Originally, Nick Diaz was pulled from his fight at UFC 137 against GSP because he failed to show up for the media. Condit was put in Diaz’s place, but then GSP hurt himself. Diaz went on to face BJ Penn, beating him up for three rounds. Condit was scheduled to face GSP on this card, but Dana White flipped the script and said that GSP wanted Diaz and he’d get Diaz. Then St. Pierre was hurt again and Condit slid into the mix yet again. If I was Carlos Condit, I’d feel a bit disrespected over this entire thing.

The FGB crew along with Stevie J from Angrymarks, have predictions for this fight, as well as Big Country Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum.

Roy Nelson vs. Fabricio Werdum

Alan: Nelson by 1st round TKO
Duan: Werdum by decision
Stevie: Werdum by 2nd round submission
Big D: Nelson by 2nd round TKO
Cactus Jim: Werdum by decision
GG: Werdum by decision

Alan says:

Would love to see these guys go hold for hold on the ground but I think Roy will try to keep this standing where he has the power to finish the Brazilian. I think he does it early too.

Duan says:

I honestly feel Werdum is the most overlooked heavyweight in MMA. The guy snapped the most legendary win streak in the sport’s history and most people barely even took notice – come on! Outside of the big three of Velasquez, Dos Santos and Overeem, he’s probably the division’s next best. Since 08, he has lost only to the UFC heavyweight champion and the current number one contender. That’s not bad company to be keeping.

He will beat Nelson because he’s better. Better in the stand up, better on the ground, just plain and simply better. Big Country is game; he will hang in there, but he will do so with a punchers chance only. Werdum cruises to a 30-27 in a mostly striking battle.

Stevie says:

Werdum is that heavyweight who could be the top guy in the world if he puts it all together, but seems to shoot himself in the foot whenever he’s about to grab the brass ring. Big Country is exactly the kind of guy he needs to beat if he’s going to get a rematch with JDS, who drummed him out of UFC the last time around with an embarrassing first round KO – ironically the win that vaulted Dos Santos to where he is today as champion. I really like Roy Nelson as a person and a fighter, and I’d say people underestimate him a LOT, but I think they underestimate Werdum even more. However – if he can’t beat Big Country, I don’t think we can ever take Werdum seriously as a contender for UFC heavyweight champion ever again. A loss hurts Werdum more than Nelson.

Big D says:

I love Roy. I think Roy is underrated at times. I think when Roy is in shape (don’t laugh) and ready to rumble, he can leap over a lot of heavyweights in both striking and grappling. Werdum is a black hole of charisma who’s legacy will always be as the first guy to knock off Fedor, and that should be ALL he’s left with. Still, the guy’s got way above average ground game. This is a pick-em fight, but I think Roy will use that big right hand and make Werdum lunchmeat.

Cactus Jim says:

I’m not too stoked on this match. I think both guys have suspect cardio and that by the end of the first round this turns into two drunken bar fighters winging haymakers and praying something lands. Occasionally we may see a sloppy takedown attempt that will sometimes pay off only because of the others guys exhaustion. My prediction is that Werdum can land more punches and will use his kicks to outpoint Nelson on the scorecards. There’s potential for each guy to KO the other with an exaggerated bomb, but wouldn’t bet the house on it.

GG says:

All things being equal, Werdum’s jiu-jitsu is much better than anything Nelson can bring to the table. The key is going to be how he can utilize it to win the fight. Werdum’s strategy has been mind-boggling at times. He’s looked awful in fights before. When he can’t goad someone into coming to the ground with him, it seems that he has no back up plan. Nelson is game and he makes up for whatever he lacks in skill and conditioning with a never-say-quit attitude. I just think that if Werdum’s game-plan is at the very least a B-, he beats Big Country. I’m not sure what Big Country can do with him.

Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz

Alan: Condit by 2nd round TKO
Duan: Diaz by 3rd round TKO
Stevie: Diaz by 3rd round TKO
Big D: Diaz by 3rd round TKO
Cactus Jim: Diaz by 4th round TKO
GG: Diaz by 4th round TKO

Alan says:

How do you pick this fight? These guys are both so talented in all aspects of the game. Condit’s biggest weakness is wrestlers who can smother him. Diaz is not the guy to do that. I think this will stay on the feet and I think that it could go either way easily but I’m going to say that Carlos hits a punch on the button and swarms all over Diaz for the win.

Duan says:

I don’t believe there’s anybody in the 170 pound division that can stand with Diaz. He’s just become so good at using his length, judging range, drawing shots and picking counters. He will thud away with the jab-straight, but he can mix it up when he needs to – head and body, hooks and uppercuts. This guy has become a real handful.

I just don’t know what the gameplan can be for Condit here, and I’m not selling him short either. Trust me; I know how good Carlos Condit is. Diaz is just all wrong for him. I don’t think Carlos has the physicality to dictate where this fight takes place. He will be bashed up on the feet, and even if he could get it to the floor, I’m not sure he can do much with Diaz there either. Condit will come to fight; I just don’t think it’s a fight he can win

Stevie says:

Diaz is a better all around athlete, not to mention a more accurate striker and world class at jiu-jitsu. He’s also bat shit crazy, but that’s why people like him so much. I’ve always thought of Condit as a great fighter, going back to his WEC days, but the difference between “great” and “elite” is exactly why Nick Diaz will win this fight.

Big D says:

Diaz is going to pulverize Condit. I predict a series of rabid punches which will only get stronger until Condit falls. I don’t think it’ll be easy and I sort of think it may resemble Diaz’s legendary fight with Gomi, but Diaz will win, possibly by sub, but I’m predicting a TKO.

Cactus Jim says:

On paper this should be an amazing fight. Given the history of each of these fighters I would anticipate a hard fought war. I think Diaz’s striking is really going to be the key to his success. His style will likely stymie Condit. Condit’s best bet is to get the fight to the ground and work a submission, but although we don’t see him in that position very often, Diaz is no slouch on the ground. I have no doubt that Condit will be game and engage with Diaz, I just don’t believe he will be able to finish him before Diaz’s shots add up and suck the life out of Carlos. By the 4th round the cumulative damage will leave him slumped in a pile against the cage and we’ll get to hear an awkward post fight rant from Diaz which very well could include him calling GSP a f***** or some such unsavory term to try to build the feud.

