The MMA Daily

UFC Fight Night 96: Survivor Game (Missed)

October 2, 2016

Picking Cyborg Santos was almost criminal, but o well. Paul Felder as my upset pick had no confidence in it, as you could of told by my demeanor. As for this week of Survivor, I missed, so next week I’ll be forced to make two lock of the days and upset of the days. My streak is in jeopardy for sure.

Anyways, if you don’t know what this post is all about, I’ll briefly fill you in. I can only select one fighter to be my lock of the week and that said fighter, can only be selected once this year (2016). I earn 1 point for a correct pick, however a wrong pick will reset me back to 0. I can add an additional 1 point to my total by picking an upset right, which does not reset my total if it’s wrong (That’s to make me look better). I will tweak this as we go!

Streak: 20 (Lock of the Day) + 9 (Upset of the Day) = 29

Lock of the Day:

Note:

Upset of the Day:

Note:

Lock of the Day Picks (So Far): Dominick Cruz, Paul Felder, Demian Maia, Kyoji Horiguchi, Robert Whittaker, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Mairbek Taisumov, Antonio Carlos Jr., Conor McGregor, (Tom Breese, Rustam Khabilov), Joseph Benavidez, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, John Makdessi, Will Brooks, T.J. Dillashaw, Tony Ferguson, Francis Ngannou, Nikita Krylov, Maryna Moroz, Tim Means, Chad Laprise, Alexander Gustafsson, Nik Lentz, Belal Muhammed, Cyborg Santos

Upset of the Day Pick (So Far): Dan Henderson, Jessica Eye, Mauricio Rua, Antonio Silva, Edson Barboza, Court McGee, Timothy Johnson, Johnny Case, Deigo Sanchez, Martin Svensson, K.J. Noons, Patrick Cote, Derrick Lewis, Josh Stansbury, Brock Lesnar, Keita Nakamura, Gilbert Melendez, Francisco Rivera, Zak Cummings, Glover Teixeira, Jim Miller, Ilir Latifi, Urijah Faber, Uriah Hall, Paul Felder
UFC Fight Night 96: Lineker vs. Dodson Predictions

October 2, 2016

For the seventh straight week, the UFC has an event. This time, it’s in Portland, Oregon and has a banger of a main event featuring John Lineker and John Dodson. Both former Flyweight contenders, now make the walk as Bantamweight standouts. Lineker, comes into this bout on a five-fight win streak, three of which were in the Bantamweight division. Most recently, he knocked out former Bantamweight title challenger Michael McDonald in the very first round. As for Dodson, he looks to build off his 37 second knockout victory over Manvel Gamburyan in his UFC Bantamweight debut.

Co-Headlining the event, is the former Bellator Lightweight Champion Will Brooks against Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira. Brooks enters this bout on the heels of a nine-fight win streak and most recently, defeated Ross Pearson via decision in his UFC debut. Oliveira, got back in the win column in July, as he edged out James Moontasri via decision.

Some other names on the card include Josh Burkman, Louis Smolka, Nate Marquardt, Hacran Dias, etc… Anyways, let’s just get to the predictions.

FOX Sports 1 Main Card (11 p.m. ET):

135 lbs.: John Lineker vs. John Dodson – What a fun main event, as two heavy handed sluggers collide in an all important contest in the Bantamweight division. Both, originally fought in the flyweight division, but Lineker could never make weight and Dodson failed to beat Champion Demetrious Johnson. These reasons alone called for weight class moves and boy have they paid off. Lineker, is 3-0 in the Bantamweight division and has won five consecutive fights. He’s slowly inching towards that Bantamweight belt, in what would be an improbable thought given his 5’3 stature. Dodson, made a successful Bantamweight debut against Manvel Gamburyan and will look to vault himself to contender status in two divisions. As for a prediction, I’m going with Dodson. He’s more elusive, quick and is an intelligent fighter. Lineker is a all-or-nothing type fighter, who embraces the brawl. He’s more inclined to stand in the pocket and swing away until someone falls, in other words a wild man. I tend to stay away from reckless fighters, so I’m going Dodson to win this one via fourth round KO, as Lineker fades late.

155 lbs.: Will Brooks vs. Alex Oliveira – Fun fight, as you have the former UFC Bellator Lightweight Kingpin in Will Brooks against the Brazilian they call “Cowboy” in Alex Oliveira. Brooks, is on a nine-fight win streak and has not only world class wrestling, but his striking abilities have grown. Oliveira, most recently defeated James Moontasri by decision, getting him back into the win column. As for a prediction, I’m going with Will Brooks. Oliveira is so hot and cold, it’s tough to pick someone so inconsistent. I mean, watch his first two fights against Gilbert Burns and K.J. Noons and then watch him a fight later against Joe Merritt. So with that, I’m going with the Bellator superstar to make it two in a row in the UFC. Brooks via decision.
125 lbs.: Louis Smolka vs. Brandon Moreno – Smolka is one of the best flyweights in the world and has to unfortunately fight a UFC newcomer in Brandon Moreno. This also won’t end well for the promotional newcomer, as Smolka is going to eat him for lunch. So with that, I have Smolka via submission.
155 lbs.: Josh Burkman vs. Zak Ottow – Laughable, as Zak Ottow has to make his UFC debut against a grizzled veteran. This will not end well, as Burkman KO’s him in round one.

