Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields: This fight has so many question marks affixed that predicting a victor is extremely difficult. Akiyama (13-4) will be competing inside the octagon at 170 pounds for the first time, and Shields (26-6-1) will be attempting to rebound from the ugliest year of his professional career. How will Akiyama adjust to the cut in weight? Will the death of his father still haunt Jake Shields? We’ll know in a matter of days; until then, one can only issue baseless guesses.

Stylistically the two match up well. Akiyama brings some precision punching to the fold, and a fair top game, while Shields is a submission machine with a decent double leg takedown. If both men are healthy, both physically and mentally, this one will be a war, if any intangible happens to make itself known, this one becomes a pure coin toss. Come fight time we get to see Akiyama fight for his career and Shields tangle for his pride and placement among the world’s best welterweights. I think Shields has had enough time to shake the immediate distraction of his father’s passing, and I think his will to be the best will overcome Akiyama’s determination to keep his job. Jake Shields snags a guillotine choke from top position in the fights waning minutes.

Tim Boetsch vs. Yushin Okami: After years perched at th top of the division, Yushin Okami (26-6) now finds himself in a similar scenario to that of rich Franklin circa 2007; he’s good enough to foil the careers of just about any contender you can throw in his path, but extremely unlikely to ever truly challenge Anderson Silva. So, what’s a Japanese star to do but bust more heads and work his way back into a position to prove my statement wrong. Boetsch (14-4) however has yet to work his way toward a warranted shot at the title, and really hasn’t proven himself against a top five opponent.

Stylistically, we have another match that showcases fairly similar offensive attacks. While Tim tends to favor the standup exchanges, he usually finds himself rag-dolling foes with powerful wrestling at one point or another. Can he outmuscle Yushin Okami? It’s possible, but I wouldn’t bank on it; Okami is more than proficient enough to thwart Tim’s offense. I think Okami actually uses his range on the feet and slowly wears Boetsch down with a consistent array of strikes. The fight hits the canvas and stays there in round three, as “Thunder” secures mount and unloads on Boetsch for a TKO stoppage.

Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski: Hatsu Hioki (25-4-2) has been recognized as a top featherweight for a few years now. He’s the owner of a potent submission game, and he’s got a soft spot for grinding down his opponents before capitalizing on brief openings. He also looked uncharacteristically flat in his UFC debut, in which he took home a contested split decision win over George Roop. I think chances are Hioki was a tad overwhelmed by the spectacle and it hindered his performance, but I could certainly be wrong.

“Bartimus” (36-14) has some completely different issues: namely, inconsistency. Palaszewski is a brawler at heart, but he’s come a long way in tightening up the holes in his overall skillset. Improved wrestling has helped him keep the fight in his territory (vertical), and lately, he’s parlayed that into some success. After competing at 155 pounds for years, Bart made the move to featherweight, where, one fight in, he’s looked great. Can he keep the momentum going, and follow up his first round starching of Tyson Griffin with another successful outing? I honestly don’t know, and certainly wouldn’t be willing to bet on it. Hioki has been the more consistent of the two; he’s shaken the first (UFC) fight jitters, and he’s fighting on his home turf. Hioki by early third round submission.