The Fight Network

 

At UFC 110, some marquee stars from the now-defunct Pride Fighting Championships have their backs against the wall in last-ditch efforts to prove they can go toe-to-toe with today`s younger breed of MMA fighters.

 

Two Brazilian MMA trailblazers and a fading Croatian Special Forces veteran will try to restore their success from Pride, where they dominated the sport for years. Each one must pass a grueling test in the form of a Mexican-American bulldozer, a self-assured Brit and a durable IFL standout.

 

The UFC will make its promotional debut down under as UFC 110 emanates from the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia.

 

Two of the UFC`s premier heavyweights will collide in the main event when aging legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira battles top prospect Cain Velasquez.

 

Here`s a breakdown of the televised main card this Saturday night:

-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1) vs. Cain Velasquez (7-0)

 

The winner of this heavyweight bout will be right in the mix for a title shot in 2010.

 

The war-torn Noguiera, 33, is one of mixed martial arts' all-time greats. "Minotauro," a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Judo, is arguably the greatest heavyweight submission specialist to ever step foot inside a ring or cage.

 

In Pride, Nogueira compiled an immaculate fight resume, dispatching Josh Barnett, Mark Coleman, Heath Herring, Enson Inoue, Semmy Schilt, Dan Henderson, Ricco Rodriguez, Fabricio Werdum, Sergei Kharitonov and Mirko "Cro Cop" along the way.

 

Always involved in violent fights, Nogueira has sustained a substantial amount of punishment over the course of his 11-year tenure as a pro. After brutal contests against Fedor Emelinaenko and Bob Sapp in which he was punched senseless and dropped on his head, Nogueira's reflexes are slower than they once were. However, Nogueira remains one of the most dangerous competitors in the UFC.

 

The first-ever Pride heavyweight champion bounced back from a loss to Frank Mir, in which he was severely ill leading up to the bout, by defeating fellow legend Randy Couture in one of the 2009's most memorable battles.

 

Nogueira, whose training partners include Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida and his brother Rogerio, does not rely solely on his BJJ base, which is what has made him so successful.

 

The Brazilian has trained with the Cuban boxing team and possesses good hands, although he might be better suited trying to slap on a fight-ending submission as quickly as possible against his foe -- a powerful NCAA Division I wrestler.

 

Velasquez, 27, has been dominant since his debut in October 2006 and is now unbeaten in seven pro fights.

 

After punishing Cheick Kongo and Ben Rothwell in his last two outings, the UFC brass deemed Velasquez ready for the biggest test of his career. 

 

Under Dave Camarillo at the American Kickboxing Academy, Velasquez has steamrolled through opponents using his speed, wrestling base and menacing size. "Velasquez is the perfect mixed martial artist," said Camarillo. 

 

The Mexican-American has proven to be dangerous both on his feet and on the mat, where he has pummeled opponents into oblivion. 

 

If Nogueira can effectively utilize his savvy submission skills, he will prevail. On the contrary, however, Velasquez can take "Minotauro" to the mat. If no reckless chances are taken, he might be able to punish Nogueira for three rounds. Assuming the majority of this fight takes place standing, it can go either way.

 

The Velasquez freight train can be a mountainous obstacle to overcome. But Nogueira, who is finally starting to feel the effects of years of abuse in the ring, possesses the MMA awareness, expertise and experience to rise to the occasion.

 

The winner of this fight should be matched up against the winner of Junior dos Santos-Gabriel Gonzaga in March to determine who will challenge for the heavyweight crown once Brock Lesnar meets either Frank Mir or Shane Carwin this summer. The UFC's heavyweight division is more exciting than ever with young contenders and established veterans looking to cement their place at the top.

 

Verdict: Nogueira via Submission, Round 2

-Wanderlei Silva (32-10-1) vs. Michael Bisping (18-2)

 

In another fan-friendly encounter, Silva and Bisping are expected to trade blows until someone is unconscious on the floor.

 

Nicknamed "The Axe Murderer," Silva was one of Pride's most feared competitors. His victims include Ricardo Arona, Dan Henderson, Quinton Jackson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Ikuhisa Minowa and Guy Mezger. 

 

Fans salivated at the idea of Silva returning to the UFC, where he had dropped bouts to Vitor Belfort and Tito Ortiz early in his career. Since his return, Silva has come out on the losing end against Chuck Liddell, "Rampage" and Rich Franklin, while knocking out Keith Jardine.

 

Having lost five of his last six fights, the 33-year-old Silva needs a performance reminiscent of his Pride days to make an impact in his 185-pound debut.

 

Silva, formerly a member of the famed Brazilian Chute Boxe Academy, now trains at his own school called "Wand Fight Team" in Las Vegas. The BJJ black belt has been training with UFC middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva to prepare for this fight.

 

Bisping, 30, won the third season of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show and went on to win seven of his next nine fights, losing only to top-ranked fighters Henderson and Rashad Evans.

 

At UFC 100, Bisping was on the receiving end of the "Knockout of the Year" as Henderson, who is now bound for Strikeforce, took advantage of one of Bisping`s major technical flaws, which is moving in the direction of your opponent`s power hand. If Bisping repeats the same mistake against Silva, he will go to sleep early.

 

The Wolfslair MMA Academy standout impressively defeated Denis Kang at UFC 105 and showcased his underrated ground game.

 

Bisping exudes confidence, which has led to claims that he is overrated by fans and fighters alike. Notwithstanding his critics, Bisping's improvements as a fighter are undeniable.

