Finally a few fights that I am really excited to see! I’m a big fan of BJ Penn, but does he have the cardio to keep up with Diego Sanchez? BJ’s gas tank has seemed to improve in his last fights but it has always been his weakness, and Diego is a machine and can keep going for 5 rounds easy. I’m pulling for BJ in this one, but we could easily see Diego on top doing some G’n'P most of the fight if Penn gets tired.
Then Frank Mir and Cheick Kongo collide! Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert with mediocre striking vs a powerful striker with mediocre ground skills. Do I even need to spell this out? Mir subs Kongo on the ground, or Kongo KO/TKO’s Mir on the feet. I’ll be surprised if this fight goes to a decision, and I’m counting on it being exciting.
Then, undoubtedly this could be the most exciting fight of the night. Thiago Alves and Paulo Thiago are going to throw bombs! These guys are always entertaining to watch, and both have knockout power. Both are well rounded fights, so this can go anywhere! Personally I would like to see Alves take it, but hopefully he comes out with a little more confidence than he did against GSP.
Here is the official press release from UFC.com
Live from FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., Saturday, December 12
Las Vegas, NV (USA) – After April’s memorable UFC Fight Night™ in Nashville, The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) is headed back to the great state of Tennessee to give the fans another night of world class mixed martial arts action as UFC lightweight champion BJ Penn faces possibly his toughest test at 155 pounds in the relentless Diego Sanchez at UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez, live from FedExForum in Memphis on Saturday, December 12th.
“In this sport it sometimes takes years for fighters to find the weight class where they’re at their best,” UFC President Dana White said. “I don’t think there’s any question that BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez have finally found their homes at 155 pounds, making the UFC 107 main event a fight between the best Penn and Sanchez we’ve ever seen. BJ hasn’t lost in this weight class in years, and Diego has looked unstoppable in his lightweight fights, and when these two meet in the center of the Octagon, it’s going to make our first trip to Memphis one fight fans will never forget.”
Plus, in the UFC 107 co-main event, two-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) returns to the Octagon to begin his quest for a third title, and to move back up the ladder in one of the sport’s toughest divisions. With finishing wins in three of his last four fights against names such as Brock Lesnar, Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira and Antoni Hardonk, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace with the 12-4 record will need all of his elite level experience to thwart the devastating attack of his next opponent.
“Cheick Kongo is one of the best strikers in the UFC,” Mir said. “I’m coming off a loss and I definitely want to get back on the road to the title. I think this will be a difficult challenge.”
Another heavyweight with finishing wins in three of his last four fights, 6-foot-4, 240-pound Cheick Kongo (fighting out of Paris, France) combines power and superior striking skills every time he steps into the Octagon™. The imposing 34-year-old, who has seven UFC wins, holds a 24-5-1 record and knows that a win over a superstar like Mir will move him ever closer to his first title opportunity.
“In the UFC, you can’t take any opponents lightly,” Kongo said. “But when you face a former champion such as Frank Mir, you’re expecting one of the toughest fights of your career. It’s going to be a classic.”
Also added to the stacked UFC 107 main card is a welterweight showdown between fellow Brazilians Thiago “Pitbull” Alves and Paulo Thiago, two of the division’s top competitors.
One of the most feared strikers in the sport today, Fortaleza-born Thiago Alves (22-5) is a Muay Thai wrecking machine whose fists and feet have sent the likes of Tony DeSouza, Chris Lytle, Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes, and Josh Koscheck to defeat. Now fighting out of Coconut Creek, Florida, the 26 year old banger will look to rebound from his courageous five round loss against champion Georges St-Pierre in July by stopping the rise of Paulo Thiago and getting back on the road to another title shot.
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with multiple titles to his name, Brasilia’s Paulo Thiago surprisingly made his name in the UFC with a spectacular one punch knockout of Josh Koscheck at UFC 95 in February, showing the world that he is as dangerous standing as he is on the mat. On December 12th, the 11-1 fighter and member of Brazil’s special operations police force – who is coming off a hard-fought battle with Jon Fitch – will look to lay down the law to Thiago Alves.
