 2nd round

Jonathan Solomon: It’s about time the New York Badass is back in the UFC and it’s about time he makes good on his last stint in which he lost four straight. It’s no secret what Baroni does. He looks good in the first round and then crumbles from exhaustion. Team Hammer House may be known in some circles for Team Gassed. With that said, the only chance for Amir Sadollah is if he can get out of the first round. has Amir’s striking improved enough that he won’t get knocked out early? has his takedown defense improved at all since his days on TUF? We’ll find out because Phil Baroni is a damn good wrestler and has bombs for hands…as long as it’s the first round. the one thing I would hate to see is if Baroni does get him down, for Sadollah to pull guard and Baroni gas out trying to finish him with his ground and pound. then, Sadollah (who should be in better shape) should be able to pepper him with shots and even go for submissions. this is Phil Baroni, a Long Island guy fighting a Brooklyn born MMA newcomer. this fight shouldn’t be happening in Vegas (albeit, Baroni lives there and Sadollah trains at Xtreme Couture), it should be in MSG. oh well.

Winner: Phil Baroni, TKO, round 1

Jeremy Lambert: this feels like the easiest fight to pick on the card. Phil Baroni is great in the first two minutes or so because of his power but after that he gasses out and is pretty much useless. Amir might have a suspect chin but his striking is still leagues better than Baroni’s and I think he’ll be able to avoid the big shot from Baroni. all Amir has to do is survive the first couple of minutes, wait for Baroni to gas, pick him apart, and then possibly submit him.

Winner: Amir Sadollah, Submission, round One

Samer Kadi: Sadollah simply needs to avoid the early onslaught. We still don’t know much if anything about Amir, and I doubt this fight will teach us a whole lot more. He showed decent footwork before getting caught in his last fight, so if he sticks and moves and waits for Baroni to tire, he has this one in the bag. I think he’ll eventually take this fight to the ground before submitting a gassed Baroni early in the second.

Winner: Amir Sadollah, Submission, round 2.

Dan Plunkett: Amir has the advantage both on the ground and striking, though he does give up some power to Baroni. Add in Baroni’s history of gassing and you have yourself an easy pick for Amir. However, Sadollah was knocked out quick in his last fight, and I always pick NYBA, which I can’t go back on now.

Winner: Phil Baroni, KO, round 1

The staff calls it a draw, 3-3.

Light Heavyweight bout: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (#9 LHW) vs. Luiz Cane (#10 LHW)

Jeffrey Harris: Little Nog finally makes his long-awaited UFC debut against a game and credible opponent in Luiz Cane. this is a good fight for both guys because it definitely puts them in contention for a title shot in MMA’s deepest and most competitive division. Fans have bemoaned this card because of the loss of Lesnar/Carwin, but you still get a dynamite on paper bout like this. Nog has a record of 17-3, his only losses coming at the hands of Sokoudjou, Matyushenko, and Shogun (in one of the best fights of all time). He recently avenged his loss to Matyushenko earlier this year at Affliction: Day of Reckoning. Nog’s records also boasts finishes over Dan Henderson and Alistair Overeem in Pride and he’s won his last five fights and remained perfect for nearly 3 years since the Soko loss. Cane’s been impressive as of late, impressively beating Steve Cantwell, Soko, and Jason Lambert in his last 3 fights. He’d be perfect in the UFC if not for a DQ loss against James Irvin due to hitting a knee to the head on the ground. Cane’s proven to have good standup and great, powerful striking and kickboxing. Nogueira went down to an early flurry before from Soko, but he’s also shown good standup in toughness in his fights with people like Shogun and Nogueira. Nogueira’s bread and butter is most definitely his ground game and BJJ. And even though I really like Nogueira, I see this going a lot like the Shogun/Nog match with Cane dominating and oustriking Nog on top and I imagine Cane is well versed in BJJ enough to avoid Nog’s best. I’m going for Cane getting a hard fought decision to move up the light heavyweight ladder.

Winner: Cane, DEC.