GG says:

I’m not sure what else I can say. The guys have said it all. The only thing I can say differently is that I think it’s going to be a blood stoppage. Nick Diaz cuts easily and if he loses, this is how I see him losing. But he cuts everyone he fights too, and when you land more punches than just about anyone in the UFC, it’s going to take a toll on Condit. For three rounds, I think the fight could be up for grabs. But in the championship rounds, I expect Diaz to take it.

We’ll have play by play of the show tomorrow. Enjoy.

I’m talking the Royal Rumble. Two men enter the ring, and approximately two minutes later somebody else comes in. If you get tossed over the top rope and BOTH of your feet touch the floor, you’re eliminated. After 30 people (man, woman, rooster, tugboat, or mantaur) have entered the ring, the last person with both feet solidly in the ring gets a promise of a title shot at WrestleMania.

The Royal Rumble match itself usually lasts over an hour long, and has a cavalcade of gimmicks, feuds, and moments all rolled into one. If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out FGB’s Royal Rumble Preview, of our writer’s Favourite Moments, Most Surprising Moments, and our pick for who’s going to win.

The 2012 Royal Rumble has a surprisingly strong undercard, with both the WWE and World Heavyweight Title being defended. Also John Cena will face off against “The Prophet of Hate” Kane in a match not unlike Professor Moriarty trying to convince Sherlock Holmes to join him, so they can rule London together. Because we’re all tired of the Star Wars references.

Oh, and I’m sure there’ll be a few other undercard matches that haven’t been announced yet.

Let’s run down this sucker match by match.

1. Random undercard match. Let’s say, I don’t know, Tag Team Champs Primo and Epico (WITH ROSA MENDEZ. THAT’S ROSA MENDEZ. DON’T FORGET ABOUT HER!) vs. The Uso’s, who will not try to blow themselves up with their entrance.

The Uso’s are the only “face” tag team in the WWE right now, as the tag team division is once again at a very low point. As a huge proponent of tag teams, I’m amazed the WWE isn’t using their wrestlers on Superstars or NXT as tag teams, even putting a veteran together with an up-and-coming rookie. But I digress. Primo and Epico are a no-name team that most people would probably confuse with Hunico and Camacho, wondering why they’re not riding out on their pimped-up bike. Anyways, the WWE is pushing the once-Beth Phoenix stalker Rosa Mendez as the star of the tag team, with her gyrating hips and other Spanish overtones. The Uso’s, as mentioned, are getting a shot because they’re like Logan Couture or Phil Kessel being picked last in the NHL All-Star team draft the last few years… they’re the only ones left.

WHO SHOULD WIN THIS MATCH THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN: If this match does happen, Team Mendez will find a way to win for the reasons listed above.

WHO WILL WIN THIS MATCH THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN: Team Mendez. Although I am dubious about this match coming on first, if it happens, as they may need to have it before the main event to give everybody a bathroom break.

2. John Cena vs. Kane

Inexplicably, this feud has started and continues, with Kane trying to get Cena to turn to the Dark Side. Cena is on his way to facing The Rock at Mania, and this stopgap of a feud is to what? Make the Miami fans boo him more than before? In the past few weeks, Kane has been getting deeper and deeper under Cena’s skin, making for some cringingly cheesy television. What has Kane to gain from this feud? If he wins the match, where does he go? A heel back to Smackdown to feud with the heel Mark Henry, who injured him in the first place?

WHO SHOULD WIN: John Cena, rising above the hate, facing down all his inner demons, having thrown down his lightsabre and refusing to strike down Darth Vader in front of the Emperor. Then somebody, let’s say Curt Hawkins (Zack Ryder’s former tag team partner), saves Cena from the lightening shooting from Kane’s hands, by throwing Kane down into an abyss. Of course, that will lead to a clone of Kane returning in the future, turning Cena to the Dark Side, with only the love of his friends being able to save him. What?

WHO WILL WIN: I have an inkling Kane will pull out a win here, as not to hurt him. He’s back with his mask and hair, he’s a big bad mofo, and he can’t afford to be knocked down a peg. Well, at least that’s the idea. I can see this match going into storyline mode where it doesn’t matter who ins in the first place.

3. WWE Champion CM Punk vs. Dolph Ziggler, with “Big Johnny” Laurinaitis as the special guest referee. Vickie Guerrero and Jack Swagger are banned from ringside due to referee incompetence.

So it’s come to this. CM Punk vs. the future of the WWE in Dolph Ziggler. In what should be a match focused strictly on wrestling ability, we have — once again — an authority figure who wants to take the title away from the champion. Because that storyline never gets old. Punk has held the title since November 20, after the WWE CHAMPIONSHIP BELT changed hands 8 times last year. EIGHT TIMES.

Ziggler is a future champion, needless to say, but hasn’t been given the chance to shine recently. His recent big wins, have come at the help of the “well meaning” Laurinaitis. Although Ziggler’s pinned Punk in recent weeks, he hasn’t looked like the man who deserved a title shot.

Most of the time, unless Daniel Bryan is on the card, Ziggler is going to have the best match of the night. If given enough time, and limiting shenanigans from Laurenaitis, this should be a good match. So yeah, at least the match will hopefully get some time.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Triple H fans, as Poochie returns to the camera to chew out Big Johnny. Oh, and CM Punk will probably pull out a win. But who cares about that? Poochie is returning to save us all! Okay, seriously, Punk got part one of his revenge against Laurinaitis by hitting his GTS on him on last week’s RAW.

WHO WILL WIN: CM Punk, with Dolph Ziggler’s credibility hopefully coming in a close second. However, with the return of Chris Jericho and his jacket, he’s promising an REM song at the Rumble. And that REM song, also covered by Newfoundland’s Great Big Sea, he could be referring to Punk, who’s calling himself the best wrestler in the world. It turns out that Jericho is the best in the world at what he does… and what he does now is wrestling.

4. World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan vs. Mark Henry vs. Big Show – Triple Threat Steel Cage match

In one of the most interesting storylines in the WWE today, the undeserving (but capable) champion Daniel Bryan will get his… uh… his comeuppance as he’s trapped in a cage with two huge men? Somehow it doesn’t look right when you read that sentence, but the Bryan character has made it work. He’s been a jerk, and ego maniac, and he made the Big Show cry. He made him cry! He even made the injured (shhh) Mark Henry “run” after him. What a jerk!

