Hit my music!!!
After a very long hiatus I decided I needed a return to the blogging life. My dog is sick of me yelling about the Bears run defense and watching every single fight night, so all of you get to enjoy them.
If you guys have any suggestions on how to improve the blog, I would love to hear them.
Leave a comment, vote on the poll and share with your friends/followers!
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Saturday, September 22, 2012
UFC 152: Jones Goes Heel
Well
ladies and gentlemen some said that this day would never come. For a
while it looked like we were doomed to a life of Pacquio-Mayweather
style waiting for a Rousey-Cyborg fight to fill our MMA desires.
But
after 42 days filled with injuries, angry phone calls, press
conferences and ultimately the first cancellation in company history
the UFC is back this weekend with UFC 152. The debate of who to blame
over the cancellation of UFC 151 will continue for years. At least
now fans will have some fights to watch while we argue if Jon Jones
has gone full heel.
The
one plus of having a show cancelled is that all of the following
cards are strengthened by the rescheduled fights. This card already
had the inaugural flyweight title on the line but you add the best
fighter on the planet in the main event and the card becomes a must
buy.
I
did have to dust off my prognosticating helmet but have no fear it
still works and is ready for another great showing.
Now
on to the picks....
Last
Card: 4-1
Year: 59-35
Year: 59-35
When
the WEC merged with the UFC, there were many fighters people were
excited to finally see in the Octagon; Cub Swanson (17-5 UFC, 2-1
UFC) was not one of them. In his last four fights in the organization
he was 2-2 without a career defining moment, except losing to Jens
Pulver and Jose Aldo in a combined 43 seconds. After losing his UFC
debut to Ricardo Lamas he has bounced back with two straight knock
out victories. The heavy handed featherweight looks to continue his
streak against a man I've dubbed “Must see TV.”
Every
time Charles Oliveira (16-2, 4-2) steps into the cage fans are
guaranteed for a show. Even in losses against Jim Miller and Donald
Cerrone I wasn't able to turn away from the screen. Those losses
inspired “Do Bronx” to drop down to featherweight where he has
looked awesome. His calf slicer on Eric Wisely remains one of the
most painful images I have seen.
There
is only one way Swanson wins this fight and it is with his cinder
block hands. Oliveira's chin is far from sturdy but I feel Do Bronx
is too dynamic fir the veteran. I expect Oliveira to get tagged a
couple times and quickly realize the fight needs to go the ground
where he will lock in a submission. reverse triangle guillotine arm
bar.
Oliveira
Submission (Reverse Triangle Guillotine Arm bar) Round 2
I
will admit that I have been a Hamill (10-4, 9-4) fan says his days on
TUF.
Who could root against a guy like him, especially when he teamed up
with Tito Ortiz? Hamill is the clear superior fighter in this matchup
but he was sitting on his couch retired. He remains the only man to
ever beat Jon Jones, and don't give me the whole it was by DQ excuse.
A win is a win even if Mazzagatti was involved.
Roger
Hollett (13-3, 0-0) comes into his UFC debut riding a five fight win
streak. The only fight I have seen of him is his last one where he
earned a split decision win over John Hawk on a Bellator prelim. His
record along with his finishing potential (11/13) makes him
interesting but the only real reason he has this fight is because he
is Canadian. Taking the unknown guy is always rewarding in MMA from a
gambling perspective, Hollett is no exception coming in at +310 but
you won't find me taking the dog in this one.
Hamill
TKO Round 2
Bisping
(22-4, 12-4) has had a long, successful carer but if I ask you to
name his best performance, what would you say? He has finished eight
of his opponents but the most impressive was against a very
unimpressive Jason Miller. Thats another issue with Bisping, even
when he is dominant, the public opinion is that the other guy did not
train hard or the referee made a mistake. The Brit is hungry for a
title shot, something he has never received in his long UFC career,
and the only way he gets back to a title eliminator, likely against
the Weidman-Boetsch winner is if he finishes the All-American.