FOX Sports 2 “Prelims” (9 p.m. ET):

205 lbs.: Joachim Christensen vs. Luis Henrique da Silva – Haven’t seen these guys fight before, but I’m going with Luis Henrique da Silva as he slightly edges out Joachim Christensen in the amount of letters in there name. So with that, I have Luis Henrique da Silva via TKO!
145 lbs.: Hacran Dias vs. Andre Fili – I’ve been waiting for Fili to show his true potential for quite some time, but he’s just shown little patience in his fights. He’s too wild, often finding himself in bad positions. Maybe he finally gets it together, but it’s a tough task in Hacran Dias. The BJJ black belt will look to get back in win column, after Cub Swanson defeated him last April via decision. The loss ended a two-fight win streak, one in which looked like momentum was building for the touted Brazilian. As for a prediction, I’m siding with Dias. Fili is just too crazy for my liking and I think he gets edged out her via close decision.
265 lbs.: Shamir Abdurakhimov vs. Walt Harris – I’ve never been impressed with Walt Harris, despite just recently defeating a fairly decent Heavyweight in Cody East. And, It took him his fourth UFC fight to finally get his first UFC victory. Anyways, Abdurakhimov is more well rounded and technical. I think his wrestling will be an asset here too, as he can soften up Harris before eventually finishing him. So with that, I have Abdurakhimov via TKO!
170 lbs.: Keita Nakamura vs. Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos – Nakamura is so underrated. I recall everyone, including me, thinking he was fodder for Tom Breese. Instead, he proved that he was UFC caliber and had potential to crack the top 15 in a stacked welterweight division. Clearly I’m on high on him, so I’m just going to predict that Nakamura wins via submission!

UFC Fight Pass “Prelims” (7 p.m. ET):

185 lbs.: Nate Marquardt vs. Tamdan McCrory – Nate Marquardt used to be one of the best mixed martial artist on the planet. And even back in 2012, you could justifiable say that was a top ten welterweight. Fast forward to 2016 and Marquardt is 2-6 in his last eight fights, having been knocked out in four of the six losses. McCrory, a veteran of the game, doesn’t quite have the mileage that Marquardt does, as he took a five-year absence from mixed martial arts from 2009-2014. Since his return, he’s gone 3-1 with all his wins coming via finish. As for a prediction, I’m not going to side with a Marquardt, who should be retired and has a deteriorating chin. I’m going with the fresher veteran in McCrory to win via knockout.
205 lbs.: Ion Cutelaba vs. Jonathan Wilson – The real tough decision in this bout, is who to pick on a nickname basis. Cutelaba is “The Hulk” and he even showed that off by painting himself from head to toe green at the weigh-ins. Wilson’s nickname is “Johnny Bravo”, which is just amazing. Ughh, such a tough choice, but since Cutelaba made the extra effort to look like the Hulk, I’m siding with him via decision.
265 lbs.: Curtis Blaydes vs. Cody East – The safe pick here would to go with the wrestler Curtis Blaydes and not Cody East, who lost um…Walt Harris. However, the Jackson-Wink fighter East is much better than he showed in his debut. I fully expect his striking abilities to come out in this one, leading to a KO victory.
135 lbs.: Kelly Faszholz vs. Ketlen Vieira – Who and Who? Actually, I recall Faszholz fighting Lauren Murphy…therefore I pick her to win via decision.
UFC Fight Night 95: Survivor Game

September 24, 2016

So I wrote this last week “Once again, I nailed my lock of the day and flaked hard on the upset of the day.” I think this applies to picking Belal Muhhammad as my lock and Uriah Hall as my underdog. Anyways, if you don’t know what this post is all about, I’ll briefly fill you in. I can only select one fighter to be my lock of the week and that said fighter, can only be selected once this year (2016). I earn 1 point for a correct pick, however a wrong pick will reset me back to 0. I can add an additional 1 point to my total by picking an upset right, which does not reset my total if it’s wrong (That’s to make me look better). I will tweak this as we go!

Streak: 19 (Lock of the Day) + 9 (Upset of the Day) = 28

Lock of the Day: Cyborg Santos

Note: I’m not passing this…

Upset of the Day: Paul Felder

Note: A former lock of the day, Felder now joins the ranks of my upsets of the day. With his dynamic striking, maybe he can catch Trinaldo…maybe

Lock of the Day Picks (So Far): Dominick Cruz, Paul Felder, Demian Maia, Kyoji Horiguchi, Robert Whittaker, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Mairbek Taisumov, Antonio Carlos Jr., Conor McGregor, (Tom Breese, Rustam Khabilov), Joseph Benavidez, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, John Makdessi, Will Brooks, T.J. Dillashaw, Tony Ferguson, Francis Ngannou, Nikita Krylov, Maryna Moroz, Tim Means, Chad Laprise, Alexander Gustafsson, Nik Lentz, Belal Muhammed

Upset of the Day Pick (So Far): Dan Henderson, Jessica Eye, Mauricio Rua, Antonio Silva, Edson Barboza, Court McGee, Timothy Johnson, Johnny Case, Deigo Sanchez, Martin Svensson, K.J. Noons, Patrick Cote, Derrick Lewis, Josh Stansbury, Brock Lesnar, Keita Nakamura, Gilbert Melendez, Francisco Rivera, Zak Cummings, Glover Teixeira, Jim Miller, Ilir Latifi, Urijah Faber, Uriah Hall
UFC Fight Night 95: Cyborg vs. Lansberg Predictions

September 24, 2016

At UFC Fight Night 95, the Baddest Woman on the Planet Cris “Cyborg” Justino steps into the Octagon for the second time. Her first, lasted a mere 81 seconds, as she demolished Leslie Smith. Her combatant comes in the form of Lina Lansberg, who will be making her promotional debut and a very tough one to say the least. Lansberg comes into this bout with a 6-1 record, including four wins by knockout. She’s got a wealth of kickboxing experience, but her lack of mixed martial arts experience doesn’t spell well.

In the Co-Main event, former UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barao returns for his second go around in the Featherweight division against TUF 8 alum Phillipe Nover. Barao, made his Featherweight debut last May against Jeremy Stephens. In a back-and-forth battle, the judges awarded Stephens the decision victory. Nover, who during TUF was dubbed “The next Anderson Silva”, has not quite lived up to those expectations. In fact, he lost his first three UFC bouts, was released and then signed back five years later. He’s 1-1 in his second stint, but is coming off a split decision defeat to Zubaira Tukhugov. In other words, this is a huge step up and opportunity for Nover.

There are some other solid bouts on this card like Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva, Francisco Trinaldo vs. Paul Felder, Jussier Formiga vs. Dustin Ortiz. Anyways, let’s just get to the Predictions!

