The event is set for November 14 from the Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England.

Headlining the card will be a 205 pound tussle between Randy Couture and Brandon Vera, with other match-ups including Michael Bisping vs. Denis Kang, Mike Swick vs. Dan Hardy and more.

As always, feel free to agree or disagree with us and put your money where your mouth is and post your own set of picks for public scrutiny in the comment section below.

Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera

David Andrest:  Have you ever been stuck watching Oprah with your wife or girlfriend. Heard  the wonderful stories about troubled youth who turn their life around and now have everything on the right track? Watched an apology or public service announcement given by a formerly “troubled” pro athlete?  That is the same feeling I get every single time I hear Brandon Vera speak.  The overwhelming feeling that he is saying what he thinks he is supposed to say, and doesn’t believe a word of it himself.  Hearing him talk, I patiently wait for him to tell us he wants to be a veterinary assistant someday because he really wants to help sick animals.  Brandon Vera will never be the UFC  light heavyweight champion,  he will never be the heavyweight champion.  With that put out there, every single bit of common sense would tell you to take Vera in this fight.  Couture is 46 years old, has to be slowing down right??  However,  Vera  doesn’t show up for big fights, and I have no reason to believe this will be any different.  Couture is still just too good  for  B level  fighters, and will handle Vera.

Winner:  Randy Couture  via Decision

Cory Brady: I totally understand what it’s like to have a burning desire to achieve what othres say you can not, but in some cases, it’s just way better off if you keep your aspirations inside. Such is the case with Vera and his longtime goal to become a UFC champion at both heavyweight and light heavyweight. Some things are just better left unsaid, otherwise, “they’re all going to laugh at you”. While Vera certainly has a strikers chance in this bout, common sense points to Couture being able to deposit him on the mat and grind his face into lasagna leftovers. With that being said, don’t be too surprised if Vera manages to clip Randy at some point. Brandon is a more technical striker than Chuck Liddell in my opinion, just doesn’t carry the one punch knockout power that ”The Iceman” does.

Winner: Randy Couture via (GNP) TKO

Michael Bisping vs. Denis Kang

David Andrest:  If you read a lot of these things, I’m sure you ( like me) are tired of the “ how will Bisping bounce back from his near death experience against Dan Henderson” .   The truth is, he better forget that happened and continue growing as a fighter.  If he takes a step back, and shows up to prove a point and be the “old”  Bisping, he will be too aggressive and Kang will capitalize.  I for one think Kang is the better fighter  both on the feet and on the floor.  And I will say this,  Kang had better end this as he will not win a decision in Manchester .

Winner :   Denis Kang   via submission

Cory Brady: Bisping has yet t be submitted in his professional career, and nothing in Kang’s recent history suggests that he’s going to be the guy. If a 205 pound Red Schafer couldn’t do it, a 185 pound Kang’s chances being slim at pulling off a sub still seem optimistic at best. I feel like this fight stays standing, and the only way it doesn’t is if Bisping chooses to take it to the canvas. On the feet Kang may very well possess the heavier hands, but its nothing like Hendo Power, and I feel like “The Count” is a slightly more technical striker. I see Bisping catching Kang with something after a serious sizing up process and finishing it off with a little standing ground and pound over the fallen Canadian.

Winner: Michael Bisping via TKO

Mike Swick  vs. Dan Hardy

David Andrest:  I like both guys a lot as fighters,  and this honestly is a tough fight to call.  I think we all know what to expect from Swick.   Good stand up,  good on the ground, good all around fighter.  The wild card in this equation is Hardy.  In spite of how people feel about Hardy, I suspect we still haven’t seen everything he has to offer.   Unlike Cory,  I will pick from my gut and make no apologies for it. For no logical reason what so ever  I’m picking Dan Hardy, I can’t even begin to picture how he wins.

Winner:  Dan Hardy via TKO

Cory Brady: David’s right, there’s no way I’m picking a fight without being able to back it up with something. I mean hell, even if I’m going with my gut, I usually feel like there’s at least one key to victory for my guy. I just don’t see that being the case with Hardy. “The Oulaw” is undoubtedly one of my favorite fighters to watch throw down. and I’m definitely not saying he stands no chance of winning this fight, but in my opinion Swick is just a little bit better technically in more areas than Hardy. Striking, edge goes to Swick; Wrestling, Swick; experience against top opposition, Swick; Submissions, Swick. You see what I’m getting at. As a sidenote, there’s absolutely no reason for this fight not to end up with “Fight of the Night” honors.

