Chuck Liddell vs Rashad Evans – This fight between Chuck Liddell and Rashad Evans was originally scheduled for UFC 85 this past June, but Liddell was forced to withdraw from the fight after a serious hamstring injury. Liddell insists his leg has healed completely and he’s looking forward to getting back into the Octagon and earning another shot at the UFC light heavyweight title that he held for so long.

After suffering back-to-back losses for the first time in his career, Liddell bounced back at UFC 79 with an excellent decision victory against Wanderlei Silva. The fight with Silva was one that MMA fans had been waiting to see for years, and neither fighter disappointed. What Liddell showed in that fight was that he is still a serious contender in the 205 lb. division and that he still has what it takes to be a champion, even at age 38.

Rashad Evans went from being a fighter that wasn’t taken very seriously to a fighter that has earned the right to fight the best in the light heavyweight division. While Evans technically still has an undefeated record at 11-0-1, he would have lost his fight against Tito Ortiz at UFC 73 had Tito not been deducted a point for grabbing the fence. Evans follewed up on the draw with Ortiz with a split decision victory against Michael Bisping at UFC 78.

There aren’t really any advantages for Rashad in this fight with Liddell. Evans is probably a better wrestler, but Liddell has shown that no one can keep him on the mat if they can even get him down in the first place. Evans likes to bob-and-weave with his striking game, but that most likely isn’t a smart game plan against “The Iceman” who can knock anyone out at anytime from any angle. I think this fight should be entertaining the whole way through, but I think Liddell still has too much left in the tank for a fighter like Rashad Evans. Winner: Chuck Liddell
Rick Franklin vs Matt Hamill – Honestly, this fight between Rich Franklin and Matt Hamill does not pique my interest at all. Sure, I’m a Rich Franklin fan and like to watch him fight, but I don’t see the significance on this matchup. The UFC is currently in a tough position with Franklin, who is a very marketable fighter for them, but while Anderson Silva is still champion there is not much they can do with the “Ace.”

While Matt Hamill’s fight game has improved by leaps and bounds since his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter: Season 3, I still don’t think he is ready for a fighter like Rich Franklin. Hamill put on the fight of his life against Michael Bisping at UFC 75, where he was robbed of a decision victory, and followed that up with a nice TKO victory against Tim Boetsch at UFC Fight Night 13. There is no way Hamill can stand and strike with Franklin, so he will need to hope to take Franklin down early and often if he has any chance of victory. Winner: Rich Franklin

Karo Parisyan vs Yoshiyuki Yoshida – Karo Parisyan is coming off the first knockout loss of his career against Thiago Alves at UFC Fight Night 13. Since then, Parisyan has done but sit and stew waiting to get back into relevance in the UFC welterweight division. Yoshiyuki Yoshida is not a fighter to be taken lightly however, and if Karo is not careful he could suffer back-to-back losses that would put him nearly at the end of the 170 lb. ladder. Yoshida is a decent striker who could pose problems for Parisyan. Ultimately, I think we see a boring fight from these two with Karo taking yet another decision victory. Winner: Karo Parisyan

Dan Henderson vs Rousimar Palhares – Dan Henderson has had a rough time since joining the UFC. He has only fought twice, but lost both fights and in turn gave up his PrideFC middleweight and light heavyweight belts. This matchup with Rousimar Palhares should be very interesting as Palhares is an excellent wrestler and submission fighter. Look for “Hollywood” to use his own excellent wrestling skills to keep the fight on the feet and look to knockout Palhares with the dangerous right hand that has been absent in his last two fights. Winner: Dan Henderson

Martin Kampmann vs Nathan Marquardt – Nathan Marquardt is looking to stay relevant in the UFC’s middleweight division as he takes on a very tough Martin Kampmann. Marquardt is coming off a strange and disappointing loss to Thales Leites at UFC 85 where, due to multiple point deductions, he loss the fight via split decision. Since 2004 “Nate the Great” has only lost to Leites and current middleweight champion Anderson Silva and will be looking to start a new winning streak against Kampmann. Kampmann, who was originally known for his striking game, has become something of a submission artist having won four of his last six fights via submssion. I think Marquardt’s stamina will be better and overall he has more skill and talent than Kampmann. Winner: Nathan Marquardt

Thiago Tavares vs Kurt Pellegrino – Winner: Thiago Tavares
Tim Boetsch vs Michael Patt – Winner: Tim Boetsch
Dong Hyun Kim vs Matt Brown – Winner: Dong Hyun Kim
Jason Lambert vs Jason MacDonald – Winner: Jason MacDonald
Roan Carneiro vs Ryo Chonan – Winner: Roan Carneiro