Todd Bergman: it should be important to note that Cane has publicly stated that he was very much against this fight due to being friends with “Lil Nog.” While “Lil Nog” has come a long way with his boxing, he will want to avoid getting into a firefight with Cane. the best strategy will more than likely be to push Cane up against the fence and try to get the fight to the ground. It’s been noted that Cane has a good ground game, but we haven’t seen any evidence to prove that theory so far. I’m really back and forth on this fight, but the flip of the coin says Cane by TKO midway through the 2nd round in what may be a mild upset.

Winner: Luiz Cane, TKO, 2nd round

Jonathan Solomon: For nearly three years, fans have wanted to see Little Nog, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (Minotaur’s twin brother), inside the octagon. He makes his debut this weekend and I bet he’s hoping to avoid taking any major shots like his brother did in his UFC debut. Rogerio is a maven on the ground with a black belt in BJJ and he is also an accomplished boxer as he has taken the bronze medal at the 2007 PanAm Games and various other accolades around the world. Luiz Cane is a fellow Brazilian and would be undefeated if he did not knee James Irvin’s head while he was on the ground. since then, he has reeled off three consecutive wins. Cane is also a black belt in BJJ but I would assume Nogueira’s guard and other groundwork is something Cane will want to avoid. this is the biggest test to date for Cane as he has never fought someone with as complete a skill set as Rogerio. Speaking of Rogerio, this is a man who submitted Dan Henderson and has a win over Kazushi Sakuraba and two wins over Alistair Overeem. since his shocking knockout loss to Sokoudjou at PRIDE 33 in 2007, he is 5-0 including a TKO win over Vladimir Matyushenko (avenging an earlier loss). I can’t pick against Nogueira here because he is such a complete fighter. as always, Cane has a punchers chance but to get close enough to throw one, he will have to take Nogueira’s handwork and risk being taken down.

Winner: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Decision

Jeremy Lambert: I’m really excited for this fight. Lil Nog is pretty much the exact same fighter as his older brother except he has better boxing but his ground game is slightly worse. It’s still probably the best ground game in the Light Heavyweight division. Luiz Cane is a good striker in his own right and unlike Nogueira he throws a lot of kicks and knees. He also has a good ground game but if it hits the ground you have to favor Nogueira. I expect this to be a really exciting fight with both guys trying to establish themselves as one of the top guys in the LHW division. I think it will come down to cardio and if that’s the case then I favor Nogueira.

Winner: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Decision

Samer Kadi: ok I lied, this is the fight I’m looking forward to the most. While it has flown under the radar, this fight pits two legit top 10 fighters in the most stacked division in the world. Luiz Cane’s striking is most efficient on the inside, so look for him to keep the pressure up and close the distance. Nogueira possesses some extremely solid boxing skills and a world class ground game to top it off. Cane would certainly want to avoid the takedowns, as Nogueira will heavily outclass him on the mat. but don’t expect to see Little Nog desperately shooting for the takedowns, as he will likely more than hold his own in the exchanges. Cane’s chin is made of granite which suits his aggressive stalking approach. it will be interesting to see the kind of shape that Nogueira shows up in as he hasn’t competed at this level for a while. With that said, I don’t expect anything less than top shape for Minotoro, as he edges out a close but entertaining decision.

Winner: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Unanimous decision.

Dan Plunkett: this is a tough fight to pick. Cane will want to strike with Minotoro here, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll have the advantage there. If the fight goes to the ground, Minotoro will have the advantgage. I’ve been going back and forth on this one for the past week, so I’ll go with what I think is the safest pick.

Winner: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Decision

The staff picks Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, 4-2.

