Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is making a rare Friday night appearance -- probably just to stick it to these guys -- with UFC Fight Night 50: "Jacare vs. Mousasi 2" on Sept. 5, 2014, from inside Foxwoods Resort Casino on the Mashantucket Reservation in Ledyard Connecticut.
FOX Sports 1 where it's available, UFC Fight Pass where it's not.
What's interesting about this latest offering is how it dwarfs the recent UFC 177 pay-per-view (PPV) card in terms of compelling match ups. Ronaldo Souza could be one win away from contending for the middleweight crown, while Alistair Overeem needs a big finish to get himself "in the mix."
And Joe Lauzon has 12 post-fight bonuses, so he could fight a broomstick for all I care.
Fortunately he's paired off against a scrappy slugger like Michael Chiesa, while Derrick Lewis tries to Hulk-smash Matt Mitrione in heavyweight action. As for Nik Lentz vs. Charles Oliveira and John Moraga vs. Justin Scoggins, those bouts have been demoted to the "Prelims" after the network made some last-minute adjustments.
Let's get pickin' ...
185 lbs.: Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (20-3) vs. Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi (35-4-2)
Nostradumbass predicts: Here's why I like this match up: Ronaldo Souza is a better, more accomplished grappler than Gegard Mousasi, but the Armenian is good enough on the ground to keep himself from getting submitted. Conversely, "The Dreamcatcher" is a better, more accomplished striker than "Jacare," but the Brazilian is good enough on his feet to keep from getting KTFO.
That means wherever this bout takes place, we have ourselves a fight.
I think it's safe to say that Souza is going to get this thing south at some point in time. I don't want to be misled by Mousasi's excellent takedown defense against Mark Munoz earlier this year, because even I could have stopped those shots, since "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" was starting them from the arena parking lot.
As a judo black belt, that's not the Brazilian's game anyway, and his takedowns come from the dirty work in close, or up against the cage. Mousasi can resist, but likely not refuse, since Souza is now a muscular menace and capable of bench-pressing a Volkswagen.
That's going to cost him in the long run.
I wouldn't be surprised to see "Jacare" control the first two rounds in what will undoubtedly become a competitive fight. But as the minutes drag on and the Brazilian begins to fade. Mousasi will be able to keep it upright and pick his shots, doing just enough in the second half of their contest to capture the cards by a score of 3-2.
Final prediction: Mousasi def. Souza via unanimous decision
265 lbs.: Alistair "Demolition Man" Overeem (37-13) vs. "Big" Ben Rothwell (33-9)
Nostradumbass predicts: Ben Rothwell has only competed eight times over the last seven years and could barely muster up a 4-4 record, with those four wins coming against the likes of Chris Guillen, Gilbert Yvel, Brendan Schaub, and Brandon Vera, a veritable LOL-fest.
And let's not forget about his failed drug test.
So you can understand why most pundits are picking against him -- myself included -- heading into his Alistair Overeem fight. I don't care what he did in IFL or anyplace else, because that was seven years ago when he was 25, beating up such "names" as the 3-7 Wojtek Kaszowski.
C'mon, son.
Not that I'm popping any bubbly for Overeem, either. Like Rothwell, he was also pinched for polluted pee and then got knocked around by fighters he was pegged to defeat. Though I would consider "The Reem's" non-UFC accolades, which include a world title in K-1, to be light years ahead of anything "Big" Ben has accomplished.
And Rothwell's cardio is terrible.
Unless he can land clean on "The Reem," I would expect the Dutchman to bully his foe into the fence. Chin or no chin, he's still a powerful clinch fighter who will tenderize the Wisconsinite with some knees, then secure a stoppage victory when Rothwell runs out of gas.
Final prediction: Overeem def. Rothwell via technical knockout
265 lbs.: Matt "Meathead" Mitrione (7-3) vs. Derrick "Black Beast" Lewis (11-2)
Nostradumbass predicts: Derrick Lewis is the flavor of the month and for good reason. He's bringing scary back (yeah). Seriously, the UFC heavyweight division has not had a "scary motherfucker" in a long time. Remember the early days of Shane Carwin?
That's kind of where we're at with the "Black Beast."
Luckily for Matt Mitrione, Lewis is a sloppy striker with clumsy footwork. Most of the time it doesn't matter, because whatever he hits, he destroys. If "Meathead" can turn this into a kickboxing match, however, he's likely to win on points using superior angles and underrated speed.
In theory, anyway.
In reality, he won't be afforded the time to stand and bang like a lot of heavyweight strikers. Lewis -- who cuts weight to make 265 -- is going to come out of the gate like a man possessed, rush "Meathead" into the fence, and start dropping bombs with reckless abandon.
It's only a matter of time before one of them finds their mark.
Final prediction: Lewis def. Mitrione via knockout
155 lbs.: Joe "J-Lau" Lauzon (23-9) vs. Mike "Maverick" Chiesa (11-1)
Nostradumbass predicts: This has been a tough fight to predict because this is probably the bout that lets us know if Joe Lauzon was stuck in a rut and ready to get back to business, or among the relics of a bygone era who can no longer keep up with the new kids on the block.
The numbers are pretty telling.
It's hard to knock a guy coming off a win, but c'mon, we're talking about Mac Danzig, who called it quits after a putrid 3-8 run. Prior to that, "J-Lau" was dominated by Michael Johnson in his hometown, not long after Jim Miller spent 15 minutes kicking his ass.
I fear this could be the end.
But that also depends on the rugged (yet still unrefined) Mike Chiesa. Like Lauzon, this fight lets us know where he's really at. He's only had one stiff test in his young Octagon career and he failed miserably, thanks to a slick brabo choke from Jorge Masvidal. Outside of that loss, he's got four wins over lower-level competition.
And Lauzon is dangerous everywhere.
The Bostonian has unassuming power and a slick ground game. If the last seven years -- and the wars that came with them -- have not yet wrecked him physically, he should be able to outlast the scrappy "Maverick" and will possibly finish him with a rear-naked choke.
Final prediction: Lauzon def. Chiesa via submission
That's a wrap.
For previews and predictions on the preliminary card fights click here. To see all the odds and betting lines for UFC Fight Night 50 click here and remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of "Jacare vs. Mousasi 2."
What do you think? Now it's your turn ... let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for tomorrow night's event.