FOX Sports 1 Main Card (10 p.m. ET):

140 lbs.: Cris Cyborg vs. Lina Lansberg – At this point, it’s more time consuming to break Cyborg fights down, then they last. So I’m going to take the opportunity to pick Cyborg to win via knockout, as Lansberg just doesn’t have the experience to even come close to having a shot at winning. Again, Cyborg via KO!

145 lbs.: Renan Barao vs. Phillipe Nover – As I previously mentioned, this will be Barao’s second fight in the featherweight division. It will be his first “Cookie” of a fight though since fighting in Jungle Fight back in 2010. I mean, Nover’s last defeat to Zubaira Tukhugov says it all. It doesn’t help either that his cardio is super suspect. Barao should eat this one up, in route to a knockout victory.
265 lbs.: Antonio Silva vs. Roy Nelson – I’m going to be as brief as this fight. Nelson via KO!
155 lbs.: Francisco Trinaldo vs. Paul Felder – Quietly Francisco Trinaldo has staked claim to a six-fight win streak. Oddly, he hasn’t gotten the notice from the UFC brass. What I mean is, why isn’t he fighting someone in the top ten? Anyways, his combatant Paul Felder is one of the more dynamic strikers in the divisions and is coming into this bout on a two-fight win streak. As for a prediction, I’m going to be brief. I had high hopes for Felder, but he for whatever reason doesn’t dominate like I think he should. So, with Trinaldo’s ever improving striking, heavy hands and suffocating grappling abilites, I’m going to have to side with him. Trinaldo keeps his win streak rolling via decision.
185 lbs.: Thiago Santos vs. Eric Spicely – Poor poor Eric Spicely. First, he makes his UFC debut against a heavy handed veteran in Sam Alvey, who beat submitted him in round one. Then he has to face Thiago Santos??? The same guy who’s been knocking heads clean off? So with that, give me Thiago Santos here to collect another knockout victory
145 lbs.: Mike De La Torre vs. Godofredo Pepey – I’m not terribly high on either guy. De La Torre is well rounded and Pepey is a wildman. It actually reminds me of the Alan Patrick vs. Stevie Ray fight, which I sided with the more well rounded Ray. This time I’m switching it up and going with the wildman Pepey. I’m thinking flying armbar!

FOX Sports 1 “Prelims” (8 p.m. ET):

155 lbs.: Gilbert Burns vs. Michel Prazeres – This is either going to be a grappling heavy contest or an iffy striking contest in which I favor Burns in. In fact, I favor Burns in the grappling department too, which leads me to my quick prediction. Burns via late submission!
145 lbs.: Rani Yahya vs. Michinori Tanaka – Despite Yayha holding a 7-2 record in the UFC, I must admit that I’m not quite sure he’s that good. I think it’s a product of his opponents and also there lack there of grappling. Tanaka is a good enough grappler to either avoid Yayha or shrug him off. On the feet, Tanaka’s high pace and volume is going to be a problem for Yayha, who’s gas tank has look suspect at times. So with that, I got Tanaka pulling this one out in the third round via TKO!
125 lbs.: Jussier Formiga vs. Dustin Ortiz – Another fun fight, but also one I think that Jussier Formiga should handily take. I only say that because Ortiz’s paths to victory are all nullified by Formiga’s improving striking and world class grappling. And if Ortiz was a better striking and not very reliant on wrestling, I would favor him. However, he’s not and Formiga is one of the very best talents in the flyweight division. He’ll show that in route to an easy decision victory.
170 lbs.: Erick Silva vs. Luan Chagas – Man have times fallen on Erick Silva. The once regarded “Next Big Thing” in the Welterweight division has had quite the fall from grace. And I’m not going to make accusations, but it’s clear since the UFC ramped up it’s drug testing, that his body completely changed. His cardio is no longer existent and his chin is slowly deteriorating. So after all that, I’m still going to pick him because I have no idea who Luan Changas is, nor do I believe that Silva is that incapable of beating Changas. Silva via vintage KO!

UFC Fight Pass “Prelims” (6:30 p.m. ET):

155 lbs.: Alan Patrick vs. Stevie Ray – Fun fight! You got a wild man in Alan Patrick, who also might have the poorest fight IQ in the UFC and you have a heavy handed, yet well round Stevie Ray. Patrick comes into this bout fresh off a victory over Damien Brown, meanwhile Stevie Ray has tallied off five straight wins, three of which come in the UFC. As talented and physically imposing Patrick is, I can side with someone who is wild and puts himself in bad situation. Especially when it’s against a hot-handed Stevie Ray. So with that I have Ray taking this on via late TKO!
170 lbs.: Vicente Luque vs. Hector Urbina – This is a setup fight, as Urbina is being used as fodder here. Luque is a up-and-coming talent, meanwhile Urbina is a veteran that’s been stuck at mediocrity. It might have something to do with his lack there of cardio, which will work in the favor of Luque. So with that, I have Luque via late submission.
155 lbs.: Glaico Franca vs. Gregor Gillespie – I’ve only seen Glaico Franca fight, as he lost by decision to James Vick. In other words, Franca wins…by decision!
UFC Fight Night 94: Survivor Game

September 17, 2016

Once again, I nailed my lock of the day and flaked hard on the upset of the day. Then again, my lock of the day of Nik Lentz wasn’t anything to be proud of, as he was a heavy favorite. And then picking Urijah Faber for the upset, I really thought I had it in the bag. No offense to Jimmie Rivera, but I thought that Faber was just a tier ahead of Rivera. However, Faber looks like a shell of himself now. Anyways, if you don’t know what this post is all about, I’ll briefly fill you in. I can only select one fighter to be my lock of the week and that said fighter, can only be selected once this year (2016). I earn 1 point for a correct pick, however a wrong pick will reset me back to 0. I can add an additional 1 point to my total by picking an upset right, which does not reset my total if it’s wrong (That’s to make me look better). I will tweak this as we go!

Streak: 18 (Lock of the Day) + 9 (Upset of the Day) = 27

Lock of the Day: Belal Muhammad

Note: With the combination of talent and heart, Muhammad has a bright future in the UFC. I can’t say the same about his opponent Augusto Montano.

