Edson Barboza's windmill kick, first successfully wielded at UFC Rio de Janeiro, is just one of the attractions at UFC 146 this Saturday. Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa.

“Boss, boss!” panted the Trainee, with that excited and frightening look his face betrays every time he thinks he came up with something fantastic. “I had a brilliant idea! Remember that story idea about Grandmaster Carlson Gracie I suggested? The one about the ugliest fighters in the world?”

It’s Friday. On Friday you can put up with anything. So I said, “I remember. You want to do one about the handsomest ones now?”

“No, boss… The cockiest ones in the UFC! Don’t you think Frank Mir would win it easy?” he said as he stepped into my personal space, like only really annoying people do.

Well I had to come up with an answer quick, and the only thing I could think of was: “Weren’t you going to submit your predictions for UFC 146?”

So there you have it, our picks for tomorrow’s UFC.

UFC 146
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA
MAY 26, 2012

Junior Cigano vs Frank Mir
Pick: Junior Cigano

Cain Velasquez vs Antônio Pezão
Pick: Cain Velasquez

Dave Herman vs Roy Nelson
Pick: Roy Nelson

Shane Del Rosario vs Stipe Miocic
Pick: Shane Del Rosario

Lavar Johnson vs Stefan Struve
Pick: Stefan Struve

Darren Elkins vs Diego Brandão
Pick: Diego Brandão

Edson Barboza vs Jamie Varner
Pick: Edson Barboza

Jason Miller vs C.B. Dollaway
Pick: Jason Miller

Jacob Volkmann vs Paul Sass
Pick: Jacob Volkmann

Dan Hardy vs Duane Ludwig
Pick: Duane Ludwig

Kyle Kingsbury vs Glover Teixeira
Pick: Glover Teixeira

Mike Brown vs Daniel Pineda
Pick: Mike Brown

Thiago Silva warms up his shins for what may be his toughest MMA fight yet, in Sweden. Photos: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images.

Any trainee worth his salt, whether at a Jiu-Jitsu, MMA or interior decoration magazine, loves spouting cocky discourse—and a prepackaged statement.

Flipping through the latest GRACIEMAG, hot off the press, GRACIEMAG.com’s chesty trainee started spewing murmurs of approval from his desk, between the water cooler and the gi rack. “Really great this magazine,” he said, trying to catch someone’s attention. “All that’s missing is a bit more self-defense…”

While begging to have his predictions for UFC Sweden put up on the site, he let slip another one smacking of hubris: “This UFC, I dunno… Some of the fights are real obvious. But Stockholm syndrome may rear its head in MMA!” and rolled his eyes, trying to impress.

What do you think, savvy reader, who comes up big in the octagon this Saturday?

UFC ON FUEL TV
SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2012
ERICSSON GLOBE ARENA, STOCKHOLM

Jason Young vs Eric Wisely
Prediction: Jason Young

Simeon Thoresen vs Besam Yousef
Prediction: Simeon Thoresen

Reza Madadi vs Yoislandy Izquierdo
Prediction: Reza Madadi

Francis Carmont vs Magnus Cedenblad
Prediction: Magnus Cedenblad

Cyrille Diabate vs Tom DeBlass
Prediction: Tom DeBlass

Papy Abedi vs James Head
Prediction: Papy Abedi

Main card

Brad Pickett vs Damacio Page
Prediction: Brad Pickett

DaMarques Johnson vs John Maguire
Prediction: DaMarques Johnson

Dennis Siver vs Diego Nunes
Prediction: Diego Nunes

Paulo Thiago vs Siyar Bahadurzada
Prediction: Paulo Thiago

Brian Stann vs Alessio Sakara
Prediction: Brian Stann

Alexander Gustafsson vs Thiago Silva
Prediction: Alexander Gustafsson

Gustafsson training for the press on Wednesday: the big European hope in MMA.