Written by Scott Swerbinsky

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The Ultimate Fighting Championship has a great card in store for mixed martial arts fans. The event will be the first ever UFC to take place in the city of Boston. UFC President Dana White is returning home and he has put together what I seeing as the best event in 2010.

There is a lot of buzz surrounding this card because of the co-feature fight. It is being billed as MMA versus boxing. Former UFC title holder Randy Couture will take James Toney, who is the first true boxer to step into the octagon. Neither guy is at the top of the mountain in their respective sport, but it is an interesting fight.

In the weeks leading up to this match, James Toney has run his mouth to no end. He is a fat old man that hasn’t been relevant in boxing for a few years now. He claims to be the heavyweight champion and the most feared fighter which is a joke.  The main reason I have to see this is because I want Randy Couture to beat his ass, plain and simple.

While I have never been a huge Randy Couture supporter, I respect everything that he has done for the sport of mixed martial arts. He should be a nightmare matchup for James Toney because of his wrestling pedigree.

If the fight doesn’t go to the ground within 30 seconds, Couture might be in some trouble. James Toney does have heavy hands and with small gloves could easily put Couture to sleep with one punch.  Expect Randy to shoot in for a takedown as soon as the bell rings and work his ground and pound. I would like to see a quick finish by Couture but then I would also to see him beat on Toney for a full fifteen minutes.

The main event is a rematch for the 155 pound title. Current champion Frankie Edgar looks to defend the belt he just took from BJ Penn a few months ago.

Frankie Edgar won the first fight on a close decision in a fight that was very uneventful. BJ Penn didn’t look the same to me that evening and I expect a totally different fighter when the octagon door closes tonight. Edgar is a scrappy tough fighter but I give the edge to Penn in every aspect of this matchup.

When Penn is motivated, which doesn’t always seem to be the case, he destroys people. BJ is looking for revenge and I have a feeling we will see the ultra aggressive Penn and he will win this rematch rather easily. Look for an early knockout or submission from Penn as he gets his belt back.

Before the Penn Edgar match, we will know who is next in line for a title shot in that same weight class. Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard are going to go toe to toe in the number one contender’s match.

Florian has been to the top of the mountain and has come up short in two tries to win the belt. He has lost to Sean Sherk and BJ Penn with the gold on the line. Kenny is a fighter that continues to get better every time out and might be the smartest guy in the game.  He also has an extremely fan friendly style and is never in a dull fight.

Gray Maynard is an undefeated fighter who still doesn’t get the respect he deserves. Many people question his skills because he relies heavily on his wrestling. Maynard wins fights but unfortunately the majority of his wins have come via decision. He does use his standup a lot to set up his takedowns and once he gets his opponent down, they rarely get up off their backs.

Florian and Maynard are easily two of my favorite fighters. I’m excited for this fight. I think Florian’s skill set is better and more diverse than Maynard’s. That being said, I’m picking Gray Maynard to have his hand raised. Florian has had some trouble with wrestlers in the past and there aren’t too many better at that aspect than Gray “The Bully” Maynard.

Full fight card:

Champ Frankie Edgar vs. B.J. Penn (for lightweight title)

Randy Couture vs. James Toney

Demian Maia vs. Mario Miranda

Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard

Marcus Davis vs. Nate Diaz

Joe Lauzon vs. Gabe Ruediger

Nik Lentz vs. Andre Winner

Dan Miller vs. John Salter

Nick Osipczak vs. Greg Soto

Amilcar Alves vs. Mike Pierce

I love this fight card and all of these matchups. UFC 117 was kind of a dud and I fully expect 118 to eliminate the bad taste out of my mouth that is still there from that event. We should see some action packed fights and some great mixed martial arts.