UFC 145 picks from Kevin Iole, Cagewriter and you

With UFC 145 finally (almost) here, we asked Cagereaders to give us your main card picks to run next to Kevin Iole's and mine. Read on for all of our picks. If you want to join in next time, follow Cagewriter on Facebook.

Mark Bocek vs. John Alessio

Kevin Iole, columnist:  I have wondered when the UFC would bring back Alessio, who has improved greatly since his previous stint with the promotion. But Joe Silva gave him no bargain in Bocek, Bocek is one tick off the top tier and usually wins unless he's fighting a legitimate title contender. I say Bocek neutralizes Alessio's standup and wins a decision. Pick -- Mark Bocek W3 John Alessio

Maggie Hendricks, Cagewriter: Alessio has taken his last three, but they were out of the UFC and he's taking on the very tough Bocek on two weeks' notice. Bocek should be able to grind out a decision win. Pick -- Mark Bocek W3 John Alessio

Jackson Torres, fan: This one is tough to call, Alessio is a veteran and has a lot of wins, but a lot of losses as well. What stands out as his weakness to me is 7 of his 14 losses are by submission. I feel if Bocek can get this to the ground quickly, he can finish it there. Pick -- Bocek Sub R2.

[ Related: Jon Jones-Rashad Evans feud adds intrigue to UFC 145 ]

Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin

Kevin Iole:  Hominick is one of the division's best fighters, which he proved in his loss to champion Jose Aldo. His knockout loss to the Korean Zombie his last time out can be discounted. He got caught on the button just as the bout began. I think he's a cut above Yagin skill-wise and will break him down before stopping him. Pick -- Mark Hominick TKO2 Eddie Yagin

Maggie Hendricks: After two losses in a row, Hominick needs a big win. He has been training with Jeff Curran and his team to shake things up for this bout, which shouldn't last too long. Pick -- Mark Hominick KO2 Eddie Yagin

Jackson Torres, fan: Hominick needs a win badly as he has suffered back to back losses and a 7 second knock out at the hands of the Korean Zombie. Yagin has 15 wins with an equal amount of Subs, KO's and Decisions. How ever I feel Hominick will come out strong and this one and get back in the mix with a win. Pick -- Hominick R3 D

Miguel Torres vs. Michael McDonald

Kevin Iole: This is potentially a great fight and one I'm looking forward to with great interest. I could make a case for both guys, but I'll go with experience and take Torres. Torres also has to be hungry and motivated after he was briefly cut by the UFC and I think his experience advantage and his motivation will help him pull out a win in a fight that truly could go either way. Pick -- Miguel Torres W3 Michael McDonald

Maggie Hendricks: The classic match-up of young buck vs. veteran will turn on how Torres handles his first fight back since being cut from the UFC for an offensive tweet. If he plays it smart and doesn't charge in recklessly, he can hold off McDonald for three round. Pick -- Torres W3 Michael McDonald

Jackson Torres, fan: Miguel hasn't fought for a while and McDonald is on a roll right now coming off of that brutal KO of Soto. I feel Miguel will show some ring rust while McDonald utilizes his striking early and finishing it. Pick -- McDonald R2 TKO

Brendan Schaub vs. Ben Rothwell

Kevin Iole: When Schaub is clicking, he's a handful for any heavyweight. He makes mistakes that cause him troubles, but I think he'll land something flashy and stop Big Ben. Pick -- Brendan Schaub KO2 Ben Rothwell

Maggie Hendricks: Schaub's loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in Brazil was tough to take, and he'll want to erase that memory as soon as possible. His speed will be too much for Rothwell. Pick -- Brendan Schaub KO1 Ben Rothwell.

William Corral, fan: I'm going out on a limb here and picking Big Ben Rothwell. Not that I think he's a better fighter, but Schaub will break his hand from repeated punches to Big Ben's Noggin, and then Rothwell will collapse from exhaustion on top of Schaub in the 2nd round. You could classify that as a submission.

Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills

Kevin Iole: I believe MacDonald is a future champion and this bout is a huge showcase for him. Though MacDonald may look to use his jiu-jitsu, he's also go excellent hands and I see him wearing Mills down and stopping him late. Pick -- Rory MacDonald TKO3 Che Mills

Maggie Hendricks: Though Mills impressed with a 40-second TKO of Chris Cope, MacDonald is quite the jump up in competition. MacDonald's well-rounded game will be much too much. Pick -- MacDonald TKO2 Che Mills

Jackson Torres, fan: This is a very interesting match as Mills destroyed Cope in his UFC debut, how ever Cope isn't that highly ranked in the division and we still don't know what Mills can really do. I feel Rory has the experience when it comes to opponents and that he will get away with the win. I expect this to be fight of the night. Pick -- MacDonald R3 D

Champion Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans

Kevin Iole: I think the long odds favoring Jones are ludicrous. I've been writing for a long time that Evans is a terrific fighter who, for some reason, doesn't get enough credit. I think his quickness and his power will cause Jones a lot of issues. But it's hard to see Evans winning given Jones' takedown defense, his length and his ability to land hard shots from any position. Evans gives him some anxious moments, but Jones is worthy of the hype and should pull it out to retain his belt. Pick -- Jon Jones W5 Rashad Evans

Maggie Hendricks: Thank heavens this fight is finally happening. More than a year of build-up is plenty. If Evans can hold off Jones' attacks to last five rounds, he should win. Unfortunately for Evans, I don't think he will. Jon Jones Sub3 Rashad Evans

Timothy Milloff,  fan: Rashad Evans has always been underrated. He came up the ranks the hard way, thanks to Dana. He is a great fighter and a great guy, always the fighter the fans boo. He will upset Jones like Ali did Liston.

Agree? Disagree? Tell us in the comments, on Twitter or on Facebook.

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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-145-picks-kevin-iole-cagewriter-131139815.html

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