The Sun’s Brett Okamoto (24-11) holds a slight lead over Yahoo.com's Kevin Iole (23-12) and ESPN Radio's Steve Cofield (19-16) but anything can change as all three post their predictions for UFC 105 in Manchester, England. Odds courtesy of The Venetian sports book, but subject to change.
Brandon Vera
- Age: 32
- Height: 6'2’'
- Weight: 205
- UFC record 7-3
- MMA record 11-3
- Out of: San Diego, Calif.
- Betting line: +120
Randy Couture
- Age: 46
- Height: 6'2'''
- Weight: 205
- UFC record 13-7
- MMA record 16-10
- Out of: Las Vegas
- Betting line: -150
Light Heavyweight Bout
Main Event
Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Krzysztof Sosynski at UFC 102.
Punch list: Vera dropped down to the light heavyweight division following back-to-back losses to Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum. The 32-year-old tends to keep things standing, but holds an impressive background in wrestling.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Couture.
Cofield: Couture.
Last fight: Unanimous decision loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 102.
Punch list: UFC 105 will be the first fight in Couture’s new six-fight deal he inked with the UFC in August. It will also be his first fight at 205 pounds since a loss to Chuck Liddell in 2006 for the UFC light heavyweight championship.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Vera.
Dan Hardy
- Age: 27
- Height: 6'0''
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 3-0
- MMA record 22-6
- Out of: Nottingham, UK.
- Betting line: +180
Mike Swick
- Age: 30
- Height: 6'1''
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 9-1
- MMA record 14-2
- Out of: San Jose, Calif.
- Betting line: -220
Welterweight Bout
Co-Main Event
Last fight: Split decision win over Marcus Davis at UFC 99.
Punch list: Hardy became a full-time mixed martial artist after training in China with the Shaolin monks for two months in 2002. He had his first professional fight two years later in 2004.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Swick
Cofield: Swick
Last fight: Second round win by TKO over Ben Saunders at UFC 99.
Punch list: If Swick wins and earns a welterweight title shot, it will be just the second time he’ll fight in his professional career for a championship. He lost in his only championship fight to date, a second-round knockout loss to Chris Leben for the WEC middleweight championship in 2004.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Swick
Dennis Kang
- Age: 32
- Height: 5'11’’
- Weight: 185
- UFC record 1-1
- MMA record 32-11-1
- Out of: Montreal
- Betting line: +160
Michael Bisping
- Age: 30
- Height: 6’2’’
- Weight: 185
- UFC record 7-2
- MMA record 18-2
- Out of: Manchester, Eng.
- Betting line: -190
Middleweight Bout
Last fight: Unanimous decision loss to Xavier Foupa-Pokam at UFC 97.
Punch list: Kang is part of the American Top Team stationed in Florida, home to fighters such as Thiago Silva, Wilson Gouveia and Thiago Alves.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Bisping
Cofield: Bisping
Last fight: Second round loss by knockout to Dan Henderson at UFC 100.
Punch list: Bisping is not without a sense of humor. When asked in one interview if he was upset when Dan Henderson hit him a second time after knocking out at UFC 100, Bisping laughed and responded, “I didn’t feel it anyway.”
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Bisping
Matt Brown
- Age: 28
- Height: 6'0''
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 3-1
- MMA record 12-7
- Out of: Cincinnati, Ohio
- Betting line: -150
James Wilks
- Age: 31
- Height: 6’1''
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 1-0
- MMA record 7-2
- Out of: Laguna Hills, Calif.
- Betting line: +120
Welterweight Bout
Last fight: First round win by TKO over Pete Sell at UFC 96.
Punch list: Brown received his nickname, ‘The immortal’ after he survived an overdose of heroin. Doctors said Brown was clinically dead for over a minute.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Wilks
Cofield: Brown
Last fight: First round win by submission over DaMarques Johnson at TUF Finale: Team US vs. Team UK.
Punch list: Wilks was impressive as they come in his UFC debut, slipping Johnson into numerous submission attempts before finishing him off by rear naked choke in the first round.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Wilks
Aaron Riley
- Age: 28
- Height: 5'8’’
- Weight: 155
- UFC record 2-3
- MMA record 28-11-1
- Out of: Albuquerque, NM.
- Betting line: -220
Ross Pearson
- Age: 25
- Height: 5’8’’
- Weight: 155
- UFC record 1-0
- MMA record 11-3
- Out of: Sunderland, Eng.
- Betting line: +180
Lightweight Bout
Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Shane Nelson at UFC 101.
Punch list: Manchester, England should be a breeze for Riley. Over the course of his career, the well traveled fighter has recorded wins in Mexico, Brazil, Tokyo and Costa Rica.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Riley
Cofield: Riley
Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Andre Winner at TUF Finale: Team US vs. Team UK.
Punch list: Pearson has split training for this fight between four different gyms — Spartan’s Gym, Olympia Boxing Gym, Grapple Fit and Rough House.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Pearson
John Hathaway
- Age: 22
- Height: 6’2’’
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 2-0
- MMA record 12-0
- Out of: Brighton, Eng.
- Betting line: -160
Paul Taylor
- Age: 29
- Height: 6’0’’
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 3-3
- MMA record 10-4-1
- Out of: Walsall, Eng.
