UFC Dublin: Predictions

by Alex Dillon @_AlexDillon_

By now I am sure that you all know the UFC will be returning to Ireland on Saturday night, if you don't then you must have been locked in a dark room with no internet for the past 4 months. As with all the UFC events we have broken down the card and I have predicted how the event will go. Please read below for a full breakdown of the main card as well as predictions for who will win the prelim fights.

Featherweight: Conor McGregor (14-2, 2-0 UFC) vs Diego Brandao (18-9, 4-2 UFC)

The main event, the return of the notorious one: Conor McGregor. Having not fought since defeating Max Holloway last August in Boston, McGregor has been sitting on the sidelines rehabilitating his knee whilst still creating hype and being talked about by almost everyone.

McGregor burst into the mainstream with a scintillating KO over Marcus Brimage in his debut 17 months ago now and ever since it’s been nothing but maximum exposure for the Dublin man. He received the blackout treatment in Boston fighting on the prelims, dominated Max Holloway despite injuring his knee during the fight and there is a huge belief from himself that its only a matter of time before the featherweight gold is around his waist.

This fight was originally meant to be somewhat of a ‘grudge’ match with Cole Miller before Miller pulled out due to a hand injury so Brandao was drafted in to take his place and offer McGregor a different challenge.

Brandao has had an up and down UFC career since winning The Ultimate Fighter, he had a 3 fight win streak snapped by featherweight contender Dustin Poirier back in December, which to be honest, was an all around bad experience for him as he missed weight and also threatened to stab Poirier so it’s likely a time he’ll want to put behind him. Brandao’s head has been known to get the better of him but when he’s on fire, he is on fire and brings a significant threat to McGregor that Miller probably didn’t. The other problem with Brandao is that he tends to ‘gas’ as the fight goes on and McGregor is a machine so if his cardio isn’t up to scratch, its game over for Brandao. He’s recently moved from Jackson’s MMA to San Antonio to focus more on his BJJ which he says has benefited him and his preparation for this fight. We’ll see come fight night how prepared he is and if he really has put the past behind him.

There are arguments from all sorts of fans regarding Conor McGregor, ‘’McGregor’s the real deal’’ ‘’McGregors overhyped, never winning a title’’ One thing’s for sure though, everyone will tune in Saturday night and rightfully so, I expect McGregor to come out and dictate the fight from the off and put on an excellent performance, he’s said himself that’s what he needs to do and it’ll happen.

Win this in spectacular fashion and he’ll likely face Dustin Poirier next to elevate him further towards a title shot. Wherever this fight ends up it favours McGregor, he’ll be on Brandao from the off his skills are too much for this opponent. McGregor's too slick, too fast, too technical and too good for Brandao and I firmly believe we’ll see an even better Conor McGregor come fight night.

Prediction: McGregor via TKO

 

Welterweight: Gunnar Nelson (12-0-1, 3-0 UFC) vs Zak Cummings (17-3, 2-0 UFC) 

This co-main event was originally meant to feature Ryan LaFlare instead of Zak Cummings but an injury forced LaFlare out so Cummings was drafted in to fill the void. In many fans eyes, highly touted prospect Nelson hasn’t had the opportunity to really put a marker on the Welterweight due to injuries and activity but he is without doubt, a future contender.

Cummings has gone 2-0 since officially signing with the UFC after his stint on TUF 17 and has showed promise of his own with his last win coming as recent as May. Even though Cummings is a late replacement, the fascinating thing about this fight is that they are both legitimate submission fighters, although Cummings has the better wrestling so maybe we will see Nelson’s wrestling tested and subsequently see him go into deep waters.

Nelson may have had a layoff but his last outing at UFC Fight Night in London back in March proved that the time out of the cage didn’t really mean anything as he pulled out an emphatic submission victory in the 1st round. What’s more exciting about this fight is that Nelson trains alongside the main event man Conor McGregor under the tutelage of John Kavanagh at SBGi and is a massive fan favourite in Ireland and rightfully so as so far he’s shown he’s every bit of a contender just like his team mate. Regardless of Cummings wrestling pedigree, I see Nelson getting through this comfortably and with a finish.

Prediction: Nelson via Submission

Flyweight: Brad Pickett (24-8, 4-3 UFC) vs Ian McCall (12-4-1, 1-2-1 UFC)

This flyweight battle was originally scheduled for UFC London back in March but McCall pulled out through injury and was subsequently replaced by newly signed Neil Seery. The fight with Seery was Pickett’s first fight at Flyweight since the cut down from Bantamweight and in many fans eye’s he didn’t impress. Maybe it was because many believed he would steam through Seery and that he had an off day. In my opinion I believe Seery was and still is underrated and gave Pickett as good as he got that night. We’ll soon see in this fight if Pickett can handle the cut at flyweight and impress on Saturday night.

Ian McCall hasn’t had the best career so far in the UFC after coming in as ‘the best flyweight in the world’ he too has failed to live up to the hype when it comes to the big fights so this makes for a really interesting matchup.

Up until the announcement that Mighty Mouse would defend his belt against Chris Cariaso at UFC 177, both of these fighters probably believed the winner of their fight would go on to challenge MM for the title so it remains to be seen how they both treat this fight coming in now knowing that a title shot won’t happen straight away.

My issue with McCall is that he has been quite inactive, last fighting a year ago and has had his own personal issues outside of the octagon and Pickett will be out to prove a point. Personal issues and inactivity aside, Pickett is the better fighter and I expect him to come through this fight with a good performance.

Prediction: Pickett via TKO

Lightweight: Norman Parke (19-2-1, 2-0-1 UFC) vs Naoyuki Kotani (33-10-7, 0-2 UFC)

In his last outing in the UFC, TUF Smashes winner Norman Parke was unlucky to come away with just a draw and really should be 3-0 in what has been a promising UFC career so far. His opponent Kotani, has never won in the UFC but is currently riding a 13-0 win streak and boasts 25 wins via submission. With that in mind, it’s more than likely that Parke will deploy his favoured game plan of grinding down his opponents and using the clinch to his benefit. Kotani poses a risk with his BJJ but Parke should pick up the win here.

Prediction: Parke via Decision

 

Fight Pass Prelims

 

Light Heavyweight: Ilir Latifi (8-3, 1-1 UFC) vs Chris Dempsey (10-1, 0-0 UFC)
Prediction: Latifi via Submission

Flyweight: Neil Seery (13-10, 0-1 UFC) vs Phil Harris (22-11, 1-2 UFC)
Prediction: Seery via TKO 

Middleweight: Cathal Pendred (13-2-1, 0-0 UFC) vs Mike King (5-0, 0-0 UFC)
Prediction: Pendred via Decision

Middleweight: Tor Troeng (16-5-1, 1-1 UFC) vs Trevor Smith (11-5, 1-2 UFC)
Prediction: Troeng via Submission

Light Heavyweight: Cody Donovan (8-4, 1-2 UFC) vs Nikita Krylov (16-4, 1-2 UFC)
Prediction: Krylov via TKO

Flyweight: Patrick Holohan (9-0-1, 0-0 UFC) vs Josh Sampo (11-3, 1-1 UFC)
Prediction: Holohan via Submission

Kingdom MMA preview UFC Fight Night 42 - The Main Card

UFC Fight Night 42 Henderson vs Khabilov preview and predictions

by Alex Dillon @_alexdillon_

We look ahead and offer a detailed preview on this weekend’s upcoming UFC Fight Night 42 card taking place at the Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, New Mexico which includes an intriguing main event lightweight clash between Benson Henderson and Rustam Khabilov.

