Written by Scott Swerbinsky

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Happy New Year to everyone out there. 2011 should be a great year in the world of mixed martial arts. The Ultimate Fighting Championship helps ring in the new year with a great lineup of fights that will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The card is highlighted by a rematch that will now be for the lightweight title. I’m expecting a lot of action this evening, some quick knockouts, and a new champion.

Let’s take a look at a few of the fights with the highest expectations.

Lightweight champion Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard

Anytime you have two fighters with one loss between them out of twenty six total fights, you know damn well these guys can bring it. That’s the story here, Edgar has one blemish on his career record and it came from Gray Maynard over two years ago. He is looking for redemption and to prove that he truly is the best in the world at 155.

The biggest improvement for Edgar since that loss is his movement and boxing skills. In order to keep his belt, he will have to avoid takedowns and win the striking battle and do that early.

Gray Maynard still doesn’t get the respect he deserves. He is 11 and 0, with all of his fights coming in the UFC. Is he the most exciting fighter? No he isn’t. Does he dominate his opponents and impose his will on them? He record says he has eleven straight times. This game is about winning your fights and he has been perfect so far in his young mma career.

I expect Gray to win again and dominate Edgar the way he did their last meeting. He will set up his take downs with his hands and work his ground and pound. The only difference will be that the title fight will last five rounds instead of the normal three. Look for Maynard to four out of the five rounds and possibly get a late stoppage.

 

Chris Leban vs Brian Stann

 

This fight has a lot of people scratching their heads. It’s the co-main event and many fans can’t seem to figure out why. There are no title implications here. I believe this fight will be a straight up brawl as soon as the bell sounds. It might not be pretty but this will be an exciting fight and the UFC loves Leban. I’m expecting a very quick knockout and a crowd pleaser.

Takanori Gomi vs Clay Guida

If you like technical fights, this is for you. Guida and Gomi are two of the most well conditioned athletes in the sport. Both fighters have non stop motors and great all around games. Gomi has yet to really showcase his talents in the UFC and this could be his time to shine. Guida is a high energy guys who is very difficult to hurt. This is my choice for fight of the night. I like Gomi in what should be a fast paced barn burner.

Mike Brown vs Diego Nunes

I am a huge Mike Brown fan. The former title holder in the WEC at 145 pounds looks to keep his winning ways going. He has a very tough fight on his hands with a Nunes. This is a prelim fight and might not air on the pay per view but keep an eye on both of these fighters. Brown is looking to get back into title contention and Nunes can put his name on the radar with a win over a tough veteran like Brown. Contrasting styles here, Brown is known or his ground game and Nunes loves to stand up and bang. Sleeper pick for fight of the night.

Full fight card:

Champ Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard (for lightweight title)

Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann

Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera

Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim

Takanori Gomi vs. Clay Guida

Marcus Davis vs. Jeremy Stephens

Josh Grispi vs. Dustin Poirier

Phil Baroni vs. Brad Tavares

Mike Brown vs. Diego Nunes

Daniel Roberts vs. Greg Soto

Antonio McKee vs. Jacob Volkmann

There were a lot of fireworks going off last night as we celebrated the start of 2011. I see a lot of reason to keep that celebration going with this fight card. There will be a lot more explosions inside the octagon tonight. Tune in and once again Happy New Year, enjoy 2011.