The
former marine/ WEC champion has come a long way in his fighting
career. The drop to middleweight is where Stann (12-4, 6-3) has found
the most success. He had three straight wins before being submitted
by Chael Sonnen. I see Stann in this fight a lot like I see Swanson
in the opening bout. Stann needs to land one of his bombs if he
hopes to win. The key to beating Bisping is to not allow him to stay
on the outside.
Stann
must be careful because if he utilizes that approach he opens himself
up for a takedown. Bisping is one of the few Brits who has the
ability to execute a takedown and finish the fight on the ground.
I'm excited to see the strategy in this fight and still hold out hope
that Stann will come out to this.Bisping
Unanimous Decision (30-27)
The
co-main even is occupied by what may be the fastest matchup in UFC
history. Benavidez (16-2, 3-0) has been unstoppable in his MMA
career. The only man who has been able to defeat him (twice) is the
bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. He pairs explosive wrestling
with a slick guillotine to finish most of his opponents. His camp,
Team Alpha Male, has never had a UFC champion despite having some of
the biggest his names in the sport in the lighter weight classes.
Many say the flyweight division was built for Benavidez and he proved
that when he knocked out Yashuhiro Urushitani in second round in the
opening round of the four-man tournament.
Johnson
(15-2-1, 3-1-1) would love to continue the title drought at Team
Alpha Male. Mighty Mouse is the fastest fighter in the UFC, most
likely in the entire sport. While he has only finished one opponent
in his last eight fights, his cardio is fantastic. This will be his
third time making the weight cut and it was obvious to see how much
better he looked in the second McCall fight.
In
the four combined losses of the two fighters neither one has ever
been finished. Johnson looked to be in trouble in the last round of
the first McCall fight but I attribute that to problems with the
first weight cut more than anything McCall did. When the fight
starts I suggest getting a comfy seat because fans are in store for a
25 minute war that ultimately ends in a Team Alpha Male dance celebration.
Benavides
Unanimous Decision (49-46)
Jon
Jones (16-1, 10-1) has had a crazy month. He went from facing Dan
Henderson to Chael Sonnen. HE was reportedly then set to face Lyota
Machida before finally settling on Belfort. Public opinion has
changed mightily on the light heavyweight champion, just ask one of his almost opponents. When all the drama came out, I supported his
decision, why should the champion have to take a new opponent on
short notice?
Whatever
your opinion of Jones is, people have to admit hes borderline
unstoppable. There is a reason he is such a huge favorite. His most
recent victories are a who's who of the MMA world. His last four
victories are all over former UFC champion sand only one went that
distance.
The
man tasked with the most difficult job on the planet is Vitor Belfort
(21-9, 10-5). He has many things going against him in this fight.
The most glaring being the fact is that he is not a light heavyweight
fighter. Belfort will be giving up four inches of height and over
ten inches of reach.
The
Brazilian has been on roll lately. He has won seven of his last
eight fights with the only loss being an Anderson Silva front kick.
Luckily, Belfort recovered his head from the crowd and fought a Jon
Jones sized fighter in Anthony Johnson.
Belfort
has dynamite in his hands, the problem will be getting close enough
to use them. Jones does not have an iron chin in my opinion,
although it has not been tested that much besides a few shots from
Rashad Evans. Watching Jones' fights he usually coasts through the
first round. He finds his range and figures out how he wants to
finish his opponent. Expect for the champ to do the same thing and
for fans to quickly forget any drama from UFC 151.Jones TKO Round Three
 |
| Nike couldn't hook up Jones with better shoes? Source: http://sicounterpunch.files.wordpress.com |
As an extra bonus I have included the shorter, and error-filled picks of my co-host of Split Decision, Ryan Penney.
We host a show on http://www.sportsgeeksusa.com/ that covers all the MMA news and plenty of nonsense too. Hope you can like our facebook page, follow us on twitter and leave plenty of comments. Make sure to vote on the poll to the right and enjoy the fights.