Main card (FS 1 BT Sport 1)

Bantamweights: Erik Perez (14-5, 4-1 UFC) vs Bryan Caraway (18-6, 3-1 UFC)

This bantamweight matchup has all the makings of a good fight on this card. Perez only 24, has won 9 of his last 10 fights with that one loss coming to Takeya Mizugaki last August. He responded well by defeating Edwin Figueroa in his last UFC outing.

Caraway had a similar fate as he also lost to Mizugaki before bouncing back to a win in his last fight over Johnny Bedford. Whilst Caraway has the edge on the ground as a noted submission specialist, Perez has the edge on the feet and also is the younger of the two and more well rounded.

Prediction : Perez    

Lightweights:  Yves Edwards (42-20-1, 10-8 UFC) vs Piotr Hallmann (14-2, 1-1 UFC)

Edwards should be riding a 3 fight losing streak if it wasn’t for Yancy Mederios post fight drug test fail. Having only won 2 out of his last 7, Edwards an MMA veteran of 63 fights, will likely be cut if he loses this one.

Hallmann 1-1 in his UFC career so far was dominated last time out against Al Iaquinta but Edwards isn’t getting younger and tends to fade in later rounds based on his most recent performances which should work in Hallmann’s favour.

Prediction: Hallmann

Lightweights:  Rafael Dos Anjos (20-7, 9-5 UFC) vs Jason High (18-4, 2-2 UFC)

Rafael Dos Anjos was on a roll in the UFC riding a five fight win streak until he came up against lightweight stand out Khabib Nurmagomedov. Overwhelmed when it came down to it but to be honest most lightweights at the moment could suffer the same fate.

High is on a two fight winning streak with notable wins over Anthony Lapsley and James Head. Both fights were in the welterweight division and this will be High’s first fight since his move down to lightweight so it’ll be interesting to see how strength factors into this affair. Regardless of this, Dos Anjos is the better skilled fighter, carrying crisp striking in his arsenal as well as being a BJJ black belt should mean he can deal with High in any area of MMA.

Prediction: Dos Anjos

Flyweights:  John Dodson   (15-6, 4-1 UFC) vs John Moraga (14-2, 3-1) 

A real interesting flyweight matchup serves as the third fight on the main card with Dodson and Moraga squaring off against each other for the second time in their careers. Dodson won the first encounter so Moraga will surely be out to prove a point this time around.

Both fighters have also fought for the flyweight title against champion Demetrius Johnson with Dodson coming the closest to capturing the belt. Dodson is coming off a KO victory over Darrell Montague where as Moraga is coming off a somewhat questionable split decision victory over Dustin Ortiz.

Dodson is the better skilled out of the two and should fancy himself wherever the fight goes and ultimately dispatch Moraga, in my opinion, Dodson is still Johnsons biggest threat in the flyweight division and we should soon see him fighting for the flyweight strap again.

Prediction: Dodson 

(Co- main event)

Lightweights:  Diego Sanchez (24-7, 13-7 UFC) vs Ross Pearson (15-6, 7-3 UFC)

Call this co-main whatever you want... barnburner, slobber knocker, war, one thing’s for sure these two will come to put on a fight. This for me is the leading candidate for fight of the night honours. You often see fighters tweeting about how hard they are training for a fight but all I’ve seen lately is these two both at it. They both seem very up for this fight indeed which promises to be a great scrap.

Sanchez on a two fighting losing streak has been outclassed in his last two outings against Melendez and Jury, blaming food poisoning for his disappointing performance against the latter you have to question whether he has it at the top level anymore. One thing you can count on with Diego is his undeniable heart in any fight, he will look to take Pearson to hell and back if he brings his A game which he should considering its in his hometown.

Before fighting Melvin Guillard in a bout which ended up being ruled a no contest due to an alleged illegal knee from Guillard then pulling out of the rematch due to an injury, Pearson had knocked out his last two opponents in Ryan Couture and George Sotiropoulos and looked to have gain some consistency back in his career.

This is a great matchup for both fighters and gives them the opportunity to push themselves back up the ladder in the lightweight division. If Sanchez can’t get to Pearson and take him down he runs the risk of ultimately, being outboxed by the better more efficient striker. Whatever the outcome, this fight has the potential to steal the show.

Prediction: Pearson 

(Main event)

Lightweights:  Benson Henderson (20-3, 8-1 UFC) vs Rustam Khabilov (17-1, 3-0 UFC)

This lightweight main event could easily turn into a wrestling match rather than an MMA one. Both fighters have proven wrestling pedigree in an MMA cage which poses a lot of questions heading into the fight. Which fighter can take who down first? Which fighter can hold the other down/ get back up?

There’s a possibility that because either fighter knows the other is as good a wrestler as them that they may turn it into a striking affair. However, in my opinion this fight will be decided via wrestling.

Henderson is the former WEC and UFC lightweight champion and has won 9 out of 10 fights when gone the distance which says a lot. Beating Josh Thomson in his last outing, he’s ultimately on a collision course to get another shot at Anthony Pettis lightweight strap, third time lucky maybe, having fallen short the two previous times the foes have met inside a cage.

Khabilov is on a convincing 3-0 streak in the UFC and is part of the so called ‘Russian invasion’ into the organisation which has seen him and fellow lightweight Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov dominate and maul their opponents in impressive fashion. Khabilov made a statement last time out against Jorge Masvidal when he simply ragged him around the octagon on his way to victory.

In Henderson though, he faces a former champion with much more experience, strength and pedigree to his game and quite possibly too big of a step up for him. The way I like to describe Benson Henderson is that he is an amazing fighter but he’s kind of the Junior Dos Santos of the lightweight division, he can keep trying but he’s never going to beat Anthony Pettis in my opinion. However, if you beat him you are probably going to be in line for the title but then again you’re probably not going to beat him.

Prediction: Henderson

Kingdom MMA preview UFC Fight Night 42 - The Prelims

UFC Fight Night 42 Henderson vs Khabilov preview and predictions

by Alex Dillon @_alexdillon_

We look ahead and offer a detailed preview on this weekend’s upcoming UFC Fight Night 42 card taking place at the Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, New Mexico which includes an intriguing main event lightweight clash between Benson Henderson and Rustam Khabilov.

Preliminary card (Fight Pass)

Light Heavyweights:  Patrick Cummins (4-1, 0-1 UFC) vs Roger Narvaez (6-0, 0-0 UFC)

Patrick Cummins burst onto the UFC scene when he was drafted in as replacement for Rashad Evans to face former training partner and UFC Light Heavyweight Olympian Daniel Cormier. Although he got dominated and beat in the first round it wasn’t really ever a fight as Cormier is far superior at this present time.

Cummins with great wrestling credentials himself should be looking to make a statement in this fight against newcomer Narvaez who is undefeated. Both fighters boast good records which should lead to a good scrap. It’s worth noting that Narvaez is known for being a Middleweight and with this contest being at Light Heavyweight may be too much for him.

Prediction: Cummins

Preliminary Card (FS 1, BT Sport 1)

Lightweights:  John Tuck (7-1, 1-1 UFC) vs Jake Lindsey (9-0, 0-0 UFC)

These two lightweights kick off the fox prelims in another intriguing matchup. Tuck looked impressive in his UFC debut but suffered his first loss at the hands of Norman Parke back in Manchester in October.

Newcomer Lindsey will be looking to make a statement in his first outing especially as he is riding a three win KO streak.

Prediction: Lindsey

Flyweights:  Scott Jorgensen (14-9, 3-5 UFC) vs Danny Martinez (16-5, 0-1 UFC)

In my eyes, this fight is make or break for Scott Jorgensen in the UFC, he’s on a 3 fight losing streak. Yes he’s fought solid opponents in his last 3 outings but he’s been in the sport professionally since 2006 and you have to wonder whether or not he has it anymore at the top level. 

