UFC 123 Picks & Predictions – Take Machida -280 vs. Jackson
By Drew Sharper
UFC 123: Rampage vs. Machida gets under way Saturday and I have three suggested plays for the main bouts on the card.
UFC 123 takes place from the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit, Michigan and will air live on Pay-Per-View at 10PM ET. Here are my picks for Saturday night’s card.
Main Event – Light Heavyweight Bout – Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Lyoto Machida
This is a bad matchup for Jackson as he likes to counter strike and Machida does nothing but wait for his opponents to pursue him. His karate-style has been very successful, but he is coming off a loss to Mauricio Rua. Rampage is simply a striker and a grappler, while Machida has more abilities and athleticism to work with. He should be able to stick and move and throw Rampage of his game in order to win a decision. FREE PICK – Lyoto Machida -280
Co-Main Event – Welterweight Bout – Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn
This is the third fight between these two, but the previous two have largely gone in Penn’s favor despite each guy winning a fight. Penn has much superior striking and better grappling while Hughes’ only strength is his wrestling. Penn has the ability to stuff Hughes’ takedowns and I see Penn earning a decision victory due to his fast hands. FREE PICK – B.J. Penn -175
Upset Watch – Welterweight Bout – Brian Foster vs. Matt Brown
Matt Brown is the underdog in this fight and in desperate need of a win. He has struggled with grapplers and Foster is a grappler, but the desperation in Brown will force him to be aggressive and his power and striking should be enough to overwhelm Foster and earn a TKO in round one or round two. FREE PICK – Matt Brown +115