This should be a pretty good event. It's definitely not the best PPV on paper but it does promise to have more exciting fights than the last 2 UFC events have provided. UFC is coming off of back to back cards where 10 out of 12 fights went to the judges decision so this card might be exactly what the doctor ordered. It's loaded with heavy strikers, a few glass jaws, submission experts, 3 Olympians, & even a potential modern day Rocky story. The UFC Fight Pass Prelims are from 7-8pm EST, Fox Sports 1 Prelims from 8-10pm EST, & the Main Card will be on PPV starting at 10pm EST. Okay night but could've been better. At least there weren't 10 decisions.
Prelims
155lbs - Ernest Chavez (6-0-0) (+250) vs Yosdenis Cedeno (9-2-0) (-300)
This is the UFC debut for both men but Cedeno is the much better prospect. Chavez is someone that wins his fights by simply outworking his opponent. He likes to get into brawls but Cedeno is just head & shoulders better than him. Cedeno is the more dynamic striker & should easily be able to hurt Chavez early and often with his kicking arsenal & spinning attacks. Don't blink or you might miss the finish! My prediction is Yosdenis Cedeno (-300) to defeat Ernest Chavez by KO/TKO. Lost very close split decision. 29-28, 28-29, & 30-27. I had it 29-28 Chavez.
155lbs - Rafaello Oliveira (15-6-0) (+320) vs Erik Koch (13-3-0) (-400)
This is my "Call Me Crazy" pick of the night because I like the big dog in this fight. Koch hasn't fought at lightweight in over 5 years & he looked horrible in his last 2 fights against Ricardo Lamas & Dustin Poirier. Obviously those are 2 good fighters but he does struggle against pressure fighters & that's exactly what Oliveira is. Oliveira is only 2-5 in the UFC but I think that his pressure & brawling style will overwhelm Koch en route to a decision victory. This is basically a loser leaves town bout & I'm going with the fighter that tends to be more active and is constantly pressuring his opponent. My prediction is Rafaello Oliveira (+320) to defeat Erik Koch by decision. Koch destroyed Oliveira for an easy 1st round TKO.
125lbs - #10 Zach Makovsky (17-4-0) (-175) vs Joshua Sampo (11-2-0) (-240)
Both fighters are coming off of impressive debuts & are looking to climb up the flyweight rankings. Both men come have very good submission attacks but I think Makovsky is just a better all around fighter. Makovsky will use his wrestling to get this fight to the mat & control Sampo in top position over & over again. I would love to see Makovsky finish this fight but I see this being an easy decision victory. My prediction is Zach Makovsky (-175) to defeat Joshua Sampo by decision. Great performance by Makovsky! Won unanimous decision 30-27, 30-27, & 29-28. I had it 30-27 as well.
135lbs - Cody Gibson (11-3-0) (+200) vs Aljamain Sterling (8-0-0) (-240)
This is a pretty interesting matchup between 2 prospects making their UFC debuts. Gibson is a very aggressive striker & probably has the advantage on the feet but Sterling is an aggressive grappler that has the advantage on the mat. I think that Sterling is a good enough striker to stand long enough to create an opening & take Gibson down. Once Sterling has Gibson on the mat, he will use some heavy ground & pound to set up a submission attempt that will end this fight in the 2nd or 3rd round. Sterling is the better prospect & the fact that he's coming out of the Serra/Longo camp, seals the deal for me. My prediction is Aljamain Sterling (-240) to defeat Cody Gibson by submission. Sterling won by unanimous decision 29-28 on all cards. I had it 29-28 as well. It was pretty good fight.
135lbs - #3 Raphael Assuncao (21-4-0) (-240) vs Pedro Munhoz (10-0-0) (+200)
Munhoz is coming into his UFC debut with a lot of hype behind him & he's looking to make a splash by pulling off the big upset. This fight means everything to Assuncao because nobody knows how much longer Dominick Cruz will be out of action & an impressive victory here could set him for a title shot against Renan Barao. I believe that this will be a back & forth contest early on but eventually Assuncao will find an opening & submit Munhoz. I look for Munhoz to be very game but the jitters of debuting in the UFC along with the caliber of fighter that he is facing will prove to be too much. Munhoz may have a bright future but Assuncao's time is now. My prediction is Raphael Assuncao (-240) to defeat Pedro Munhoz by submission. Dominant performance by Assuncao easily winning all 3 rounds & getting the unanimous decision.
Women’s 135lbs - #3 Alexis Davis (15-5-0) (-150) vs #5 Jessica "EVIL" Eye (10-1-1) (+130)
I personally feel that this fight deserves to be on the main card more than the Whittaker/Thompson & Pyle/Waldburger fights. This is the fight that I am the most excited to see because these women are going to bring it. Eye is a very aggressive boxer that's always moving forward & in my opinion really picked apart Kaufman on the feet. Kaufman was suppose to be the superior striker but Eye showed why she's had so much hype behind her. Davis is also a very good striker but I feel that her advantage in this fight would be on the mat where she can look for submissions. Unfortuantely for Davis, she has a lot of confidence in her striking & sometimes will abandon her ground game when fighting someone that wants to stand & bang. I look for this to be a back & forth fight with Eye getting the better of the exchanges & by the time Davis lands a takedown or 2, she will already be down & will need a stoppage to win the fight. I am very high on Eye & this will be another notch in her belt as she quickly moves up the ladies bantamweight ladder. My prediction is Jessica Eye (+130) to defeat Alexis Davis by decision. Very close fight that really could've gone either way but Davis was awarded the split decision victory 29-28, 28-29, & 29-28. It really came down to the 1st round & who you thought won it because rounds 2 & 3 were obvious. I had it 29-28 for Davis as well but it was close.