His opponent Martinez, is 0-1 in the UFC, courtesy of a loss to Chris Cariaso, although boasting a decent record, Martinez in the past has come unstuck against top level fighters (Benavidez & Hominick) It should be a fun fight all in all.

Prediction: Jorgensen

Welterweights:  Bobby Voelker (24-11, 0-3 UFC)  vs Lance Benoist (6-2, 1-2 UFC)

This welterweight fight in my opinion is ‘loser gets cut’. Both fighters are on losing streaks, Voelker (0-3) and Benoist (0-2). To be fair to Voelker, one of his losses was a replacement fight against welterweight contender Robbie Lawler but he is on a 3 fight skid so this has to be the last chance saloon for him.

Benoist hasn’t fought for nearly two years dating back to September 2012 and this could be problematic for him.

Prediction: Voelker

Bantamweights: Yaotzin Meza (20-9, 1-2 UFC) vs Sergio Pettis (10-1, 1-1 UFC)

This bantamweight fight rounds off the prelims and promises to be an exciting scrap. Sergio Pettis racked up an impressive record and an RFA title before being signed by the UFC, winning his first fight before losing in a FOTN bout to Alex Caceres last time out. Meza has had mixed fortunes in the UFC so far going (1-2) in the promotion.

Pettis has shown he has what it takes to be at the top level and if you’ve ever seen him fight or even spar you know his skill set is of high quality. The main problem with Pettis I believe is that I don’t think he is fighting at his natural weight class at bantamweight, he has had more fights at flyweight and it makes sense for him to go back down there especially when a fighter gets to the big leagues the weight divisions are stacked. Having said that Pettis should have too much for Meza come fight night.

Prediction: Pettis

Pro Picks: UK MMA's Finest Weigh In on Wallhead vs Roberts

Pro Picks: UK MMA's Finest Weigh In on Wallhead vs Roberts

by  Chris Houten - @mrhouts

On Saturday night two of the best Welterweights in the UK will meet in the cage in a bout that will likely determine who is the number one contender in a ridiculously stacked Cage Warriors welterweight division. One, is one of the best welterweights the UK has ever known with over 10 years of professional MMA experience, the other a game newcomer tipped for the top. The two men in question are Jim Wallhead and Danny Roberts, and Saturday night will see both men go toe-to-toe in one of the biggest fights the UK sees this year.

So who wins? We caught up with over 25 of the finest fighters from the UK and Ireland to ask them how they see the big fight going. From Cage Warriors champions, to Bamma stars, to UFC standouts and even a couple of Bellator fighters. We have got their opinions on Wallhead vs Roberts, who wins, how they win, and exactly why you need to watch it.

Brett Johns
Cage Warriors Bantamweight, Former Cage Warriors Champion | Twitter: @36johns
I genuinely dont know how that fight is going to go down, im a big fan of both of these guys! I really like Danny, he's a sound guy and im a big fan of his fighting style, but I think Jimmy has an edge on the experience side of things, fighting for a world title and his time in Bellator. I think this will be an edge in this fight! I dont want to pick a winner but I got Jimmy wallhead by decision! Although im not counting "Hot Chocolate" out - Good luck lads!

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Phil Harris
UFC Flyweight | Twitter: @Philharrismma
I would say Wallhead by decision.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Benny Alloway
Cage Warriors Welterweight, Former UFC Welterweight | Twitter: @bennyblancomma
Tough one to call, it could be fight of the year or it could fizzle out. I'd say Wallhead by decision.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Colin Fletcher
Bamma Lightweight, Former UFC Lightweight | Twitter: @dr_freakshow
Im gonna go Jimmy via 2nd round ground n poudskius maximus

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - TKO / KO RD 2

Jack Mason
Cage Warriors Welterweight | Twitter: @JackStoneMason
This is a great fight, probably one of the biggest domestic fights this year to be honest. I’m a fan of both and they are both great guys but I’m not going to sit on the fence on this one; I think Roberts takes this fight, he’s solid in all areas, his stand up is great, his wrestling is good and his grappling is very underrated. Wallhead is very well rounded too and has big fight experience, I just think the X factor here is Roberts athleticism and will to win. I see Roberts taking this by decision beating Wallhead to the punch standing and taking Wallhead down synching the rounds on the judge’s scorecards.

Prediction: Danny Roberts - Decision

Walter Gahadza
UWC Welterweight Champion | Twitter: @WalterGahadza
This will bee a very good fight. I'll go with Wallhead, experience and versatile style.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - No Method Given

Curt Warburton
Cage Warriors Lightweight, Former Bamma Lightweight Champion | Twitter: @curtwarburton
That's a tough one. Wallhead is one of the best WW in Europe and Roberts has not fought anyone like Wallhead before, but saying that Roberts is growing with each fight and we have not seen the best of his striking just yet.... I Am just concerned the Wallhead fight will come to soon. If Wallhead turns it into a wrestling fight with G&P I see him winning. If not it could go either way.

Prediction: None Given 

Jimi Manuwa
UFC Light-Heavyweight | Twitter: @posterboyjm
Wallhead stoppage

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - TKO or Submission

Rob Sinclair
Bellator Lightweight, Former Bamma Lightweight Champion | Twitter: @robc4sinclair
I think Wallhead will win a decision. I think he will find away to use his experience to nullify Roberts boxing speed. Wallhead, decision win.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Ryan Scope
Bamma & Made 4 the Cage Welterweight | Twitter: @ryanscope1
I've trained with Jimmy a few times so gotta go with him. Roberts is really good but I think Jimmys experience and toughness will win him the fight.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - No Method Given

Lewis Long
Cage Warriors Lightweight | Twitter: @lew_long
It's a fucking cracking fight !! I can see wallhead taking the UD.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Paul Redmond
Cage Warriors Lightweight | Twitter: @RedserMma
Seen Danny's last few fights and he's looked really impressive, his standup is really crisp. As everyone knows Jimmys got some tasty throws and serious submissions. Roberts did well with the last grappler he faced but Jim's on the next level. If he can avoid the takedowns and keep it on the outside with strikes, plus its in his hometown it will defo give him an advantage. I got Roberts by Decision

Prediction: Danny Roberts - Decision

Michael Page
Bellator Welterweight | Twitter: @michaelpage247
Well Jimmy has done his training camp here with me at London Shoot so I’ve seen first hand what he’s going to do to Roberts. He’s going to man handle him plan and simple and if he’s feeling friendly end his night early with a KO

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - TKO / KO

Spencer Hewitt
Cage Warriors Flyweight | Twitter: @hewittmma
Bro, I think its going to be a war. Could go either way as both are top fighters. I can't predict who will win but think its not going 3 rounds.

Prediction: None Given 

Alex Enlund
Cage Warriors Featherweight | Twitter: @alexenlund
I actually don't have a clue,  that' why I am so excited to see it. Both guys could win but I expect it to be a decision.

Prediction: None Given

Shajidul Haque
Cage Warriors Flyweight | Twitter: @supermanshaj
I haven't seen too much either fighter, but from what I have, I think the fight will go the distance, and Roberts will win the decision.

Prediction: Danny Roberts - Decision

Chi Lewis-Perry
ONE FC Heavyweight | Twitter:  @ThebossmanCLP
I like Wallhead for this match up. I like his aggressive one pace style - never afraid to go forward even when hurt, that's tough to deal with. I see his constant pressure going the distance but winning him a unanimous decision.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Benny Carr
Bamma Welterweight | Twitter: @BennyCarrMMA
I predict Wallhead wins via that left hook in 2nd round.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - TKO / KO RD 2

Matt Inman
Cage Warriors Welterweight | Twitter: @mattinman86
I'm siding with the underdog on this one, most people I've talked to about this are saying Jimmy but I think Danny has a really tricky and fast southpaw style and he can grind it out when he needs to, I think he goes in as the hungrier fighter with more to gain, and the home crowd factor shouldn't be underestimated. Very hard fight to call though.

