UFC 114 marks the first major UFC fight card not to feature a title fight in quite some time \u2013 but there\u2019s still plenty of reason to watch and wager. Remember the bitter feud between Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans?<\/p>\n
It finally gets settled this Saturday night. The winner may get a shot at freshly crowned light heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s make picks for the fights this week.<\/p>\n
Event<\/strong>: UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans Quinton \u201cRampage\u201d Jackson (30-7) vs \u201cSugar\u201d Rashad Evans (14-1-1)<\/p>\n UFC 114 odds: Jackson -110, Evans -120<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s no surprise so see the odds for this fight almost dead even, as Rampage and Rashad are fairly similar fighters. Both have heavy hands and both are among the strongest guys in their weight class. <\/p>\n Rashad gets a mild edge in the odds for a few different reasons. He\u2019s arguably the more technical fighter. He\u2019s certainly the better wrestler and he trains with a hardworking, superstar-laden camp coached by Greg Jackson. Evans is also faster than Rampage and an excellent defender. There\u2019s also reason to worry about Rampage\u2019s rust. Since he took time off to shoot the\u00a0A-Team <\/em>movie adaptation, he actually hasn\u2019t fought since he beat Keith Jardine in March of 2009. <\/p>\n That said, Rampage brings a few advantages of his own to the table. He\u2019s definitely the more experienced fighter, having battled many superstar martial artists during their prime. He\u2019s fought Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell, Shogun Rua, Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin \u2013 the best of the best. While he hasn\u2019t always come out on top, he usually has \u2013 and he\u2019s grown accustomed to getting hit hard and dirty boxing in the trenches.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not sure if Rashad Evans is tough enough to win this fight. He beat a past-his-prime Liddell and light-hitting Michael Bisping and Forrest Griffin en route to winning the light heavyweight title but has struggled since then. He suffered his first loss \u2013 via brutal knockout \u2013 against the powerful and technical Lyoto Machida and the deadly, aggressive Thiago Silva gave him a major scare after that. Rashad doesn\u2019t like getting hit \u2013 he\u2019s just not used to it \u2013 whereas Rampage is comfortable in a brawl. <\/p>\n Also, Evans may not have his usual grappling edge. Rampage defeated an Olympic wrestler in Dan Henderson a few years back, showing he can handle himself on the canvas. Given Rampage\u2019s experience and better killer instinct, I think he\u2019ll turn this fight into an ugly war and win. <\/p>\n Pick:\u00a0Jackson -110<\/strong><\/p>\n Michael Bisping (18-3) vs Dan Miller (11-3)<\/strong><\/p>\n UFC 114 odds: Bisping -180, Miller +150<\/p>\n Michael Bisping is among MMA\u2019s most predictable fighters \u2013 and that\u2019s great news for bettors. When he faces powerful punchers (Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva), he gets scared and\/or knocked out. Against ground grapplers, he wins thanks to his strength, general comfort on the ground and ability to score points standing up. He\u2019ll beat Miller, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist with no standup game. Pick:\u00a0Bisping -180<\/strong><\/p>\n Todd Duffee (6-0) vs Mike Russow (12-1)<\/strong><\/p>\n UFC 114 odds: Duffee -350, Russow +260<\/p>\n Anyone who hates on the prodigy Duffee, who got overhyped after setting the UFC record for fastest knockout, hasn\u2019t seen him interviewed. The kid is humble and anxious to prove he\u2019s a legit fighter. Look for a powerhouse effort on Saturday \u2013 even against a solid grappler and submission specialist in Russow.<\/p>\n Pick:\u00a0Duffee -350<\/strong><\/p>\n Official Fight card<\/strong><\/p>\n MAIN CARD (PPV)<\/strong><\/p>\n Rashad Evans vs. Quinton \u201cRampage\u201d Jackson
\nDate<\/strong>: May 29, 2010
\nTime<\/strong>: 10PM ET\/7PM PT
\nLocation<\/strong>: Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
\nBroadcast<\/strong>: Pay-per-view Live<\/p>\nUFC 114 Best Prediction:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT<\/strong><\/h3>\n
OTHER FIGHTS TO CONSIDER<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\nMichael Bisping vs. Dan Miller
\nTodd Duffee vs. Mike Russow
\nAntonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Jason Brilz
\nJohn Hathaway vs. Diego Sanchez<\/p>\n