Winner: Mike Swick via unanimous decision

Ross Pearson vs. Aaron Riley

David Andrest:  Very close fight all around as the two fighters have a very similar style.  I for one have to pull my  “Joe Silva did this for a reason “ card and pick Pearson for the win.  The UFC doesn’t typically set their TUF winners up for failure.

Winner: Ross Pearson via decision

Cory Brady: This should be a competitive, crowd pleasing scrap with both fighters having their moments. I don’t expect for either man to walk over the other, so be prepared for a three round battle in this one. I feel like this fight will end up being fought primarily on the feet, with the similarities of both fighters causing it to be more of a tactical give and take type affair. This fight is either man’s to win, it’s all bout who performs on Saturday evening. However, one factor that should never be ignored in a close bout on paper is the infamous hometown advantage.

Winner: Ross Pearson via unanimous decision

James Wilks vs. Matt Brown

David Andrest: Some people may view this fight as close in some way.  It’s not.  Matt Brown is better everywhere and tougher.  Look for Brown to control the action and dominate the Wilks.  Brown will stop this one early on his way to a TKO victory and  KO of the night bonus.

Winner: Matt Brown via TKO

Cory Brady: Is there a better person to cast your “Most improved fighter of all time” vote for in all of MMA than Matt Brown? If I’m forgetting someone, please feel free to remind me. I mean, the guy walks into the Ultimate Fighter house with a record of 7-6, and leaves one of the absolute grittiest welterweight in the UFC. While I’m not going to go as far as to say that Brown is better everywhere, I do feel like they don’t make them much tougher than Matt, and I fully expect him to give Wilks a beating he will not soon forget. Talk about a sink or swim opponent for James’ first fight out of the gate, jeesh.

Winner: Matt Brown via TKO

The event is set for November 14 from the Manchester Evening News Arena in, you guessed it, Manchester, England.

The main event will pit Randy Couture up against Brandon Vera in a light heavyweight showdown, but first things first, we’re here to kick things off with the undercard.

As usual, feel free to agreee or diagree with any of our picks in a loosely respectful manner in the comment section below, and of course, put up or shut up, let’s see your picks!

Main card is on the way…..

Paul Taylor vs. John Hathaway

David Andrest: I really enjoy watching Paul Taylor fight. I find him exciting most times as he really leaves it all in the Octagon.  With that said,  Hathaway is an 11-0  blue chip prospect who will likely take Taylor to the floor and pound him senseless.

Winner : John Hathaway  TKO

Cory Brady: Hathaway may have yet to see his first professional defeat in MMA, but there’s a first time for everything. The undefeated prospect has never faced anyone as durable and as explosive as Taylor. One thing is for certain, and that’s that both men should be in for a war. Hathaway may very well have what it takes to edge out Taylor from a technical standpoint, but it’s going to be interesting to see how he reacts to the pressure Taylor will be applying.

Winner: John Hathaway via unanimous decision

Terry Etim vs. Shannon Gugerty

David Andrest: Etim is better on the feet by a mile, and good enough to keep it off the floor for long stretches of time.  Thus  Gugerty will find himself getting beat up as he works to  get this fight and keep this fight on the floor where he has a shot.

Winner  Terry Etim decision

Cory Brady: I feel like Etim is the better striker of the two, but not by a mile. However, both men are very dangerous ground fighters so I expect for Etim to try to utilize the one obvious advantage he does have, and keep it standing. On the feet I feel like Gugerty should be able to hold his own, but he will be outclassed if he chooses to go that route. Sadly for Shannon, I feel like his only chance to win this fight will be from the top position on the canvas, but if he does that he’s risking getting triangle choked. Don’t be too surprised if Etim welcomes the takedown and looks to sinch up a triangle early on.

Winner: Terry Etim via submission

Paul Kelly vs. Dennis Siver

David Andrest: Unless  Dennis Siver has developed some takedown defense , he is in for a long night.  Paul Kelly is a scrappy guy who likes to hit people.  And when he takes Siver to the floof  he will punish   him.  I’m going to stop short of calling a TKO victory, but I think Siver will not be able to stop the beating  Kelly is going to lay upon him.

