ASSOCIATED PRESS
Demetrious Johnson holds the winning belt after defeating Joseph Benavidez during the flyweight championship title bout at UFC 152 in Toronto on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012.
Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013 | 2 a.m.
UFC on Fox 6 marks a fresh beginning, one that the world’s largest mixed martial arts organization can’t wait to undergo.
It’s the first major event of the year for the UFC, which wants nothing more than to leave 2012 behind and start anew with its marquee events. The previous 12 months consisted of the most injury-marred year in the history of the UFC.
Out of 17 Fox and pay-per-view cards, eight lost their announced main events to injuries or other factors. Another event, UFC 151, was canceled altogether.
The UFC is hoping for some better luck in 2013, and it’s off to a good start with its first network television card of the year. None of the three headlining fights have undergone any changes since they were announced late last year.
The Sun picks panel is starting new alongside the UFC. Records reset to 0-0 for UFC on Fox 6 after KSNV’s Kevin West won last year’s competition with a 115-63 mark.
2011 champion Case Keefer (103-75 last year) from the Sun, ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto (110-68), ESPN Radio’s Steve Cofield (106-72) and the Sun’s Ray Brewer (88-90) are back for another shot at prognostication glory.
Check below for a breakdown, betting odds and picks from the 11 fights at Saturday’s UFC on Fox 6 in Chicago.
John Dodson
- Age: 28
- Height: 5’3''
- Weight: 125
- UFC record 3-0
- MMA record 14-5
- Out of: Albuquerque, N.M.
- Betting line: +180
Demetrious Johnson
- Age: 26
- Height: 5’3''
- Weight: 125
- UFC record 4-1-1
- MMA record 16-2-1
- Out of: Kirkland, Wash.
- Betting line: -220
Flyweight Championship Bout
Main Event
Last fight: Second-round TKO victory over Jussier Formiga at UFC on FX 6.
Punch list: “The Magician” also ditched his natural 125-pound weight class to first get into the UFC and succeeded. Dodson ran through the 14th season of “The Ultimate Fighter” to win the bantamweight tournament, memorably knocking out favorite T.J. Dillashaw in the first round of the finals. He knocked out Formiga, the man who used to be considered the best 125-pound fighter in the world, and beat Tim Elliott upon his return to flyweight to earn this title shot.
Picks: KSNV and ESPN Radio
West: Johnson
Cofield: Johnson
Last fight: Unanimous-decision win against Joseph Benavidez at UFC 152.
Punch list: “Mighty Mouse” is even small for the flyweight division, which makes his run at bantamweight in the WEC and UFC all the more impressive. He gave 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz 25 minutes of hell and beat mainstays like Miguel Torres and Damacio Page. So maybe it’s time to stop calling his dismantling of Benavidez for the inaugural flyweight belt “an upset.” Maybe Johnson should have been the favorite all along.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun and ESPN.com
Keefer: Johnson
Brewer: Johnson
Okamoto: Johnson
Glover Teixeira
- Age: 33
- Height: 6’2”
- Weight: 204
- UFC record 2-0
- MMA record 19-2
- Out of: San Luis Obispo, Calif.
- Betting line: -300
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
- Age: 34
- Height: 6’1''
- Weight: 211
- UFC record 7-4
- MMA record 32-10
- Out of: Irvine, Calif.
- Betting line: +220
Light Heavyweight Bout
Co-Main Event
Last fight: Defeated Fabio Maldonaldo by TKO (doctor stoppage) at UFC 153.
Punch list: Jackson thinks the UFC is trying to set him up for a fall on his way out of the promotion, and it’s not hard to see why. Teixeira is a beast, the rare fighter that blends elite knockout power — which he’s shown in each of his two octagon appearances — with a black-belt level jiu-jitsu game. UFC President Dana White says no one wants to fight the rising Brazilian.
Staff picks: KSNV and ESPN Radio
West: Teixeira
Cofield: Teixeira
Last fight: Lost a unanimous decision to Ryan Bader at UFC 144.
