UFC 74

The UFC always gives its pay-per-view events silly, WWE-style names. For UFC 74 the official name is Respect, but i think it could have also been called UFC 74: Who Knows? Seriously, i have no idea who's going to win the main fights. It seems like Gonzaga should have the advantage on Couture by virtue of youth alone, but Couture has proven himself adept at finding and exploiting an opponent's weaknesses. I also wonder if Couture's wrestling skill might frustrate Gonzaga's ground game, but then again maybe Couture needs to watch Gonzaga's feet. Whatever the outcome i hope this fight doesn't end with some crazy-ass kick or punch. I'd love to see a long, active ground fight between these two guys, with maybe Gonzaga working from Couture's guard.

The St. Pierre-Koscheck fight is also hard to call. Clearly GSP is the more skilled, more well-rounded, more experienced fighter. But Koscheck has momentum and confidence. Although it'd be disappointing to me, i wouldn't be surprised to see Koscheck upset St. Pierre. GSP is my favorite MMA fighter right now (actually, i also like his buddy David Loiseau, but he's practically disappeared since his loss to Rich Franklin). Although i think too much has been made of his mental state since the loss to Serra, i do think he'd have benefited from a better match-up on his return. Ironically, on the night of the fight i'll be in Montreal at a friend's wedding and so will probably miss the live event.

Kendall Grove will probably beat Patrick Cote, but who knows?