And now he’s stuck in stuck in a steel cage with these two monsters. Bryan has made his gradual heel turn work so well, we’re looking forward to seeing him get squashed. However, we then run into a Catch-22 situation. We want to see the Daniel Bryan character get his, but we don’t want to see him lose the title. If he loses to Big Show, then we’ll have some more big man matches down the road. If he loses to Henry, there’s a chance Young Randall Orton (shout-out to GG) will go on to get his win back against Henry… and I’m getting ahead of myself.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Young Daniel Bryan. His character is the freshest thing on Smackdown right now, and will be able to get a good match out of anybody, literally.

WHO WILL WIN: Unlike the Punk match, the result of this match is still a bit of a head-scratcher. Will the WWE realize what they have in Bryan and keep the title on him, or put the title on the bigger man? If Henry wins, it may come down to Randy Orton getting his revenge at WrestleMania. I’ll still pick Bryan here.

5. 30-Man Royal Rumble Match – Winner receives his choice of a WWE Championship or World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania XXVIII, meaning Santino will once again, not win. Neither will anybody else whom the WWE doesn’t think belongs in the WrestleMania title match.

Participants: WWE has announced that, for the first time, “Every WWE superstar is eligible to compete in the Rumble match.” Which doesn’t mean that much. We do know, however, that Miz will be the #1 participant after losing to R-Truth on RAW last week. Otherwise, I haven’t seen any hints on who’s going to be returning.

As I mentioned previously, the Royal Rumble is my favourite match of the year, even though it doesn’t make sense for the WWE to give away a title shot. Of the 30 names, there’s only about three or four men who could possibly win, which in turn takes away part of the fun of the entire hour-long match.

This year is no different. We’re expecting the return of Randy Orton, who is a favourite to win. Why? Because he’s a big guy who won’t be going over the top easily? No. Because he’s just so good? No, not really. Because the Royal Rumble is in his home town? We’re getting closer. Because he’s one of the top stars who will probably get a title shot at WrestleMania due to his name and history? Ding ding!

Anyways, I digress. The best Rumbles were the ones in which the winner was a surprise. Rey Mysterio in 2006. ___________ (name retracted) in 2004. Even Undertaker in 2007, which probably had the best ending of any Rumble not featuring Ric Flair winning in 1992, as Taker finally eliminated Shawn Michaels to win.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Here’s what I wrote earlier: I’d like to see somebody like Sheamus win, as he’s been getting a good push. But I can’t see him facing either Punk or Bryan (if either of them are still champion) at Mania. Jericho is presumably going to be involved in the Punk/Ziggler match, causing them to eliminate each other in the Rumble match itself. I presume Orton will probably win, but as a fan I hope not. I’d also like to see Daniel Bryan win it, so he can challenge Punk in an effort to unify the titles (if he survives the cage match). Hell, Rock could be a surprise entrant and win.

WHO WILL WIN: (Check FGB’s predictions at http://fightgameblog.com/2012/01/2012-royal-rumble-preview-part-3/)

Fight Game Blog predicts either Chris Jericho or Randy Orton are going to win this year’s Rumble. Whereas neither would be a surprise, the idea of Jericho winning without having to do anything would have made for an ingenious spot at the Rumble.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:
- Another spin-a-roonie?
- Dusty’s boys going at it
- Brodus Clay stealing the show
- Chris Jericho’s entrance taking over two minutes
- Random celebrity / oldtimer appearance who may be a former Rumble winner
- At least 4-5 minutes of “Who is that? No wait, who’s THAT?” as guys from NXT and Superstars make appearances
- A misunderstanding between Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger
- Young Randall Orton exacting some revenge on Wade Barrett
- SOCKO
- The world will end (re: Chris Jericho)

FINAL THOUGHTS

FIVE! FOUR! THREE! TWO! ONE!

BZZZZT!

Here’s hoping the Rumble will have each wrestler come out every two minutes and not 90 seconds as in random previous years. This is the kind of match I don’t want to end.

However, this card is strong even without the Rumble, as both title matches should be ones to go out of your way to see.

Now go watch the show with some friends, and make sure you do your Rumble drawings. I came THIS close to winning last year as I drew Santino Marella.

I’m sure this year I’ll probably get Hornswaggle.

The FGB crew along with friend of the site JP and Stevie J from Angrymarks, have predictions for the the top two fights of this show.

Michael Bisping vs. Chael Sonnen

Duan: Refuses to predict Sonnen fights on principle
Stevie: Sonnen by 2nd round TKO
JP: Sonnen by decision
GG: Sonnen by decision

Stevie says:

I’m not in the camp that thinks Michael Bisping has no chance – in fact I believe his takedown defense is probably underrated – but there’s no chance he’s on Sonnen’s level and Sonnen’s level is often called “Olympic” by those in the know. On a good day he might stuff a takedown or 2, but not 9 or 10, and much like Anderson Silva he’ll be taken down with ease. A lucky punch is his only hope.

JP says:

This fight has been robbed of its rightful place in trash talk history. Given a full 8-10 weeks of prep, these two could have provided some classic quotes and soundbites for fans to repeat infinitely online. Instead an injury to Mark Munoz created this fight and the two middleweights have been borderline respective of each other. As for the fight itself, the outcome seems very predictable: Bisping will have three rounds to try and triangle choke Sonnen or otherwise eat ground and pound for 15 minutes. Bisping doesn’t have the power to stop Sonnen so his only hope is to try and catch a submission while fighting off his back. He won’t. Sonnen wins and Sonnen-Silva II is lined up for this summer.

GG says:

I have a bad feeling about this for Michael Bisping’s sake. While I expect Bisping to be game all fight long, I have a feeling he’s going to be beat up for most of this fight. I don’t think Bisping can stop the takedowns and he’s going to be frustrated all night long. He’s a good enough fighter to find his way out of being stopped, but it’s not going to be fun doing so.