Prediction: Danny Roberts - Decision

Jason Cooledge
Cage Warriors Lightweight | Twitter: @theanimaljac
I think Roberts takes the fight on a close decision, he will stay on the outside and out point to win.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Lee Chadwick
OMMAC & FCC Middleweight Champion | Twitter: @Lee_the_butcher
I think Danny will win via TKO or decision. It'll be a tough fight for both fighters.

Prediction: Danny Roberts - TKO or Decision

Jordan Desborough
Cage Warriors Bantamweight | Twitter: @TeamHandsomeMMA
The match up between Wallhead and Roberts is undoubtedly one if the best domestic MMA fights we will see this year. Roberts is a top Contender in the Cage Warriors welterweight division and in my opinion a future champion. Having said that I think Wallhead's experience and fighting style will be too much of a problem for Roberts at the present time and can see him winning a decision. The experience in big fights could be a deciding factor. Whoever wins on May 3rd will cement their place as the Number one contender to the welterweight title.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Jake Bostwick
Cage Warriors Welterweight | Twitter: @jakebostwick
It's a very tough fight for them both but think Wallhead could grind the fight and take a decision! If it's a striking game then it’s Roberts fight! A very interesting match up

Prediction: None Given

Jason Ball
Cage Warriors Lightweight | Twitter: @Daddycoolmma
Wallhead has the experience, Roberts has the record. I'm going Judo Jimmy by decision.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Neil Seery
UFC Flyweight, Former Cage Warriors Flyweight Champion | Twitter: @NeilSeeryMMA
Think it will be a cracking fight. If Wallhead turns up to fight the way he can its all his

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - No Method Given

Tim Newman
Bamma Lightweight | Twitter: @timnewman9
Wallhead wins! He's too experienced in all areas of the game. He'll get the TKO in RD 3.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - TKO RD 3

Charlie Watts
Cage Warriors Welterweight | Twitter: @watts_charlie
I'm with Danny Roberts

Prediction: Danny Roberts - No Method Given

Thats what the pro's think, let us know who you think will win in the comments section.

Mutual Opponent Joe Orrey Weighs In On Brett Johns vs James Brum

Mutual Opponent Joe Orrey Weighs In On Brett Johns and James Brum
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

On Saturday night at The LC in Swansea, 2 of the best bantamweights in Europe will meet to determine who is next to sit atop of the Cage warriors 135lb division, looking down on would be challengers.

The man holding the belt is 22-year old Brett Johns, a Judo black belt with a perfect 9-0 professional record dating back to 2012 when he made his pro debut after racking up a 5-0 amateur record. A former British champion with Pain Pit, Johns signed for Cage Warriors in 2013 where he took on James MacAlister at Cage Warriors 54 who he defeated via TKO before going on to earn decision victories over David Haggstrom and Jordan Desborough at Cage Warriors 59's 4 man Bantamweight tournament to win the Cage Warriors bantamweight title and earn his place amongst the best in Europe.

His opponent James Brum has been on a tear, rattling off 9 straight victories since 2011 earning a reputation as one of the most dangerous 135lber in Europe. With 8 impressive wins under the Cage Warriors banner Brum has not only earned his shot at the belt, he's earned the right to be considered one of these fighters in Europe.

One man who knows just how good both men are is Welsh Bantamweight Joe Orrey of Tillery Combat who has faced both men inside the cage, and feels both men can expect a tough fight this Saturday:

'I think it's a really tough fight for both guys. There both at the top of the game at the moment and on massive win streaks'

Having fought Brum early in his career at Shock N Awe 5, and Brett Johns at Pain Pit 6 for the British Bantamweight title, it's safe to say Orrey knows better than most what both Brum and Johns do well, and while he knows this is a tough fight for both men, he's confident that one man goes into the bout with the edge:

'For me I got to give the fight to Brett, I just think he's slightly better in all areas.' Said Orrey.

'He's such a hard working lad. Having been lucky enough to train with him after our fight, he's so level headed and grounded for a young lad who's already achieved so much. I'll be be rooting for him on the night to keep the belt in Wales!'

Cage Warriors 67 takes place April 12th at The LC in Swansea, Wales. North American viewer can watch the show live on MMAjunkie beginning at 9 p.m. GMT (4 p.m ET / 1 p.m. PT). Other viewers can catch the event at cagewarriors.tv.

You can follow Joe Orrey on twitter - @joeorrey

UFC Fight Night London Predictions

Kingdom MMA predictions for UFC Fight Night London

by Ben Heather @benheather, Tommy Strong @Strong_tea and Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

This week we will be predicting the fights for UFC Fight Night 38, as the UFC returns to London for its first EMEA show of 2014. For this event we will give a write up for the main card fights card and then we will be picking our winners for the rest of the card. Let us know if you agree with our picks.

Gustafsson vs Manuwa

Jack: Although Gus can handle himself on the feet he has a massive advantage on the ground here. Manuwa is a poor grappler and Gus is excellent. I expect this to go to the ground early and for the frustrations of the Jon Jones loss to be taken out on Manuwa. I don't think this fight will see past he halfway point of round 1.

Prediction: Gustafsson by Submission Round 1

Ben: I was shocked when this fight was announced, I thought Gustafsson should have been matched up with another top ranked fighter such as Phil Davis with Jimi on the main card against a top 10 guy.... just not the number 2 guy.

That being said, Alex has everything to lose in this fight. Jimi will be going in to this fight as a big underdog and it may be the first time that has happened in his career. I would love to see the upset, however we have never seen Jimi tested and he will be on Saturday night. I can't see it happening but I would love it for Jimi and UK MMA as well.

Prediction: Gustafsson by Submission Round 4

Tommy: I still can't figure out why and how Jimi has got this fight except for selling tickets! Jimi hasn't fought anyone on the level of Alexander Gustafsson before, this is a huge step up for him and one I think he's really going to struggle with. With so much on the line for Gustafsson he really has everything to lose and nothing to gain by beating Jimi. Its Manuwa that could be in touching distance of a title fight if he was to pull of a huge upset here.

I expect Gustafsson to play it safe here against a dangerous striker and keep the fight either at length or force Jimi onto the ground for much of the fight.

Prediction: Gustafsson by TKO Round 2.

Johnson vs Guillard

Tommy: With Ross Pearson having to pull out due to an injury, this is a very good replacement in Johnson. Both fighters can blow hot or cold on any given night, so lets hope its piping hot as we could be in for real treat here. With Guillard's knockout power and Johnson's ground game this is a coin toss to predict, I'm still not sure who to pick in this, if I was a betting man I would leave this fight well alone.

Prediction: Johnson by Unanimous Decision

Jack: This fight is as close to a pick em as you'll see. Both extraordinarily talented fighters and both frustratingly inconsistent. If we are to assume both guys turn up on point(which history tells us they won't) then I like Johnson. Tibau and Lauzon are tough tough guys and he handled both with ease. Guillard has lost every significant fight he's been in over the last couple of years only winning 2 of the past 7.

Prediction: Johnson by KO Round 2

Ben: Johnson is on a tear, he has to be in the best form of his career. First he picked apart Joe Lauzon in a fight not many people gave him a chance, then he knocked out Tibau and I think he will do the same this weekend against Guillard. That being said, Guillard has proved that he can finish anyone on a good night but his form is not consistent. I see Johnson keeping his run going and next time out facing off against a top 10 ranked fighter.

Prediction: Johnson by TKO Round 2

Pickett vs Seery

Tommy: Pickett making his flyweight debut was something I was really looking forward to. Though with the withdrawal of Ian McCall I feel a little let down now. A win against a top ranked McCall would really of put Pickett into the top 5 of the flyweight division. The UFC have done a good job in finding a late replacement in Seery but the fight lacks a little something for me.

