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01/13/2009 Archived Entry: "Final Picks For UFC 94 Fight Card Released"
Final Picks For UFC 94 Fight Card Released
By Jack R. Dunn
LAS VEGAS -- Ultimate Fighting Championship public relations rep Jennifer Wenk confirmed the remaining fight card for UFC 94, which will feature UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn vs. UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre in the main event. The welterweight title will be on the line. The fight is scheduled for the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, January 31, 2009, and will also be available on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST.
The card will also include light-heavyweight Thiago Silva of Sao Paulo, Brazil vs. Lyoto Machida of Belem, Brazil. Both fighters will risk undefeated records. Machida, 13-0, outlasted former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz in his last bout and has posted five UFC wins in his career. The two-time Brazilian Karate champion is known for his unorthodox style and counter-striking, and he'll need all of those skills against Silva. The 26-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, also with a 13-0 record, has put away every UFC opponent, earning TKO wins against Houston Alexander, Tomasz Drwal and James Irvin along with a submission due to strikes victory against Antonio Mendes.
Las Vegas, Nevada's Stephan Bonnar is best known for fighting Forrest Griffin in the finale of the first season of UFC's Spike TV series The Ultimate Fighter, but more recently the 31-year-old is on a two-fight win streak with a TKO win over Eric Schafer and a submission victory against Mike Nickels. Bonnar will meet undefeated light heavyweight Jon Jones of Endicott, N.Y. in UFC 94. Jones is coming off a decision win against Andre Gusmao in his UFC debut. The 21-year-old Jones is a former junior college national wrestling champion.
Welterweight journeyman Karo Parisyan of North Hollywood, CA dropped his last fight to number one welterweight contender Thiago Alves, but has a 26-5 record and has nine wins in the UFC, including victories over Matt Serra, Chris Lytle, Josh Burkman and Ryo Chonan. Parisyan will clash with Dong Hyun Kim of Busan, South Korea. Like Parisyan, Kim has a judo background, and the 27-year-old is coming off consecutive wins in his first two UFC matches against Jason Tan and Matt Brown.
The next match will feature hundred and fifty-five pounder Clay Guida of Johnsburg, IL vs. 23-year-old Ultimate Fighter Season 5 winner Nate Diaz of Stockton, CA. The 27-year-old Guida has won his last two fights, with a TKO victory against Samy Schiavo, and a decision win over Mac Danzig. Diaz has won his last five fights including victories against Josh Neer and Kurt Pellegrino in his last two fights.
Only two fighters have started their UFC careers by going 8-0. The first was the legendary Royce Gracie, the second was Jon Fitch of San Jose, CA. Coming back from a loss to St-Pierre, the former Purdue wrestler will take on Akihiro Gono of Nakano, Tokyo, Japan. The 34-year-old Gono has more than forty fights and is also coming back from a decision loss against Dan Hardy at UFC 89.
Fighting on the same card as his cousin Karo Parisyan, Manvel Gamburyan of North Hollywood, CA hopes to recover from the loss to Rob Emerson in his last match. A judo practitioner like his cousin, the 27-year-old will face hundred and fifty-five pound Thiago Tavares of Florianopolis, Brazil. The 24-year-old Brazilian had wins in 2008 against Matt Wiman and Kurt Pellegrino.
He lost to Jon Fitch earlier this year, but after a comeback decision win over Steve Bruno, Middleweight Chris Wilson of Portland, OR will meet John Howard of Dorchester, MA, who is making his UFC debut.
Heavyweight Christian Wellisch of Sacramento, CA won two of his last three UFC fights. To improve on his 9-3 record, Wellisch will have to defeat 24-year-old Jake O'Brien of Indianapolis, IN. O'Brian's most recent win was in 2007 over Heath Herring.
Making his professional debut Dan Cramer of Bethel, CN, will round out the card. The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 alumnus went 2-1 on the show, and now Cramer will turn pro when he takes on Season 6 contestant Matt Arroyo of Tampa, FL. Arroyo is 1-1 in the UFC and is best known for his ground fighting ability.