Wait... What is MMA? What is the UFC? It has been so long since we last saw a live card that Roy Nelson is now in shape... only kidding, he is still fat but has a great beard....
vs
|
We start off with my candidate of FOTN with two of the most exciting "young-ins" in the featherweight division going toe-to-toe. Charles Oliveria and Cub Swanson matchup nicely and will give us fireworks early and often. I think Oliveria has more talent and is the favorite but sleeping on Swanson would be a poor strategy. Swanson has had two impressive victories in a row but i think that ends tonight..... Oliveira wins this by round 2 KO( head kick that makes ESPN top 10)
vs
|
The only Canadian on the card, Hollett will try to earn his stripes against an always difficult Matt Hamill in the Light Heavyweight division. Hamill has lost two in a row, but lets not forget.. HE BEAT JON JONES(sort of.. i mean, not really.. but he did officially..... SO TAKE THAT!) Hamill has fought some of the best out there, and this will give Hollett a huge challenge. Hollett was the original matchup for Hamill, then was replaced and then stepped back in... did you follow that? Hollett is making his UFC debut against a savvy Vet and in his homeland, i think this proves to be too much for him. Hamill via 30-27 decision.
vs
|
These two are both hoping to get a shot at the Spider.... Both have lost to Chael Sonnen... both looked great at weigh-ins... Now to how they're different... Bisping has won big fights, Stann hasnt had that defining win yet... This could possibly be it! I think this fight will go 1 round and will be a "throw'em" type fight. Weigh ins made me believe these two are looking to impress the boss man and one way to do that is one-punch KO. I am taking the upset and the American-CUE HULK HOGANS "I AM A REAL AMERICAN" WALK OUT! Stann via RD 1 TKO.... USA! USA! USA!
vs
|
FINALLY... the flyweight tourney is done and we are going to get a champion in the "little guy" division. Benavidez hasn’t fought since March after he ran through Urushutani. Now he is going against Demetrious "mighty mouse" Johnson in a fight that should excite. I don’t think either fighter finishes the other, but i think Benavidez picks apart Johnson. He wins this 49-46 on all three score cards and becomes the first UFC flyweight champion.
AND NOW TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP BELT
Jon Jones (c)
|
vs
|
This fight makes zero sense to most. Jon Jones has dominated many at 205.... Belfort has been decent in the middle weight division.. so, let’s just go ahead and move him up.. wait.. huh? I am a Chael Sonnen fan boy, but doesn’t that make more sense marketing wise to have Chael/Jon Jones? This fight lasts 2 rounds.. I assume it will be boring in the first before Bones overwhelms Belfort and wins via RD 2 TKO.... He gets a lot of boo's from the angry Maple Leafs fan still upset about the lockout.
That sit for my predications. Look for our review show tomorrow as we go over this event with our in-depth insight!
Friday, August 10, 2012
UFC 150: No More Rematches Please
After
the most successful UFC card on Fox history the organization carries
the momentum into Denver for a card headlined by the lightweight
title rematch between Ben Henderson and Frankie Edgar.
This
card sums up an issue I currently have with the UFC. Right now
fighters, especially the champions, have too much power in picking
their fights.Frankie Edgar received this rematch because he refused
to drop to 145. I understand he gave two rematches but one was
because Penn is a legend and the other was because the fight ended in
a draw.
Then,
in the middleweight division Anderson Silva refuses to face Chris
Weidman, the clear number one contender because wins over Demian and
Maia and Mark Munoz are not impressive to his camp. If Silva will
not fight Jon Jones or Weidman who is there left for him? His camp
suggests Rich Franklin, seems like a guy who is more concerned about
his legacy than actually challenging himself.
If
there is a champion who has a right to complain about challengers it
is Jn Jones. I won't get too much into it now, but if Jones does get
bey Henderson, how is Machida the best Dana White 7 Co can offer to
challenge him.
This
weekend's card has plenty of story lines but the one thing we can be
thankful is that DW learned from the Rothwell-Hunt “thriller and
kept the big boys off this card in Denver.
Now
on to the picks....
The
pay-per-view portion of the card card starts with a featherweight
bout that showcases the future of the division. Lawrence (4-0 MMA,
1-0 UFC), at 22 years old, is the elder in this fight and comes from
the most recent TUF season where he lost in the semi-finals to
eventual winner Michael Cheisa. Lawrence bounced back with a two
bonus performance when he knocked John Cofer out cold at the finale.