I think Pickett's experience in the octagon and Seery making his UFC debut this could be a lop sided fight!

Prediction: Pickett by TKO Round 1

Ben: I feel for Pickett in this fight, when I spoke to him just before Christmas he mentioned challenges and pushing towards a title shot. I feel a big win against McCall could have been enough to give him a shot against Mighty Mouse and his case is helped by the fact that he is one of only two men to beat him. However, now he is set to fight Neil Seery there isn't much to gain here for Pickett. It's now a fight that he is expected to win and by winning doesn't get much reward for doing so. He certainly won't be facing the champ next time out.

As for the fight itself I can't see anything else other than a Pickett stoppage victory, I can't decide whether that will be a knockout or submission but it won't be a good night for Seery.

Prediction: Pickett by TKO Round 2

Jack: Styles may clash here, late notice for Seery who no doubt is in shape but wasn't preparing to face Pickett. Pickett was preparing for a different style all together but class should show here.

Prediction: Pickett by Unanimous Decision

Nelson vs Akhmedov

Jack: My sleeper for fight of the night. Really looking forward to this one as soon as it was announced. Akhmedov's debut lasted about 3.5 minutes and he managed to win fight of the night and come from behind to win by KO. The fight despite being so short had everything and it really showed off all the Russians skill set. Nelson has not fought since the last time the Octagon landed in London back in February of 2013. No real explanation of the extended break and that would be of concern for me. Once a real hot prospect in the sport it's difficult to pick him here though.

Prediction: Akhmedov by Decision

Tommy: It will be good to see Gunnar Nelson back inside the octagon after a year out since he last fought in London 2013. Though this could be a real tough test for Nelson. Akhmedov unbeaten in 11 fights, won fight of the night honours in his debut against Thiago Perpetuo in November. Both fighters are very well rounded here with Gunnar having the slight edge on the ground, though if Akmedov can keep it standing he has a very good chance here.

I've made the mistake to many times backing against Russian fighters in the UFC so this time I'm going for the upset here.

Prediction: Akhmedov by TKO Round 2

Ben: Unlike the others I see Gunnar Nelson returning to the Octagon and picking up where he left off last year in London. Yes Akhmedov could be his toughest opponent to date but I feel it will be a submission victory which will come and Nelson will not let it go until he gets the W.

Prediction: Nelson by Submission Round 2.

Predictions for the remainder of the Card

Diabate vs Latifi

Jack: Diabate         Ben: Diabate     Tommy: Diabate

Barnatt vs Nilsson

Jack: Barnatt         Ben: Barnatt       Tommy: Barnatt

Scott vs da Silva

Jack: Scott            Ben: Scott          Tommy: Scott

Grant vs Delorme

Jack: Grant           Ben: Delorme     Tommy: Delorme

Araujo vs Mitchell

Jack: Araujo         Ben: Mitchell      Tommy: Araujo

Harris vs Gaudinot

Jack: Gaudinot      Ben: Gaudinot    Tommy: Gaudinot

UFC 169 predictions

Kingdom MMA predictions for UFC 169

by Ben Heather @benheather and Chris Marzella @ChrisMarzella

For this event we will be predicting the fights for UFC 169 including a write up for the big 3 fights on the card and then picking our winners for the rest of the card. Let us know if you agree with our picks.

Barao vs Faber

Chris: The UFC always tends to really stack this card and I'm glad to see this year is no exception. I was disappointed when Dominick Cruz had to pull out, but it says a lot that there is still a buzz about this card. Faber just may be the most popular UFC fighter to never hold the title and I can't really see that changing come Saturday night. Renan Barao is special. I mean seriously, who goes on a 31 fight winning streak? That is ridiculous.

I'm going to go with a Barao decision in this one.

Ben: I really have been struggling to pick a winner for this fight, my head says Barao but my heart is picking Faber. I would love nothing more than to see Urijah Faber crowned the champ he has been on a tear and beats 99% of the division. I think he knows this is probably his last shot and I think it may well be the time that Team Alpha Male finally have a champion in the team.

I'm not confident at all but will go with Faber by decision.

Aldo vs Lamas

Chris: In the co-main event I can't see past Barao's stablemate. Aldo is quite simply a cut above anyone else at 145lbs. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big Ricardo Lamas fan and his shot has been a long time coming, but I don't see a specific area of his game where I think he's better than Aldo. Aldo is about as devastating a striker as we have in the sport right now and it'll be interesting to see how Lamas copes with that.

My money has to be an Aldo TKO, probably in the second or third round.

Ben: I agree completely with Chris, I like Lamas and love seeing him fight. However, right now there is two divisions within the featherweight division.... Jose Aldo and everyone else. It wouldn't matter to me who Aldo was fighting if its at 145lbs I am backing him. As i predicted at the start of the year, I think Aldo will end the year as the UFC lightweight champion and on Saturday night we will see him defeat Lamas and then vacate his title. As he moves up for the super fight against Anthony Pettis.

It has to be Aldo by TKO Round 2

Mir vs Overeem

Chris: The most intriguing fight on the card for me has to be Frank Mir vs Alistair Overeem. Billed as a looser leaves town match I really think, with a loss here, we may see the last of Mir. Overeem still has a point to prove and just needs the win more. If Josh Barnett can do what he did to Mir with strikes, I fear what Overeem may be able to do.

I predict an Overeem KO.

Ben: Since Overeem has been in the UFC we have not seen him tested on his back, if Mir gets the fight down he will surely have an advantage as he does against most guys in the division but I just don't see the fight getting there. I think like Chris that Overeem is going to come in to this fight so focused and his preperation in Thailand will be put to get use on Saturday night.

Overeem by KO Round 1.

Predictions for the remainder of the Card

Bagautinov vs Lineker

Chris: Bagautinov    Ben: Lineker

Varner vs Trujillo

Chris: Trujillo          Ben: Varner

Makdessi vs Patrick

Chris: Patrick          Ben: Makdessi

Cariaso vs Martinez

Chris: Martinez        Ben: Cariaso

Catone vs Watson

Chris: Watson         Ben: Watson

Iaquinta vs Lee

Chris: Iaquinta         Ben: Iaquinta

Hester vs Enz

Chris: Hester           Ben: Hester

Martin vs Magomedov

Chris: Martin           Ben: Magomedov

Magny vs Umalatov

Chris: Umalatov      Ben: Magny

Video: Don Frye's UFC 169 Predictions

Video: Don Frye's UFC 169 Predictions

2x UFC tournament champion Don Frye weighs in on UFC 169... who you got?

UFC Fight Night 35 Rockhold vs Philippou Predictions

Kingdom MMA: UFC Fight Night 35 Main Card Predictions

by Ben Heather @benheather and Sam Heard @SamHeard_

On Wednesday night the UFC goes back to home soil for the first event in the USA of 2014 and the fans are treated to some great matchmaking in most of the fights on this card. Which will lead to us all being able to watch some high calibre fighting..... even if it is on a school night.

A lot is on the line at the top of the card as well, both Luke Rockhold and Costa Philippou could put themselves in the mix with a win on Wednesday but more importantly a loss for either fighter would severely damage their reputation and chance at ever getting a shot at middleweight gold.

Below you can find the predictions for what some of the guys at Kingdom MMA expect to happen on Wednesday night.