Welterweight bout: Josh Koscheck (#4 WW) vs. Anthony Johnson

Jeffrey Harris: both these guys fought a short while ago. Koscheck beating Frank Trigg at UFC 102 and Johnson destroying poor Yoshida at UFC 104. Koscheck has had some setbacks with his losses to Alves and Thiago recently, so he needs to win impressively if he wants to be a relevant contender in the welterweight division. Johnson had some controversy recently as he failed to make weight for Yoshida, and it was revealed he was cutting down to 170 from a massive 220 pounds. Johnson was able to fight and knock out Yoshida impressively, but he was also clearly massively outweighing the more diminutive Yoshida. Fans and commentators believed that since Johnson was so young and still growing he should consider moving up to middleweight. Johnson rejected that talk after the fight saying he had trouble cutting weight after the injury and apologized. so it looks like Johnson is staying at 170 for now, but he will definitely be under the microscope to come in on weight for this fight. this also brings up the argument if bigger fighters should really be allowed to cut so much weight that they gain back right before a fight (Alves cuts to 170 while weighing in apparently 190-200 on fight day and came in overweight for his fight with Hughes). Besides all that, Johnson’s looked really good in his UFC run. He’s got good standup and dynamite power in his hands. He was given an unjustly, despicable, and disgusting loss after getting a very obvious poke to the eye by Kevin Burns, but its on his record as a loss nonetheless. Koscheck is a fighter who has good standup and wrestling, but he has a reputation amongst fans for relying on his striking too much instead of his wrestling. Koscheck has had some exciting knockouts over competition like Trigg and Yoshida, but couldn’t do much against top UFC welterweight, Thiago Alves. I think this will be a good little scrap for 2 or 3 rounds, but ultimately Johnson’s power will come through in round 3 for the knockout.

Winner: Johnson, KO, RD 3.

Todd Bergman: You probably are going to read a lot of insightful information on this fight. I’m not going to bore you with any of that crap. While Koscheck will most certainly look to get this fight to the ground and drain the energy out of Johnson, the fight simply won’t last long enough for Kos to have that luxury. this is the big coming-out for “Rumble” Johnson as he destroys Kos early in the 1st round. I think at this point a showdown with Thiago Alves would be perfect for Johnson. Here’s to hoping that Johnson makes the weight this time around. If he doesn’t, then you might want to consider Kos to take the victory via decision.

Winner: Rumble Johnson, KO, 1st Round

Jonathan Solomon: this is a great match-up between a mainstay in the UFC’s welterweight division and one of the big rising stars in said division. Josh Koscheck is in a weird place because he is not getting a title shot anytime soon after his KO loss to Paulo Thiago in February and at the same time, is still one of the top fighters. He returned with vengeance at UFC 103 and made quick work of Frank Trigg. His wrestling is superior to most (well, everyone except GSP) and his striking has improved a lot to the point his right hand is a feared weapon. Anthony Johnson should probably be fighting at middleweight but chooses to make the big cut down to 170. Johnson will have a five-inch height advantage and is likely the better athlete. He was a good amateur wrestler, although Koscheck was one of the best in the country before heading into MMA. Johnson’s striking has really come into its own with the help of the folks at the American Kickboxing Academy. He has won his last three fights by knockout, his last two in the first round. Koscheck is his biggest test to date and poses an interesting challenge. There is no doubt if the fight stays on the feet, either man can win. both have tremendous power and speed. If the fight goes to the ground, the advantage has to be considered in Koscheck’s favor. the question is, will Koscheck try to take down Johnson if he’s losing the stand-up battle? Koscheck has been known to forego his biggest asset (his wrestling) to try and knock people out. it may cost him if he does it again in this fight. whether he does or doesn’t though, I think Johnson’s striking with find its holes and hurt Koscheck.

Winner: Anthony Johnson, TKO, round 2

Jeremy Lambert: UFC is promoting this as an explosive battle between two powerful strikers but if Josh Koscheck fights the fight he should fight then this will be a dull battle between two strong wrestlers. Neither fighter has great striking defense but they both have explosive power. Johnson is the more well rounded striker and makes less mistakes on his feet but Koscheck’s winging right hand keeps him in the fight. Although Johnson is a good wrestler, before Georges St. Pierre, Josh Koscheck was the best and most explosive wrestler in the division. If he wants to then he should be able to put Johnson on his back. If the fight stays standing for a period of time then Johnson will probably score the TKO victory because he has less holes in his defense and has more KO tools. If Koscheck decides to go back to his wrestling roots then he should be able to grind out a decision victory.

