Since I last wrote regularly on this blog (and yes, if you haven’t noticed, I am writing regularly here again — more on that tomorrow), I have become a UFC fan. That is, I am a fan of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a sport in which grown men in not very much clothing get into a ring (an octagon, actually, though that’s mostly a marketing thing, not because it changes the game much) and tumble around until time runs out or one of them gives up or passes out. It’s not entirely my own fault — I had a friend back in Chicago who was really into it, and he got me into it. And I’m not a huge fan — I only know a few names of guys I like, and most of the others are just dudes fighting each other.

But it is pretty impressive once you figure it out — the guys train like crazy, the fights are very technical, and there are lots and lots of weird and interesting stories behind all of the guys and their fights. Periodically, they hold pay-per-view matches, where they have a series of fights, usually a few of them for titles or showcasing major fighters. And there’s one of those this weekend. Back in Chicago, I used to have a few friends who watched, so we usually bought the PPV ourselves and watched it in my apartment, but here in LA, I don’t know anyone else yet who’s interested.

I do plan to watch it, though — I’ll probably head out to a bar somewhere, grab a beer and maybe some food, and watch the fights. Before I do that, I figured I’d try my hand at a little fight analysis — run down the fights expected this weekend and see what I think of the fighters. You can find my picks below.

My picks for UFC 106

Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin

This is the headliner of the night, and I’m looking forward to it. Griffin is coming off of a devastating loss to my favorite fighter, Anderson Silva, which he’s a little ashamed of, but no one can blame him for (Silva is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and he’s like an alien in the ring — the organization hasn’t found anyone to match him with in terms of talent). That said, Griffin sounds like he’s angling for a victory, and the aging Ortiz is probably the guy to give it to him. Tito may pull out an unexpected win, but I think Forrest is still on his way up, and the Silva fight was just a setback.

Pick: Griffin in the second round.

Josh Koscheck vs. Anthony “Rumble” Johnson

I like Koscheck a lot — he’s a smart guy, and I don’t think he’s reached his limit yet in terms of what he can do. He can really turn on the knockout power when he’s on. That said, Rumble is a good fighter, too, and he’s got more of a name to make in this fight, I think. He’ll fight hard, but I think Koscheck is a little more experienced and will be able to withstand anything Rumble throws at him, even if it’s just long enough to land a good punch.

Pick: Koscheck in the first.

Phil Baroni vs. Amir Sadollah

Honestly, I really like Amir. My friend got me to watch the Ultimate Fighter, and the first season I watched was the one Amir won. Anyone who beat up CB Dollaway gets a plus in my book. That said, I don’t know that Amir has it in him to constantly win fights, and Baroni will be a tough one for him. I’ll be rooting for Amir, but I don’t think he’ll pull it off — I think he has too much fun being an on-camera host for UFC to actually win in the octagon.

Pick: Baroni by decision. Sorry, Amir.

Bowser Koopa vs. Mario “The Plumber” Mario

These two have a long history together — they’ve both headlined multiple fight nights and they’re two of the oldest fighters in the industry. Bowser’s got a lot of upper body strength for sure, and he’s got some crazy clown helicopters that he can use in the clinch or anytime he’s up against the wall. But Mario’s power is really in his legs, and his muay thai really lets him stomp his opponents when he times things just right. This will be an entertaining fight no matter what, but Bowser’s lost too many of these matches to pull this one off: look for Mario to bring down the flag at the end.

Pick: Mario in round 8-4.

Bruce “Batman” Wayne vs. Clark “Superman” Kent

Here’s another pair of fighters who have a long history together. I’ll tell you — in terms of physical prowess, you won’t find any other fighters in the UFC who have the kinds of talents that these guys have. Wayne’s training schedule is over the top insane, and Kent is just supernaturally gifted with stamina. When he gets near a yellow sun, you can practically see him shooting lazers from his eyes. But of the two, Wayne really understands that the UFC is an all-around sport, and he’s likely to fight in dirty ways that Kent won’t figure out until it’s too late. If he can get Kent in a clinch and break out a little dirty boxing, that’ll be Kent’s kryptonite.

Pick: Batman in three.

Jake “Cake” Sanderson vs. Robbie “Pie” Malone

Lots of people have been waiting for this one to finally be solved once and for all, especially with the all-important Thanksgiving season coming up. “Cake” Sanderson is definitely a powerhouse — he’s got some knockout chocolate power, and his sweet jiujitsu frosting is just icing on the… well, you know. But don’t count “Pie” out — he’s got an amazing assortment of fruits in his arsenal, and if needed, he can even put some meat and veggies in the mix and move out of dessert right into dinner. A lot of people will like “Cake” for sure — he’s always a crowd pleaser. But I think in the end, “Pie” will be the one walking away with the victory.

Pick: Pie. Unless Cake shows up in the form of something video game-related. Then all bets are off.