Holloway
(5-1, 1-1), only 20 years old, bounced back from his first career
loss against Dustin Poirier with a dominating decision over Pat
Schilling in June. Holloway really impressed me in his last fight.
After watching his performance against Poirier I felt that he needed
more time to develop. His striking is explosive but he can get wild
at times.
When
the cast for TUF: Live was announced many picked Lawrence as the guy
to beat. He was a highly successful amateur kickboxing champion and
is a two-time St. Louis Golden Gloves boxing champion. (Thank you
Wikipedia). I'll take Lawrence here collecting another bonus.
Lawrence
KO Round
2
Roberts
(12-2, 1-0) is a Team Jackson product receiving a huge opportunity in
this bout. He defeated Caio Magahalhaes in June by decision. The
win did not set shockwaves throughout the division but due to a
couple of injuries he is now in a fight with all upside for him.
Okami
(26-7, 10-4) needs a win after losing straight to Anderson Silva and
Tim Boetsch. After originally scheduled to face Rousimar Palhares,
Okami should be glad to get a guy like Roberts. It gives hims a
chance to get back on the winning track on a PPV main card. Three
losses in a row will damage any fighter so the best thing for Okami
is to go out and do what he does best. Don't get too wild, move
around, and sprinkle in some take downs. He will not earn any new
fans with this performance but at this point all Okami needs is a
win.
Okami Decision (30-27)
Okami Decision (30-27)
At
first glance this looks like a huge mismatch. Shields (27-6-1, 2-2)
has been a champion in nearly have organization he has competed in
and has notable wins over Yushin Okami, Carlos Condit, Martin
Kampmann and Dan Henderson. After going 2-2 in the Octagon, Shields
is set to make his UFC middleweight debut, a weight he has not fought
at since April 2010. He is a submission ace, but his cardio has been
questioned since coming off to the UFC and it will be interesting to
see how how getting back to this weight effects him.
Herman
(20-7, 7-5) is in the middle of a career renaissance. He has a three
fight winning streak, all finishes, but no one near the caliber of
Shields. Herman's best chance in this fight is to avoid going to the
ground. Despite being a black belt himself, there is no doubt the
best chance for him to win is keeping the fight on his feet.
I
expect to see a vintage Jake Shields out there. The first round will
feature some awkward stand up exchanges before Shields gets top
control in the second and finishes it.
Shields
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Round 2
A
lightweight battle between two friends is the co-main event. The
build up to this fight has been more about Cerrone (!8-4, 4-1)
calling out Anthony Pettis rather than talking about his scheduled opponent.
Cowboy is coming off a clear-cut decision win over Jeremy Stephens
and is looking to jump to the front of the lightweight division.
Cerrone is dangerous wherever the fight goes but loves finishing his
opponent on the ground. (13 submission wins)
In
October of last year Guillard (30-10-2, 11-6) was on his way to a
title shot. An upset by Joe Lauzon and a submission loss to Jim
Miller through ice on his hot streak. But after a decision win just
over a month ago against Fabricio Camoes, Guillard took this fight on
short notice to get back to the top.
Guillard
appears to be in trouble. Nine of his ten losses have come by
submission and as mentioned before, Cerrone loves that. The two
promise a brawl but despite his gentlemanly drawl I expect Cowboy to
go for the submission early and end this thing.
Cerrone
Submission (Triangle Choke) Round 1
Frankie
Edgar (14-2-1, 9-2-1) aka the king of the rematch looks to regain his
title in the main event. Honestly, I am not that excited for this
fight. It pains me to say that because there are so many great match
ups to make in the 155 pound division. Edgar possesses some of the
best footwork in the UFC and above average wrestling as well. No one
will show more heart in a fight than the New Jersey native but is
that enough to take out the much bigger Henderson (16-2, 4-0)?
In their first fight Edgar looked like a featherweight and Henderson was competing at 170. Smooth has been on a roll since dropping the WEC title to Anthony Pettis in December 2010. The first fight he went toe to toe with Edgar and at the end of the fight looked like he could go five more rounds.
After reviewing their first fight again I still like Henderson in this one. If he throws less kicks and lands another one of those upkicks, he should be able to control the action and defend his title. Just don't expect him to finish Edgar.
