Miami is split on UFC 118 and the MMA v. Boxing card Saturday Night

This Saturday is bound to be a really exciting day for MMA fans especially here in South Florida. Not only is Miami an educated MMA fan base and understand the importance of this card but the awaited clash between Boxing and MMA is gearing up to be viewed by probably the biggest group of people in the history of MMA.

South Floridians will have the opportunity to attend a number of select theaters to view the fights in the big screen which is sure to be a fantastic experience. In Miami, you can watch the fights at Cine Bitro in Dolphin Mall (305-455-7373) and South Beach Stadium 18 in South Beach (305-674-6766). Contact the locations for times and prices.

The Miami fans are split on what to expect from the fights Saturday night, specifically when it comes to the Couture v. Toney fight. The overall thought is that Toney, a true boxing champion, has the skill and ability to hurt “the Natural” if the fight becomes a stand up strike fest, but others have Couture as the superior warrior. In the opinion of real MMA fans, Boxing is limited to a single style of striking while MMA has too many weapons to overtake boxing. Toney has trained in MMA for 9 months while Couture has been fighting MMA at the highest levels for 13 years (Since 1997) and has a second to none wrestling back ground. Although their age is a bit advanced (Couture 47 & Toney 42) don’t expect a lack luster performance from either fighter.

The split between Miamians is not limited to the Couture/Toney fight but the same sentiment is expressed by many when it comes to Edgar/Penn rematch. The conditioning and explosiveness of Edgar is viewed by many in South Florida as the key to the fight but we cannot discount “The Prodigy’s” incredible ground game. Penn’s flexibility, great striking and experience give him an edge even though he lost the last meeting with Edgar. Penn is expected to forget the loss and draw on all of his experience in big fights to get his belt back on Saturday night.Over all Saturday night has a great card filled with explosive fighters such as Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis v. Nate Diaz which is sure to have all kinds of fireworks since both fighters have a great striking game and they love to bang. Be sure to tune in on Saturday for a great card filled with exciting fights and the first true match between Boxing & MMA.

Below are my picks for Saturday Night:

Miller Pierce v. Amicar Alvez (Alvez)
Nick Ozipoga v. Greg Soto (Soto )
Dan Miller v. John Salter (Salter)
Nik Lentz v. Andre Winner (Lentz)
Joe Lauzon v. Gabe Ruediger (Lauzon)
Marcus Davis v. Nate Diaz (Diaz) (Sure to be a great fight)
Kenny Florian v. Gray Maynard (Florian)
Demien Maia v. Mario Miranda (Maia)
Randy Couture v. James Toney (Couture)
BJ Penn v. Frank Edgar (Penn)

Check out these UFC® 118 predictions from other MMA Examiners:

• National MMA Examine Astrid Bidanec
  
• Miami MMA Examiner Harry Bergollo
  
• National MMA Examiner Eddie Graveline
  
• Houston MMA Examiner A.J. Hoffman
  
• Philadelphia MMA Examiner Kyle Holdsworth
  
• Indianapolis MMA Examiner Dennis "D Source" Guillermo
  
• Detroit Fight Sports Examiner Bill Shimizu
  
• Providence Fight Sports Examiner Joseph Roche
• Durham MMA Examiner Justin Harris
• Columbus MMA Examiner Trisha Barr
  
• Canadian MMA Examiner Mike Johnson