Picking & Grinning: UFC 130 Prelims

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The UFC 130 preliminary card is examined by Sherdog.com staff. The bouts will split mediums as several fights stream live on the UFC’s Facebook page at 6 p.m. ET and will be followed by a Spike TV lead-in to the pay-per-view.

Miguel Torres vs. Demetrious Johnson

Todd Martin: Johnson isn’t likely to win a striking battle with the much taller and more technical Torres. But the speed takedowns game Johnson used to defeat Kid Yamamoto is perfectly suited to give Torres fits. I see Johnson keeping Torres off balance with constant shots and scoring a decision upset win.

Brian Knapp: Quickness and superior wrestling will carry Johnson to a unanimous decision. There is no substitute for speed in sports, and Johnson has as much of it as anyone in MMA. Torres will always struggle with opponents who are more athletic. That holds true here.

Guilherme Pinheiro: This is possibly my favorite fight on the card. Despite a lackluster performance in his UFC debut, Torres remains a very aggressive fighter with tools to win any fight wherever it takes place. For his part, Mighty Mouse is a dynamo in the cage that has shown tremendous evolution from his past fights. Torres remains very dangerous and he could very well win this one at any given moment. However, I think this is Johnson’s time to shine as long as he avoids trading strikes with Torres for more than short bursts. He´s going to take Torres down repeatedly and punish him from the top. He’ll take a one-sided decision over the former WEC bantamweight champ in the end.

Kendall Grove vs. Tim Boetsch

Freddie DeFreitas: If Grove can keep Boetsch at the end of his long jab and utilize his obscene reach advantage, it's easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy for the Hawaiian. Should Grove ignore the God-given advantage in the additional five inches in his arms, Boetsch remains gainfully employed with the UFC. Groves will live to fight another day with a late TKO over "The Barbarian."

Rob King: This fight will be a pink slip derby with the loser being cut most likely. I am expecting Boetsch to get this fight to the ground, but I like Grove to use those long limbs and get a submission victory late in the contest.

Lutfi Sariahmed: Betting on Grove to win also means you’re betting on him not to get knocked out; it’s a precarious situation at best. But Grove is clearly the better fighter here. Boetsch is yet another fighter under the impression it is his weight and not skill that has been holding him back. But Boetsch is who he’s always been. He can tag you with his power but that’s about it. Grove is more skilled and if he can avoid getting laced on the chin, he could be OK. Big emphasis on the if, of course.

Renan Barao vs. Cole Escovedo

Tristen Critchfield: Escovedo’s comeback from a staph infection that left him temporarily paralyzed is a miraculous story, but he is just 1-2 in his last three fights: though losses to Michihiro Omigawa and Michael McDonald are nothing to sneeze at. Barao, while still young, has compiled an impressive resume over the past six years. Expect Barao to eventually catch Escovedo in a submission and continue to establish himself as a rising prospect in the division.

Tony Loiseleur: It's an intriguing fight, given that Escovedo is returning to bantamweight and given that Barao is one of Brazil's most promising prospects at 25-1. As much as I'd love to root for Escovedo given his inspiring comeback over an almost career-ending staph infection several years ago, it's hard to ignore just how effective Barao is both on the feet and on the ground. I expect Escovedo to match him in the striking department, probably until Barao takes it to the mat, where he should finish it midway or late in the fight.

Jordan Breen: There's an undeniable heartwarming angle to Cole Escovedo -- an original WEC star who was nearly paralyzed by a staph infection -- finally getting to the big stage. However, Barao is a superior boxer -- perhaps owing to the fact his father was a boxer and an MMA fighter himself -- with underrated wrestling. If Barao can't wallop Escovedo on the feet, he can get the takedown and look to pass guard. Escovedo is slick off of his back, but doesn't have strong defensive posture. Barao can pass guard, look for submissions, and even if he can't finish, take a positionally dominant decision to continue his gaudy winning streak.

Chris Cariaso vs. Michael McDonald

Tomasz Marciniak: Cariaso's kicking game was enough to edge out Will Campuzano, but the 5-foot-3 bantamweight will have to find openings against a much more proficient striker in McDonald, a task I think he fails in. Simply put, McDonald is a better fighter in every facet and I look to him asserting his status as one of the division's best prospects with a clear-cut victory.

Pinheiro: I don´t see this one getting to the final bell. Both Cariaso and McDonald are aggressive fighters that look for the finish all the time. Count me in as someone who thinks “Mayday” will eventually contend for the featherweight title. His striking acumen will prove to be the difference here as he finishes Cariaso with punches in the second round.

Martin: McDonald announced his UFC presence in a big way against Edwin Figueroa in March. He’s bigger, younger, faster and more skilled than Cariaso. He ought to be the biggest favorite on the UFC 130 card and should score the win impressively.

Gleison Tibau vs. Rafaello Oliveira

Knapp: Tibau’s size, strength and wrestling ability will make the difference in this one. Oliveira depends heavily on his ground game, and Tibau is more than capable of stymieing his efforts once it goes to the mat.

King: Glad to see Oliveira is back in the UFC, but this is a tough first fight back for him. Tibau will have a pretty big size advantage and I think that will play a big part in this fight. Tibau should be able to bully Oliveria and either pick up a late submission or perhaps a one-sided decision.

DeFreitas: Tibau will continue his tradition of dwarfing fellow lightweights when he meets a late replacement in Oliveira. Tibau probably gets the nod over Oliveira in all fight facets; his robotic striking is effective, but that's also in part due to his willingness to block punches with his face, while on the ground and making full use of his size, his top game can be overwhelming. Give me Tibau by decision.

2011 Standings:
Jordan Breen 65-24
Tomasz Marciniak 64-25
Brian Knapp 62-27
Guilherme Pinheiro 59-30
Rob King 59-30
Tony Loiseleur 59-30
Todd Martin 58-31
Tristen Critchfield 56-33
Lutfi Sariahmed 56-33
Freddie DeFreitas 56-33