 

The brash Brit is likely to stand and trade with the Brazilian powerhouse, in which case he will meet his downfall.

The winner can look forward to a match-up with Japanese-born Korean warrior Yoshihiro Akiyama this summer.

 

Verdict: Silva via KO, Round 3

-Joe Stevenson (31-10) vs. George Sotiropoulos (11-2)

 

Stevenson, 27, recently returned to his winning ways with successive wins over Spencer Fisher and Nathan Diaz. 

 

Triumphant on the second season of "The Ultimate Fighter," Stevenson has since encountered ups and downs in the UFC. Despite impressive showings against Yves Edwards, Melvin Guillard, Kurt Pellegrino and Gleison Tibau, Stevenson struggled against some of the division's top-10 fighters such as B.J. Penn, Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez.

With revived confidence in the octagon and MMA trainer extraordinaire Greg Jackson in his corner, the BJJ and Judo black belt is looking to get in line for another shot at "The Prodigy."

 

Stevenson's evolution as a fighter, having trained under Marc Laimon, Robert Drysdale and now Jackson, has been his greatest asset. A standout collegiate wrestler and lifelong BJJ practitioner, Stevenson is on the brink of reclaiming top-10 status at 155 pounds.

 

Sotiropoulous, 32, has showcased a flawless ground game since debuting in the UFC last April. The Australian, who was eliminated from "The Ultimate Fighter 6" after getting knocked out by journeyman Tommy Speer, has won three straight fights. In his last two bouts, Sotiropoulos submitted Jason Dent and George Roop.

 

A black belt in BJJ under John Will, Sotiropoulos takes a big step up in competition when he faces Stevenson, a former lightweight title challenger.

 

Sotiropoulos' submission wizardry has been his defining feature in the UFC, but Stevenson too is an accomplished grappler, therefore he should be able to hold his own before capitalizing on an opening for the TKO win.

 

Verdict: Stevenson via TKO, Round 2

-Keith Jardine (15-6-1) vs. Ryan Bader (10-0)

 

Jardine, 34, has dropped four of his last six fights and needs a stellar showing to remind observers of his wins over Brandon Vera, Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin in the not-so-distant past.

 

Despite losing a unanimous decision, Jardine delivered an inspiring performance against "Rampage" at UFC 96 before getting knocked out by Thiago Silva at UFC 102 last August.

 

Unorthodox, awkward and downright strange are some of the words pundits have used to describe Jardine's unique striking. Sometimes, however, being unique is an asset in MMA. After all, there are no training partners to mimic Jardine`s stance in the cage.

 

"The Dean of Mean" has the tools to punish opponents standing if he keeps his distance and avoids power shots, which he demonstrated by tactically picking apart Liddell to win a decision when they faced off in 2007.

 

A special project at Greg Jackson's MMA in New Mexico, Jardine has been taken under the wing of Jackson and conditioning coach Jonathan Chaimberg, who is adamant Jardine has improved drastically and will shine on Saturday night.

 

Bader, 26, is unbeaten in 10 professional fights. He is the unlikely betting favourite despite only three years of experience.

 

A two-time All-American anchored at Arizona Combat Sports, Bader won "The Ultimate Fighter 8" by stopping BJJ ace Vinny Magalhaes. He impressively dispatched Eric Schafer at UFC 104 last October.

 

With stong wrestling and malicious ground-and-pound, Bader is a light heavyweight prospect with a bright future.

 

Against Jardine, however, Bader faces a much tougher test than he has become accustomed to. If Jardine throws careless leg kicks, Bader will take him down at will. If Jardine defends intelligently, keeps his distance and turns this bout into a stand-up chess match, this will be a much closer fight.

 

Desperation is often a motivational tool for fighters. Jardine, who is desperate for a win, will put it all on the line to ensure he still has a place in the UFC`s light heavyweight division.

 

Verdict: Jardine via Unanimous Decision

-Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (25-7-2) vs. Ben Rothwell (30-7)

 

This is a do-or-die fight for "Cro Cop," who was demolished by Junior dos Santos at UFC 103 last September.

 

The 2006 Pride open-weight grand prix winner was once widely regarded as the most dangerous striker in the sport. 

 

"Cro Cop" defeated Kazuyuki Fujita, Heath Herring, Igor Vovchanchyn, Aleksander Emelianenko, Josh Barnett, Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman and Wanderlei Silva on his path of destruction in Pride.

 

Everything went downhill for the proud Croatian when he suffered back-to-back losses to Cheick Kongo and Gabriel Gonzaga during his first stint with the UFC.

 

Now 35, "Cro Cop" will need to dig deep in order to continue competing at an elite level.

 

The former K-1 sensation is still one of the best technical strikers in MMA, which will be his primarily tool against Rothwell.

 

A 28-year-old IFL veteran, Rothwell lost his UFC debut against Cain Velasquez last October.

 

Prior to joining the UFC, Rothwell was trounced by former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in a fight contested under the Affliction banner. His biggest career victims include Ricco Rodriguez, Krzysztof Soszynski, Travis Fulton and Roy Nelson.

 

A pupil of Pat Miletich, Rothwell is a well-rounded heavyweight with skills in all areas.

 

However, "Cro Cop" is in a different league when it comes to pure striking. With a combination of solid takedown defense and an ability to thwart submission attempts, the Croatian should be able to successfully employ his gameplan standing before eventually wearing down Rothwell late in the fray.

 

Verdict: "Cro Cop" via KO, Round 3