UFC basically put on a telethon for the troops with UFC Fight for the Troops 2 and rightly so. This was a great event for the UFC and the armed forces. Sometimes folks forget what our troops are doing for us oversees and bringing it to the light is good. Mix in some fights here and there, you know it all goes to a good cause.

1. Melvin Guillard has finally put it all together

Speed kills. Melvin Guillard was a whole different speed than Evan Dunham. The reach wasn’t a factor at all in this fight since Guillard was able to easily counter and get in whenever he wanted to. Dunham just didn’t have the answers to Guillard and he paid the price for that. He wanted to get the fight to the ground, but Guillard was poised to keep it standing. From there, he was able to knock Dunham out with some devastating knees — bring on the Lightweights, there’s a new contender in town.

(-1) Prediction: Evan Dunham over Melvin Guillard

2. Matt Mitrione’s athleticism kills

It ceases to amaze me. Every single time I see Matt Mitrione, he gets better and better. I think it’s due to his athleticism and Tim Hague couldn’t handle it. He’s also been learning a lot at the Duke Ruffus camp with Pat Barry and Anthony Pettis. His striking looks crisp, and when he needs to finish — he finishes. What more do you want from a fighter? I’d like to see him face more legit Heavyweights moving forward.

(+1) Prediction: Matt Mitrione over Tim Hague

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UFC tries their best to give back, especially to the troops and UFC Fight for the Troops 2 is one of many ways they do that. I was really excited about this card when they announced it with Kenny Florian vs. Evan Dunham, and after a ton of injuries — the card has definitely morphed into something different. Things happen, and sometimes it happens for a reason. I’m excited about this card on Saturday and here are my picks.

1. Evan Dunham will shine with an impressive submission

On paper, everyone feels that Evan Dunham is just the superior fighter all around against Melvin Guillard. I too think Evan Dunham will pull this off, but not as convincingly as others. Guillard is an explosive fighter and, as of late,  he’s been using his wrestling more and more in order to win the fight. Behind the gameplan of Greg Jackson, there still sits a dynamic fighter in Guillard and I think you’ll see that against Dunham. I just think Dunham has the striking and reach advantage, along with a sick ground game. He comes to fight and he’ll show the world why there’s so much hype around him in the Lightweight Division.

Prediction: Evan Dunham over Melvin Guillard via submission

2. Matt Mitrione just has too much athleticism

Matt Mitrione has shown a lot of promise with his last couple of fights, but he’s going against a fighter in Tim Hague who’s already beaten his teammate Pat Barry. Mitrione is more athletic, and has seemed to absorb the MMA game naturally. Too bad he didn’t do it earlier in life. Hague doesn’t seem to pose too many problems other than being a really tough guy, but if he’s able to take Mitrione down — it may be a different story. That said, I have Mitrione winning by TKO due to athleticism.

Prediction: Matt Mitrione over Tim Hague via TKO

3. Mark Hominick’s striking will clearly be on another level

Mark Hominick is a striker that keeps his hands high knows when to pick his shots accordingly. George Roop is going to try to take it to Hominick, but he will realize that this fight is on a totally different level than his last fight with the Korean Zombie. Hominick is fighting for a title shot, and you can be damn sure that he’s not going to let this one go.

Prediction: Mark Hominick over George Roop via decision

4. Pat Barry will throw a cringing amount of leg kicks

The problem here is that Joey Beltran is a striker and has somewhat limited wrestling skills, while Pat Barry is a top-level striker who’s competed in K-1 and other kickboxing competitions. If this ends up as a standup war, Barry will pick Beltran apart and it will not end well. Just think the Thiago Alves vs. John Howard, but on a whole different level.

Prediction: Pat Barry over Joey Beltran via TKO

5. Cole Miller will represent ATT proud again!

I’m a Cole Miller fan, and I think everyone knows it. He’s a mixed martial artist to the core. Nothing against Matt Wiman, but I feel Miller will be able to keep him at bay with his length on the feet — then eventually take it to the ground where he’ll be able to snap on a submission. I see the finish going down in the 2nd round.

Prediction: Cole Miller over Matt Wiman via submission

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QUESTION: What are your predictions for UFC Fight for the Troops 2?