- Betting line: +130
Welterweight Bout
Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Rick Story at UFC 99.
Punch list: Hathaway has openly said his gameplan includes taking Taylor down, where he’s been known to ground-and-pound opponents into submission.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Hathaway
Cofield: Taylor
Last fight: Uannimous decision win over Peter Sobotta at UFC 99.
Punch list: Taylor has won three Fight of the Night honors, but lost all three times he received the award.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Hathaway
Shannon Gugerty
- Age: 27
- Height: 5’10’’
- Weight: 155
- UFC record 2-1
- MMA record 12-3
- Out of: San Diego, Calif.
- Betting line: +210
Terry Etim
- Age: 23
- Height: 6’1’’
- Weight: 155
- UFC record 3-1
- MMA record 13-2
- Out of: Liverpool, Eng.
- Betting line: -270
Lightweight Bout
Last fight: First round win by submission over Matt Grice at UFC 100.
Punch list: Gugerty is a self-described grappler. No kidding, out of his 12 professional wins, nine have been by submission.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Etim
Cofield: Etim
Last fight: Second round win over Justin Buchholz at UFC 99.
Punch list: In 2006, Etim defeated Diego Gonzalez by triangle choke in the first round. Serving as referee was none other than boxing legend Mike Tyson.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Gugerty
Matthew Riddle
- Age: 23
- Height: 6’1’’
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 3-0
- MMA record 3-0
- Out of: Las Vegas
- Betting line: -160
Nick Osipczak
- Age: 24
- Height: 6’1’’
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 1-0
- MMA record 4-1
- Out of: Nottingham, Eng.
- Betting line: +130
Welterweight Bout
Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Dan Cramer at UFC 101.
Punch list: Matt Riddle prepares for his fights at Warrior Training Center in Las Vegas, alongside longtime friend and training partner Scott Kaplan.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Riddle
Cofield: Riddle
Last fight: First round win by submission over Frank Lester at TUF Finale: Team US vs. Team UK.
Punch list: Osipczak graduated from Loughborough University with a degree in math, which he then used to support himself as a professional gambler while training mixed martial arts.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Riddle
Dennis Siver
- Age: 30
- Height: 5'7’’
- Weight: 155
- UFC record 3-3
- MMA record 14-6
- Out of: Mannheim, Germany.
- Betting line: +170
Paul Kelly
- Age: 24
- Height: 5’9’’
- Weight: 155
- UFC record 3-1
- MMA record 10-1
- Out of: Liverpool, Eng.
- Betting line: -200
Lightweight Bout
Last fight: First round win by submission over Dale Hartt at UFC 99.
Punch list: Siver is a strong lightweight, with good takedowns and punching power. None of his three wins in the UFC have gone the distance.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Kelly
Cofield: Kelly
Last fight: Unanimous decision win over Rolando Delgado at UFC 99.
Punch list: Kelly was so heated after getting shoved by Rolando Delgado at the UFC 99 weigh-in, he warned the referee that if he got Delgado in a choke he probably wouldn’t let go. Fortunately for Delgado, Kelly only picked up a unanimous decision
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Kelly
Jared Hamman
- Age: 27
- Height: 6’3’’
- Weight: 205
- UFC record 0-0
- MMA record 11-1
- Out of: Segundo, Calif.
- Betting line: +150
Alexander Gustafsson
- Age: 22
- Height: 6’5’’
- Weight: 205
- UFC record 0-0
- MMA record 8-0
- Out of: Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Betting line: -180
Light Heavyweight Bout
Last fight: First round win by TKO over Poai Suganuma at ShoXC – Hamman vs. Suganuma II.
Punch list: Hamman didn’t take too kindly to his first professional loss, a 15-second knockout loss to Poai Suganuma courtesy of a flying knee. He rebounded with a TKO win over Suganuma just four months later.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Gustafsson
Cofield: Gustafsson
Last fight: First round win by knockout over Vladimir Shemarov at SC 3 - Untamed.
Punch list: Gustafsson has been a wrecking ball since his first professional fight, finishing seven of the eight opponents he’s faced.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Gustafsson
Rolando Delgado
- Age: 27
- Height: 6’3’’
- Weight: 155
- UFC record 1-1
- MMA record 8-4-1
- Out of: Little Rock, Ark.
- Betting line: +140
Andre Winner
- Age: 28
- Height: 5'11’’
- Weight: 155
- UFC record 0-1
- MMA record 10-3-1
- Out of: Nottingham, Eng.
- Betting line: -170
Lightweight Bout
Last fight: Unanimous decision loss to Paul Kelly at UFC 99.
Punch list: Delgado had to go so far as have a video of his black belt test posted on the Internet after fellow cast members of the seventh season of TUF questioned the legitimacy of it.
Staff picks: Yahoo.com and ESPN Radio
Iole: Winner
Cofield: Winner
Last fight: Unanimous decision loss to Ross Pearson at TUF 9 Finale: Team U.S. v. Team U.K.
Punch list: The UFC probably hasn’t seen the best of Winner, considering the fighter said he suffered from food poisoning two days before his fight with Ross Pearson in the TUF 9 Finale.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun
Okamoto: Winner
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