Winner:  Paul Kelly  via decision

Cory Brady: Paul Kelly is hands down one of the most exciting fighters in the business right now. He carries a head kick reminiscent of Mirko in his prime, and a relentless pace that would make Clay Guida nod his mangy mug in approval. Siver is capable, but there’s no reason Kelly shouldn’t win this fight; he’s just the better fighter. While Dennis doesn’t make it a habit to get knocked out, when he loses, he normally gets his a** whupped; this should be no exception. Expect for Kelly to come out with one thing on his mind, and that’s the KOTN bonus check.

Winner: Paul Kelly via TKO

Matt Riddle vs. Nick Osipczak

David Andrest:  I’m not sure how many of you have had the chance to watch Matt Riddle fight since his stint on TUF ended.  The guy has been …………….how should I say this?   Very controlling.  So much so if I were at the MEN arena, I would feel safe watching  Riddle take this fight to the floor,  then getting up to go to the bathroom, grab a drink, talk with a long lost friend, and return to my seat to find the fighters in the same position I left them 13 minutes earlier.   Nick Osipczak has BJJ, but it’s simply not going to be enough.  This fight will likely be won on “octagon control”.

Winner:  Matt Riddle  and the Concession Stands at the Arena by decision

Cory Brady: I’m not going to argue with anything that Dave just said, and I’d be lying if I said I was looking forward to this one. Who would of known that the kid with one of the most devastating knockouts in the history of The Ultimate Fighter would turn out to be so hard to watch. Nick’s a scrappy dude, but Riddle is too big, strong and lethargic for him.

Winner: Matt Riddle via unanimous decision

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Jared Hamman

David Andrest: It’s the debut for both fighters,  after a quick look at records Gustafsson has faced the better competiton.  For that reason alone I’m going to pick him in this fight.

Winner: Gustafsson via TKO

Cory Brady: Alexander has an awesome nickname, “The Mauler”, but don’t even pretend like you’ve seen a bunch of tape on this guy. Fighting out of Stockholm, Sweden, Gustafsson is known as a knockout artist, with six of his eight victories ending via TKO or KO. However, Hamman is vastly more experienced against tougher competition and is known as a knockout artist in his own right. If you like brutal beatdowns, this is the fight for you; there’s no way this one makes it to the scorecards.

Winner: Jared Hamman via knockout

Andre Winner vs. Roli Delgado

David Andrest: This could be an interesting fight.  Each man has one way to win.  Winner will win this fight on the feet, Delgado on the ground.  It’s simple as that.  Look for Winner to clinch early and often and beat Delgado until the ref steps in to save the day, otherwise  we’ll have witnessed Delgado pull guard and end it quickly.

Winner: Winner via TKO

Cory Brady: Another fight I’m not looking forward to between two guys that won’t be around in a few months. Winner has a long history of going the distance and if he’s able to avoid a Delgado submission, there’s no reason this fight should break the trend. Delgado is technically better on the ground, and that’s where this fight will be won.

Winner: Delgado via unanimous decision

FiveOuncesofPain.com

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers  is set to go down this Saturday evening  at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill.  The event will be broadcast live on CBS.

Set to feature a headlining  heavyweight  fight Fedor Emelianenko and Brett Rogers, also set for action will beJake Shields, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Gegard Mousasi,  Fabricio Werdum, Antonio Silva and others.

As always feel free to agree or disagree with either of us in the comments section below, and please post your very own set of picks so they can either be voted up or down by the people: You guys.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers

David Andrest:  Not sure what to type here that hasn’t been said everywhere. Fedor is a heavy favorite and for good reason.  He brings a thousand ways to beat Rogers into the cage with him.  Rogers brings one.  A victory for either is going to be a HUGE win for Strikeforce, with the only chance of failure is a main event marred in controversy.  Strikeforce on CBS  can not afford a  Machida over Shogun type victory, or a stoppage due to a cut.  Fortunately for them they won’t have this problem.

Winner: Fedor via armbar

Cory Brady: My gut keeps telling me something absolutely shocking could happen in this one, but I have promised myself that I will never let my gut choose for me again (we’ll see how long that lasts). My gut keeps telling me that Brett is the biggest threat Fedor has ever faced because the way I see it is like this: The guy that’s going to beat Fedor isn’t going to be a guy there’s a ton of tape on, and the odds of Emelianenko losing a fight on the ground are slim. No, in my opinion the guy that will end up defeating Fedor will be the guy that’s totally not supposed to, but punches like a truck; sorta like “Grim”. With that being said, I see no reason Fedor’s extensive Sambo background wouldn’t enable him to lock the big man at the waist and drag him to the canvas. From there, I keep seeing Fedor working some ground and pound before Rogers spins around in an effort to escape, only to get caught up in an Emelianenko rear-naked choke.

