UFC Knockout Compilation

Nothing is more exciting in MMA than a knockout. Last weeks fight for the troops had some great ones that hopefully will be matched Saturday night. Some might not be in the top 20 of all time, but these are some great KOs. Which is your favorite?

UFC 167 Fight Picks

Saturday night, the UFC Welterweight Championship belt is on the line as George "Rush" St. Pierre looks to defend his title for the ninth consecutive time against Johny "Big Rigg" Hendricks. "Rush" has held the belt for almost six years, while "Big Rigg" has marked off six straight wins to make him the divisions #1 contender. GSP is the UFC's takedown king and divisions most well rounded fighter, but will have his hands full with Hendricks, a 4-time All-American and 3-time Big 12 wrestling champion with huge knockout power . I've always been a GSP fan, but I like Hendricks with the upset. I think his wrestling neutralizes GSP and even can overtake him, allowing him to unleash his power and finish the champ.
Pick: Hendricks

Light Heavyweight Matchup

Another big fight of the night pits Chael "The American Gangster" Sonnen against former UFC light heavyweight champ against Rashad "Suga" Evans. Evans hasn't looked like a former champ as of late, following up two straight losses (Jon Jones and Antonio Nogueira) with a split decision win over Dan Henderson. Sonnen rebounded from two losses (also to Jones and Anderson Silva) with a first round submission over Maurico "Shogun" Rua. I think Chael's aggressive style will overwhelm Evans, who has looked tentative as of late. Look for Sonnen to try to smother Evans against the cage and take it to the ground to finish with his relentless attack.

Pick: Sonnen

Welterweight Matchup

Up and comer Rory MacDonald will look to take another step towards a title fight when he squares off against Robbie Lawler. MacDonald's only loss came three years ago against Carlos Condit, while Lawler has had two impressive knockouts since he returned to the UFC after a 9 year hiatus. Since his lone loss, MacDonald moved to Montreal to train with GSP and has looked like a future champion as he continues to polish his game. His skills should be too much for Lawler as he looks takes another step up the Welterweight ladder.
Pick: MacDonald

Welterweight Matchup

Josh Koscheck will look to rebound with a win against Tyron Woodley, following two consecutive losses to other fighters on the card (Lawler and Hendricks). Woodley needs an win after losing a boring fight to Jake Shields. I expect Woodley to step his game up and return to the form of his 35 second UFC debut that ended in a knockout. Koshcheck is a longtime vet, but his best days are behind him and his chin is starting to be more of a liability that is sure to be tested by Woodley's power.
Pick: Woodley

Flyweight Matchup

Expect a fast paced fight as Tim Elliot faces off against Ali Bagautinov. Bagautinov has garnered the nickname "Puncher king" due to his knockout power as evidenced in three consecutive knockout wins coming into the bout. Elliot will look to use speed and pressure to keep Bagautinov off balance and look to wear him down. I expect Elliot to be smart enough to avoid the knockout blow en route to a decision victory.
Pick: Elliot

Undercard Picks

Donald Cerrone over Evan Dunham

Thales Leites over Ed Herman

Rick Story over Brian Ebersold

Erik Perez over Edwin Figueroa

Jason High Over Anthony Lapsley

Sergio Pettis over Will Campuzano

Gian Villante over Cody Donovan

Gives new meaning to the term "Cat Lady"

The SEC is Overrated

I know, I know. 9 of 15 BCS champs, 7 BCS champs in a row, so many ranked teams, loads of players in the NFL, blah, blah, blah. I'm not arguing that Alabama isn't the best team, because they are. They are a few wins away from a third consecutive championship and the opportunity to cement their status as the best CFB dynasty of all team. My argument is that the conference gets much more credit than they deserve. Hear me out, and I might sway your opinion of the current college football landscape. 

Currently, the SEC has 7 teams in the top-25, with two other teams that have been ranked at some point this season. You might say that this is the one of prime arguments for the long held belief that the best football is played in the SEC, but what is often overlooked is how so many teams end up ranked in the first place.
The SEC is a 14 team conference divided into two 7 team divisions. But out of the 13 potential conference opponents, they only play 8 teams. The ACC (8 of 13) and to a lesser extent the Big 10 (8 of 12) so the same. It's easier to have so many ranked teams without the conference cannibalization of the Pac-12 (9 of 11) or Big 12 (9 of 10). Imagine if UCLA didn't play Stanford or Oregon (who aren't even in the same division), or if Stanford didn't have the L against Utah on their record (another inter-division matchup). Replace a tough conference game with an easy non-conference game like the SEC does, and the Pac-12 is sitting with a much higher overall ranking. 

Best Ron Burgundy impression I've seen