So now we are back to a UFC Fight Night before UFC 166 roles around. With that here we go with the review of the arguably stacked Bellator 102 card:
Bellator 102 in Review
Main Event: Cheick Kongo vs. Mark Godbeer
Prediction: Kongo by strikes. Result: Same. This is self explanatory and Kongo’s Bellator debut puts him one win away from a HW title shot.
Co-main Event: Lavar Johnson vs. Vinicius Queiroz
Prediction: Johnson by strikes. Result: Queiroz by strikes. Queiroz’s experience in Bellator became the deciding factor in winning this fight.
Rafael Silva vs. Anthony Leone
Prediction: Leone by decision. Result: Silva by decision. Silva’s last loss was in February 2011 and is now 13-0 since then, earning a title shot.
Jason Butcher vs. Mikkel Parlo
Prediction: Butcher by submission. Result: Parlo by decision. Parlo’s striking was the factor that neutralized Butcher’s submission game.
Perry Filkins vs. Brennan Ward
Prediction: Filkins by strikes. Result: Filkins injured, replaced by Joe Pacheco; Ward by submission. Injuries happen, pure and simple.
Overall score: 2/4; .5 prediction percentage. Ward’s victory does not count towards the overall total. 1 for Kongo and 0.5 for the correct methods.
~ Now for the predictions ~
UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Shields Predictions
Main Event: Demian Maia vs. Jake Shields
Prediction: Maia by submission. Maia has been rounding his game in recent fights and not concentrating so much on submissions so much.
Co-main Event: Erick Silva vs. Dong-Hyun Kim
Prediction: Kim by decision. Kim knows how to win fights and his grappling is at a high level. He’s also good at scrambling.
Thiago Silva vs. Matt Hamill
Prediction: Silva by strikes. Silva is an aggressive fighter but he’s had two wins overturned because of illegal substances. So the question is, can he stay clean?
Fabio Maldonado vs. Joey Beltran
Prediction: Maldonado by strikes. Both fighters are strikers trying to find their niche in the UFC. Maldonado’s last loss was to Glover Teixeira.
Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Pierce
Prediction: Pierce by decision. Pierce knows how to win fights. He also has a good submission game which is also a way he could win.
Raphael Assuncao vs. T.J. Dillashaw
Prediction: Assuncao by submission. Assuncao has much more experience in MMA. However, Dillashaw cannot be underestimated at all.
Bellator 103 Predictions
Main Event: Patricio Freire vs. Frabricio Guerreiro
Prediction: Freire by strikes. Both men maybe 19-2 but Freire is well rounded and has Bellator experience. Guerreiro has submissions mostly.
Co-main Event: Justin Wilcox vs. Joe Taimanglo
Prediction: Taimanglo by submission. Taimanglo is on a ten fight win streak dating back to 2009. However, Wilcox can’t be underestimated.
J.J. Ambrose vs. David Rickels
Prediction: Rickels by submission. Rickels looks to bounce back from his loss to Michael Chandler and is still a dangerous man to fight.
Aaron Rosa vs. Mikhail Zayats
Prediction: Rosa by decision. Rosa is coming over from the UFC where he’s looking earn his way into the next light heavyweight tournament.
Who do you think will win this week? Leave a comment!