Punch list: If “Rampage” indeed lives up to his word and makes this his final UFC fight, his legacy will remain complicated. He’s a former champion, which secures his place history, but there’s always been a feeling that Jackson could have done much more. His loss to Forrest Griffin, when he lost his belt, and recent two-fight skid are examples. Rampage has also engaged in a fair amount of tiffs with the UFC, some of which sounded trivial.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun and ESPN.com
Keefer: Jackson
Brewer: Teixeira
Okamoto: Teixeira
Donald Cerrone
- Age: 29
- Height: 6’0’’
- Weight: 156
- UFC record 6-1
- MMA record 19-4
- Out of: Albuquerque, N.M.
- Betting line: -110
Anthony Pettis
- Age: 25
- Height: 5’10’’
- Weight: 155
- UFC record 2-1
- MMA record 15-2
- Out of: Milwaukee
- Betting line: -120
Lightweight Bout
Featured Contest
Last fight: First-round knockout victory over Melvin Guillard at UFC 150.
Punch list: “Cowboy” is probably deserving of a title shot of his own, but it’s more up in the air if he defeats Pettis. That’s what happens when a fighter already has two losses to the current champion, Benson Henderson. Cerrone was in no hurry for a championship fight during his four-fight win streak in 2011, but sounds more anxious now. He’s called out Pettis for three years and reacted negatively when injuries pushed this back meeting.
Staff picks:KSNV and ESPN Radio
West: Pettis
Cofield: Pettis
Last fight: First-round knockout over Joe Lauzon at UFC 144.
Punch list: He’s only been in the UFC for two years, but Pettis has already missed out on two promised title fights. Beating Cerrone would give him a three-fight streak and make it impossible to deny the former WEC champion, especially if Benson Henderson stays champion. Pettis is the only fighter in the UFC to hold a win over Henderson, which he did with the memorable “Showtime” kick at the final WEC event.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun and ESPN.com
Keefer: Pettis
Brewer: Pettis
Okamoto: Pettis
Ricardo Lamas
- Age: 30
- Height: 5’8''
- Weight: 145
- UFC record 3-0
- MMA record 12-2
- Out of: Miami
- Betting line: +120
Erik Koch
- Age: 24
- Height: 5’10''
- Weight: 145
- UFC record 2-0
- MMA record 13-1
- Out of: Milwaukee
- Betting line: -150
Featherweight Bout
Main Card Opener
Last fight: Defeated Hatsu Hioki by unanimous decision at UFC on FX 4.
Punch list: Lamas must feel fortunate to be in this position. If he can upset Koch, he goes from being a fighter near the top to one at the top. He seemed like a middle-of-the-road lightweight in the WEC with a 4-2 record, but has improved and made the most of a drop to featherweight in the UFC.
Staff picks: KSNV and ESPN Radio
West: Koch
Cofield: Koch
Last fight: Won a unanimous decision over Jonathan Brookins at UFC Fight Night 25.
Punch list: Koch must feel unlucky to be in this position. He was twice scheduled to face Jose Aldo for the 145-pound championship last year, but got injured before both fights. The UFC stuck beside replacement Frankie Edgar for the next title shot, leaving Koch’s future uncertain. An impressive win here, however, would likely clinch him the next opportunity.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun and ESPN.com
Keefer: Koch
Brewer: Lamas
Okamoto: Koch
Matt Wiman
- Age: 29
- Height: 5’10’’
- Weight: 155
- UFC record 9-4
- MMA record 15-6
- Out of: Arvada, Colo.
- Betting line: -110
T.J. Grant
- Age: 28
- Height: 5’11’’
- Weight: 155
- UFC record 6-3
- MMA record 19-5
- Out of: Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia
- Betting line: -120
Lightweight Bout
FX Prelim
Last fight: Submitted Paul Sass in the first round at UFC on FUEL TV 5.
Punch list: Wiman’s last win was one that got people talking. He disposed of one of the brightest prospects in the lightweight division, breaking the undefeated start to Sass’ career. That he did with a submission, the method in which Sass had won 12 of 13 fights, made the win all the more memorable.
Staff picks: KSNV and ESPN Radio
West: Wiman
Cofield: Wiman
Last fight: Won a unanimous decision over Evan Dunham at UFC 152.