Phil Davis vs. Rashad Evans

Duan: Evans by decision
Stevie: Evans by decision
JP: Evans by decision
GG: Davis by decision

Duan says:

I expect Evans to be able to break even or at very least survive in the wrestling exchanges. On the feet, I think he can probably make Davis look pretty clumsy. Rashad has really become one of the better boxers in MMA – certainly in the higher weight divisions anyway. His movement, timing and footwork will give Davis nightmares. Knowing what’s on the line, I’m sure Rashad will fight a disciplined fight. I don’t see him going out looking for a finish. He will be content to outpoint and outclass Davis over the distance.

Stevie says:

Phil Davis is a good enough wrestler to give him fits, and possibly even to neutralize him from getting takedowns SOME of the time, but Rashad has shown deadly power in both his feet and hands when he chooses to let go and let it flow. Generally though I see the experience edge favoring Evans – both in terms of marquee fights and in terms of top level experience against opponents of Davis’ level or better.

JP says:

I am taking Evans in this fight for two reasons. First, I want him to win so we can see a conclusion to the Evans-Jones saga and hopefully see that fight headline the Atlanta UFC 145 event. Secondly, I believe Evans is the better fighter at this point in their careers. There is no doubt that Phil Davis is a pillar of the division in the future along with Jones, Gustafsson and Bader. But in his last match against Lil Nog he was frustrated by the inability to take the brazilian down and appeared uncomfortable while stuck in a striking battle. Evans has enough wrestling and speed to keep this standing and while ‘Suga’ isn’t as technical as Lil Nog, he is younger, quicker and an overall better athlete. I look for a clear cut win for Evans over the young Davis then the hype to begin for a match with Jones.

GG says:

I was all set to take Evans like everyone else. A couple things made me change my mind. A couple of years ago, it was Davis and Jon Jones who were supposed to be the future of the division. Jones became a star and Davis has yet to take the same ride. I think we’re forgetting that Davis is a legit freakish athlete and hasn’t even really grown into his body yet, much like Jones. I’m picking the upset because I think we’re going to see a star making performance. The second thing is that there’s this stench around this Evans/Jones fight and I fully expect something else to stop it from happening. That thing may very well be Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis.

We’ll have play by play of the main card tomorrow night.

Now, we’ll go through who we think is going to win. In our most recent edition of FGB Radio, Jason and I broke down who had a chance to win and who didn’t. We decided that there were really only a few guys who could realistically win the match (Jericho, Orton, Barrett, and Sheamus), unless there was a complete surprise winner. WWE TV has recently been pushing that everyone is eligible to join the Rumble, but they haven’t really said what that means. In the early years, everyone was eligible, including champions, so I’m not sure what the big deal is.

I’m going to guess that this means CM Punk and Daniel Bryan can be in the match even if they are still champs. I don’t really see what good that would do being that the stipulation is still that the winner gets a title shot at WrestleMania. The only way a current champion winning makes sense is if they want to go back to having one undisputed champion and I don’t see that happening.

Possible wrestlers returning at the Rumble may be Alberto Del Rio and Christian, just based on them being on the WWE Superstars page. I’m not sure who can be a “surprise” these days.

Alan: I’m really thinking it’s Jericho. We’ve had 29 men enter the Rumble, there’s 4 guys left – Wade Barrett, Sheamus, and two others. The two others get eliminated by Wade and Sheamus. Then those two start battling it out – hell for leather. The clock comes up for No. 30. The countdown starts: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6. They are beside the ropes, going at it. 5. Sheamus hits a big clothesline and both men go over. 4. It’s ruled that BOTH are eliminated. 3, 2, 1 – BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!! BREAK THE WALLLLS DOWWWWWN!!!! Jericho makes his big spectacular entrance, jacket a-glowing and he walks to the ring as the WINNER of the Rumble without having to touch anyone. It would be unforgettable.

Duan: I’m also leaning towards Jericho as winner. I was actually saying to my brother on Tuesday it would be good if they brought back Rikishi as a surprise entrant. I expect Foley to be in there as well. Not sure if that constitutes a surprise or not though.

Don: I’d like to see somebody like Sheamus win, as he’s been getting a good push. But I can’t see him facing either Punk or Bryan (if either of them are still champion) at Mania. Jericho is presumably going to be involved in the Punk/Ziggler match, causing them to eliminate each other in the Rumble match itself. I presume Orton will probably win, but as a fan I hope not. I’d also like to see Daniel Bryan win it, so he can challenge Punk in an effort to unify the titles (if he survives the cage match). Hell, Rock could be a surprise entrant and win.

Big D: Randy is the winner IMO.

GG: Before they put him in the title match, I thought Dolph Ziggler winning would be perfect. But now, I don’t think that’s happening. (Cody Rhodes would be excellent too, but they don’t have the balls to give it to him.)

Even though there are many scenarios going around, I think it falls to two guys; Jericho and Young Randall Orton. Orton has the home town crowd and I would imagine he would get a pretty unforgettable pop if he’s booked to win the right way. I think if Jericho wins, it will be in some smarmy way. I’m going to lean towards D and say Orton, though Jericho hasn’t ever won the match before and it’d be nice to see him win one.

Over the weekend, Cadillac Don will post his Royal Rumble preview, listing every match on the show and giving you his thoughts on what may happen.

Alan: HBK returning into the ring and eliminating Davey Boy. Was crushed by it as a kid. I was like “NOOOOO!!! This can’t happen!”

Duan: Vince McMahon’s win in 1999. Even at the height on Russo’s madness, I never envisioned Vinny Mac winning the Rumble. Then again, I never envisioned him being ECW champion either, so maybe it’s just a Vince thing. I fully bought Santino as a potential winner last year, but not McMahon in 99. I’m still stunned. I just googled it now to make sure it actually happened.

Don: I’d have to go with the return of John Cena at the 2008 Royal Rumble. It’s not too often that I’m surprised by anything in wrestling these days, so when it caught me off-guard I rather enjoyed it. It was apparent he was going to win as soon as he came out, but I still rewound that sucker 2-3 times to watch the crowd reaction.

Big D: Definitely Cena’s comeback. No question. I watched that in the living room and was like “WHAT?” “WHAT!?!?!?!” Then I cursed out Scherer and Meltzer for not telling me.

