FightTicker.com is happy to welcome back its guest panel to predict the UFC 86 headliner for the the light heavyweight title between champ Quinton Jackson and challenger Forrest Griffin. The members of the panel are Larry Vollmer of The Journal News, Tom Kim of the Seattle PI, Jared Barnes of the Houston Chronicle, Mark Chalifoux of The Baltimore Sun, Nathan Schafer of WiCombatSports.com and Carlos Arias of the OC Register.

Panel picks

Nathan Schafer (WiCombatSports.com): Quinton Jackson by TKO in Round 4

"Forrest Griffin is known as a fighter that is usually willing to take a punch to give a punch. That mentality will get him floored by the powerful hooks and uppercuts that Rampage possesses. Forrest's lack of powerful striking usually means he is forced to grind out decisions against his opponents using his reach advantage and powerful leg kicks.

"His best chance to win the fight is by utilizing the clinch and using knees. From there he uses trip takedowns well and he should look to control and ground-and-pound Rampage from top position. Rampage is good at getting back to his feet and reversing opponents so Forrest will have his work cut out for him. If he is reversed or taken down, Forrest fights well off his back and he is much better at the jits game.

"Forrest is known for his legendary cardio and I think he'll come in well prepared as usual. Rampage however went five rounds with Dan Henderson in September and I don't think that Forrest holds that much of an edge in this department. Both fighters are going to come in at the top of their games and what most think will be the biggest advantage for Forrest will really be a non-factor.

"The X-factors in this fight are that Forrest fights under Randy Couture and Shawn Tompkins who are the best in the business at developing strategies and seeing flaws in a fighter's game. Forrest
on the other hand is known for getting cut and is a heavy bleeder. The cut opened up by Shogun in September is located in a spot on his forehead that could be a detriment to him for the rest of his career. I expect Forrest to get cut again as usual but lose the fight when he eats a monster uppercut or hook from Rampage."

Larry Vollmer (Inside the Octagon blog): Quinton Jackson by TKO in Round 3

"Forrest is a tough guy, and he is good at a lot of things, but he isn't great at any one thing. Forrest is a lot bigger then Rampage, so I don't see 'Page going for repeated takedowns. Rampage's boxing is a lot better than Griffin's so I see Rampage approaching this fight much like the Dan Henderson bout.

"After watching the punishment that Forrest Griffin was able to endure in some of his past fights, I used to think that it was impossible to knock Griffin out. That is, until Keith Jardine stepped into the Octagon and knocked Forrest silly. I am pretty sure Rampage and Juanito Ibarra have watched that fight a few times in training camp.

"While Griffin looked pretty good against Shogun Rua, he had a hell of a time with Rampage's training partner, Hector Ramirez (who?). Juanito Ibarra has already trained one of his fighters for Forrest Griffin, and has learned from his mistakes, which were few and far between. Now Ibarra puts his best fighter, Rampage Jackson, in the cage with Griffin and the result should be a lot different this time.

"I think this is going to be a boxing match, for the most part, with Jackson eventually catching Forrest on the chin and sending him to the canvas."

Tom Kim (Ultimate Fan blog): Quinton Jackson by TKO in Round 4

"The long-awaited light heavyweight championship features two of the most popular and well-liked competitors in the sport today. The anticipation for this match is even bigger than most title fights since both fighters haven't fought in nearly a year, instead competing against each other as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter television show. Jackson comes into this fight on a tear, having beaten Dan Henderson and Chuck Liddell in his previous two fights. Griffin shocked the world by defeating the heavily favored Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. It'll be interesting how much the time away from the Octagon will affect both fighters in this bout. Jackson seems to be especially busy in his personal life (he's rumored to be playing B.A. Baracus in the A-Team movie.) A potential lack of focus aside, Jackson is clearly the favorite because of his experience, strength, and power. Griffin shouldn't be underestimated however and I think he'll be able to weather Jackson's storm early, before succumbing to some vicious Rampage ground-and-pound late in the fight."

Jared Barnes (Brawl Sports blog): Quinton Jackson by KO in Round 2

"If Forrest wants to win, he's going to have to use effective striking to get in and get out. He's also going to have to try and avoid getting tangled up in the clinch where he will be susceptible to going airborne and coming down on his head via a Rampage monster slam.

"When Forrest does end up in the clinch he needs to take a page out of his teammate Wanderlei Silva's book and immediately start firing off knee after knee. Forrest must do everything he can to stay covered and not throw wild punches like he has in the past. We all saw what happened when Chuck Liddell threw a wild punch –- Rampage knocked him out.

"Rampage is going into this fight with a toolbox spilling over with skills. He can try to win a stand up battle or he can try to get Forrest on his back and smash him using his incredible strength. After a decision victory over Henderson in his last fight I expect Rampage to be looking to finish Forrest off in spectacular fashion. This approach could leave him open, giving Forrest opportunities to do some damage or it could play out exactly as he wants, with another insane power bomb KO.

"The longer this fight goes, the better it's going to be for Forrest. I don't think Forrest is going to get submitted by Rampage, but Rampage is a lot stronger than Jardine and if he lands some clean power shots, Forrest could hit the canvas pretty quickly.

"This is a tough fight for me to call because I'm a huge Forrest fan, but Rampage just might be too much for him. Prove me wrong Forrest."

Mark Chalifoux (MMA Stomping Ground blog): Forrest Griffin by submission in Round 4

"I may be the only person without Griffin as a last name to pick Forrest but someone has to go with the underdog.

"I think it’s obvious that Rampage is coming into this fight as a heavy favorite, which is exactly what has me concerned about this fight. It seems so simple on paper. You pick the more experienced and talented fighter. On paper, at first glance, it seems like an easier pick than the Harlem Globetrotters over the Washington Generals (a bet that always makes me cash.) That being said, I think Griffin upsets Jackson in this fight.

"To do that, I’m fairly certain he’ll have to submit Jackson. Rampage proved his cardio isn’t a concern in his last fight. Then again, it’s been a long time since he’s been submitted as well. Rampage is the better striker and has the edge in wrestling as well. Yet, everyone in the world is picking Jackson so I’m going out on a limb and on a hunch and going with Griffin with a fourth round submission.

"And really, it’s the smartest pick you can make. You pick Griffin and he wins, you are a genius. You pick him and he loses, then no one cares because everyone picked Jackson."

Carlos Arias (Keep Punching blog): Quinton Jackson by TKO in Round 3

"I believe Forrest Griffin has incredible heart, grit and determination. There is not an ounce of quit in this guy. You could rip his arm off and he would pick it up and club you over the head with it. He is an outstanding talent and has improved every aspect of his game with each fight in the UFC. His rear-naked choke over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua was a testament to his cardio. He had shoulder surgery five months ago and has had ample time to heal up.

"Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has come into his own under the guidance of Juanito Ibarra. Jackson's Muay Thai and boxing skills have greatly improved since his days in PRIDE. His cardio is no longer a question mark as he proved in his five-round unanimous decision victory over Dan Henderson. He has had a long layoff since the bout against Henderson, but it was a much needed break that allowed him to heal up and get healthy.

"I believe Rampage's experience will be the difference in this one. Rampage has learned very valuable lessons and has faced the best competition in the world. This is Rampage's time. Griffin will make it a fight because that's what he does. He always makes for exciting fights, the same goes for Rampage. It would be a major mistake for Griffin to slug with Rampage. I expect Griffin to use a lot of movement to set up his shots. But Rampage has become much better at cutting off the ring (in this case the cage) and catching his opponents in bad spots. I'm taking Rampage by third-round TKO."

Verdict: Quinton Jackson wins 5-1