It’s been two busy weeks in a row for MMA and we can expect more fireworks and maybe controversy as well. So with that here’s my reviews:
UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Shields in Review
Main Event: Demian Maia vs. Jake Shields
Prediction: Maia by submission. Result: Shields by decision. Shields’ wrestling/BJJ fighting style countered Maia’s pure BJJ fighting style.
Co-main Event: Erick Silva vs. Dong-Hyun Kim
Prediction: Kim by decision. Result: Kim by strikes. Kim has almost as many finishes by strikes as he does decisions so this isn’t a surprise.
Thiago Silva vs. Matt Hamill
Prediction: Silva by strikes. Result: Silva by decision. There was bound to be some controversy related to Silva and it was his missing weight.
Fabio Maldonado vs. Joey Beltran
Prediction: Maldonado by strikes. Result: Maldonado by decision. Maldonado did what he needed to accomplish to pull off a decision win.
Rousimar Palhares vs. Mike Pierce
Prediction: Pierce by decision. Result: Palhares by submission. This was a hallow victory for Palhares as he will never fight in the UFC again.
Raphael Assuncao vs. T.J. Dillashaw
Prediction: Assuncao by submission. Result: Assuncao by decision. Assuncao is a finisher but all fighters have to pull off a decision sometime.
Overall score: 2/6; .3 prediction percentage. Kim’s win got 0.5, Silva’s win got 0.5, Maldonado’s win got 0.5, and Assunaco’s win got 0.5.
Bellator 103 in Review
Main Event: Patricio Freire vs. Frabricio Guerreiro
Prediction: Freire by strikes. Result: Freire by decision. “Pitbull” is known for his striking but a decision win is a win and it got him to the finals.
Co-main Event: Justin Wilcox vs. Joe Taimanglo
Prediction: Taimanglo by submission. Result: Wilcox by decision. Wilcox has come from a few days replacement to a finalist, props to him.
J.J. Ambrose vs. David Rickels
Prediction: Rickels by submission. Result: Rickels by strikes. Rickels has an overall rounded fight game which helped in this rebound win.
Aaron Rosa vs. Mikhail Zayats
Prediction: Rosa by decision. Result: Zayats by submission. Zayats’ submission game was the deciding factor in this match to say the least.
Overall score: 1/4; .25 prediction percentage. 0.5 for guessing Freire correctly and 0.5 for guessing Rickels as the correct winner as well.
Bellator 104 Predictions
Main Event: War Machine vs. Ron Kesler
Prediction: War Machine by strikes. War Machine is a finisher pure and simple and it becomes a simple question of will he win the tournament?
Co-main Event: Brent Weedman vs. Rick Hawn
Prediction: Rick Hawn by strikes. Hawn’s was originally a replacement, but he’s advanced this far and has the tools to win the tournament.
Kendall Grove vs. Joe Vedepo
Prediction: Vedepo by submission. Grove is barely over .500 whereas Vedepo has a better record along with experience in the promotion.
Eric Prindle vs. Peter Graham
Prediction: Prindle by strikes. Prindle’s looking to erase the memory of the DQ groin kick and this is the first step toward another tournament.
UFC 166: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 3
Main Event: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos
Prediction: Velasquez by strikes. As far as we know Velasquez is entering this fight healthy and has more of an overall game then Dos Santos.
Co-main Event: Daniel Cormier vs. Roy Nelson
Prediction: Cormier by strikes. Cormier has controlled fighters that Nelson has had trouble with and Nelson is nowhere near as muscular.
Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez
Prediction: Melendez by strikes. Both men are dangerous but Melendez isn’t ranked as high as he is for no reason. He’ll keep it standing.
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shawn Jordan
Prediction: Jordan by strikes. Jordan is a rising talent in the heavyweight division whereas Gonzaga is more of a gate keeper in the UFC.
John Dodson vs. Darrell Montague
Prediction: Montague by submission. Montague maybe a UFC newcomer but he has fought against top in the flyweight division and is rounded.
Who do you think is going to win this weekend? Leave a comment!