GG: I have to agree with Don and Big D. Nothing these days about John Cena will ever surprise any of us, unless he turns heel. And then people will say, “I knew it all along.” But when he won that Royal Rumble, it may have been the last time I was truly “surprised” and had no clue was going to happen. We were worried that he wouldn’t be at WrestleMania and low and behold he shows up at the Rumble. That dude is tough, no matter how stale his character may be.

In this first part, I asked the FGB crew about their favorite Royal Rumble moments ever.

Here are the memories:

Alan: Benoit winning in 2004. Sure it’s been tainted by non-wrestling stuff but at the time it happened I was over the moon. It was such a well crafted Rumble from beginning to end, and the finish by taking over Big Show with the guillotine was incredible. I remember really not wanting Goldberg to win and freaking out when Brock caused him to get eliminated.

Duan: Austin’s entrance in 1998. If I was to point to the one time when I was most invested in the WWE product, it would probably be that first quarter of 1998. Stone Cold had picked fights with pretty much everybody in WWE leading up to the Rumble. Watching the packed ring fall deathly still as Austin’s music hit, and he prepared to face down his ten on one odds, was one of the most tense moments the company ever created.

Cactus Jim: The show where the Rock just bashed the shit out of Foley with unprotected chair shots. That was pretty memorable.

Don: 5. Bushwhacker Luke power-walking down to the ring, climbing inside, getting tossed out by Warlord, then doing his power-walk to the back.
4. Mr. Perfect’s return, complete with the swatting of the gum.
3. CM Punk cutting promo after promo in the middle of the Rumble.
2. Hogan/Warrior stare-down. Compare the crowd noise to the apathy of the 2011 crowd noise when Cena and Orton had their stare-down.
1. Demolition Ax is #1. Demolition Smash is #2. Awesomeness ensues.

Big D: 5. Mr. Perfect’s return in 2002
4. Foley in 2004 replacing Test
3. Cena’s return in 2008 with the huge pop at #30
2. Diesel stiffing Virgil and murdering the entire roster in 1994
1. Ric Flair and Bobby Heenan’s commentary in 1992

GG: There have been some tremendous Royal Rumble moments. But if I were to rank one on top of all the rest, it would have to be the 1992 Royal Rumble. Back then, I was almost sure that Ric Flair was going to enter early and stay late. But I was still counting on the Hogan/Flair moment to set it off. Instead, it was Flair vs. everyone. Watching that match back, there were so many memorable wrestlers in the match that I’d never seen Flair in the ring with whether it was Tito Santana, the British Bulldog, or Jake Roberts. It just seemed surreal to see the NWA icon in a WWF battle royal. And Bobby Heenan’s commentary just made it that much better. Be fair to Flair. Heenan turning on wrestlers during the match who were helping Flair earlier and then beating him up after. Just tremendous stuff. It’s my favorite booked Royal Rumble ever.

If you haven’t seen that 1992 Royal Rumble, someone put the entire thing on YouTube. You can watch below.

The FGB crew along with friend of the site JP and Stevie J from Angrymarks, have predictions for the the top two fights of this show.

Cactus Jim couldn’t give us his analysis, but he wanted to share his picks of Belfort by 2nd round TKO and Aldo by decision.

(Our picks were written before the Johnson weigh-in fiasco in which he weighed in 12 pounds over the 185 limit. However, Stevie J wanted to change his pick after the weigh-in fiasco. Everyone else kept theirs the same.)

Anthony Johnson vs. Vitor Belfort

Alan: Belfort by 1st round TKO
Duan: Belfort by 1st round TKO
Stevie: Belfort by 1st round TKO
JP: Belfort by 1st round TKO
GG: Belfort by 2nd round TKO

Alan says:

Going Vitor on this one. I think he’ll be spurred on by the home fans, and I think Johnson will find it difficult not having his usual size advantage. Plus he thinks he’s a better striker than he is (mainly due to the fact that he can just bull through guys) and Belfort is actually a legit good striker who can clip him.

Duan says:

Johnson has had his success as a welterweight bully. I have a feeling he’s going to really struggle at middleweight. Belfort is a bigger and better hitter than anyone he’s ever fought. Vitor doesn’t even need to land clean to take a guy’s head off. I reckon Johnson is in for a major shock when he gets caught for the first time.

Stevie says:

He can make the cut easily, he’s got one punch KO power, and he’s got hometown momentum on his side. First round finish.

JP says:

This fight is pretty simple to me: ‘Rumble’ can’t hand with the striking of Belfort and will end up out cold. While it is very exciting to see Anthony Johnson finally fighting at an appropriate weight (Johnson may still be the bigger guy), he has nothing to offer here. His wrestling isn’t that great and his striking is several steps below that of Vitor. Belfort is too good with distance and has incredibly fast hands. Johnson will end up on the ugly side of the knockout of the night.

GG says:

I wish Rumble would’ve had another fight before this one to see how he is at the bigger weight. I’m not sure he’s faced someone who hits as hard as Belfort does and thus, I’m not sure how he reacts to being hit by real strikers at the higher weight. That’s a large factor as to why I’m taking Belfort by TKO.

Chad Mendes vs. Jose Aldo

Alan: Aldo by 3rd round TKO
Duan: Aldo by 3rd round TKO
Stevie: Aldo by decision
JP: Aldo by decision
GG: Aldo by 4th round TKO

Alan says:

This comes down to “just how good IS Mendes’ wrestling?” vs. “is Aldo such an athletic freak that he can sprawl like he did with Faber?”. I think the answers will be “very good” and “YES” with the latter more definitive. I think Aldo will be too fast for Mendes to get him down and a frustrated Mendes, forced to stand, will get picked apart.

Duan says:

Aldo hasn’t been at his brilliant best in his last couple, but I think he will put that right here in front of his home fans. Mendes, for my money, is a one dimensional fighter. He will live and die by his wrestling, and it just won’t be enough against someone with the physicality and balance of Aldo. Aldo shakes off takedown after takedown while dissecting him on the feet.

Stevie says:

I expect a five round decision victory for the champion. I don’t think Mendes is going to lay hands on him, I don’t think he’s going to take him down, and I don’t think he’s going to submit him.