Winner: Josh Koscheck, Decision

Samer Kadi: in a fight that may very well have title implications once Georges St. Pierre finishes putting a beating on Dan Hardy, top 5 welterweight Josh Koscheck collides with rising star Anthony Johnson. Koscheck has been mistaking himself for a kickboxer recently and it cost him dearly in his fight against Paulo Thiago. If he makes the same mistake here, he’s in for a worse outcome. I think Josh is too smart for that and won’t fall into that trap again, as he looks to utilize his explosive wrestling, considered the best in the division this side of GSP. Johnson’s wrestling background can prove to be vital for him in the first few minutes, but I really don’t see him stopping Josh’s double leg shooting for three rounds. Koscheck’s conditioning is second to none, and if the fight hits deep waters, he’s going to run away with it. Rumble’s best chance would be to end the fight early, as he often does. Size and reach are on Johnson’s side which will make it very hard for Koscheck to get the takedown in the early going. this is a big step up in competition for Johnson, who has never faced anything like Koscheck, but something tells me he’s going to pass the test.

Winner: Anthony Johnson, TKO, round 1.

Dan Plunkett: Koscheck needs to take Johnson to the ground. Rumble’s striking is too powerful for him to stand in front of him. I think if Koscheck is smart about this fight and uses his wrestling in all the ways he didn’t against Thiago Alves, he should take him a win.

Winner: Josh Koscheck, Decision

The staff picks Anthony Johnson, 4-2.

Light Heavyweight bout: Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin (#6 LHW)

Jeffrey Harris: Hey, much respect to Forrest Griffin for taking this fight. Fans gave him a hard time for running out of the cage after the Silva loss, but he was still the one that stepped up to take the Silva fight and got a lot of people interested. Griffin yet again stepped up to bail out the UFC after Ortiz’s scheduled opponent, mark Coleman, had to sit out due to injury. both guys are former UFC light heavyweight champions who I assume have aspirations of getting back to the title, as unlikely as that may seem to be. Ortiz in the recent years of his career has looked past his prime having no trouble taking care of guys like Ken Shamrock, but coming up short against Chuck Liddell. Ortiz has a draw to former champ Rashad Evans since Ortiz grabbed the cage though many felt Ortiz rightfully won the fight. Ortiz has a split decision against Forrest Griffin in 2006 which some also feel Griffin really won. And then in Ortiz’s last fight, he took a decision loss to current champion Machida. Machida was clearly able to pretty much manhandle and dominate Ortiz. Ortiz almost pulled out an amazing submission win getting an armbar on Machida off his back, but Machida escaped and the fight went the distance but Machida clearly dominated and won it. One wonders if Ortiz’s game has evolved enough to hang with the cream of the MMA crop these days. Forrest Griffin is an awesome underdog and all, and he lost his last two fights but those two fights were against two top class fighters. Still, neither guy can really afford another loss at this point. Ultimately, I’m going to pick Ortiz mainly because I hope he’s healthy, motivated, and ready for this fight. Though rust might play a factor. it seems when I bet against Griffin he gets the surprising upset, which will probably happen, but hey his chin is sometimes suspect.

Winner: Ortiz, DEC.

Todd Bergman: as a loyal Tito Ortiz fan, I probably should pick him to win this fight, but there are way too many things counteracting him. While Forrest is traditionally a slow starter, Ortiz isn’t a finisher, so Griffin will have time to mount a comeback much like in their first fight. I really want to believe that Tito’s back injury cost him a lot and he will be a different fighter, but his heavily-predictable strategy mixed with low-impact arm punches won’t be able to stop Griffin. Forrest avoids the takedowns and punishes Tito with leg kicks on his way to a pretty one-sided decision victory. just putting it out there, but anyone notice how Dana is pimping Ortiz now after trashing him non-stop during interviews and the Top 100 fights feature? Karma here would be Ortiz winning and then trashing White, but Griffin plays the spoiler to all that nonsense.