Luke Rockhold (10-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) vs Costas Philippou (12-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) 

Sam: I found the fact that Philippou had been given this main event given how disappointing he was in his last fight where he was dominated by Francis Carmont. Philippou is the sort of fighter who can beat the Jorge Rivera's and Riki Fukuda's of the world but as soon as he moves up the ladder to fighting tougher competition he falls short. Luke Rockhold can certainly be placed in this category of ‘tougher competition’. I fully expect Rockhold to have his way with Philippou here and beat him inside the distance. Rockhold has fought in five round fights multiple times while Philippou has not, Rockhold’s ground game is far better than that of Carmont which was able to stifle Philippou in his last outing and Rockhold has a reach advantage to keep Philippou on the outside on the feet. I think a lot of people overestimate Philippou’s knockout power and I really think Rockhold will be able to showcase his full arsenal of skills here after his disappointing UFC debut against Belfort.

Prediction: Luke Rockhold by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in Round 4

Ben: this is one of the few times a UFC main event is between two fighters coming off a loss, recent events i can remember that also both came in off a loss were Diaz vs Maynard and Shogun vs Sonnen in August. That being said I only see one winner in this fight. 

I feel Costa Philippou may be one of the more over rated fighters on the books of the UFC and a loss against Rockhold will take him back to fighting the calibre of fighters I feel he should be fighting. 

Luke Rockhold has fought the better opponents and has experience of fighting and winning 5 round battles beating top fighter Jacare and Tim Kennedy back in Strikeforce. I believe on Wednesday night we will see the Rockhold the fans enjoyed watching fight in Strikeforce and he will become the first man to finish Philippou.

Prediction: Rockhold by Submission Round 3

Lorenz Larkin (14-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) vs Brad Tavares (11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) 

Sam: Larkin looked very impressive in his last fight and I fully expect him to get the win here. His high-level striking should be more than enough to chip away at Brad Tavares to get the decision win, though I don’t think he is a natural finisher. Tavares will be looking to get takedowns early in the round and neutralise Larkin’s striking by keeping him there. The issue with this is that Larkin has very good takedown defence. I don’t expect this fight to be hugely competitive and I can’t see Tavares troubling Larkin.

Prediction: Lorenz Larkin by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Ben: This is my big underdog pick. Tavares has been on a roll of late picking up four wins on the roll and now is stepping up the level of opponent. Last time out he continued his decision win streak making that four in a row as he beat Bubba McDaniel without doing too much or being tested himself. It ended up being a bit of a give me fight and this time out he really will be tested.

Larkin comes in to this fight having fought a far greater calibre of fighters and this may well be the difference in this fight. If he can use that experience he may well be able to nullify the game plan of Tavares.

I still believe Larkin should have a perfect record and the judges scored his fight wrongly against Carmont but I don't think it will be his night on Wednesday.

Prediction: Brad Tavares by Split Decision

T.J. Dillashaw (8-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) vs Mike Easton (13-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) 

Sam: A clash of two of the UFC’s rising Bantamweights who have recently hit ruts in their career. While I think both these fighters are promising, Mike Easton can sometimes be worryingly inactive which is a problem against someone like Dillashaw who likes to push the pace. This has resulted in Easton losing his last two fights by decision. I don’t expect him to break this losing streak on Wednesday. Dillashaw is a high-tempo fighter and – like the whole of Team Alpha Male – is bound to have benefited with more time training under Ludwig.

Prediction: T.J Dillashaw by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Ben: I think TJ is a great fighter and he will be looking to bounce back from a very close loss to Asscuncao in Brazil towards the end of last year. TJ has the makings of a potential future champ at 135lbs and with the backing of Team Alpha Male he could go all the way.

Mike Easton is a fun fighter and always comes to put on a show for the fans and I think this fight with TJ will allow him the opportunity and the opponent to do that with. I just feel that as the younger fighter TJ will be able to get the better of these exchanges.

Prediction: T.J Dillashaw by Unanimous Decision

Yoel Romero Palacio (6-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) vs Derek Brunson (11-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) 

Sam: This is an awful match up for Brunson. Though he won his last fight on the feet, Brunson is normally a wrestler who tends to smother his opponents; he is very unlikely to be able to beat the Olympic wrestler at his own game. I also think Romero has a big advantage on the feet where he is stronger, faster, more creative and generally much more athletic than the somewhat sluggish Brunson. I think Romero should have little trouble continuing his record of TKO wins in this fight.

Prediction: Yoel Romero by TKO (strikes) Round 2.

Ben: Romero is an absolute wrecking machines 6 wins, 6 knockouts!! Unfortunately for Brunson I don't see his win/ KO ratio changing as he makes it 7-7 on Wednesday night.

Prediction: Yoel Romero by KO Round 1

John Moraga (13-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs Dustin Ortiz (12-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) 

Sam: In what is in my opinion likely to be the FOTN, two extremely exciting flyweight prospects meet. Though bookies have Moraga down as a reasonable sized favourite I believe this fight could be a lot closer than what we might think. Ortiz looked very impressive in his UFC debut, however Moraga is a big step up in competition for him. Clearly Moraga was not ready for his title shot as he came up short against Demetrius, though credit has to be given to him for surviving till the 5th round. I think he will look to avoid Ortiz’ power shots by taking him down and looking for the submission but will ultimately win a competitive decision.

Prediction: John Moraga by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Ben: I see Moraga using his skills which earned him a title shot to win this fight. He has proved in his three fights in the UFC that he can finish fights with wins by KO and submission in the UFC. He also lasted nearly the full 5 rounds against Demetrious Johnson, although it wasn't close for most of the fight. I think in this fight we will see Moraga return to showcase why he got that shot.

Ortiz like Moraga made a big impact on his UFC debut winning by KO, beating Jose Maria Tome. I think though that the step up between Tome and Moraga may be too much although I think it certainly has the ability to be a fun fight for the fans between two flyweights who have knockout power. It's not everyday you hear that about a flyweight bout.

Prediction: John Moraga by Unanimous Decision

Sam Sicilia (12-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) vs Cole Miller (20-8 MMA, 9-6 UFC)

Sam: For some reason there is an awful lot of hype around Miller at the moment leading to him being the bookies favourite but I must say my lean is Sicilia here. Not only does Sam in my opinion have the better wrestling but he certainly has a huge advantage in hitting power. Historically when Miller has faced heavy handed guys he gets tagged early and – while not being finished – fights too tentatively for the remaining rounds. As long as Sicilia can deal with Miller’s sizeable reach advantage and if he does go for a takedown remains wary of Miller’s superior submission game I believe he’ll get the win here.

Prediction: Sam Sicilia by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Ben: If Sam can get inside the big reach advantage that Miller will have then he will be able to get off a few clean shots in the first round. Once he has felt the power of Sicilia he won't want to be involved in that again and back up which is where the wrestling advantage of Sicilia will come in to play as he gets the fight to the ground keeping Miller there while controlling top position with ground and pound to bring home a unanimous decision victory.

The only way I see Cole Miller winning this fight is if he manages to get the fight on the ground and repeat what he did to Andy Ogle where he didn't do much but enough to keep the fight on the floor for two rounds. I just don't see this happening.

Prediction: Sam Sicilia by Unanimous Decision

30 Bold Predictions for 2014

30 Bold Predictions for 2014
by Chris Houten @mrhouts

What we know so far about MMA in 2014: The UFC will stage the most shows they have ever in a calendar year, some notable UFC champions will be out injured in 2014, and Cage Warriors will continue their global expansion.... and thats about it.

We are in for a rough and ready ride in 2014, with some twist and turns along they way. Call them brave, call them bold, or call them just plain stupid, but here is my bold predictions for 2014 in no particular order.