JP says:

Yet another young wrestler coming out of Team Alpha Male ready to make waves in the MMA community. Is there a better camp for the smaller guys than this? Mendes should have plenty of tape to study of Aldo after Faber’s bought with him and this could be key. This could also be his downfall. Mendes will unquestionably put together a good gameplan and Aldo may counter that with some of the old spontaneous violence he was known for in the WEC. But in the end this comes down to Aldo landing on his feet against Mendes trying to take the champ down. Over five rounds Aldo impresses the judges more with his array of weapons and scores the nod.

GG says:

After a somewhat lackluster 2011, I think Aldo will come out like gangbusters in this one. Mendes’ wrestling will test him, and I think Aldo answers the test. Because Mendes is strong and in really good shape, I think he’ll lengthen the fight. I wouldn’t be surprised if Aldo showed off that great jiu-jitsu we all hear about, but as a prediction, I’ll say late stoppage triggered by leg kicks for most of the fight.

Photo by Ariel Helwani

The FGB crew along with friend of the site JP and Stevie J from Angrymarks, have predictions for the the top two fights of this show, which also include Nate Diaz facing off against the Cowboy Donald Cerrone.

Nate Diaz vs. Donald Cerrone

Duan: Cerrone by decision
Alan: Diaz by 3rd round submission
Stevie: Cerrone by decision
JP: Cerrone by decision
Cactus Jim: Cerrone by decision
GG: Cerrone by decision

Duan says:

Knowing the mindset of these two, I’m certain both will want to let fists fly and see who can out-tough the other. Cerrone may be the more versatile and complete striker of the two, but I have a feeling he will have problems adjusting to Diaz’s style – it may take a round to a round and a half to get his timing down. Both these guys are incredibly durable – this has distance fight written all over it – it will just be a matter of how long it takes for the coin to drop for Cerrone. I see them each taking one round cleanly with the middle session being the cause of some controversy. I will say The Cowboy just about sneaks it.

Alan says:

Oooooooh eeeeee!!!! Now this is a fight right here boy. Two crazy wild fighters who more importantly are also extremely talented and smart in the Octagon. There will be so much skill and technique on display here but it will still be an ultra-competitive back and forth fight. Neither guy fears the other’s stand-up, neither guy fears the other’s ground game and neither guy cares about the wrestling aspect because they don’t mind being on their back. This is one of the best fights Joe Silva has booked in a while and hats off to him for it. I think the winner would be more than deserving of a LW title shot against Edgar or Henderson and my Lord, who wouldn’t want to see Henderson/Cowboy one more time? What a feather in the cap that would be for WEC. Oh right so I have to make a prediction. That’s just mean. How can you pick between these two? Both looked sensational in their last fights, but the way Diaz handled Takanori Gomi just really woke me up to how good he is. I think he might just edge this however it could very well be a situation where it’s Cowboy who has Nate in trouble but gets reckless and the BJJ wizard catches him with a triangle or armbar.

Stevie says:

In terms of behaving badly and stirring up interest in his fights, Nate Diaz is every bit the star his brother is. In terms of his striking ability and win/loss record, Nate Diaz is nothing like Nasty Nick. One only has to look at his track record in his last ten fights and realize there are holes in Nate’s game, and Donald Cerrone is the kind of well-rounded fighter who finds those holes and picks people apart. If Diaz thinks getting into Cerrone’s head is going to help, past history has shown that motivating The Cowboy only brings out his best, so I’d go with either a three round decision or Cerrone finishing him by KO in the second, with an outside chance of RNC (Nate is overconfident in his ground game and may be desperate to get it there which would be a big mistake).

JP says:

This is another fight that should feature a great stare-down, as these two fighters can muster hatred from just about anything. Cerrone is on an absolute tear through the lightweight division and is having one of the best years the sport has seen (though overshadowed by Jon Jones). Nate Diaz continues to bounce between divisions, finding only moderate success at either. This fight does nothing for Cerrone’s progress towards a title shot, but is a sure crowd pleaser. You know neither guy is going to quit and there should be substantial taunting between fists. I think Cerrone is the superior fighter but Diaz will manage to drag him into a real brawl here. In a fight that should earn both guys bonuses and stitches, Cerrone takes the nod.

Cactus Jim says:

This fight has great potential. If it delivers 75% of its potential, I think we’ve got fight of the night. I’d like to see these guys keep it on the feet and knock the shit out of each other for 3 rounds, but I believe this one ends up on the mat before the end of the first round. Sooner or later one guy is going to start getting the better of the stand up and the other is going to look to take it to the ground and either use their wrestler or BJJ to pound out or tap out the other guy. Diaz has had issues with strong grapplers on top of him. I don’t consider Cerrone a top notch wrestler, but I think he can hold the position, avoid the submissions and pound Diaz in the process. I predict an action packed 3 rounds with two game fighters, but in the end Cowboy Cerrone takes this one away from Diaz.

GG says:

If this thing goes to a decision, and I think it will, I think Cerrone wins, if only because he’s more of a show fighter than Diaz is. There have been fights where Diaz was fine fighting off his back and losing because the judges don’t see guys winning fights off their back unless they’re pulling off submissions. I think Cerrone’s striking is easier to see score as well. The one thing that Diaz has going for him is that he’s super confident in his all around game, but he may have met his match here. If you look at their records, Diaz doesn’t pull out the close ones, while Cerrone can.

Alistair Overeem vs. Brock Lesnar

Duan: Overeem by 1st round TKO
Alan: Lesnar by 3rd round TKO
Stevie: Lesnar by 4th round TKO
JP: Overeem by 1st round TKO
Cactus Jim: Overeem by 2nd round TKO
GG: Overeem by 1st round TKO

Duan says:

Brock has been torn apart on the feet by rhythmless wrestlers; there is no way he survives the K1 World Grand Prix champion. His one and only chance here is to immediately ground Overeem and keep him there until the fight is over, and even then Alistair will still pose a submission threat.

The Reem has never had to deal with an opponent with the wrestling pedigree of Lesnar during his heavyweight run, but his physicality alone will buy him the little time he needs to punch holes in the big man. A hurt Lesnar will scramble for a sloppy takedown attempt only to be met with a big knee that ends his night early.