Upset of the Day: Uriah Hall

Note: Why not? Hall is such a dynamic striker, that one spinning kick or whatever craziness he throws out there, can end anyone’s night. And Brunson has been tearing it up in the striker department and possibly could be getting too confident there, shying away from his strength of grappling. Well just have to see…

Lock of the Day Picks (So Far): Dominick Cruz, Paul Felder, Demian Maia, Kyoji Horiguchi, Robert Whittaker, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Mairbek Taisumov, Antonio Carlos Jr., Conor McGregor, (Tom Breese, Rustam Khabilov), Joseph Benavidez, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, John Makdessi, Will Brooks, T.J. Dillashaw, Tony Ferguson, Francis Ngannou, Nikita Krylov, Maryna Moroz, Tim Means, Chad Laprise, Alexander Gustafsson, Nik Lentz

Upset of the Day Pick (So Far): Dan Henderson, Jessica Eye, Mauricio Rua, Antonio Silva, Edson Barboza, Court McGee, Timothy Johnson, Johnny Case, Deigo Sanchez, Martin Svensson, K.J. Noons, Patrick Cote, Derrick Lewis, Josh Stansbury, Brock Lesnar, Keita Nakamura, Gilbert Melendez, Francisco Rivera, Zak Cummings, Glover Teixeira, Jim Miller, Ilir Latifi, Urijah Faber
UFC Fight Night 94: Poirier vs. Johnson

September 17, 2016

After a whirlwind that was UFC 203, a week later, the UFC is back in action in Hidalgo, Texas. Headlining the card is a pair of Lightweight contenders in Dustin Poirier and Michael Johnson. For Poirier, he comes into this bout on four-fight win streak, three of which come via finish. Another victory here and Poirier is looking at a top five bout, which is crazy given he returned to the Lightweight division in April of 2015. As for his combatant Johnson, he will look to end a two-fight skid (One in which is super controversial). It’s unusual matchmaking in the sense that one guy is on a four-fight win streak and the other is on a two-fight losing streak, but nevertheless it’s a great fight and opportunity for Michael Johnson to get back in the thick of the Lightweight division.

Co-Headlining is a showdown in the Middleweight division between Derek Brunson and Uriah Hall. Brunson, is on the heels of a four-fight win streak, with the last three coming via TKO. Hall, will look to get back into the win column after falling to defeat at the hands of Middleweight contender Robert Whittaker. A win for either will obviously elevate them to a bigger fight, but more so, a win for Brunson has him cracking a stacked top ten.

Anyways let’s just get to the predictions!

FOX Sports 1 Main Card (10 p.m. ET):

155 lbs.: Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Johnson – This fight is kind of peculiar, in that Dustin Poirier enters this contest on a four-fight win streak and Michael Johnson is on a two-fight losing streak. Matchup-wise though, it’s a great fight and one that’s going to be exciting. As I mentioned before, Poirier is on a tear right now. Ever since returning to lightweight, he’s looked like a serious contender. It can be said, that cutting down to 145 lb. was physically draining him and his talent. His combatant Johnson comes into this fight, desperately in need of a victory. His last fight came against Nate Diaz, in which both put on a scrap, but Diaz got the nod. It was his second defeat in a row, but then again, it really isn’t. If you recall, at UFC Fight Night 73, Beneil Dariush got the controversial nod against Michael Johnson. It was pretty clear that Johnson should of been awarded the victory, but the judges thought otherwise. However, Johnson enters this contest with a huge opportunity to get back into the thick of things.

As for how this one is going down, I have two thoughts roaming in my head. One, Poirier is going be calculated and technical, picking his shots here-and-there en route to an early stoppage victory. Two, Michael Johnson withstands the early punishment and takes over as the fight heads into the later rounds. And, it’s a real possibility neither of these two things remotely happen, but I’m going with the first thought. Poirier via TKO!

185 lbs.: Uriah Hall vs. Derek Brunson – Great matchmaking on this card, as this is going to be a battle in the Middleweight division. Brunson, who strives as grappler, has really been starching people on the feet of late. It’s made him more dangerous, hence the four-fight win streak. Also, Brunson was arguably a round away from defeating Yoel Romero, who is talked about as being a title contender. As for his combatant Hall, it’s been almost a year since he’s been out of action. And originally, he was set to face Anderson Silva at UFC 198, which as we knoe never happened due to Anderson Silva needing gall bladder surgery. However, Hall returns and he look to erase his defeat to Robert Whittaker back at UFC 193. As for a prediction, this is a tough call. I’m just going to side with Uriah Hall, who I believe will use his length to keep Brunson from trying to take him down. And if he does in fact keep this upright, his dynamic striking is going to take over. So with that, I have Hall via late TKO.

155 lbs.: Evan Dunham vs. Rick Glenn – Originally Evan Dunham was set to face Abel Trujillo, but an injury forced Trujillo out. In steps the former World Series of Fighting Champion Rick Glenn, who will make his promotional debut. Now, I like Glenn’s skills and I think he’s capable of being a UFC talent. However, he’s facing a veteran in Evan Dunham, who has seen a career revival of late. Riding on a three-fight win streak, Dunham is slowly climbing back into the top ten. And if you told me that after Edson Barboza extended his losing streak to three in 2014, I would of told you are crazy. Anyways, I got Dunham via late TKO.

170 lbs.: Roan Carneiro vs. Kenny Robertson – Fun fight and just another one that’s going to come down to the judges. Carneiro is coming off first-round TKO defeat to Derek Brunson, which saw a six-fight win streak end. On the other hand, Robertson suffered a close split decision defeat to Ben Saunders, which snapped his his three-fight win streak. As for a prediction, I’m going to side with Robertson who I’d consider the better striker in a bout that their grappling probably nullifies each other. So with that, I got Robertson via decision.

155 lbs.: Chris Wade vs. Islam Makhachev – This is a coin-flip of a fight. Honestly, you have two wrestlers, who lack striking. So, I’m not going to dwelve into this one and just side with Chris Wade winning via decision.