1. The UFC will finally sign Mamed Kalidov in 2014, he will likely headline the promotions visit to Poland 
2. 2 UFC champions will lose their belts in 2014 - Chris Weidman and Anthony Pettis 
3. Nick Diaz will return to MMA in 2014
4. One of the Diaz brothers will fight for a UFC title in 2014 
5. Conor McGregor remains undefeated in the UFC in 2014, books a number 1 contender fight before the end of the year 
6. Mark Hunt and Roy Nelson fight each other putting on a fight of the year candidate 
7. At least 3 of the current Cage Warriors champions fight in the UFC in 2014 
8. Cathal Pendred wins TUF 19 
9. Rosi Sexton will sign with Invicta
10. Brad Pickett fights for the flyweight title in 2014 
11. Joanne Calderwood will KO ever opponent she faces in the TUF 20 house until she face Carla Esparza who out wrestlers her on route to winning the strawweight title 
12. Cain Velasquez doesn't fight in 2014 due to injury 
13. Paul Daley signs for Glory World Series before the end if the year taking a hiatus from MMA 
14. Chael Sonnen retires 
15. As do Dan Henderson and Frank Mir who both lose their next fights 
16. Holly Holm signs for the UFC; loses number 1 contender bout to Alexis Davis by submission 
17. Arnold Allen wins The CW featherweight title vacated by Jim Alers who joins the UFC 
18. Jose Aldo moves to lightweight before the year is out 
19. Jim Wallhead wins the Bamma Welterweight title 
20. Pat Barry returns to kickboxing after dropping to Light-heavyweight; Pat is knocked out in the first round of his 205 debut 
21. A minimum of 5 British fighters will be cut for the UFC in 2014 
22. James Brum will sign for the UFC in 2014 
23. The UFCs planned trip to Istanbul will not take place
24. Nick Newell wins the WSOF lightweight title in 2014
25. Norman Parke remains undefeated in the UFC in 2014, moves into the Top 10 in the Lightweight rankings
26. Johny Hendrick with beat Robbie Lawler to become the UFCs new Welterweight champion; he loses the title to Carlos Condit before the end of the year
27. Rampage Jackson will fight for the Bellator Light-Heavyweight title in 2014
28. Michael Bisping finally gets a shot the Middleweight title
29. Invicta gets TV deal in 2014
30. Lyoto Machida becomes only the 3rd man to become a 2 weight champion in the UFC

Agree? Let me know in the comments section below what you like, don't like, or what you think is just plain crazy!

UFC 168 Predictions

UFC 168 Predictions
by Ben Heather @benheather and Tommy Strong @Strong_tea

The UFC is back this weekend, and back in a big way with one of the best cards to take place this year. UFC 168 is sure to send the UFC off in to 2014 in a big way.

For the first time in a long time this weekends UFC event will potentially see two UFC titles change hands with both the middleweight title and the women's bantamweight title on the line. It is also the event which may settle two rivalries as Chris Weidman takes on Anderson Silva in what has to be the most anticipated rematch in UFC history. Also the true grudge match will take place as Ronda Rousey gets back in to the cage to face Miesha Tate and this time its in the octagon. If these fights live up to the hype and so do the remaining fights on the card it could easily be the best event of the year, if not all time.

Kingdom MMA will give you their predictions for the event which is sure to be a cracker!

Chris Weidman vs Anderson Silva

Strong: The fight everyone has been waiting for is finally upon us. Did Silva take Weidman serious previously? I don't think he did. Though he will have tool this time. Silva won't make the same mistake twice and I see Silva putting right when he done wrong in the first fight.

I don't see lightening striking twice!

Prediction: Anderson Silva - TKO RD 2

Heather: I have been waiting for this fight since Anderson Silva was knocked out in the last fight, the reason for that is simple.... Chris Weidman needs to win this fight to finally get some respect. I feel he has not got the respect he deserved for knocking out Anderson Silva and why.... that's simple because Anderson Silva did what Anderson Silva does in every fight the only difference was this time he got caught instead of looking flash.

It was only a matter of time with Anderson fighting the way he does before he got caught and finally Weidman did it.

I also feel that he will do the same again on Saturday night and then he will finally get some respect for the accomplishment which he has achieved. People keep saying how Anderson will be focused for this fight more than the first and will get the win, but I think that's complete rubbish. There is one man who will want to get the win more than anything on Saturday night and that man is Chris Weidman, he has everything to lose and if he does lose will probably not be getting another title shot for a while.

If Anderson changes anything then i believe it will be to Weidmans advantage. He has always thought the same way and so any changes to the way he fights may work against him.

Prediction: Chris Weidman - TKO RD 4


Ronda Rousey vs Miesha Tate

Strong: This is a real grudge match, with both fighters who truly have a dislike for each other. Though since their first fight in 2012 I feel Ronda is the fighter who's progressed, and Miesha has stood still or even took a step backwards.

Its going to take a special fighter to beat Ronda and feel Miesha's chance has passed. I would love to see Miesha win the title from her fierce enemy, though unless she can keep the fight standing for 3 rounds I don't see her winning.

Prediction: Ronda Rousey - Submission Rd 3

Heather: For me this is very simple... Ronda beats anyone at 135lbs and Tate only has this fight as it is good for business. She is coming in to fight the champ off a loss and nobody seems to be saying anything about it. Yet when other people get title shots when they are not the clear contender everyone bitches about the decision.

I will be surprised if it makes it past the first round and Miesha still has her arm!!

Prediction: Ronda Rousey - Armbar Rd 1


Josh Barnett vs Travis Browne

Strong: I love nothing better than a good heavyweight match up, and this is what we have right here. Both very powerful men who will look to put on an impressive performance to put themselves into the window of title contention.

Barnett will be keen to get Browne to the mat where he can do all the damage, where as Browne will do his utmost to keep the fight standing to put the advantage firmly in his favour.

Prediction: Travis Browne - TKO Rd 1

Heather: This fight has had me going back and forth in my head and to honest I am still not sure how it will pan out. I do believe these guys are right up the top of the division and a win could put them in a potential number 1 contender fight with Werdum if Cain is sidelined for a while.

As Tommy said, I also believe Browne will have the advantage standing up and he has only lost to Bigfoot Silva in a fight he looked great in until he got injured. I think if he did not get injured during the fight, that fight would have been very different. However, Barnett certainly will have the advantage on the ground.

Even as I am writing this I still don't know how it is going to go but it is certainly a fight I am looking forward to watching. I'm gonna take on punt on Browne and say he gets the W on Saturday night.

Prediction: Travis Browne - TKO Rd 3


Jim Miller vs Fabricio Camoes

Strong: Miller will be eager to get back to winning way after his loss to Healy (though later overturned to NC due to Healy's failed drugs test) I think in Camoes he has the perfect opportunity. Camoes is coming into the fight of the back of a defeat to Melvin Gulliard which is no shame, though anything he throws at Miller I can see him dealing with.

Prediction: Jim Miller - Unanimous Decision

Heather: I will not waste too much of your time in the write up for my pick for this fight. Jim Miller has a far greater set of skills to lose this fight. I am unsure of the match making behind this fight.... however a loss for Miller would be very bad for any potential future title shot he still dreams about.

Prediction: Jim Miller - Unanimous Decision


Dustin Poirier vs Diego Brandao

Strong: This is one of the fights I'm looking forward to most. It has fight of the night written all over it! Poirier will be full of confidence of the back of beating Erik Koch in August. But he will be up against it when facing former TUF 14 winner Diego Brandao.

Brandao has a wild style of fighting that will lend itself to Dustin's striking. Though, if Brandao manages to land one of his wild attacks on Poirier we should be in for a real treat of a fight.

Piorier has fought some of the best fighters within the division, Brandao hasn't fought anyone to the level of Poirier, I feel this might be the key!

Prediction: Dustin Poirier - Unanimous Decision 

Heather: Firstly Dustin Poirier is one of my favourite fighters to watch, he always comes to fight and always turns up. That being said I can guarantee to you right now that two things will happen on Saturday night.

1) Diego Brandao will come out quickly with some big shots in the first round
2) Diego Brandao will then gas..... badly!!

