UFC 115 headliner Quick Picks and card thoughts

Rich “Ace” Franklin vs. Chuck “Iceman” Liddell
This is easy. If Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg say anything about the “fire in Chuck’s eyes” (again), it’s all Franklin. On a more serious note, this is actually a tough fight to pick because both guys are veterans of the sport and willing to stay standing. Franklin is usually the more conservative and dedicated of the two when it comes to training but Liddell, however, has come into the weigh-ins sans the party belly.

This is difficult, but I say Franklin via TKO in R2. Matchmakers agree and have him listed as the favorite, but not by much.

Mirko Cro Cop vs. Patrick “Get Hype” Barry
Cro Cop is making his “final” return to the Octagon. I say final because I don’t see him winning and I doubt Dana White is going to keep him if he loses again. Barry has been non-stop about his respect for Cro Cop, but I think he’s going to knock him out anyway.

Barry TKO R3. Again, Barry has been chosen to be the favorite in this fight. Anyone betting on Cro Cop after watching his last few fights should be smacked.

The UFC 115 Card
The rest of the card is not going to appeal to the casual fan. Although we should expect to see some fun fights between the lesser-known fighters, the buy rate for UFC 115 will be lucky if it breaks its head above 500,000 buys. The live gate in Vancouver, however, should come close to breaking records. Canada is known for its love of hockey, penguins, and MMA fighting.