Machida/Evans I'm pretty stuck on. I'm leaning slightly towards Evans right now, but who knows really. I have Hughes over Serra though.
I can't choose between Evans/Machida. On one side you have Evans, who is quick as hell, has knockout power in all limbs, and a dominating ground game. And he just gets better and better, and has Greg Jackson the master of game planning. Then there is Machida, who is elusive as hell. Evans can surely knock him out... thast if he can get to him. Machida has never ever been in trouble, minus the quick triangle he pulled out against Tito. Evans on the other hand, who has never really been in trouble, has lost a round, and Forrest was doing decent against him. Tito tried to grapple and wrestle with Machida, and Machida had no problem throwing him around. But we have never seen Machida really get hit, so maybe his jaw is as glass. I have no idea who I am choosing, but I am rooting for Machida.
I said Machida and Serra, I think he'll catch Hughes. Both Evans and Serra have good value as underdogs and if I were betting, I'd bet them.
I think Machida and Evans fight for 25-minutes and Machida wins a decision, at least 4 rounds to 1. As for Hughes/Serra, I think Serra gasses out mid way through the second and Hughes LNP's him for the decision win. Hughes won't take any chances for fear of losing. I suspect both fighters retire afterwards, though not necessarily Saturday night.
Why you gotta be contradicting me all the time, yo? I don't think there are good match-ups for him at welterweight anymore. Either he fights guys who are at the bottom of the class and gains nothing but the continuation of his career, or gets tooled by mid-level or better welterweights. Borderline top-ten guys like Kampmann and Condit would wreck him. You can put him in with guys like Brad Blackburn or Tamdan McCrory, but why?
I got Machida, I think he using his point scoring effectively and is up 3-0 when Rashad then has to be more aggressive and gets KO'd in the 4th. I think Hughes wins rather easily and may get the TKO, but will most likely get the DEC. FYI Hughes has been doing some of his training with Sherk and Larson up at Minnesotta MMA doing Sherk's 'caveman' training
actually if you scroll up, you'll notice you told us Machids-UD... hence nothing about a KO I did call for a KO in the 4th, so I'm a bit surprised at how easy Machida made it look