UFC 123 – Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcao Goncalves Prediction

Fight Overview:  Debuting Brazilian powerhouse Maiquel Jose Falcao Goncalves, a world-class striker, faces a stern test in his UFC debut against Ultimate Fighter contestant Gerald Harris.  Both guys have serious knockout power so this fight has the potential to be extremely entertaining.

Goncalves’ Strengths:  Goncalves has world-class striking, both in terms of technique and power.

Goncalves’ Weaknesses:  His list of opponents is not exactly a who’s who, and his wrestling and ground game have never really been tested.

Harris’ Strengths:  Harris has extremely heavy hands and a lot of physical strength.  He also has powerful takedowns even if his wrestling is not technically superb.

Harris’ Weaknesses:  Goncalves is the best striker he has ever faced, easily.

The Verdict:  I think Harris’ strength and power are going to be too much for Goncalves to handle.  No matter how many knockouts he has, fighting against low-level competition on smaller shows is no preparation for the kind of brutal top game Harris is capable of bringing.  Harris by T/KO.

Fight Prediction:  Gerald Harris by second round T/KO.