Henderson Unanimous Decision (49-46)
In their first fight Edgar looked like a featherweight and Henderson was competing at 170. Smooth has been on a roll since dropping the WEC title to Anthony Pettis in December 2010. The first fight he went toe to toe with Edgar and at the end of the fight looked like he could go five more rounds.
After reviewing their first fight again I still like Henderson in this one. If he throws less kicks and lands another one of those upkicks, he should be able to control the action and defend his title. Just don't expect him to finish Edgar.
Henderson Unanimous Decision (49-46)
 |
| Win or Lose, let's promise to not fight each other again Credit:MMAfighting |
If you liked this article please leave a comment below and vote on the poll to the right. Also, I started a weekly podcast called Split Decision on http://www.sportsgeeksusa.com/ with my friend Ryan Penney, needless to say it is pretty awesome so you check that out too.
Friday, August 3, 2012
UFC on Fox 4: This is the Best 205 Can Offer?
Let’s face it. UFC 149 was a total flop. Not only did I have my worst predictions of
all-time, the fights in general were awful. After a phenomenal preliminary
card, Matt Riddle and to a certain extent Renan
Barão were
the only fighters to show up.
The only thing stranger
than the Kongo-Jordan fight and Hector Lomabrd’s debut was news that broke
earlier this week. At the press
conference for UFC on Fox 4 Dana White announced the winner of the Brandan
Vera-Shogun Rua fight would receive a title shot. (My initial reaction).
After hours of social
media outrage good ole DW changed his mind and decided that if the winner
co-main event between Ryan Bader and Lyota Machida wins in more impressive
fashion than Rua or Vera than that person would receive the title shot.
(Revised reaction).
There are many issues
with this decision in my opinion. First
off, Vera is 1-2-1 in his last four fights and was originally scheduled
to face James Te-Huna. How does he go
from a Fuel card against a mid level fighter to a main event #1 contender fight
against a guy who has lost 2 of his last 3? Dana you make my head do this.
I’d much rather see
Phil Davis, who is on the under card, or Alexander Gustafson get a shot than
any of the four mentioned above. At the very least give Jon Jones a rematch
against this guy.
Now on to the picks…
The main card kicks
off with the return of Mike Swick (14-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) to the Octagon. He has not fought in two and a half years and
is riding a two fight win streak. They
are his first two losses in the division after winning his first four at 170. A season 1 TUF alum Swick burst on the scene
with 5 wins (4 finishes) and projected to be a champion one day. Unfortunately, injuries have derailed his
career. Ring rust will be an issue and
who knows if his hand phenomenal hand speed has slowed down.
Joe Silva did not do
Swick any favors by matching him up with Johnson (16-10 MMA, 4-4 UFC) in his first fight back. The TUF Season 9 runner-up is known for his
brawling style. He is very aggressive
and will push Swick as soon as the bell wings. While, Darkness has put on many entertaining
fights his style has proved to be his downfall as he has been caught on
multiple occasions.
This fight is a huge opportunity
for both fighters. Being able to kick
off the main card on Fox gives the winner of the fight a ton of momentum in the
crowded welterweight division.
Swick Round 2 Submission (Guillotine)
Last fall, no one
would believe these guys would be facing off against each other. Joe Lauzon (21-7 MMA, 8-4 UFC) just submitted Melvin Guillard in
less than a minute and was heading to a potential title eliminator fight
against Anthony Pettis. Varner (20-6-1- MMA, 2-1 UFC), was not even in the UFC. In fact, he lost to
Dakota Cochrane, a guy who could not get into the TUF house, on a regional
show.
Since that loss,
Varner has seen a resurgence in his career.
The former WEC put together two wins in the XFC promotion before
stepping in against Edson Barboza at UFC 146.
No one wanted to face Barboza at that time but Varner rose to the
occasion finishing the Brazilian in the first round. This is technically his
second stint in the UFC but he is a far superior than his first time. Three of
his six losses are by submission so he will need to be on the top of his game
against the dangers Lauzon.