145 lbs.: Maximo Blanco vs. Chas Skelly – Fun fight, as you have you’re classic striker verse grappler matchup here. Maximo Blanco, the striker, looks to get back into win column after seeing Luke Sanders end his three-fight win streak. His combatant Chas Skelly, the grappler, saw a win streak of four end at the hands of Darren Elkins. As for the prediction, I’m more inclined to go with Chas Skelly. He’s a tough grinder with good cardio, that lacks striking and IQ when to not strike. In other words, he’s too tough for his own good and it almost cost him against Kevin Souza. Now, Blanco is a dynamic striker and will make you pay on the feet. However, he susceptible to the takedown which plays right into Skelly’s game. Ughh…on a limb, I’m going with Blanco to keep this one upright and TKO Skelly.

FOX Sports “Prelims” (8 p.m. ET):

145 lbs.: Gabriel Benitez vs. Sam Sicilia – Tough fight, as Benitez is one of those guys who’s not particularly great in one aspect, but he’s capable in each. He’ll stick around in the fight and overcome you in the later rounds with just a little more in the gas tank. As for his combatant Sam Sicilia, he’s more or less an all out brawler. He’ll swing for the fences early and then resort to his wrestling later when he fades. As for a prediction, I want to say Benitez by decision, but Sicilia’s power and wrestling abilities have me changing my mind. So with that, I got Sicilia via decision.

170 lbs.: Augusto Montano vs. Belal Muhammad – I’ve seen all I need to from Augusto Montano when he fought Cathal Pendred. He’s simply mediocre at best. As for Belal Muhammad, the former Titan FC Championship proved that he belongs in the UFC. In a tough debut fight against Alan Jouban, he got starched early and kept on coming, even pouring it on in the third round. This second trip to the Octagon should be fairly easy and result in a victory. So with that, I got Muhammad via TKO.

185 lbs.: Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Leonardo Augusto Guimaraes – Ever since Antonio Carlos Junior was coined the nickname “Shoeface”, he’s had two dismal fights. That ends here, as I have no idea who Leonardo Augusto Guimaraes is. So with that, I got Carlos Junior via submission.

135 lbs.: Joey Gomez vs. Jose Quinonez – I think one guy has legit power in his hands and the other has a sweet mustache. I’m going with the legit hands, which is Gomez…via TKO!

UFC Fight Pass “Prelims” (7 p.m. ET):

170 lbs.: Randy Brown vs. Erick Montano – No clue who Erick Montano is, other than he beat Sage Northcutt’s UFC 200 opponent Enrique Marin. Randy Brown, is a fighter that was discovered in Dana White’s show “Looking for a Fighter” and is 1-1 in the UFC. Considering I’ve seen him fight (personally his debut), I’m going to just side with him via decision.

135 lbs.: Albert Morales vs. Alejandro Perez – Don’t know who Albert Morales is, but I see he’s undefeated. However, this is a harsh way to make your debut. The TUF Latin America winner Alejandro Perez is no slouch and he’s already got three UFC victories to his name, including a big one over former WEC title challenger Scott Jorgensen. In other words, I have Perez via a dominant TKO victory.
UFC 203: Survivor Game

September 10, 2016

A lock of the day streak of 17 in a row, barely! Overall, I’m at streak of 26.

So, my streak barely hung on, as Alexander Gustafsson in my eyes squeaked by. On the feet, he got out classed for the most part and it was his wrestling that won him the bout. My upset of the day Ilir Latifi had his moments, but Ryan Bader put him away with a knee from hell. Anyways, if you don’t know what this post is all about, I’ll briefly fill you in. I can only select one fighter to be my lock of the week and that said fighter, can only be selected once this year (2016). I earn 1 point for a correct pick, however a wrong pick will reset me back to 0. I can add an additional 1 point to my total by picking an upset right, which does not reset my total if it’s wrong (That’s to make me look better). I will tweak this as we go!

Streak: 17 (Lock of the Day) + 9 (Upset of the Day) = 26

Lock of the Day: Nik Lentz

Note: A Late replacement and promotional newcomer is Lentz’s opponent…embrace the grind my friend

Upset of the Day: Urijah Faber

Note: Faber is 19-1 in non-title fights and is an underdog in this fight…I’ll take it!

Lock of the Day Picks (So Far): Dominick Cruz, Paul Felder, Demian Maia, Kyoji Horiguchi, Robert Whittaker, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Mairbek Taisumov, Antonio Carlos Jr., Conor McGregor, (Tom Breese, Rustam Khabilov), Joseph Benavidez, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, John Makdessi, Will Brooks, T.J. Dillashaw, Tony Ferguson, Francis Ngannou, Nikita Krylov, Maryna Moroz, Tim Means, Chad Laprise, Alexander Gustafsson

Upset of the Day Pick (So Far): Dan Henderson, Jessica Eye, Mauricio Rua, Antonio Silva, Edson Barboza, Court McGee, Timothy Johnson, Johnny Case, Deigo Sanchez, Martin Svensson, K.J. Noons, Patrick Cote, Derrick Lewis, Josh Stansbury, Brock Lesnar, Keita Nakamura, Gilbert Melendez, Francisco Rivera, Zak Cummings, Glover Teixeira, Jim Miller, Ilir Latifi
UFC 203: Miocic vs. Overeem Predictions

September 10, 2016

A week after the UFC held an event in Hamburg, Germany, they return to action at the Quicken Loan Arena for there first ever event in Cleveland! Headlining the card is Cleveland’s own and UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic, who will look to make his first title defense against Alistair Overeem. Miocic, captured gold at UFC 198 against Fabrico Werdum, continuing the UFC Heavyweight Championship’s pattern of changing hands. The challenger Overeem, enters this contest on the heels of a four-fight win streak, including three via stoppage. Perhaps his most impressive victory of the four comes by way of knocking out the former UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior Dos Santos.

Co-headlining the card, is the former UFC Heavyweight Heavyweight Champion Fabricio Werdum, who like I mentioned before, lost his title to Stipe Miocic at UFC 198. His combatant comes in the form of Travis Browne, who is coming of an absolute beat down by the hands of the former UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez. Notice the amount of former UFC Heavyweight Champions being mentioned? Anyways, Browne jumps into this contest as a late replacement for Ben Rothwell and looks to even the score against Werdum who defeated him way back at UFC on Fox 11.

