LONDON — Another year, another Cage Rage show, another great card. Although the late loss of Vitor Belfort (Pictures) has obviously hurt the show, there are still more than enough good matches in there to make it worth every UK MMA fan's while to show up.
Although I'd have loved to see Manhoef step up and show what he had against Belfort, it obviously wasn't meant to be. Santos is a solid opponent, but if Manhoef cannot beat him then he does not deserve to get near a fighter of Belfort's caliber.
Stout against Matsui will offer both fighters the chance for redemption, and the involvement of "Pele" and Jason Delucia will cater to the nostalgic amongst us.
For me, the most exciting fights are those involving UK fighters on the cusp of big things. Can Jean Silva (Pictures) return to winning ways and remain dominant in the UK lightweight division or will the hungry, talented young "Semtex" consign him to yesterday's news? How does Ross "The Boss" Mason stack up against the UFC veteran, Chris Lytle (Pictures)? And, once again, is "One Punch" Pickett for real? Or will Robbie Oliver (Pictures) bring the young upstart back to Earth?
Let's take a closer look into the magical crystal ball.