Picking & Grinning: UFC 123 Prelims

Sherdog.com staff put their reputations on the line with bold predictions of the UFC 123 prelims:

Brian Foster vs. Matt Brown

Jordan Breen: Foster might be a one-trick pony, but his one trick is usually overwhelming and crazy powerful. Few men at 170 can swing hammers and make hay like Foster. The ball is in Brown's court: if he's diligent in pursuit of the takedown and can put Foster on his back, he's got a real chance to pound on him. However, Brown's prelude to wrestling is normally throwing wild punches and copious clinching. While it's a winnable fight for Brown, there's a greater likelihood that he gets his wig split by Foster in the late first, early second round.

Tristen Critchfield: You can expect "The Immortal" to come after Foster like his opponent put lime juice in his can of Skoal. What these two have in common is that they have both been recently submitted by Chris Lytle. Brown can't afford a third straight loss in the UFC. Brown by submission in round two.

Luca Fury: Neither of these fighters are likely ever going to be anything more than gatekeepers, but that aside, this should be an entertaining scrap. I think this fight could go either way, but I favor Foster to use his relentless style to win a decision over the game Brown.

Mark Munoz (8-2) vs. Aaron Simpson (7-1)

Lutfi Sariahmed: Munoz will try to take his opponent down, but Simpson's takedown defense will stop him from being that effective. When Munoz is forced to stand up, it won't end well. Simpson wins by knockout in the KO of the night.

Critchfield: It's Arizona State vs. Oklahoma State in this clash of decorated wrestlers. Simpson was on a roll until Chris Leben lured him into a slugfest. We've seen Munoz rebound from a devastating head kick loss at the hands of Matt Hamill. How will Simpson respond to his first defeat, and how will the split from Arizona Combat Sports (along with teammates Ryan Bader and C.B. Dolloway) affect his approach? The wrestling should be a wash, and if neither fighter can impose his will via ground-and-pound, this contest goes the distance. Munoz by decision.

Breen: Two former standout NCAA wrestlers who roused a lot of excitement about their MMA careers, who are now fighting to keep a UFC contract. Fortunately for him, Simpson's cardio issues are a bit more fixable than the fact Munoz gets dropped in virtually every fight and can't close the distance at all. It doesn't look like either guy will reach the heights many predicted, but Simpson will avoid the pink slip by bashing Munoz when he comes in with his hands down, and it might not even take that long.

Karo Parisyan vs. Dennis Hallman

Freddie DeFreitas: Parisyan outgrapples Hallman en route to a unanimous decision. A monumental step for “The Heat” in his return to the UFC.

Sariahmed: This entire bout depends on which Parisyan shows up. You're just as likely to guess right by flipping a coin as you are by trying to determine if Parisyan is actually going to fight to his potential this time around. I'll go Hallman.

Breen: As a one of the dozens of people who was there in Australia for Parisyan's bout with Ben Mortimer, I can say that I don't think he's over the anxiety issues that have plagued him. He is definitely the more well-rounded and more talented fighter than Hallman, and if his head is on mostly right, and he's even in passable shape, I think he wins a decision. But, Hallman has been sneaky effective in his UFC return: he beat Ben Saunders, and referee Josh Rosenthal ripped him off against John Howard. Don't be shocked if Hallman somehow pulls it out.

Tyson Griffin vs. Nik Lentz

Critchfield: Lentz's victory over Andrew Winner was anything but a crowd pleaser, so leave it up to matchmaker extraordinaire Joe Silva to pair him with “Fight of the Night” mainstay Tyson Griffin. The Xtreme Couture product’s knockout loss to Takanori Gomi was shocking, but Griffin generally has a durable chin. Coming off two straight losses, Griffin is likely to fight with more vigor than usual. His battles against some of the division's best give him the edge here. Griffin by decision.

Fury: Both guys are coming of poor performances -- Lentz a lackluster decision over Winner and Griffin a KO loss to former Pride champion Gomi -- so they're both in need of an impressive performance. I think Tyson gets a win but it might not be pretty. Both fighters are good wrestlers, but as I mentioned before, when two wrestlers face off, the fight usually turns into a striking battle. Tyson has the advantage in the striking department, so I think he'll use his superior striking and solid takedown defense to win a decision.

UFC 123 vs. Mike Lullo

Breen: Barboza is a seriously intriguing talent with tons of upside. He's a great athlete, has stupid big KO power, and a developing submission game. His big problem? His defensive wrestling is still absolutely dreadful. Fortunately for him, Lullo is a) not a great wrestler and b) a late replacement. This could be fun on the mat, but more likely, it'll be a resounding clobbering for "The Nova Friburgo Phenomenon" early in the bout. Then, somebody rush some wrestlers to The Armory, stat.

Fury: Two prospects will be making their UFC debuts in an intriguing matchup where styles will clash. Barboza will look to use his superior striking to rack up yet another KO win. Conversely, Lullo will be looking to take this fight to the ground as quick as possible. I'll bank on the muay Thai practitioner keeping his undefeated record intact and scoring his sixth in seven fights.

Paul Kelly vs. T.J. O'Brien

DeFreitas: While Kelly will undoubtedly find himself fending off a myriad of submissions from newcomer O'Brien, the Brit's positional dominance will be the difference. Kelly by decision.

Critchfield: With a spotty record, Kelly could be fighting for his UFC life against O'Brien, a newcomer to the Octagon. O'Brien has a penchant for finishing opponents with a triangle choke and should have a reach advantage, but Kelly hasn't lost back-to-back fights in his career yet. Experience wins the day here. Kelly by decision.