Winner: Fedor via submission

Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs. Jake Shields (for vacant Strikeforce middleweight title)

David Andrest:  I can’t stop going back and forth on this fight.  Everything points to Shields but something keeps telling me Miller is going to win this fight.  Perhaps the fact that Jacare couldn’t  take Mayhem out on the floor?  Perhaps it’s still obvious to me and the rest of the planet that Shields doesn’t have the stand up to bang with Miller.  But then I remember a 12 fight winning streak, each opponent going to be the one to keep Shields standing or be able to defend on the canvas………Let me flip a coin here……

Winner:  Jason Miller via TKO

Cory Brady: While I have also been going back and forth on this fight for quite some time now, there’s no way I’m flipping a coin on a match-up as important as this one. Jake Shields is going to win this fight, and let me tell you why: Mayhem is going to be the more powerful, naturally larger man, there’s no doubt about that. However, in my opinion the difference in this bout will be that Shields is going to be just slightly more technical in the subjects that will matter the most in this one: wrestling and submissions. While Shields has normally fought at 170 in the past, he’ll be at 185 for this one. Miller would love to keep the fight standing but I don’t feel like he’s going to be able to.

Winner: Shields via submission

Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (non-title match)

David Andrest: Poor Sokoudjou, I mean this is the Fedor vs. Rogers fight all over again, with one exception. I don’t think Sokoudjou believes he is going to win this fight.  Neither do I.

Winner: Mousasi  via armbar

Cory Brady: Well I have to believe, that Sokoudjou believes he can win this fight. He’s a fighter, and god knows he’s not coming in there to take a beating. He may end up taking a beating, but that’s not what he’s showing up for. Sokoudjou has shown in the past during bouts with both Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona that taking the power in his fists lightly could be a disastrous mistake, but Mousasi is seriously just so much technically better than him on the feet it’s not even funny. On the ground, it’s not even close. Sokoudjou’s a hell of a fighter, and always fun to watch, but there’s good reason this one’s not for the title.

Winner: Mousasi via knockout

Antonio Silva vs. Fabricio Werdum

David Andrest:  I don’t care what anyone say’s , I still believe Werdum is one of the better  heavyweights in mixed martial arts.  He is ever improving, and looks to have gotten the memo that cardio is important.   Silva is big, but isn’t better at anything. He’s bigger at everything.

Winner:  Werdum  via Decision

Cory Brady: Of course, it’s MMA and anything can happen as displayed in Werdum’s recent knockout defeat at the hands of Junior dos Santos, but there’s absolutely no reason Fabricio shouldn’t win this fight, and win it convincingly. He’s the better striker, and the better submission artist by a mile. Silva may be big, but there’s not a limb on his body Werdum won’t be able to snap in half like a tree branch if given the opportunity, which he will.

Winner: Werdum via submisiion

Marloes Coenen vs. Roxanne Modafferi

David Andrest:  If the MMA gods smile on us we’ll see this fight. Coenen is widely believed to be next in line for a beating from Cyborg Santos. Modafferi on the other hand steps in for Erin Toughill on short notice.  Anyone familiar with Modafferi  is aware she already holds a victory over Coenen, however it was two years ago and one would expect both fighters to have matured a bit.  Modafferi is often recognized as one of the best 135’s  in  WMMA, and much like  the woman she is replacing , will defeat Coenen.

Winner:   Modafferi

Cory Brady: My good friend and colleague Mr. Andrest pointed out to me earlier that Modaferri was the female equivalent of Clay Guida. A tenacious brawler with a never say die attitude in the cage that overwhelms her opponents through pure aggression. On the other side of that coin I would have to compare Coenen to a female Kenny Florian; She finishes fights. Although the two met up before in a bout that Modaferri took the split decision home in, that fight was two and a half years ago and I’m willing to bet that the “Female Rickson” will be able to get the job done this time around.

Winner: Coenen via submission

And now we turn it over to you guys, the readers. Don’t be that guy that says he called every fight but nobody believes; put up or shut up, get it on record in the comment section below!