Tate vs. Rousey, Kampmann vs. Alves LowKick.com Staff Predictions

UFC on FX 2 Main Event: Thiago Alves vs. Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann
Top Community Prediction: The Pitbull via KO/TKO in Round 3

Joey Santosus: With Georges St. Pierre out of the picture, and a previous victory over current Interim Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit on his resume, a strong outing in Australia could put Martin Kampmann in the mix for a title shot. Looking good against Thiago Alves, however, will be no easy task for the Dane, as even the slightest miscalculation when exchanging with "Pitbull" could leave him staring up at the lights. With that said, I think he gets the job done, using superior range and technique to out-strike the ATT product. Martin Kampmann via Decision.

Trent Reinsmith: Kampmann has the reach advantage as well as the advantage of being a more well-rounded fighter and he will need both to secure the victory in Sydney. Kampmann has said he won’t be drawn into a brawl and if he can stay true to his word and keep to his game plan which should be frustrating Alves with his jab and taking him to the ground when the opportunity arises he should secure the victory.  If Kampmann deviates from his plan and brawls, he will lose, but I think he’s learned his lesson.  Kampmann by unanimous decision.

Anton Gurevich: Both fighters showed inconsistency in their most recent bouts, but I was more impressed with Martin Kampmann. The Hitman lost two very close decisions to Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez, and was able to defeat the former Top 10 Welterweight Rick “The Horror” Story. Alves lost to Story in a fashion that works well with Martin Kampmann's style. We'll see if my MMA math works here. Martin Kampmann via Decision.

Strikeforce Women's 135lbs Title: Miesha Tate (Champion) vs. Ronda Rousey
Top Community Prediction: Tate via KO/TKO in Round 3

Joey Santosus: Ronda Rousey should undoubtedly be applauded for shining such a bright light on women's MMA during an otherwise grim stage in it's existence. But, it's hard not to question whether she's bitten off more than she can chew here. Rousey has displayed complete dominance over all seven of her previous opponents (4 pro, 3 amateur), but none have managed to last longer than 57-seconds without being armbarred. Though this is clearly not a negative statistic, on Saturday she faces a tried and true champion in Miesha Tate, who has not only been to the championship rounds, but showed excellent submission defense en-route to becoming the first to tap-out Marloes Coenen last July. I'm fully prepared to be wrong here, but I'll take the more proven commodity in this one. Miesha Tate via Decision.

Trent Reinsmith: The trash talk was enjoyable while it lasted and it really feels like Rousey and Tate detest each other, something that always makes fights more interesting.  Tate says Rousey is not well-rounded enough to deserve a title fight, while Rousey says she has nothing to fear from a high school wrestler. Who’s right? I have to go with Rousey, she may be one dimensional, but when that one dimension is so good, it doesn’t matter. That’s right, another first round submission for Rousey.

Anton Gurevich: This is a very interesting match up. Both Tate and Rousey are great on the ground, so I think the difference will be in stand-up. I believe Miesha Tate has an edge in stand-up, and can survive Rousey's armbar attempts, especially after submitting a true BJJ wizard in Marloes Coenen. Plus, “Takedown” Tate has the title fight experience factor that could help her against Rousey. This one could go either way, but I'll pick Tate to defend her title via Decision.