J-Lau is a difficult
fighter to judge in the lightweight division. Since his debut against Jens
Pulver in 2006, Lauzon has proven he can hang with anyone in the division. He does everything fairly level, but is elite
when he comes to his submission game. His
guard has caught a number of fighters in his career. The one issue for J-Lau is his cardio. He starts so fast and at such a great pace
that if he does not get a finish early he is trouble in the later rounds.
The longer this fight
stays on thee feet, the better it is for Varner. His goal needs to be to weather the storm and
push this fight to the later rounds.
After his performance against Barboza he will not be taking anyone by surprise.
Varner Decision (29-28)
This sort of, kind of,
possible number one contender fight between two fighters who in their last four
fights are a combined 3-5 is a hard one to predict. Bader (14-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) is coming off a dominating decision win
over Rampage Jackson that sounds a lot more impressive than it really is.
(Sorry buddy)
The
first match up against Jones was too much at the time for Bader. However, I
think he learned a lot more in his next fight, a loss to Tito Ortiz than he did
against Jones. His key in this one is no shocker, his wrestling. Machida (
The
dragon was most recently seen unconscious on the mat with Jon Jones walking
away like a true BAMF. While many people
will remember the ending sequence, they forget how great Machida Machida
The main event is one
of the most uneven fights to headline a card in years. Rua (20-6 MMA, 4-4 UFC) is a former light
heavyweight champion who only losses in the past 9 years are to current or
former UFC champions as well. Vera (12-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC), on the other hand, is coming off his first
win since August 2009.
Shogun’s last fight
was considered by many to be the fight of the year. He proved that going 5 rounds will not be an
issue for him and I doubt Vera will be bale to push him as much as Henderson
did in that bout. Despite being a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu has only one
submission win in his entire career. When
healthy, Shogun has the hands to knock out anyone and never puts on a boring
fight.
No one is more shocked
to see in Brandon Vera in this position than me. I remember the days when people were talking about
Vera being a champion in two different weight classes. (I’m not lying, look it
up). Call me crazy, but I don’t think a win over Eliot Marshall deserves a
number one contender fight. Also, while
many people point out Vera is 1-2-1 in his last four fights, the two losses are to Jon
Jones and Randy Couture, certainly no shame in that.
Vera is pumped about
this fight. We have seen many times
where a fighter comes out of nowhere and takes advantage of a huge opportunity.
I do not think this fight is one of those times. I expect Shogun to take this early and
without working too hard.
Rua KO Round 1 & earns #1 contender spot
I know what you're thinking, how can their be TWO number one contenders?!?! The way I see it, none of these four men deserve a chance at Jon Jones, if he beats Henderson, with a single win at UFC on Fox 4. I expect the winners of these two fights to go up against each other for an interim title/number one contender fight while Jones takes a fight at heavyweight. It won't be against a top guy, my best guess would be a Ben Rothwell/Cheick Kongo type. That way Jones gets an intriguing fight and the 205ers have a chance to build some momentum before getting stomped by Jones again.
 |
| Could these two beat Jon Jones in a handicap match? Credit: MMAmania |
If you liked this article please leave a comment below and vote on the poll to the right. Also, I started a weekly podcast called Split Decision on http://www.sportsgeeksusa.com/ with my friend Ryan Penney, needless to say it is pretty awesome so you check that out too.
Friday, July 20, 2012
UFC 149: Who's Number Two?
This
weekend was supposed to be the third match between Dominick Cruz and
Urijah Faber. After splitting the first two matches then
coaching opposite each other on the latest season of The
Ultimate Fighter the end of this rivalry seemed imminent.
Of
course, the UFC did not take into account one of the worst injury
bugs ever to effect a card. Originally, Erik Koch and Jose Aldo
had their championship fight scheduled for UFC 149 and was going to
be one of the rare times the lighter weights would main event a pay
per view card.
Not
counting the main event, the UFC also botched the announcement of
signing Bibaiano Fernandes, one of the top bantamweights in the
world. Instead he ended up signing with One FC and we are left
with Francisco Rivera against Roland Delorme.
There is
also a lot less sexiness on the card after Akiyama dropped out due to
injury in training. Also, a fight between former light
heavyweight champion Shogun Rua and Thiago Silva was scrapped and
eventually to UFC on Fox 4.
