UFC 98 Fantasy League Predictions

Those of you that have been coming to my Guy's Nights for the last year or so know how big I am into UFC. For those of you that don't know, we just started a fantasy league on http://fantasy.ufc.com where we have to make predictions as to who is going to win each bout of a UFC Pay-Per-View event. Since I will be on vacation during this UFC event, I decided to go ahead and make my picks. Below you will find who I chose for each bout at UFC 98 as well as some explanation as to why I picked them. Also, if you would like to join our fantasy league just shoot me an email through the contact page and we'll get you signed up. Thanks.
 

 

Bout / Your Choice	Method	Round	Minute
MAIN EVENT Rashad Evans v. Lyoto Machida Winner: Lyoto Machida	Unanimous Decision	5	5
Brock Larson v. Chris Wilson Winner: Brock Larson	Submission (Choke)	2	3
Dan Miller v. Chael Sonnen Winner: Dan Miller	Submission (Choke)	1	4
Drew McFedries v. Xavier Foupa-Pokam Winner: Xavier Foupa-Pokam	Technical Knock Out	2	3
Krzysztof Soszynski v. Andre Gusmao Winner: Krzysztof Soszynski	Submission (Other)	2	2
Matt Hughes v. Matt Serra Winner: Matt Hughes	Submission (Arm Lock)	2	4
Sean Sherk v. Frank Edgar Winner: Sean Sherk	Unanimous Decision	3	5
Phillipe Nover v. Kyle Bradley Winner: Kyle Bradley	Technical Knock Out	1	4
Yoshiyuki Yoshida v. Brandon Wolff Winner: Yoshiyuki Yoshida	Technical Knock Out	1	4
Dave Kaplan v. George Roop Winner: George Roop	Unanimous Decision	3	5
Pat Barry v. Tim Hague Winner: Tim Hague	Technical Knock Out	2	2

 
 
So there you have it. Now I'll hit the high points and give you a little insight as to why I picked who I did.
 
Rashad Evans v. Lyoto Machida (Main Event) - Let me first start off by saying that this is a tough match to call. Both guys are great fighters and both guys are (practically) undefeated in the UFC. For me, this really comes down to attacker versus counter-attacker. Rashad is known for his standup game, however, if he chases after Lyoto he will get taken down. If the fight goes to the ground, I feel like Lyoto will definitely have the advantage. If you watch the PPVs, you'll notice that the word that they use most often for Lyoto Machida is "elusive" and I think he's earned that. I will say that Rashad has surprised me before and he could get the win but the way Lyoto has been fighting (especially in his last fight against Thiago Silva) makes me pick him for the win.
 
Matt Hughes v. Matt Serra - Now this is a fight that all UFC fans have been waiting for since The Ultimate Fighter 6! First off, I will say that I am a little bias towards Matt Hughes. I think he's a great guy, an excellent fighter, and a shoe in for the UFC Hall of Fame. While his record as of recently has not been great, I still think he has what it takes to beat Matt Serra. If you look at Matt Serra, you will notice that his wins mostly come from submission or decision. I believe Matt Hughes has the better ground game and is good at pressing the action which doesn't bode well for Matt Serra. Matt Serra has also had a back injury which is why this fight has taken so long to happen. Will his back be at 100 percent? Who knows? I will say that Matt Serra shocked me when he fought GSP that first time and beat him, however, I think that the octogon rust he's experienced due to his injury coupled with Matt Hughes's skill will give Hughes the win.
 
More on the other fights soon!