Also on the card is the debut of WWE superstar CM Punk, who takes on the winner of the golden ticket, Mickey Gall. It should be intriguing to see what Punk has to bring to the table after two years of going through injuries, training and ultimately preparing for this moment. Some other bout on this card include Urijah Faber vs. Jimmie Rivera, Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Andrade and Bethe Correia vs. Jessica Eye. Anyways, let’s get to the Predictions!

UFC 203 PPV Main Card (10 p.m. ET):

265 lbs.: UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic vs. Alistair Overeem – What an awesome heavyweight title fight, as you have a world class striker in Alistair Overeem against a wrestler with legit striking and power in Stipe Miocic.

For the challenger Overeem, he heads into this bout on a four fight win streak, including three via devastating knockouts. His streak has earned him his second UFC title shot, but the first he will actually fight in. If you recall, after defeating Brock Lesnar at UFC 141, Overeem was promised a title shot. However he failed to hold up to his bargain, as he failed a drug test and in result was pulled from the fight against then Champion Junior Dos Santos. Overeem has since bounced back from the failure, although it was immediate, as he lost three of next four fights via knockout. On the cutting block, “The Reem” has made the most of his new found life and the thanks should go to changing camps to Jackson-Winks.

Champion Miocic will look to end the Heavyweight curse, that has had the Heavyweight title bouncing around like a hot potato. And if anyone can do it, it just might be Stipe Miocic. I say that because he considerable has less miles on him than most Heavyweights and skill-wise, he’s just about the complete package. Miocic will look to extend his three fight win streak, in which he’s knocked the heads off Mark Hunt, Andrei Arlovski and Fabrico Werdum.

As for a prediction, I’m leaning towards “And New”. I only say that because Alistair Overeem is a changed man since his move to Jackson-Wink’s. He’s combined his already elite striking abilities, with some patience and technique. And in changing his ways, he’s become less hittable and more elusive. Plus, people sleep on Overeem’s grappling abilities. He’s actually very solid in that department and I bet will be able to fend off most of Miocic’s takedown attempts. When he does, he’s going to pinpoint the strike that puts Miocic away in the 1st round!

265 lbs.: Fabricio Werdum vs. Travis Browne – This is a rematch, as the two fought back at UFC on Fox 11 in a title eliminator fight. Werdum would wind up upsetting Browne, which set him up to fight Cain Velasquez. However after Velasquez pulled out of the bout, in stepped Mark Hunt in a fight for the Interim Heavyweight title. Werdum would capture the Interim strap and ultimately unified the belts after submitting then Champion Cain Velasquez. As for Browne, since the loss Werdum, he’s gone 2-2 and has never really been able to build the same momentum that got him a fight away from a title shot. On the hand for Werdum, this will be his first fight since losing the title to Stipe Miocic at UFC 198. Originally the opponent was supposed to be Ben Rothwell, but he pulled out due to an injury and in stepped Browne. As for a prediction, I’m siding with Werdum. Between his striking and world class BJJ, he just has to many ways to win this bout. And I really think Browne is heading into this bout way too soon from his thumping to Cain Velasquez. So with that, I have Werdum via submission.

170 lbs.: CM Punk vs. Mickey Gall – Is there a real way to predict this fight other than saying the MMA fighter beats the WWE import? Nope…and as Charlie Day would say “Wildcard” – CM PUNK via TKO!

135 lbs.: Urijah Faber vs. Jimmie Rivera – The “California Kid” Urijah Faber is 19-1 in non-title fights, which gives him a 95% win rate. That’s pretty dam impressive and what’s crazy, is that it took a bout against Frankie Edgar in 2015 to break the perfection. Anyways, Faber is most recently coming off a defeat to UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz, which gave the 2-1 nod to Cruz in the trilogy. It also marked Faber’s fourth time Faber fought for UFC gold, coming up short in all four. His combatant Jimmie Rivera, is on an 18 fight win streak and only tasted defeat once, back in 2008. Rivera is 3-0 in the UFC and this by far will be his toughest opponent to date. As for a prediction, I can’t go against Urijah Faber. And I know he’s probably never going to receive another title shot, but he’s always been in the top five forever. So with that, I got Faber taking this via decision.
115 lbs.: Jessica Andrade vs. Joanne Calderwood – What a great and tough fight to call. I’m still puzzled how in the world Jessica Andrade dropped 20 lbs. and is fighting at Strawweight now. And I would of thought in her debut, that she would gas, but her tank was still full and she was swinging leather at a ridiculous pace. Her combatant Joanne Calderwood looked equally as exciting in her fight against Former Strawweight title challenger Valerie Letourneau. It was pleasant to Calderwood finally tap into her potential, as injuries, personal issues and an odd defeat to Maryna Moroz set her back. As for a prediction, I’m siding with Andrade. I just like her overall game and despite coming in the shorter fighter, her Lineker-esque style is going to earn her the nod here. Pressure and bunches and punches by Andrade, get her the win via TKO.

UFC 203 FOX Sports 1 “Prelims” (8 p.m. ET):

135 lbs.: Bethe Correia vs. Jessica Eye – A fighter that needs a win more than anyone in the UFC, would probably be Jessica Eye. She’s lost three consecutive fights and four of her last five. And I can’t she looked good in the defeats, as she’s mostly on her back the entire fight due to her poor takedown defense. As for Correia, the former UFC Bantamweight title challenger is on a two fight skid, most recently losing via split decision to Raquel Pennington. Correia is mainly a striker, which bodes well for Eye, who as I was saying has been defeated handily because her lack of wrestling abilities. As for a prediction, I’m torn, but I’m going with Jessica Eye here. I think with her back up against the wall and fighting in her hometown, she’s going to come out on all cylinders and win this fight via late TKO.
145 lbs.: Nik Lentz vs. Michael McBride – I have no clue who McBride is, other than he’s a late replacement. Unfortunately for McBride, he has to face a grinder in Nik Lentz. In other words, Lentz via decision.
265 lbs.: Caio Magalhaes vs. Brad Tavares – This is a tough fight to call in the middleweight division, as one hand you have a well-rounded and pretty patient fighter in Brad Tavares and on the other, you have an aggressive madman in Caio Magalhaes. Tavares, has been out of action for over a year, with his last bout lasting 44 seconds in defeat to Robert Whittaker. His combatant Magalhaes is coming off a first-round defeat to Josh Samman, in which he was suspended for 6 months due to spitting on Samman after the bout. Anyways, as for a prediction – despite his suspect gas tank, I’m going with the power of Magalhaes to overwhelm Tavares in the very first-round. Magalhaes via TKO!