This
past week my genius showed once again. If you count my bonus
Strikeforce picks I finished 8-2. Now too shabby if I say so
myself.
Now on
to the picks…
Last
Card: 5-1Year:
51-29
This
is a surprising bout to kick off the main card in my opinion. It made
more sense to me to put Court McGee and Nick Ring to kick off the
show. However, this is a fight that should entertain the Calgary
fans.
Clements
debuted (11-4, 1-0 UFC) debuted wit ha split decision win over Keith
Wisniewski at UFC 145. The Menace, who owns the fastest MMA KO in
history at 3 seconds, looked wild in my opinion. His striking is far
from technical but when he was able to avoid the clinch he was able
to throw bombs.
Riddle
(6-3. 6-3) is a life time UFC fighter. He debuted on TUF season
7 and has been in the Octagon ever since. His submission game has
improved over this time and consistently puts up entertaining fights.
Deep Waters has only finished one opponent in his career and has lost
2 of his last 3.
This is
a case where I think fighting in front of his native fans will hinder
Clements’ performance. I think he comes out looking to finish the
fight early and Riddle survives long enough to get him down and stay
on top.
Riddle
Unanimous Decision (30-27)
I
am very surprised to see Ebersole (50-14-1, 4-0) on this card. He
defeated TJ Waldburger a month ago at the Guida-Maynard FX card.
After the fight, he announced a desire drop to lightweight but
instead he has an opportunity to move to 5-0 at welterweight before
he moves to 155.Ebersole
has not lost since 2007 (11 fights) with the only loss to Hector
Lombard, the guy in the co-main event. The man fans call “The White
Anderson Silva” has the experience and skills to win this fight
wherever it goes. My one concern is that there is little for
him to gain here besides a paycheck and maybe a bonus.
James
Head (8-2, 1-1) looks to play spoiler in this welterweight match up.
After a submission loss to Nick Ring in his debut, a drop to
welterweight proved successful as Head submitted Papy Abedi in the
first round. Head should prove to be less of a test than Waldburger
on the ground for the veteran Ebersole.
Ebersole
Submission (Arm Triangle) Round 2
Kongo
(17-7-2, 10-5-1) should change his name to the Ultimate
Heavyweight gate keeper. He beats Pat Barry, Matt Mitrione and Paul
Buentello but loses to Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez and most recently,
Mark Hunt. A four fight unbeaten streak was snapped with when he was
KOd in the first by the already mentioned Hunt. Kong is
well-rounded and despite all the crap I give him when I discuss his
fights is capable of putting away any fighter.
Jordan (13-3,
1-0) steps in for Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and is presented with a
huge opportunity. HE announced his arrival in March with a
second round TKO over Oli Thompson. An unknown to many, Jordan
will look to take advantage of Kongo’s questionable chin and get
another knockout.
This
fight is a toss up for me. Both guys are strikers who have been
Kod in the past. In this fight I expect Kongo to use his
wrestling to wear down the young Jordan, if he doesn’t Kongo
could find himself on a Fuel card soon.
Jordan TKO Round
1
This
is a fight that every single middleweight in the world should be
watching. Lombard (31-2-1,
0-0) is making his UFC debut and is #6 in my rankings. A impressive
win likely pits him against Anderson Silva. There is a logjam in the
division. Between Lombard, Weidman, Stann, Bisping and Belcher Joe
Silva's job gets much easier with a KO win by Lightning. Lombard has
done all he can outside the UFC to make a name for himself and now is
his chance to step up and make the most of his opportunity.
The
one man who can throw a wrench into everything is Tim Boetsch (15-4,
6-3). Thats no problem for him because he has been doing that since
dropping down to middleweight. Three straight wins over Kendall
Grove, Nick Ring and his massive comeback against Yushin Okami.
Boetsch took a lot of shots in that fight and showed resiliency.
The
problem is that the Barbarian has never faced anyone with the power
of Lombard. If he gets hit anywhere near the number of times he did
against Okami it is going to be lights out for him.Lombard
KO Round 1
The
interim bantamweight title is on the line for these two tough
competitors. Barão
(28-1, 3-0) is
on an absolute warpath. He is unbeaten in his last 29 fights and has
not been in trouble in any of them. Also, Barão
is the favorite by oddsmakers despite being Faber's (26-5, 2-1)
popularity.
