Thanks to my super hectic and disorganized life I will be posting this as the undercard is underway so I will refrain for making picks for one of the most stacked prelim cards the UFC has put on this year. Now onto the main card picks tonight’s event in Oakland, California.

RAFAEL DOS ANJOS VS. CLAY GUIDA – Taking The Carpenter against my better judgment, Dos Anjos is a slick BJJ player but I’m a sucker for Guidas super aggressive style even if he doesn’t have the actual firepower to back up his pace. Hopefully he was worked on his sub defense and checking leg kicks.

Guida- via Unanimous Decision

JUNIOR DOS SANTOS VS. ROY NELSON – Nelson has the grappling advantage but when I ran across this.

I realized that Nelson may have decent boxing but can be out struck by a faster boxer. JDS is a way faster boxer. Dos Santos is going to make the Arlovski KO look G rated.

Dos Santos – via Ultra Mega Combo

RICARDO ALMEIDA VS. MATT HUGHES – Hughes is a legend and a gamer but he will turn old overnight. Depending on how dominant the finish is welterweights may stop calling out Hughes to make a name for themselves.

Almeida - via sub

Mr. Ferttita is not happy with Alves

THIAGO ALVES VS. JON FITCH – The fight that the Combat Gods did not want to happen is finally upon us. The long awaited rematch between perennial top 5 welterweights Jon Fitch and Thiago Alves is going down tonight despite weigh in shenanigans on Alves’s part. This is a tough one to call since Thiago has been out of action for over a year and Fitch hasn’t shown any signs of improvement since their first fight in which Jon finished Alves with a 2nd round tko.

If anything Fitch has gotten more cautious over time (his last finish was in 2007) and still has to rely mainly on his stifling top game and wrestling to get the W. Alves on the other hand has improved his takedown defense and to complement his slashing stand up game. That being said, I can’t pick a guy whose been out of action for this long competing at the highest levels and unable to make weight.

Fitch – via UD

Middleweight Championship

CHAMP ANDERSON SILVA VS. CHAEL SONNEN – Remarkable fight hype and trash talk aside, Silva should take this. Sonnens media antics have so little to do with how this fight plays out in the cage, but leading up to everything to most people it totally does. With that talking point taken care of this is the brass tacks of the match up.

Sonnen undoubted has the wrestling to manhandle Silva, but thats as far as his bag of tricks will go (well maybe that and conditioning/cardio but you get the idea). With his rudimentary at best stand up and lackluster submission defense, Sonnen will be lucky to make it to the 4th frame. Silva has too many offensive and defensive options along with the ability to finish in both the stand up and off his back.

Silva – via The Dance of Destruction

From MMA Junkie

While the long-awaited rematch was expected to be a feature bout last month at UFC 111, Alves was forced off the card due to a failed CT scan and subsequent brain surgery.

UFC 115 takes place June 12 at GM Place, and Alves vs. Fitch II is all but guaranteed to be part of the pay-per-view main card.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported last week, Alves underwent surgery on March 31 to correct an on the left side of his brain. The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board first caught the problem during the fighter’s medicals for UFC 111 and pulled him from the card two days before the March 27 event.

MMAJunkie.com broke the news:

Multiple sources today confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the change to Saturday’s card, which takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

A source told MMAjunkie.com said Saunders specifically asked for the new bout when Fitch became available.

Ellenberger has been promised his “show” and “win” money to make up for the UFC’s last-minute switch, we’re told.

An official announcement is expected any time now from the UFC.

Thiago Alves pulls out of UFC 111 ( vs Jon Fitch) due to a failed CT scan. Now with Alves, off the card, Ben Saunders who was eager to fight Jon Fitch will now get his chance. Jake Ellenberger, who Saunders was due to fight has reportedly been paid his bout money and a win bonus but will be removed from the card.

Update from TMZ.com:

White tells us if Saunders wins against Fitch, he’ll get a title shot with Georges St-Pierre.

Also updated card via UFC.com