Alan says:

After the Reem’s last performance I was very much favouring Lesnar for this one but as time has gone I’ve started to go back towards Alistair. Brock really really doesn’t like a barrage of strikes coming his way. What he needs more than anything is for Overeem to be scared of the takedown so much that he’s reluctant to let his hands and feet go because I think if he does let fly then Brock will get flustered and be on a platter to be finished. However, that fear of the takedown could very well come into play, not to mention nerves for being in his first UFC fight. We know Brock won’t wait long to try to put Overeem on his back and if he gets him there, and more importantly – keeps him there, then this should be Brock’s fight to win. It really could go either way but I’m gonna lay my hat on The Vanilla Gorilla here and say Brock takes it in the 3rd round with The Reem having blown his gas tank from fighting on his back with Brock on top for most of Round 1 and 2.

Stevie says:

On paper there’s plenty of reason to like Overeem’s chances, including that he’s been the more active of the two fighters (at least of LATE) and that he’s very well known for finishing guys in the first with strikes. He comes out fast and dangerous, and Lesnar has shown to have a vulnerable chin if he gets caught. On the other hand Overeem has ALSO shown that if you can get him past the first round into deeper waters, all that muscle he packs onto his body burns up his energy and he becomes lethargic, sluggish, his strikes aren’t as hard, and most importantly he’s vulnerable to mentally quitting because he didn’t dominate. Lesnar may not be the better striker, but he’s definitely the better wrestler. Lesnar may be coming off intestine surgery, but I’m willing to bet his cardio is better than Overeem’s. I expect Lesnar to make Overeem tire himself out, maybe even give away the first round on points, knowing he can take Overeem into the late rounds and then take him down with impunity. I expect he’ll pound ‘Reem out by R4.

JP says:

You have to give Lesnar credit for accepting this sort of fight coming off another long layoff. For all his flaws as a fighter, he’ll never be accused of backing down from any challenge. His next challenge is the newly imported Alistair Overeem. With his arrival in the UFC, fans will get to see if the hulking Dutch kickboxer is for real or just looks the role. There is no doubt that this will be the most physically impressive weigh-in for a heavyweight fight ever. As for the fight itself, its difficult to imagine Lesnar surviving the first round against the vastly superior striker Overeem. In his last two fights Lesnar has taken two vicious beatings in the first round. One he survived and one he did not. Overeem will deliver another. Lesnar’s only hope is to shoot early and shoot often. He has to use his massive size to exhaust Overeem and then pour on the ground n’ pound. But if he fails even once to get the Strikeforce import off his feet, the fight will be over. I like Overeem to use good distance and combinations to finish Lesnar in the first.

Cactus Jim says:

Here’s the deal, Lesnar doesn’t like to get hit. Overeem likes to hit people. Overeem has been on a tear lately, KO’ing opponent after opponent. Granted, he hasn’t been fighting many champions or former champions while doing so, but he’s looked impressive nonetheless. Lesnar’s striking is abysmal and in my opinion he has a snowballs chance in hell if this fight stays on the feet. Alistair has had some issues in the past with high level grapplers and with his stamina. Aside from landing a lucky shot, Brock’s best chance is to get this fight to the ground and keep it there. That’s not an easy task. He has to get inside Overeem’s reach and then avoid those crushing knees to get the takedown. That’s not to mention Alistair’s often overlooked submission game if the fight does happen to go to the ground. In this match up, I think Overeem has too many skills for Brock to overcome and that ultimately Overeem will succeed where Shane Carwin failed. Alistair puts Brock’s lights out and moves himself into the title picture in his UFC debut.

GG says:

I have a feeling this fight is going to break my heart. There are only two fighters who I out and out root for. One of them was Chuck Liddell. And the other is Brock Lesnar. In this case, Brock’s toughness, courage, and confidence may have gotten the best of him. If he looked pedestrian on the feet against both Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez, how is he going to look against an overall better striker in Overeem? Brock’s one saving grace is to be able to get the fight immediately to the ground, maybe even starting the fight in a crawl like Randy Couture did against James Toney. I have a feeling part of what drives Brock to take a fight like this also drives him to start the fight on the feet and test Overeem a bit. And that may be his undoing. I see Overeem finishing the fight early, beating Brock similarly to how Cain Velasquez beat him. And I will be sad.

There you have it. We’ll have play by play of the show tomorrow.

The FGB crew along with friend of the site JP and Stevie J from Angrymarks, have predictions for the the top two fights of this show.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Frank Mir

Duan: Nogueira by 3rd round TKO
Alan: Nogueira by decision
Stevie: Nogueira by 2nd round submission
JP: Mir by 1st round TKO
Cactus Jim: Mir by decision
GG: Mir by decision

Duan says:

While I have little doubt Big Nog is a spent force, I do still believe he’s a better fighter than what he showed last time against Mir. The great man moved like a zombie from first bell to finish that night during a career worst performance. You have to believe he will come into this fight a whole hell of a lot healthier, and ready to fight.

Mir’s record flatters him as it always has. A mix of luck and favourable match making have kept him relevant within UFC, but few would argue he belongs amongst the heavyweight elite. Mir lacks for the toughness, dedication and desire of Minotauro. I believe that Nogueira, even the faded version, is simply a better fighter. He digs down deep and outlasts Mir in a real war.

Alan says:

Two guys extremely motivated to win here. Mir to prove that he didn’t just win the first fight because Nog was a staph-ridden corpse, and Nog to prove the opposite. Nog was better than Mir has ever been and my heart wants to believe he’s still good enough that he can beat him, but the guy is really old in fight years. I’d like to think that the Schaub win was a sign that he can still go, but part of me thinks it was just a matter of catching the guy and if it had gone three rounds he’s have fallen short. A lot of uncertainties for me when it comes to Nog. Really it’s the same case with Mir – he’s won a lot of fights I thought he had no chance to win. I’ll go with my gut and say Nog wins by out-boxing him.

Stevie says:

The theory is that Big Nog got beaten last time because he was weakened from illness or infection (or a combination thereof). The people who espouse that theory also tend to generally discredit Frank Mir’s accomplishments, including his rebound from a major career slump 4-5 years ago. Perhaps those same people should recognize that in the last two years he’s beaten some of the toughest heavyweights in UFC – Cheick Kongo, Mirko Cro Cop, and Roy Nelson. He may not be the most flashy, but he’s one of the most resilient. His weakness is guys who hit real hard that crack his chin (Lesnar, Carwin) and his strength is wrestling and top flight jiu-jitsu. Nog +can+ hit real hard, and his jits is as good as Mir’s if not better – how many heavyweights do you know with 20 career submissions? I picked Nog last time they fought and was wildly wrong, so I don’t want to discount Mir like so many other people do, but I’m willing to give Nog the benefit of the doubt a second time.