Faber
was the king of the WEC before it was taken over by the UFC. He was
the face of the company and has had titles in every organization he
has fought in. Faber does not surprise you much with his game either.
He is an aggressive fighter with incredible cardio and one of the
best guillotines in the sport.
Barão
will need to adapt his training partner, Jose Aldo's, fighting style,
to win this fight. Aldo picked Faber apart with leg kicks (proof) en
route to a decision win. If Barão can utilize his length to avoid
power shots he should be able to work his stand up game.
Faber's
number one goal should be to survive the first two rounds. If he can
win either of them its even better. Barão is unbeatable when the
bell wing but last time we saw him against Scott Jorgensen he slowed
down. The championship rounds will definitely be the California
Kid's if it lasts that long.Faber
Decision (48-47)
 |
| There can only be one champion... unless you count that Cruz guy Credit:MMAJunkie |
If you liked this article please leave a comment below and vote on the poll to the right. Also, I started a weekly podcast called Split Decision on http://www.sportsgeeksusa.com/ with my friend Ryan Penney (his picks below). Be easy on the kid he is still upset about Chael’s loss.
Feel free to leave your predictions on our facebook page. The show airs daily Monday-Friday.
Chris
“The Menace” Clements vs. Matt Riddle
First
fight in the main card features the only syrup lover on the main card
with Clements hailing from Ontario . The Menace (no Dennis) is 1-0 in
the UFC with a decision victory his last time out. Clements has had
his opponent changed a few times due to injuries, and now gets a new
puzzle.. Or Riddle?(bad attempt at humor). Matt Riddle gets the call.
Riddle is coming off a big win in his last fight against Henry
Martinez in February. I see this fight being a bit boring….. I hope
I am wrong, but I will give the Canadian (Clements) the edge in his
native land via Decision.
Brian
Ebersole vs. James Head
I
love hilarious facial hair… hilarious body hair makes me
uncomfortable… mainly because I cant grow it in order to design it…
Ebersole is a late replacement after injuries forced Claude Patrick
out. Ebersole had decision victory less than a month ago, so his
training camp wasn’t hurt too bad being shortened. Head got a big
victory in Sweden over Papy Abedi to go 1-1 so far in the octagon. I
think Ebersole looked great in his last fight, but didn’t put TJ
away, and wont put Head away… which will hurt him and come round 3
Head will lock in a guillotine choke for the submission victory.
Cheick
Kongo vs. Shawn Jordan
Who
knows which Cheick will show up? This guy looks tough as hell and
sometimes even fights that way.. other times he looks like he could
careless. I am a big Shawn Jordan guy from what I have seen and I
think he has a chance to at least have a say in title match ups, but
wont get there himself (definition of a gatekeeper). I think Kongo
gets rocked and Jordan beats the hell out of him to get a stoppage in
round 2.
Hector
Lombard vs. Tim Boetsch
Lombard
doesn’t want Silva next… He wants Munoz(apparently the trash talk
angered the newest UFC’er)He might not get his wish with a
dominating performance though… I think if he impresses, he gets
Silva next (Chris Weidman disagrees). Boetsch had a great
comeback victory last time out… was down on the scorecard, and came
out and won it… Sadly, I don’t think this gets close to the
3rd round. Round 1 TKO for Lombard and a date with
Weidman… winner gets the Spider!
Urijah
Faber had a tough test in Cruz…. I think he has an even tougher
test with Renan Barao. Barao has a winning streak that most UFC
fighters will never get near… Barao was going to get a title shot
sooner rather than later, an injury sped things up…. I think Barao
wins this thing if Urijah tries to get cute and finish him… Barao
will struggle when this thing gets to the championship rounds.
Barao’s cardio has been questioned, and I think that might be the
one chance Faber has to win it. Sadly, I don’t think this thing
sees the championship rounds. Barao catches that famous chin in round
2 and ends it with an armbar to get the interim belt.
That’s
it for me. Enjoy the fights and tune in on Monday to Split Decision!
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