Winner: Forrest Griffin, Decision

Jonathan Solomon: Tito Ortiz returns to the UFC after an 18-month layoff with a healthy back to fight Forrest Griffin. Things have changed since the last time they fought. Ortiz is down the light heavyweight ladder and has no huge PPV fight with Chuck Liddell on the horizon. Forrest Griffin is not just that dude from the first season of TUF, he’s a former champion, just like Tito. Frankly, this fight seems pretty easy to analyze. Ortiz’s strategy has never been a secret. as long as he can shoot in and score takedowns, he will dominate the pacing of the fight and ultimately should be able to beat Griffin. However, where it gets interesting is whether Forrest Griffin’s takedown defense has improved since that fight in 2006. unless he’s stupid, I’d say yes, he has improved. in the first fight, Ortiz gassed in round two and could not do much damage on the ground in the third round. it comes down to whether Ortiz is truly as healthy as he’s been in years. I can’t wait to see what version of Tito this is. If he is not effected negatively by the long layoff, this could be a better version than the guy who fought with a bum back for some years during his last UFC run. If Ortiz has some rust, Griffin should be able to defend those takedowns and pepper him with his striking. Until I see a slow Tito, I can’t pick against him.

Winner: Tito Ortiz, Decision

Jeremy Lambert: this is a do or die fight for both men. Griffin is 0-2 in his last two while Ortiz is 0-2-1 in his last three. both men are desperate for a win. this is Ortiz’ big comeback fight after over a year off and major back surgery. According to the Countdown show, Tito Ortiz is finally 100% healthy and he hasn’t been 100% since the first Ken Shamrock fight. Nevermind the fact that he’s claimed to be 100% ever since the second Ken Shamrock fight. Griffin took this fight on short notice and who knows how he is mentally after UFC 101. those X factors aside, this is a striker vs. wrestler battle. Griffin’s striking is really good although he lacks power and has a suspect chin. He mixes things up well and throws a lot of kicks although he tends to get lazy with those kicks. Ortiz is a strong wrestler with a good double leg takedown and some of the best ground and pound from the guard in MMA history. Griffin is underrated on the ground and has the skills to sweep and possibly submit Ortiz but his guard is very inconsistent. I think Griffin will be able to keep this fight standing and I don’t trust that Ortiz is 100% healthy and even if he is it’s tough coming back from such a long layoff.

Winner: Forrest Griffin, Decision

Samer Kadi: Tito Ortiz makes his return to the Octagon he helped make famous as squares off against Forrest Griffin once again. Having last fought in may 2008, rust will almost certainly be a factor for Ortiz, who may take some time to settle in. Luckily for him, Forrest isn’t the kind of guy to capitalize on one mistake and end his night, so he will likely get the chance to fine tune his game as the fight progresses. We all know what Tito brings to the table and I don’t think much has changed since the days of him being a dominant force. One of the most underrated parts of Forrest’s game is his scrambling. While his takedown defense in general is a bit hit or miss, Forrest knows how to regain his feet. their first fight bares little significance in that aspect, as Forrest is a much improved fighter since. Conditioning will never be an issue for either of these fighters, but attempting takedown after takedown against someone of Forrest’s size is hardly a cakewalk. While Forrest would want to avoid throwing as many kicks as he would normally like in fear of ending up on his back, he does possess the better hands and will be using his superior footwork to slip in and out without giving Tito enough time to react and shoot for the takedown. in the end, I think taking on a former light heavyweight champion after an 18 month hiatus is just a tough ask for Ortiz at the moment.

Winner: Forrest Griffin, Unanimous decision.

Dan Plunkett: this is a big fight for both men, but neither is in any danger of losing their job. in my mind, this comes down to Tito’s wrestling and cardio. If his back was affecting his performance that badly for the past however many years and now it’s back to the way it was when he was a dominant champion, I think Tito takes the fight. However, Tito is 34-years-old and hasn’t fought in 18 months. I think Forrest will outwork Tito in this fight for a decision.

Winner: Forrest Griffin, Decision

The staff picks Forrest Griffin, 4-2.

THE 411 SURE PICK IS: Jake RosholtTHE 411 ANYONE’S GAME BOUT IS: Amir Sadollah vs. Phil Baroni