The biggest injury was suffered by Frank Mir as his title unification bout with Brock Lesner was originally set to be the main event of this evening.
Instead of the heavyweight championship battle we will have a battle of the undefeated between Lyoto "the dragon" Machida and Rashad "sugar" Evans for the Light Heavyweight belt. Which is a pretty damn good replacement.
Lets get to this and describe the match ups and who will come out on top.
Rashad Evans vs Lyoto Machida
Rashad Evans (13 - 0 - 1) has had an amazing run in the UFC going undefeated on a path straight to the belt. While many fans and critics said his knock out win against Liddel was luck he quickly proved his abilities when he was able to finish Griffin for the title.
For Evans to win he is going to have to use his speed to try and get the pressure on Machida. This is going to be difficult considering Machida's ability to dart around the cage. His best bet is to use his speed during clinch moments with Machida to land short hooks, uppercuts, or elbows. Evans should also try and get the match to the ground which will be difficult but if he can do it then he will be able to land powerful strikes that could end Machida.
Lyoto Machida (14 - 0) is a ghost in the cage. He has the supernatural ability to avoid taking any damage from opponents while he picks them apart. This man is so good at avoiding damage while dealing it he has yet to lose a single round in the UFC.
For Machida to win he just has to do what he does. His fighting style will keep him from avoiding big risks and if he can guard takedowns like he did in his match againist Ortiz, Evans will have a hard time of winning rounds.
Prediction: Lyoto Machida by Unanimous Decision
Expect the first 2 rounds to be slow as both fighters will feel each other out. Machida will do what he does best in avoiding damage while landing hits here and there. The biggest factor will be cardio, neither fighters has gone the distance in a 5 round war, and in the later rounds fatigue could lead into either fighter getting KO. However Machida is a ghost, Evans will have a hard time touching him.
Matt Hughes vs Matt Serra
Matt Hughes (42 - 7) is the American country boy that everyone loved but soon hated after his two ventures coaching on TUF. He hasn't fought June 2008 where he was knocked out by Thiago Alves.
For Hughes to win he will have to avoid Serra's powerful strikes. Hughes is a heavy favorite the only real concern is how his age has hurt his game? Will his takedowns be as quick as they once were?
Matt Serra (9 - 5) once defeated Georges St-Pierre to claim the welterweight title but lost it in his first defense which was a rematch with Pierre. That was the last fight he fought which was also a year ago in April 2008.
For Serra to win he is going to need excellent sprawl to avoid the takedowns. His Jiu Jitsu skills better be top notch in case the match does go to ground to prevent Hughes from transitioning positions. Serra should avoid going for submissions unless he is in a dominant position and should focus to keep the match standing and on getting a strong hit that will finish Hughes.
Prediction: Matt Hughes by Decision
Matt Hughes is the better fighter. He may not be as explosive as he once was but his wrestling techniques and stand up ability will surely win him the points. He is sure to get numerous take downs through out the three rounds which will win him the fight.
Drew McFedries vs Xavier Foupa-Pokam
Drew McFedries (7 - 5) is the reason that Thales Leites got a title shot against Anderson Silva. For some odd reason the UFC saw Leites submission victory over McFedries as an indicator that he could be competition against Silva. Never mind the fact that McFedries always seems to lost ground battles.
For McFedries to win he will have to close the range between him and Pokam and use his powerful strikes to score points or even a KO. He definitely has the power in his hands to do so but it will be a difficult task against a skillful kick boxer like Pokam.
Xavier Foupa-Pokam (20 - 9) is replacing James Irvin in this match up. He has had only one previous match in the UFC, a decision loss to Dennis Kang at UFC 97.
For Foupa-Pokam to win he will have to use his superior kickboxing ability to strike from a distance negating McFedries boxing. If and when the opportunity presents itself Pokam should definitely take this match to the ground where McFedies has shown no ability to defend himself.
Prediction: Pokam by TKO
Pokam definitely has both ground and striking advantages. The biggest question is his turn around times between fights. Having fought 5 weeks prior to UFC 98 it is hard to say whether he has sufficient time for a training camp. Still he has all the ability to win this match and should be considered the favorite.
Dan Miller Vs. Chael Sonnen
Dan Miller (11 - 1)(1 NC) is on a 3 win streak in the UFC and in a 9 win steak in his MMA career. His sole loss was in a split decision to Mike Massenzio in 2006.
For Miller to win he has to avoid taking big hits from Sonnen. Miller has an excellent submission game which are Sonnen's weakness. Miller will definitely be able to take advantage of any ground battles.
Chael Sonnen (21 - 10 - 1) is replacing Yushin Okami in this match up. He is a former WEC Middleweight Championship contender but in his premiere match in the UFC he was submitted by Deiman Maia.
For Sonnen to win he must avoid being sloppy on the ground. If he is able to secure a top position on the ground he must take great care in keeping his arms from hanging as bait for submission. If he can grab and hold on to top control he can secure the win.
Prediction: Miller by Submission
This is definitely going to be a ground battle. Sonnen is the better wrestler but Miller has a better submission game which will definitely come into play. Miller is apt at working from his back so it should be easy for him to secure a submission win.
Sean Sherk vs Frank Edgar
Sean Sherk (33 - 12 - 1) is the former UFC Lightweight Champion who was stripped of the title after testing positive for banned substances.
For Sherk to win he has to use his strong takedowns to take Edgar to the mat. He can use his ground and pound to seal the match. His stand up is pretty good but he lacks knock out power and his small stature might make it hard to box with Edgar.
Frank Edgar (9 - 1) is a well rounded fighter who has earned fight of the night honors in wars within the cage againist Hermes Franca and Tyson Griffin, both of which he defeated.
For Edgar to win he has to avoid the takedowns. This is going to be a challenge since Sherk has one of the best shoots in MMA. However if he can keep it standing he might be able to use his reach to score on the judges' cards.
Prediction: Sean Sherk by TKO
Sherk is a top contender. He wants this win bad and won't let anything stop him from getting a title shot. He has everything he needs to win with his wrestling ability and should take it.
Even with all the injuries this event is definitely going to be a good one. Both main events are sure to be good battles and it is going to be fun to see who will walk out this night still undefeated and with the light heavy belt.
