The monthly UFC PPV is upon us as well as another week of Bellator MMA that should bring fireworks. So with that let’s delve into things:
UFC Fight Night: Gustafsson vs. Manuwa
Main Event: Alexander Gustafsson #3 Light Heavyweight vs. Jimi Manuwa
Prediction: Manuwa by strikes. Result: Gustafsson by strikes. Gustafsson proved that’s he’s still in title contention but that’s up for debate.
Co-main Event: Michael Johnson vs. Melvin Guillard
Prediction: Guillard by strikes. Result: Johnson by decision. It wasn’t pretty but Johnson managed to continue his rising streak in the UFC.
Brad Pickett #5 Bantamweight vs. Neil Seery
Prediction: Pickett by submission. Result: Pickett by decision. Pickett did what was expected but like Daniel Cormier can’t be measured.
Gunnar Nelson vs. Omari Akhmedov
Prediction: Nelson by submission. Result: Same. Nelson did exactly what was expected of him earning a Performance of the Night bonus.
Overall score: 2/4; 0.5 prediction percentage. 0.5 for Gustafsson’s win, 0.5 for Pickett’s win, and 1 for Nelson’s win by submission.
Bellator 111
Note: Even though one of the tournament bouts was on the preliminary card, it was scored with the main card as a tournament bout.
Main Event: Eduardo Dantes # 9 Bantamweight vs. Anthony Leone
Prediction: Dantes by decision. Result: Dantes by submission. This is arguably the submission of the year as it was so well executed.
Co-main Event: Lavar Johnson vs. Ryan Martinez
Prediction: Martinez by strikes. Result: Johnson by strikes. Martinez almost proved me right but a last minute TKO by Johnson spoiled it.
Peter Graham vs. Siala-Mou “Might Mo” Siliga
Prediction: Siliga by strikes. Result: Siliga by submission. Apparently Might Mo has developed a ground game despite his kickboxing.
Alexander Volkov vs. Mark Holota
Prediction: Volkov by strikes. Result: Same. Volkov clearly wants his title back and he’s taken one more step to getting that chance.
Blagoi Ivanov vs. Rich Hale
Prediction: Ivanov by submission. Result: Ivanov by submission. Ivanov remains undefeated though it was by no means a pretty effort.
Overall score: 3/5; 0.6 prediction percentage. 0.5 for Dantes, 0.5 for Johnson. 0.5 for Might Mo, 1 for Volkov and 0.5 for Ivanov’s win.
Bellator 112
Note: Even though it’s a preliminary fight, one of the welterweight tournament fights will be scored with the main card as a tournament bout.
Main Event: Daniel Straus #9 Featherweight vs. Pat Curran #10 Featherweight
Prediction: Straus by decision. Straus handled Curran in a way Curran never has since moving down to featherweight. He can do it again.
Co-main Event: Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Andrey Koreshkov
Prediction: Koreshkov by strikes. Koreshkov has successfully rebounded form his loss to Ben Askren, now he wants that welterweight belt.
Cristiano Souza vs. Sam Oropeza
Prediction: Souza by submission. Souza has been given an opportunity to rise despite his loss on Fight Master as a late replacement.
Jesse Juarez vs. Adam McDonough
Prediction: McDonough by strikes. The undefeated prospect has one win with the promotion so far and could defeat the veteran Juarez.
Paul Bradley vs. Nathan Coy
Prediction: Bradley by submission. These two fought on the regional circuit before and Bradley won that encounter. Probably will this time too.
UFC 171: Hendricks vs. Lawler
Main Event: Johny Hendricks #1 Welterweight vs. Robbie Lawler #3 Welterweight
Prediction: Hendricks by strikes. Both men are very similar in that they’re wrestlers turned strikers but Hendricks has the edge in both areas.
Co-main Event: Carlos Condit #2 Welterweight vs. Tyron Woodley
Prediction: Condit by strikes. Woodley may one day get a title shot but Condit has the experience to defeat the rising title prospect.
Diego Sanchez vs. Myles Jury
Prediction: Jury by submission. The undefeated prospect maybe up against a veteran but he has the skills to defeat Sanchez if played right.
Jake Shields #6 Welterweight vs. Hector Lombard
Prediction: Lombard by strikes. Lombard has had only one match at welterweight but he looked dominant. Shields though can wrestle.
Ovince St. Preux vs. Nikita Krylov
Prediction: Krylov by submission. The M-1 Global vet maybe a late replacement but he has the ability and will be wanting to prove himself.
Who do you think will come away as the new welterweight champion? Feel free to leave a comment!
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