My 2 cents: UFC 110 predictions part 2

Co-Main Event: Wanderli Silva v. Michael Bisping

This highly anticipated match up will be a definite candidate for fight of the night. However,
I'm sensing there will be a juicy knockout of the night check waiting for the winner. I just don't see this one going the distance. Both men are finishers. They are relentless predators that swarm over their opponents like hungry wolves. Once an opening is found it is exploited and usually the fight is finished quickly.

Wanderli Silva is a legend. Plain and simple. He is a wild man with bone crunching power in both hands and an aggressive style that most find hard to deal with. His legacy was built in Japan as the nearly iconic middleweight champion. In Pride Silva was a force of nature, an intimidating presence that defeated most of his oppoents before they even stepped into the ring with him. However, Silva has faced a string of losses of late, winning only 1 out of his last 5 fights. Critics have questioned his chin and point to the massive amount of damage Silva has absorbed as a reason for retirement. However, no critic can question his willpower and heart. He has the ability to violently end a fight at any moment (just check out the Keith Jardine fight) and can also handle himself on the ground. Look for Wanderli to attack Bisping from the opening bell. Once again reunited with the famed Chute Boxe academy, Silva has ramped up the intensity of his training and has re-built his arsenal of weapons. The number 1 weapon of choice should be his knees from the clinch. His gameplan should be to bully Bisping around the ring and to keep his hands high to defend against Bisping's crisp counter punches. Meanwhile, he must close the distance and attack the body. On the feet, Bisping has the kickboxing skills to pick Wanderli apart over 3 rounds so he will try engage at close range. To close the distance, Silva will probably throw wild power shots, but once locked into the Muay Thai plum Silva has free reign to unload the same knee strikes that demolished Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in thier first two fights. The one thing Wanderli has over Bisping is one punch knockout power. One power shot can end Bisping's night early. I still believe that Bisping has been hesitant since the Henderson fight, and if he gets caught like he did against Dennis Kang he will get tucked into bed.

Michael "The Count" Bisping is a brash, confident, and fearless competitor. Much like Silva, Bisping would rather finish fights then allow decisions. Thus, Bisping prefers to beat his opponents into oblivion rather then grind them down. He is an excellent kickboxer with a diverse array of strikes, excellent foot speed, and top notch cardio. Amazingly, he also has good wrestling skills despite never hitting the mat a day in his life before beginning MMA. The Brit also showed solid ju-jitsu skills in his beat down of Kang, by controlling the black belt's posture and employing great hip escapes. He might not need many hip escapes against Silva. Silva will not shoot in for a takedown, the only way the fight will hit the ground is if Bisping initiates it. And he should. Bisping should use strikes to pepper Silva and then look for a takedown. Once on the ground, Bisping can rain down his fierce ground and pound and smash Wanderli. If Bisping insists on slugging it out he will eventually get clipped and finished brutally. The motto of the night for Bisping is "Don't brawl with the brawler". However, I don't belive Bisping will attempt to prove anything by standing in front of Silva. He will pick Silva apart with pinpoint kicks and punches and take the Brazilian down. The fight will be stopped on the ground when Silva eats a barrage of hammerfists and elbows.

Prediction: Bisping 3rd round TKO