170 lbs.: Drew Dober vs. Jason Gonzalez – No clue who Jason Gonzalez is, but Dober is a guy who’s been the product of some weird fights. I mean, from his opponent Jamie Varner knocking himself out to a referee stopping a bout that saw him in a guillotine choke, in no danger and in the midst of escaping. Anyways, I got Dober winning this via decision, with his high volume striking mixed with some takedowns.

UFC 203 Fight Pass “Prelims” (7 p.m. ET):

155 lbs.: Yancy Medeiros vs. Sean Spencer – Medeiros is coming off an exciting bout against Francisco Trinaldo, which in turn earned the two “Fight of the Night” honors. While Medeiros lost, he once again showed durability and that he’s got more heart than anyone. I mean, I’ve seen Medeiros get dropped more than anyone and just keep on getting back to his feet. However, I don’t think he’s going to get dropped or hurt in this bout, as he fights the high volume, but no punching power Sean Spencer. It’s no disrespect to Spencer too, who has some solid abilities in the striking department, but the lack of power doesn’t bode well in the UFC. And in won’t bode here either, as Medeiros is going to show us why he still has the talent to make a run in a deep lightweight division. Medeiros via TKO!
UFC Fight Night 93: Survivor Game

September 3, 2016

This is getting ridiculous! I mean, I know I’m picking favorites, but still, once in awhile an upset occurs. To think, when I first started this thread, my only loss to date has been picking Conor McGregor against Nate Diaz in their first contest. O well!

So, I had Chad Laprise for my lock of the day and he destroyed Gouti and then I had Jim Miller as my upset in an unbelievable war between two longtime UFC veterans. It was a successful night and my streak now is at 25! Anyways, if you don’t know what this post is all about, I’ll briefly fill you in. I can only select one fighter to be my lock of the week and that said fighter, can only be selected once this year (2016). I earn 1 point for a correct pick, however a wrong pick will reset me back to 0. I can add an additional 1 point to my total by picking an upset right, which does not reset my total if it’s wrong (That’s to make me look better). I will tweak this as we go!

Streak: 16 (Lock of the Day) + 9 (Upset of the Day) = 25

Lock of the Day: Alexander Gustafsson

Note: This is like stealing candy from a baby! Gustafsson gets himself a tune up fight against Jan Blachowicz, who might as well just fall down before the fight starts. I mean, if he’s going to fight the same way he did against Igor Pokrajac, this one might be over within the first minute. Actually regardless of how he fights, Gustafsson is going to eventually finish this one – lock it in!

Upset of the Day: Ilir Latifi

Note: The amount of mental mistakes Ryan Bader makes have cost him dearly. And his recent defeat to Anthony Johnson, cost him a title shot. Anyways, Latifi is heavy handed and when Bader doesn’t smartly keep his distance and jab his way to victory, that’s when Latifi lands an overhand that crumples Bader.

Lock of the Day Picks (So Far): Dominick Cruz, Paul Felder, Demian Maia, Kyoji Horiguchi, Robert Whittaker, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Mairbek Taisumov, Antonio Carlos Jr., Conor McGregor, (Tom Breese, Rustam Khabilov), Joseph Benavidez, Olivier Aubin-Mercier, John Makdessi, Will Brooks, T.J. Dillashaw, Tony Ferguson, Francis Ngannou, Nikita Krylov, Maryna Moroz, Tim Means, Chad Laprise

Upset of the Day Pick (So Far): Dan Henderson, Jessica Eye, Mauricio Rua, Antonio Silva, Edson Barboza, Court McGee, Timothy Johnson, Johnny Case, Deigo Sanchez, Martin Svensson, K.J. Noons, Patrick Cote, Derrick Lewis, Josh Stansbury, Brock Lesnar, Keita Nakamura, Gilbert Melendez, Francisco Rivera, Zak Cummings, Glover Teixeira, Jim Miller
UFC Fight Night 93: Arlovski vs. Barnett Predictions

September 3, 2016

A week after Demian Maia quickly finished Carlos Condit at UFC on Fox 21, the UFC is back in action in Hamburg, Germany. It’s been over a year since the UFC last touched down in Germany, as Strawweight Champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk defended her belt against Jessica Penne at UFC Fight Night 69 in Berlin.

Headlining the event, is two veteran Heavyweights in the form of Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett. Arlovski, looks to end a two fight skid, something he hasn’t dealt with since his four fight losing streak stretching from 2009-2011. However since, Arlovski has gone 10-3 (1 No contest) in his last 14 fights. His combatant, Barnett most recently suffered his first loss via submission (tap out) in 42 professional fights to no other than Ben Rothwell. The loss halted momentum picked up after the destruction of Roy Nelson, but Barnett has a chance here to possibly vault himself back into the top 5 with a victory.

Co-Headlining, is the return of “The Mauler” Alexander Gustafsson, who will look to end a two fight skid that’s had him contemplating retirement against Jan Blachowicz. Gustafsson, most recently was defeated via split decision to Daniel Cormier for the UFC Light Heavyweight belt. That was back in October of 2015, so it’s been nearly a year since he last stepped into the Octagon. His opponent, Blachowicz most recently defeated Igor Pokrajac in a less than exciting fight. Nevertheless, the win halted a two fight skid and potentially his pink slip. And if anything is certain here, Blachowicz has a real opportunity to gain some notoriety with a victory over Alexander Gustafsson.

Other names on the card include Ryan Bader, Ilir Latifi, Nick Hein, Peter Sobotta and Rustam Khabilov. Anyways, enough build up, let’s just get to the predictions!

