RITC XIII: UFC 80 Preview
Johnny "Wildfire" Rage
UFC 80 Rapid Fire is this weekend and as usual, I will bring you my thoughts and predictions on the fights.
So lets not waste anymore time and find out who “Wildfire” is burning for.

Main Event
UFC Lightweight Title

Match up: B.J. “The Prodigy” Penn (11-4-1) vs. Joe “Daddy” Stevenson (28-7)

Consequences: For both fighters, this is a chance to hold a prestigious UFC Title belt. For
Penn, this would be his second and for Stevenson his first.  A loss here for Penn would
probably mean the end of his run as a Lightweight, as he would move back up to
Welterweight to challenge GSP. For Stevenson, he’s the underdog in this fight and isn’t
expected to win. A loss here doesn’t hurt him as much as it does B.J.

Breakdown: Penn will likely use his striking skills while trying to get Stevenson on his back. I
think that B.J. has to use the same strategy that he used against Matt Hughes: use strikes
to set up takedowns and then work the Jiu-Jitsu game.  If his conditioning is up to par this
will make for a long night for Daddy. Stevenson must use his strong wrestling to get BJ down
and tire him out; Penn is great on his back so it won’t be a walk in the park.  Joe must
execute a perfect game plan in order to win this fight. I think that Penn controls Stevenson
the entire fight and Stevenson tires out in the 4th Round.

Prediction: B.J. Penn by 4th Round Submission (Triangle Choke)


Match up: Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga (8-2) vs. Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum (9-3-1)

Consequences: Both fighters need a victory but a W is more important for Gonzaga as he’s
still a Top Ten Heavyweight in the UFC. Werdum needs this fight to be exciting, as his last
fight put everyone to sleep and he could be without a UFC contract if this is another snore-
fest. Maybe he can fight a 7’2 tomato can in M-1 as well?

Breakdown: I expect Gonzaga to use the same gameplan that Arlovski did against Werdum:
lots of strikes and avoid the ground game. I don’t care if Gonzaga is great at the ground
game or not, he needs to keep it standing and land his kicks. Werdum already holds a KO
victory over Gonzaga and needs to play on that fact. He knows that he can submit Gonzaga
and should get the fight to the ground. Maybe working from the clinch as well would prove
productive for Werdum. This fight will show whether Couture’s domination of Gonzaga was a
result of weakness or just jitters that night. Either way, I expect Gonzaga to use his striking
to outpoint Werdum.

Prediction: Gabriel Gonzaga by Unanimous Decision (30-27 (x2), 29-28)



Match Up: Marcus “Irish Hand Grenade” Davis (13-3) v. Jess “The Joker” Liaudin (12-8)

Consequences: Davis has won 10 fights in a row and if he wins this one, he would be in line
for a huge fight later in ‘08. Liaudin is a big underdog in this fight and wants to use Davis as
a stepping stone to vault his career to a higher level.

Breakdown: Questions about Davis’s chin will be answered in this fight. He was rocked in his
last fight but managed to snag an armbar out of the situation and win the fight. Liaudin is a
good striker with good wrestling training coming via Team Quest. Davis would be smart to
get Liaudin down and make him work from his back. I think that Davis could submit The Joker
if he were to get him down. For Liaudin, regardless of the fact that Davis is a former boxer,
he needs to keep this standing as much as possible. Davis was rocked in the last fight and
Liaudin could do the same. I think that Liaudin stands a great shot to win this fight but
ultimately think that Davis’s experience will lead him to victory.

Prediction: Marcus Davis 2nd Round Submission (Rear Naked Choke)


Match Up: Wilson Gouveia (9-4) vs. Jason “The Punisher” Lambert (23-6)

Consequences: A win for Lambert will probably land him a shot at Tito Ortiz or someone of
that caliber. A loss means that he’s back to fighting former TUF members. For Gouveia, he
needs a win against a big name opponent. A win for him means headlining an Ultimate Fight
Night sometime in ‘08.

Breakdown: Jason Lambert must get this fight to the ground, much like he did against
Babalu. Gouveia isn’t a great striker either so that means he must mix his ground-and-pound
skills. Frustrating Gouveia is something that Keith Jardine did in handing Gouveia his last loss
in the Octagon. For Gouveia to win this fight, he must make Lambert work off of his back .
Lambert isn’t known for his great submission defense so this is what Gouveia must
accomplish. Strikes from the top are what did Lambert in against Rashad Evans, so there’s a
chance for Gouveia to win the fight. However, I think that Lambert will be safe in this fight
and ride it out and outpoint Gouveia.

Prediction: Jason “The Punisher” Lambert by Unanimous Decision (30-27)


Undercard Fight Picks

Kendall Grove over Jorge Rivera 1st Round Tapout
Per Eklund over Sam Stout by 2nd Round Tapout
Colin Robinson over Antoni Hardonk by Unanimous Decision
Paul Taylor over Paul Kelly by Unanimous Decision
James Lee over Alessio Sakara by 1st Round Tapout

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