UFC 136 Telegraph Picks as Houston blasts off with Frankie Edgar Jose Aldo and Chael Sonnen

TELEGRAPH PICKS

EDGAR, ALDO, SONNEN, PHAN, LAUZON, MAIA, PETTIS

Preliminary card

Lightweight bout: United States Anthony Pettis vs. United States Jeremy Stephens

Middleweight bout: Brazil Demian Maia vs. Brazil Jorge Santiago

Main card

Lightweight bout: United States Melvin Guillard vs. United States Joe Lauzon

Featherweight bout: United States Leonard Garcia vs. United States Nam Phan

Middleweight bout: United States Chael Sonnen vs. United States Brian Stann

Featherweight Championship bout: Brazil José Aldo (c) vs. United States Kenny Florian

Lightweight Championship bout: United States Frankie Edgar (c) vs. United States Gray Maynard

Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard meet in a rematch of their January title bout which was declared a split draw. Maynard dominated the first round before Edgar rebounded to get a draw. Should Edgar defeat Maynard, it will be his third straight lightweight title defence, equalling the feat of BJ Penn, who equals that in the UFC history of lightweight fights. Maynard remains the only fighter to have defeated Edgar (in a non title fight in 2008), and dominated the first round of their title fight before Edgar rebounded to earn the draw and retain his belt. The rematch was scheduled to take place in May, but both fighters pulled out with injuries. So, finally, they are set again, in Houston, Texas…

Gray Maynard, meanwhile, and indeed, Kenny Florian – fighting at featherweight, his fourth weight division – both seek to become the fourth and fifth Ultimate Fighter participants to win a UFC title. For Florian, it is his third, and probably last, shot at a UFC title as challenger. He has distinct reach and height advantages over Jose Aldo, the livewire champion from Brazil. Since The Ultimate Fighter 1 Finale, Florian is 0-3 in title and number-one contender bouts, while 12-0 in all his other fights in the UFC. Is Ken-Flo just a tad short of championship material ? We will find out tonight, when he puts it all on the line. He must do against Aldo.

Aldo makes his second title defence, and fourth, if you include the time he held the belt during his reign in the WEC, before it merged after being bought out by Zuffa, owners of the WEC. Also has not been beaten in the last five years, has been on a run of 12 straight victories, nine of which have been by knockout.

Hugely significant on this card, too, is the return of Chael Sonnen – for the first time since dominating middleweight champion Anderson Silva for four rounds before losing with a minute to go by submission in August 2010. Sonnen was suspended twice for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, which he disputed. His opponent, the All-American war hero Brian Stann, looks to improve to 4-0 since dropping to middleweight. The winner is expected to earn a middleweight title shot against Silva.