Punch list: The grappler has broken out of the win-one-lose-one pattern that defined his first two years in the UFC. Grant’s now won three in a row and on the verge of breaking out in a major way. He boasts 13 wins by submission, but Wiman has never lost by that method.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun and ESPN.com
Keefer: Wiman
Brewer: Wiman
Okamoto: Grant
Hatsu Hioki
- Age: 29
- Height: 5’11’’
- Weight: 145
- UFC record 2-1
- MMA record 26-5-2
- Out of: Nagoya, Japan
- Betting line: +200
Clay Guida
- Age: 31
- Height: 5’7’’
- Weight: 155
- UFC record 9-7
- MMA record 29-13
- Out of: Albuquerque, N.M.
- Betting line: -105
Featherweight Bout
FX Prelim
Last fight: Lost to Ricardo Lamas by unanimous decision at UFC on FX 4.
Punch list: Add Hioki to the list of foreign fighters who failed to live up to the hype upon arriving in the UFC. Hioki’s beatdown of Bart Palaszewski at UFC 144 was impressive, but a controversial win over George Roop at UFC 137 and the loss to Lamas took away from his mystique. A win over an established name like Guida, however, could help him get it back.
Staff picks: KSNV and ESPN Radio
West: Guida
Cofield: Guida
Last fight: Split-decision loss to Gray Maynard at UFC on FX 4.
Punch list: Guida reinvents himself at featherweight here after coming painfully close to a title shot at lightweight. “The Carpenter” came within one round of getting past Benson Henderson to fight then-champion Frankie Edgar at UFC on Fox 1. He should find a quicker path to the top at 145 pounds. The division isn’t as deep and Guida has name value that other fighters don’t.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun and ESPN.com
Keefer: Guida
Brewer: Guida
Okamoto: Guida
Vladimir Matyushenko
- Age: 42
- Height: 6’1’’
- Weight: 205
- UFC record 7-4
- MMA record 26-6
- Out of: El Segundo, Calif.
- Betting line: +400
Ryan Bader
- Age: 29
- Height: 6’2’’
- Weight: 205
- UFC record 7-3
- MMA record 14-3
- Out of: Las Vegas
- Betting line: -600
Light Heavyweight Bout
FX Prelim
Last fight: First-round TKO loss to Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 141.
Punch list: “The Janitor” returns for the first time in more than a year in Chicago. UFC President Dana White refers to Matyushenko as “a gatekeeper” in the light heavyweight division. Fighters can’t cross over to top competition if they can’t beat Matyushenko, who’s somewhere square in the middle.
Picks: KSNV and ESPN Radio
West: Bader
Cofield: Bader
Last fight: Second-round knockout loss against Lyoto Machida at UFC on Fox 4.
Punch list: In Bader’s last five fights, he’s 2-3. The former Arizona State wrestler once looked like a potential future champion, but his development seems to have stunted in the last two years. But he’s still confident he can reach the promise he showed in winning “The Ultimate Fighter” 8 and his first five bouts in the octagon.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun and ESPN.com
Keefer: Bader
Brewer: Bader
Okamoto: Bader
Shawn Jordan
- Age: 28
- Height: 6’0’’
- Weight: 250
- UFC record 1-1
- MMA record 13-4
- Out of: Albuquerque, N.M.
- Betting line: +165
Mike Russow
- Age: 36
- Height: 6’1’’
- Weight: 248
- UFC record 4-1
- MMA record 15-2
- Out of: Alexandria, Minn.
- Betting line: -215
Heavyweight Bout
FX Prelim
Last fight: Lost to Cheick Kongo by unanimous decision at UFC 149.
Punch list: With the tedious nature of the Kongo loss, Jordan could really use a victory here. Another uninspiring loss would probably cost the former LSU fullback his job. He had successful runs in Strikeforce and Bellator before coming over to the UFC and won the 2007 BCS national championship as a member of the Bayou Bengals.
Staff picks: KSNV and ESPN Radio
West: Russow
Cofield: Jordan
Last fight: First-round TKO loss to Fabricio Werdum at UFC 147.