UFC Fight Pass Main Card (3 p.m. ET):

265 lbs.: Andrei Arlovski vs. Josh Barnett – Talk about two fighters, who have been around the game for over 15 years in the same weight class and have somehow never fought each other. It’s crazy, but hey, it’s a fresh matchup in the Heavyweight division. Anyways, Arlovski looks to erase a two fight skid, one in which prior to, had him him closing in on an improbable title shot. I mean, after he lost four fight in a row in a stretch from 2009-2011, everyone stated that he has no chin anymore and seemingly should just retire. Well, that couldn’t of been further from the truth. His combatant Barnett, has been much more active of late, but more recently suffered defeat at the hands of Heavyweight contender Ben Rothwell. It was a tough pill to swallow, especially considering Barnett was decisively beating Rothwell until the submission. As for the prediction, I’m going with Barnett here. I think he has more weapons to win this fight and he’s very cerebral in his approach. Arlovski is more of a brawler who looks for the one punch knockout, which has more than often worked. But, Barnett not only an experienced striker, but his catch wrestling is probably the best in MMA. He’s going to mix in some takedowns and pressure Arlovski with submission attempts. Barnett is going to turn this fight into a grind, one in which is going to wear down Arlovski, eventually leading to a submission victory for “The Warmaster”.

205 lbs.: Alexander Gustafsson vs. Jan Blachowicz – Honestly, after Jan Blachowicz’s last fight, I’m not even going to break this one down. And it’s obvious that this is nothing but a tune up fight to get Gustafsson back on course. The semi-retired and non-motivated Gustafsson will certainly have his demons in the fight, but his opponent won’t capitalize on a golden opportunity. Instead he will stand there hesitant, awaiting for Gustafsson to finish him via KO!

205 lbs.: Ryan Bader vs. Ilir Latifi – This is a great Light Heavyweight contest and a huge opportunity for Latifi, as a chance to crack the Top Ten hangs in the balance. Latifi, is currently riding on a three fight win streak, two of which have come via first round knockout. For a guy who replaced training partner Alexander Gustafsson on four days notice against Gegard Mousasi in the main event of UFC on Fuel TV 9, he’s had a really unsuspectingly successful UFC career. His combatant, Ryan Bader is most recently coming off a first round knockout to Anthony Johnson. The defeat halted a five fight win streak, one in which had Bader on the cusp of a title shot. A chance to reset and start over begins now, but this isn’t an easy fight by any stretch of the matter. Latifi has loaded hands and is a strong grappler, so it would be wise of Bader to keep distance and use the jab often. In other words, do exactly what Gegard Mousasi did. Will he? Probably not, as Bader often runs himself into terrible situations like against Lyoto Machida, Anthony Johnson and Glover Teixeira. I think history repeats itself and Latifi scores a massive upset via KO!

155 lbs.: Tae Hyun Bang vs. Nick Hein – Since 2008, Bang has had a pattern of alternating losses and wins. His last fight was a win, so that means a loss right? Correct and Nick Hein, who is 3-1 inside the Octagon is the type of fighter that’s going to edge this one out via decision – as he seemingly always does. So with that, I have Hein via decision!

UFC Fight Pass Under Card (12:00 a.m. ET):

170 lbs.: Jessin Ayari vs. Jim Wallhead – I have no idea who Ayari is, but I know Wallhead from his time in Cage Warriors and BAMMA. And I always thought he would get into the UFC, but much sooner. However a four fight win streak, including 3 knockouts has allowed him to finally arrive. As for a prediction, like I said, I have no idea who Ayari is – so I have Wallhead taking this one via knockout!

170 lbs.: Nicolas Dalby vs. Peter Sobotta – I’m picking Dalby here, as he’s just one of those Frankie Edgar type fighters. He attacks you with volume in strikes, he can withstand punishment and keep on coming forward and he’s got excellent cardio. Now, I like Peter Sobotta, but if he can get this one to the ground, he’s going to be a sitting duck for Dalby to hit over and over again. And that’s what’s going to happen, as I have Dalby winning via dominant deicision.

135 lbs.: Ashlee Evans-Smith vs. Veronica Macedo – All I know is that Macedo is a beautiful Venezuelan and Ashlee Evans-Smith is going to win this. I mean, Evans-Smith definitely didn’t win her last fight, but her striking looked more improved. She also will have a 5′ reach advantage. So with that, I have Evans-Smith winning via decision.

155 lbs.: Leandro Issa vs. Taylor Lapilus – This fight comes down to two options, either Issa gets Lapilus down and teaches him a lesson about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Lapilus keeps his range and picks apart Issa on the feet. I’m going with the latter, only for the sheer fact that I think the Frenchman Lapilus has so much potential to be a real threat down the road at lightweight. So with that, I have Lapilus via decision.

265 lbs.: Christian Colombo vs. Jarjis Danho – Two Heavyweights, one in which I have no idea about except for the fact that his nickname is “Godzilla” and the other I’ve seen fight before, perhaps wishing I didn’t. That was Danho, who apparently is a touted prospect, but what I saw was either a super green fighter or someone who doesn’t know what technique is. And just based off that performance alone, I’m picking Colombo via KO!

185 lbs.: Scott Askham vs. Jack Hermansson – This one has violence all over it, as two finishers collide in what could potentially be your “Fight of the Night”. Scott Askham, a four fight veteran in the UFC, will look to build off his first round KO over Chris Dempsey. As for his opponent, the promotional newcomer Hermansson will look to extend his eight fight win streak. As for a prediction, Askham steps into this with a 79% finishing rate and Hermansson a 85% finishing rate. In other words, someone is going to sleep and I’m predicting that it’s Hermansson. Those Octagon jitters are real and are going to have Hermansson hesistant and wild at times, leading him right into the clinch where Askham will deliver a knee from hell. Askham via KO!

155 lbs.: Rustam Khabilov vs. Leandro Silva – This one shouldn’t even be close. Khaibilov is a borderline top 15 lightweight, meanwhile Silva is borderline fodder. Khabilov via a one-sided beatdown, eventually submitting in the third round.