TUF 1 winner Forrest Griffin, and the 'Huntington Beach Bad Boy' Tito Ortiz will collide in the main event of UFC 106 due to Shane Carwin vs. Brock Lesnar being put back indefinitely as of now. Lesnar has illnesses that could stop him fighting ever again, and despite the card (of 106) being weakened by his departure, it is still very solid.
Griffin vs. Ortiz - A Pick 'em Fight
Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin have met once before. This was at UFC 59 when Ortiz just about got the "W" over his foe with a split decision. While some would argue that the fight at UFC 106 could be headed to a similar outcome, it is important to note that a lot has happened and circumstances have changed since the last time they fought, making it a very different proposition to their previous encounter.
Griffin is coming off the back of two losses, although it should be stated these were to top quality guys. One was against 'Sugar' Rashad Evans, an excellent, well rounded fighter, while the other was against Anderson Silva, who many would argue is the best 'pound for pound' fighter in the world. Griffin has improved vastly in recent times, and despite becoming more technical, his heart hasn't waned one bit and he still dig deep and enter the trenches if necessary.
Ortiz on the other hand is coming back from a lengthy absence. His last fight was in May 2008, and this was a losing effort against Lyoto Machida (who is still undefeated to this day). 'The Huntington Beach Bad Boy' claims he has buried the hatchet with UFC supremo Dana White, and that he is all healed up and ready to go, but only time will tell if he really has got rid of past injuries.
Both will provide a decent test for the other at UFC 106. Styles wise they match up well, and it is hard to see who will have the upper hand anywhere. Striking wise, one would imagaine they are pretty even. Ortiz arguably has the better wrestling, but some would say Griffin has the better ground game, making this a really hard fight to predict. Both men should be fit and ready to go though, meaning fans should be in for a good, technical encounter.
Co-Main Event: Johnson vs. Koscheck
The explosive Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson will be looking to build on his huge first round win over Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 104, with a dominating performance over excellent wrestler Josh Koscheck.
This is a hard fight for Koscheck. While he has become well rounded over the last few years, his wrestling is still the strongest string of his bow. However, Johnson is such an animal at 170lbs (apparently he cuts to this from 220lbs), that Koscheck may not really be able to use this to great effect, and that means he may have to stand and trade with Johnson, who has immense power at welterweight.
In this writer's eyes, Johnson is just going to be too big for 'Kos'. His size and strength makes him a threat to just about anyone in the division, and on the feet, he is a beast. A Johnson stoppage in round one or two would probably be a decent bet.
The Undercard
Phil Baroni will make his return to the UFC on the main card of UFC 106, when he takes on TUF 7 winner Amir Sadollah. Sadollah is more skilful, but as everyone knows, Phil Baroni hits hard, and early on, he is always a threat. Despite 'The New York Badass' being an exciting addition to the UFC, if Sadollah can withstand the early onslaught, he can walk away with a points win or a late submission.
'Little Nog' Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will make his UFC debut on this show, and he will be fighting fellow Brazilian Luiz Cane. While Cane has only been beaten once, Nogueira has fought at a higher level, and he should be able to pull off the victory with his sublime Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Despite losing at UFC 100, Paulo Thiago will fight on the main card. Opposing him is the 9-0 Jacob Volkmann. While we know that Thiago is a hard hitting, durable BJJ specialist, Volkmann is somewhat of an unknown quantity, so it is hard to predict the outcome of this fight.
UFC 106: Weak or Strong?
While the absence of Lesnar vs. Carwin has really hurt the bill, and Karo Parisyan's late pull out didn't help either, UFC 106 could still be an excellent show. Ortiz vs. Griffin will be a great technical battle, while on the undercard, Anthony Johnson and Phil Baroni's fights are sure to be explosive and exciting.
How To Watch UFC 106
This page details how the card can be watched worldwide.
