Posted 8/25/11 3:59  PM

UFC 134 will be quite a spectacle. With the popularity of MMA booming in Brazil, the crowd will be ready to explode for this stacked card. Not to mention, the UFC, as always, did a great job of getting the hometown favorites on the card. Brazilian stars like Anderson Silva, Shogun Rua, and Antonio Nogueira will really get the crowd going. Here is a bout by bout look at UFC 134:

Luiz Cane vs. Stanislav Nedkov

This has got to be one of the toughest UFC debuts anyone has ever had to make. Nedkov (11-0 MMA) will have to take on a very tough opponent on his home turf in front of a chaotic crowd. The undefeated Nedkov though, should not be overlooked. In his 11 wins he has gone the distance only twice, with four submission wins and five wins by way of knockout. Cane (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) can be just as devastating though. In his 11 wins he has nine knockouts and has gone the distance only once. Couple that with his experience on the big stage and Nedkov has a dangerous opponent. Expect a war in the first fight of the pay per view. 

Prediction: Cane def. Nedkov via Knockout

Edson Barboza vs. Ross Pearson

This will be another war. The up and coming, undefeated Barboza (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will likely put on another leg kick clinic. In his two UFC fights, he has a TKO as a result of leg kicks and a unanimous decision win in an absolute war against Anthony Njokuani. He will have to deal with the fast hands of Pearson (12-4 MMA, 4-1 UFC) however. Pearson’s striking has earned him three TKO victories including one because of a doctor stoppage against Aaron Riley. Both fighters also have some dangerous submission skills, but will likely prefer to stay on the feet. 

Prediction: Barboza def. Pearson via Decision

Antonio Nogueira vs. Brendan Schaub

Anytime a legend steps in the cage in front of his home crowd, it makes for a great UFC moment. Nogueira (32-6-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) is definitely a legend. Coming off of about a year and a half long layoff, Nogueira will look to put together a win streak. In order to get that first one, he has to go through a much younger and hungrier opponent. Schaub (8-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is on an incredible win. Since losing in the TUF finale, he has won four fights in a row with three knockouts. In his last fight, Schaub knocked out another legend of the sport in Mirko Cro Cop. A win here may earn Schaub not only a new nick name like “legend killer”, but it may also bring him one step closer to a title shot. 

Prediction: Schaub def. Nogueira via Knockout

Mauricio Rua vs. Forrest Griffin

This is a rematch of the instant classic from back in 2007. Since that fight both fighters have had some big success. After winning the first fight, Griffin (18-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) got a title shot and took advantage. Since then, Griffin has gone 2-2 with a couple of losses to two of the best fighters in the world, and a couple of impressive wins over UFC legends Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin. Since losing that fight in ’07, Rua (19-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) also put together some big wins. Like Griffin, Rua eventually won the light heavyweight title (some will argue that he won it twice). Rua recently lost the belt to current champion Jon Jones. With both fighters looking to regain a spot at the top of the division, there is a lot on the line in this much anticipated rematch. 

Prediction: Rua def. Griffin via Knockout

Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami

Get ready to stare at you TV for five minutes at a time without blinking. Anytime the UFC middleweight champ is in the cage, the fight could be over at any second. After showing that he is human in his close call against Chael Sonnen, Silva (30-4 MMA, 13-0 UFC) returned to his inhuman ways with his stunning front kick knockout of Vitor Belfort. Silva has set an unthinkable record with 13 consecutive wins inside the octagon, and there is no reason to think that record will be snapped saturday. Okami (26-5 MMA, 10-2 UFC) does have one advantage: he has beaten Silva before. Ok, so he won because of an illegal kick. But he’s fought him before, so he’ll know what to expect, right? Well, lets ask former middleweight champ Rich Franklin, who fought Silva twice, with just one year between fights. In the first fight, Franklin was knocked out by a knee in the first round. In the second fight, Franklin was knocked out by a knee in the second round. The scary thing about Silva is: even if you know what’s coming, you still cant stop it. Okami may be the best Japanese fighter in UFC history, but Silva is arguably the greatest fighter in UFC history. 

Prediction: Silva def. Okami via Knockout