Punch list: For the second straight year the Chicago police officer gets a hometown fight. There was more buzz around him at this time a year ago as he was riding an undefeated streak in the UFC. The lopsided nature of the Werdum fight confirmed suspicions that he’ll run into a bundle of trouble against the heavyweight division’s best.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun and ESPN.com
Keefer: Jordan
Brewer: Jordan
Okamoto: Jordan
Mike Stumpf
- Age: 29
- Height: 5’10”
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 0-1
- MMA record 11-3
- Out of: Crystal Lake, Ill.
- Betting line: +180
Pascal Krauss
- Age: 32
- Height: 6’1’’
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 1-1
- MMA record 10-1
- Out of: Milwaukee
- Betting line: -240
Welterweight Bout
FX Prelim
Last fight: First-round submission loss to T.J. Waldburger at UFC Fight Night 25.
Punch list: Wrestling and grappling are Stumpf’s strengths. He’s a member of Team Curran, training alongside UFC veteran Jeff Curran and Bellator featherweight champion Pat Curran. Injuries have kept him out of the octagon for more than a year.
Staff picks: KSNV and ESPN Radio
West: Stumpf
Cofield: Krauss
Last fight: Unanimous-decision loss to John Hathaway at UFC on Fox 3.
Punch list: Out to become a more well rounded fighter, the German left home to join Duke Roufus’ fight team in Wisconsin. He trains alongside fighters like Anthony Pettis and Erik Koch. All three of them being on the same training schedule for this event could prove helpful.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun and ESPN.com
Keefer: Stumpf
Brewer: Krauss
Okamoto: Stumpf
Sean Spencer
- Age: 25
- Height: 5’10’’
- Weight: 185
- UFC record 0-0
- MMA record 9-1
- Out of: Dallas
- Betting line: +190
Rafael Natal
- Age: 33
- Height: 5’10’’
- Weight: 185
- UFC record 2-2-1
- MMA record 14-4-1
- Out of: New York
- Betting line: -250
Middleweight Bout
FX Prelim
Last fight: Unanimous-decision victory over Evan Cutts at Legacy Fighting Championships 13.
Punch list: The UFC plucked “Black Magic” out of a scheduled Legacy Fighting Championships fight less than two weeks ago when Magnus Cedenblad went down with an injury. Spencer is game on the feet, but may want to stay off of the ground where he was submitted for his only loss.
Staff picks: KSNV and ESPN Radio
West: Natal
Cofield: Natal
Last fight: Knocked out by Andrew Craig at UFC on FUEL TV 4.
Punch list: “Sapo” can beat almost anyone at 185 pounds on the ground. He’s a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with seven career submission victories. The problem comes in getting opponents down. Natal doesn’t have a strong wrestling, so most of his UFC fights have turned into striking affairs.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun and ESPN.com
Keefer: Spencer
Brewer: Natal
Okamoto: Natal
David Mitchell
- Age: 33
- Height: 6’0”
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 0-2
- MMA record 11-2
- Out of: Santa Rosa, Calif.
- Betting line: +175
Simeon Thoresen
- Age: 28
- Height: 6’1’’
- Weight: 170
- UFC record 1-1
- MMA record 17-3-1
- Out of: Oslo, Norway
- Betting line: -225
Welterweight Bout
Facebook Prelim
Last fight: Lost by unanimous decision to Paulo Thiago at UFC 134.
Punch list: “Daudi” gets a second chance at making it in the UFC after he went 0-2 in his first run. He’s a strong wrestler and established submission artist. He won several grappling tournaments while also participating in MMA.
Staff picks: KSNV and ESPN Radio
West: Thoresen
Cofield: Mitchell
Last fight: First-round knockout loss against Seth Baczynski at UFC 152.
Punch list: Signed for the UFC’s event in Sweden last year, Thoresen could earn a second bout close to home with a victory here. He should be able to hold his own striking, but will need to thwart some takedown attempts from Mitchell.
Staff picks: Las Vegas Sun and ESPN.com
Keefer: Thoresen
Brewer: Mitchell
Okamoto: Mitchell
Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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