Main Card
170lbs - Robert Whittaker (11-3-0) (+115) vs Stephen Thompson (8-1-0) (-135)
This should be a pretty exciting fight between 2 competitors that love to stand & trade. Whittaker has the speed advantage but he tends to take a shot to give a shot & against a superior striker like Thompson, that will be a big mistake. Thompson loves to attack the body & he uses the body shots to slow down his opponents. I look for there to be some fireworks early but as the fight goes on, Thompson will pick apart Whittaker & eventually land the big shot that will end the fight. My prediction is Stephen Thompson (-135) to defeat Robert Whittaker by KO/TKO. Easy 1st round TKO for Thompson!
170lbs - #15 Mike Pyle (25-9-1) (-165) vs TJ Waldburger (16-8-0) (+145)
Pyle is a very scrappy fighter but at age 38, I believe that his time has come & gone. Pyle definitely has the advantage on the feet & Waldburger does have a glass jaw but I look for Waldburger to utilize his grappling to get this fight to the mat & work his submission game. Pyle tends to capitalize on his opponents mistakes so Waldburger will have to be careful but I believe he will find his opening & submit Pyle inside the 1st round. It's been a good run for Pyle but it's time for it to end. My prediction is TJ Waldburger (+145) to defeat Mike Pyle by submission. Big showing for Pyle. Good fight but Pyle got the 3rd round TKO.
170lbs - #4 Rory MacDonald (15-2-0) (-270) vs #6 Demian Maia (18-5-0) (+230)
Both fighters are looking to rebound after losing fights that they were heavily favored to win. Maia is definitely the better grappler & submission expert but MacDonald is much better on the feet & he is very good at keeping the distance. MacDonald needs to keep this fight standing for as long as he can & also punish Maia if he decides to drop guard in search of submissions. I think that MacDonald has a point to prove coming off of 2 lackluster performances after basically being crowned the next big thing in the Welterweight Division. I look for Rory to come out aggressive & really put a beating on Maia. I don't think MacDonald can finish Maia but it should still be a fairly easy decision victory. My prediction is Rory MacDonald (-270) to defeat Demian Maia by decision. Very good fight with Maia winning the 1st but Macdonald easily won the 2nd & 3rd en route to a unanimous decision 29-28 on all cards.
205lbs - #4 HW Daniel Cormier (13-0-0) (-1300) vs Patrick Cummins (4-0-0) (+800)
This was originally supposed to be Daniel Cormier vs Rashad Evans but due to injury Rashad had to pull out 10 days before the fight. Cormier begged & pleaded for anyone to step up to face him & Cummins happily obliged. The two use to be wrestling training partners & Cummins talked himself into this Co-Main Event by saying that in the past he broke Daniel Cormier & he made him cry. Just last week Cummins was working at a coffee house & now he's fighting one of the best fighters in the world in the Co-Main Event of a UFC PPV. Cummins is a very good wrestler & a rising prospect that seems to have a Rocky Balboa like story heading into this fight but it won't end well for him. Cummins has definitely learned how to trash talk from his training partner Chael Sonnen but that talk is going to get him hurt. Not only has Cormier never lost a fight but he's never even lost a round! Cummins is simply outmatched & has ZERO chance of winning this fight! Cormier is much better in every area & should make quick work of Cummins. I will be shocked if Cummins makes it past the half way mark of the 1st round. Throwing money on Cummins to beat Cormier is like pissing in the wind. My prediction is Daniel Cormier (-1300) to defeat Patrick Cummins by 1st round KO/TKO. Cummings had no chance coming into the fight. Cormier was much better in ever area & easily TKO'd Cummins in the 1st.
Women’s 135lbs Championship bout - (C) Ronda Rousey (8-0-0) (-450) vs #4 Sara McMann (7-0-0) (+370)
Unlike most people, I don't think this fight will be all that close. I look for both ladies to use their standup to set up the takedowns. Both women medaled in the 2008 Summer Olympics with Rousey receiving a Bronze Medal in Judo & McMann winning the Silver Medal in wrestling. The problem for McMann is that Rousey is the better striker & she's also the much better grappler. McMann likes to get the takedown & really grind out rounds while in top control & her biggest mistake would probably be to land a takedown. Rousey's armbar is so deadly that it opens up her ground & pound and even leaves openings for other types of submissions. Once this fight gets to the mat then I think it'll be all over. Rousey won't be able to throw McMann around like she's done to her previous opponents but I beleieve that it'll be only a matter of time before she uses the fear of her armbar to set up another submission or she comepletes the armbar & makes McMann tap within the first 3 rounds. My prediction is Ronda Rousey (-450) to defeat Sara McMann by submission. Both women came out swinging but Rousey ended the fight in just over a minute with a deadly knee to the liver & Herb had to step in. 1st TKO of Rousey's career.