THE CLINCH REPORT

UFC 142 Main Card-Main Event Predictions

Featherweight Championship:  José Aldo  vs.  Chad Mendes

Jose Aldo has learned from his last few fights, that his weakness was being exposed. Aldo’s dynamic striking has been complimented this camp with the wrestling skills of Gray Maynard. Knowing that Chad Mendes would be his toughest opponent yet. Coming off of consecutive wins in lackluster performances, Aldo will surely be looking for a decisive win to reignite talks of his pound for pound supremacy.

Chad Mendes is 11-0 as a mixed martial artist, and the Team Alpha Male product is certainly looking to add a strap with his 12th win. Mendes has the advantage of working with Urijah Faber who lost a 5 round decision to Aldo, so he has a good idea what to expect. The key term for a Mendes win, according to fight expert Fred Stein is “Grind”. “Chad needs to take him down, and grind out the win.”

Clinch Report prediction (Going with Fred Stein on this one): Mendes 5 rd Decision (majority)

Middleweight bout:  Vitor Belfort vs.  Anthony Johnson

Vitor Belfort at 185 is a very large fighter, however there are not much larger than Anthony Johnson at that weight class. At 6’2 his reach is very long, and he can touch opponents with power from the outside equally with all four limbs. He has vicious knees and elbows, however he is facing Vitor Belfort.  Belfort has been fighting the best in the world since he was a teenager, there is not much in the MMA game that Belfort has not seen.  He has aggressive power in both hands, and his ferocious striking has made several world class fighters stare at the heavens, prone.

Clinch Report prediction: Anthony Johnson rd 2 TKO