JP says:

A rematch from three years ago that should play out exactly like the first. Frank Mir has been a staple of the UFC heavyweight division for just over a decade now and figures to be a factor in the division for the foreseeable future as well. A win here could put Mir in a title eliminator match against perhaps the winner of the Strikeforce Grand Prix for a shot at the belt after the winner of Lesnar-Overeem gets his turn. Big Nog looks to continue his revival after he brutally finished Brendan Schaub in front of a home crowd in Rio. This fight could be a technical masterpiece if it ends up going to the mat but both guys are the type willing to trade and that ends better for Mir who has grown into the stronger standup guy. Nothing too fancy here. Mir will simply land first and turn off Nog’s lights with a nice combination in the first round.

Cactus Jim says:

Nog is coming off a win against a strong, but relatively inexperienced guy. Frank hasn’t exactly looked impressive lately, although he has put together some wins himself. In this match up I think Frank is able to out power and outlast Nog. I don’t anticipate the KO finish that we saw last time, but I do believe Mir can get in there and score, busting up Nog in the process. This will probably be a bit of a messy fight, and likely will make the main event seem all that much more impressive after sitting through this fight. Let’s hope I’m wrong.

GG says:

I’m not sure there are many people who will be rooting for Frank Mir. His style has become quite laborious and boring to watch and he now simply uses his size to push guys around and against the cage. Now, I’m hoping that Big Nog can land something quickly and finish Mir, but that’s harder to predict than thinking that Mir smothers Nog pushes him up against the cage, and just moves him around, doing whatever he wants with him. I’m hoping for a nice little war, but expecting the bigger man pushing around the smaller man.

Lyoto Machida vs. Jon Jones

Duan: Machida by 3rd round TKO
Alan: Jones by 2nd round TKO
Stevie: Jones by 2nd round TKO
JP: Jones by 2nd round TKO
Cactus Jim: Jones by 3rd round TKO
GG: Jones by 3rd round TKO

Duan says:

Everybody is entitled to have that one slip up and I just have a feeling this might be it for Jones. Machida has very strong base. This is a guy who is not going to be easy to move around. And while I think Jones is one of the most natural and fluid strikers to enter MMA, that doesn’t make up for his lack of top level experience.

Part of what makes Jones exciting is that he doesn’t do everything by the book. There are fundamental errors to his stand up game. He makes mistakes technically, but he makes it work for him. Machida is a really tricky customer. He is the type to ruthlessly punish mistakes. When he puts conviction behind his attack, he finishes fights. I see the young champion over committing on a loose shot, being caught out, countered and KO’d.

Alan says:

I know everyone’s been saying it but REACH REACH REACH! That’s the key here. Lyoto looks to be elusive and fight from the outside but quite frankly the only way to be “outside” Jon Jones is to hop over the cage. His arms are too long, his legs are too long, and if Lyoto comes in close then Jones will happily throw him on his back. Jones will have to be careful, Machida is a former champ after all (and very dangerous), but I think he will be and he’ll put on another dominant performance.

Stevie says:

Picking a winner is easy on paper, harder in practice. I think Jones has everything he needs to be a long-reigning light heavyweight champion – youth, speed, technique, aggression, and an incredibly lanky amount of reach that makes it almost impossible to get out of his range. Machida has found a way to become the champion before though, and his unorthodox karate striking might be the one thing that actually causes problems for Jones – nothing else has. Somehow though I doubt it. All I can say is that I have a feeling, the same one I’ve had ever since I first saw Jones at 87, the same one when I predicted he’d be a world champion in an interview at 124, and I’ve still got it right now. This is simply Jones time.

JP says:

In an effort to put his signature on ‘Fighter of the Year’, Jon Jones takes his 4th fight of 2011 in a second defense of his light heavyweight strap. His foe this time is the former champ Lyoto Machida, coming off his ‘Knockout of the Year’ contending finish of Randy Couture. The storyline here seems to go that Machida used to be the unsolvable riddle and now its Jones, which I believe is misleading because I’ve never seen Jones as being a riddle but rather just being better. I do think we will get the chance to see Jones put on the defensive again as Rampage did once or twice. It will be interesting to see if Jones has worked on his footwork and head movement, rather than just turning and running away. But the majority of this match will be controlled by ‘Bones’ as his matches typically are. Jones has become one of the best finishers in the sport and should continue his run of domination here against ‘The Dragon’. I like him to showcase a new dimension to his striking: legit knockout power, as he finishes Lyoto with a big left hook in the second and followup punches on the ground. Then he gets to relax for only a bit before being in the audience to watch Rashad Evans and Phil Davis fight for a shot at his gold.

Cactus Jim says:

Bones Jones is an incredible freak of athleticism. This guy can punch, kick, flip, jump, sprawl, and has cardio that’s off the charts. He’s coming in with the belt and a string of impressive victories. In this matchup I think he can use that athleticism to offset Machida’s unorthodox style and that his offense will find it’s mark more often than most have found it with Lyoto. Jones’ chin is untested to the best of my recollection, but Machida isn’t really known as a powerhouse puncher so I don’t see that being much of a concern. Lyoto’s “in and out” style doesn’t match up well with Jones in my opinion so I have to go with Bones on this one.

GG says:

I understand that Machida is elusive. But he was elusively knocked out by Shogun Rua, elusively decisioned by Rampage Jackson (though I thought he probably won the fight), and elusively front kicked Randy Couture’s teeth out, all in his last three fights. I think the key to Machida is countering. Like Duan said above, Jones takes chances that put him in odd spots and if Machida can take advantage of them, he has a shot. Machida also has really good accuracy on the move and moving backward. I think he’ll be able to confuse Jones early on. But I think Jones is too good athletically and too fast for Machida to deal with. I think he figures it out in the third round and takes it.

There you have it. We’ll have play by play of the show tomorrow.