What happens next I believe Dustin will take care of business and weather the early onslaught before finishing a gassed Brandao in the third round and probably by pulling off another highlight reel submission.

Prediction: Dustin Poirier - Submission RD 3

Please let us know what your predictions are for this event and if you agree with both of ours.

UFC 167 Pro Picks: Twitter Weighs In

UFC 167 Pro Picks: Twitter Weighs In
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Everyone from fans to fighter are buzzing for tonight's 20 year anniversary UFC show - UFC 167, and there seems to be a mixed bag of predictions coming out from MMA's elite - GSP or Hendricks, Sonnen or Evans - who you got?

The pros take to twitter and weigh in:

Really looking forward to the fights today.Im going with gsp, sonnen, lawler, koscheck, cerrone. Who you got?
— dean amasinger (@deanamasinger) November 16, 2013

Got my coffee on the ready for tonight. Staying up to watch UFC 167! My picks - GSP, Sonnen, McDonald, Koscheck and Cerrone.
— Brendan Loughnane (@Brendan264) November 16, 2013

My #UFC167 picks: Hendricks (but don't count GSP out), Sonnen, Lawler(I hope), Woodley, Elliott, Cerrone, Leites, Ebersole, Perez.
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) November 16, 2013

Going to try pull an all nighter to watch the fights!! Who u got winning? My picks Kos,McDonald,Sugar,GSP
— Ross Pearson (@RossTheRealDeal) November 16, 2013

@DanHazlehurst GSP, lawyer , rashad
— curt warburton (@curtwarburton) November 16, 2013

Gsp has gota stay away from JH and try control him for 25mins, JH has 25mind to land one punch, I'm goin Hendricks
— Brett Bassett (@Brettbass_MMA) November 16, 2013

@fraz1001 chael and gsp
— Robert Whiteford (@Flyinjudoka) November 16, 2013

@JamesH3aton I think GSP mate
— Davey Grant (@DaveyGrantMMA) November 16, 2013

@CarolinePearce @GeorgesStPierre @JohnyHendricks @ufc @btsport @btsportufc I can't see Gsp getting beat but Hendricks is his biggest threat
— STORMIN NORMAN PARKE (@norman_parke) November 16, 2013

@Mmanarchy GSP, Lawler, Woodley, Evans are my picks mate, not necessarily who I want to win but who I think will.
— Jack Mason (@JackStoneMason) November 16, 2013

@RichieKinsella Big Rig Hendricks - sonnen - and Robbie Lawler :-D why not ha
— Paul Redmond (@RedserMma) November 16, 2013

Think Gsp tonight, (peds will b the diff) wants sonnen but going Evans, McDonald and kos
— rob sinclair (@robc4sinclair) November 16, 2013

“@Garyhop: @bisping who's going to win Hendricks or GSP? #votebisping”Hendricks
— michael (@bisping) November 16, 2013

"@CaptainPlanck: @KelvinGastelum who do you have for this fight? I'm guessing you have sonnen but for the GSP fight"GSP
— Kelvin Gastelum (@KelvinGastelum) November 16, 2013

@TheMMaRanter GSP ,Evans,MacDonald,Woodley,Elliott.

— Mauro Ranallo (@mauroranallo) November 16, 2013

UFC 167 Predictions

UFC 167 Predictions

The UFC is back, and back in a big way with UFC 167 marking the companies 20th anniversary.

For the 3 time in 2 weeks the UFC will be back on your TVs on Saturday night with the biggest fight of them all, an intrigueing welterweight match up between one of the most dominate champs in UFC history in George St. Pierre, and NCAA champion and hardest hitting man in The UFC Johnny Hendricks.

Kingdom MMA writer Jack Broadey (Twitter @j3cK_b) and Tommy Strong (Twitter @strong_tea) give you their predictions for the event which is sure to be a cracker!

George St. Pierre vs Johny Hendricks
Strong: Finally a fight for GSP that puts him in real danger of losing his title he's clung onto for so long. GSP will no doubt try and get the fight to the floor for as much as the fight as possible trying to avoid Hendricks punching power. Though can GSP get Hendricks to the ground?

The odds certainly favour GSP but Im backing Hendricks to land at some point in the fight to end GSP title rein and become the 'new welterweight' champion! .

Prediction: Johnny Hendricks - TKO RD 2

Broadey: I love this fight, Johny Hendricks is easily the biggest threat to GSP's title reign especially with St Pierre having spent so long sidelined in the last couple of years.

Hendricks matches up very well with GSP and I have liked his chances here for a long time. Hendricks has huge power in his left hand and very good wrestling that's well adapted to MMA. GSP is GSP though, you can never count him out. He will have the gas tank to go the championship rounds and if it goes that far he could well take over and win a decision.

That's not to say I don't see Hendricks winning a decision. He showed against Condit he can fight smart when it matters. Getting the round stealing takedowns etc. At this point if anyone is going to beat GSP it's Hendricks, perfect style to beat him, experienced with the youth factor still and maybe catching GSP in the twilight of his career.


Prediction: Johny Hendricks - TKO RD 3

Rashad Evans vs Chael Sonnen
Strong: Sonnen has everything to do here to beat Rashad. He's met his match in the wrestling department and won't be able to take him down at will and sit on him for 3 rounds. If thats the case Rashad is the much better striker who carries power , something Sonnen doesn't. Rashad will be to quick, too strong and athletic for Sonnen.

Prediction: Rashad Evans - Unanimous Decision

Broadey: It's been well documented how evenly matched these 2 guys are. I see Evans having the edge on the feet, he likes to use feints and pushes his jab out but Sonnen doesn't let you settle for a minute and is in your face pushing the pace constantly. Sonnen will look for the takedown and it will be interesting who has the edge here.

In a fight so close I'd be looking to take on the favourite and I think Sonnen offers enough value for a play here. Him pushing the pace will be key to him picking up a decision win.

Prediction: Chael Sonnen - Unanimous Decision

Rory MacDonald vs Robbie Lawler
Strong: A win for either men will put them in prime position to fight the winner of GSP vs Hendricks.

Robbie Lawler has looked a different fighter since dropping down to welterweight again. Knocking out Koscheck and Bobby Voelker in his last 2 fights he will be coming in with lots of confidence. MacDonald is a massive set up for him Though.

In my opinion MacDonald will win this fight then go on to win the welterweight title within a year and I predict him to hold onto it just like GSP has. Lawler does have a punchers chance and a very good one at that, though landing it before being taken down might be the obstacle.

Prediction: Rory MacDonald - Submission RD 2

Broadey: Lawler has a punchers chance but that's all I would give him here. If anyone but GSP was champ we would be talking about an impressive win for MacDonald being enough to earn a title shot. But where does his motivation lie?

If MacDonald wins he's clearly the number 1 contender but won't get a title shot. He needs to figure that out later and get the win 1st. If he remotely looks like getting in trouble on the feet he won't have any trouble taking Lawler down.

Prediction: Rory MacDonald - Unanimous Decision

Josh Koscheck vs Tyron Woodley
Strong: Tyron Woodley will be eager to get back to winning way after suffering a loss last time out to Jake Shields, a fight that what won't be remembered for anything other than a stinker of a fight!! I just hope this doesn't go the same way as it could be a fun fight.

Koscheck even at 35 will give anyone a fight. Though he is coming off a knockout loss to Robbie lLawler, many thought the fight before he was unlucky not to get the win over Johny Hendricks, losing via split decision.

I'm Struggling to pick a winner, though I'm going to predict we might be in a for a bore fest here! (flips the coin)

Prediction: Tyron Woodley - Unanimous Decision

Broadey: This is a hard fight to call, it's difficult to look good against Koscheck. He's looked really poor lately and I would question his motivation at this point. However Woodley has hardly been tearing up trees himself after a strangely tentative performance against Jake Shields.

I think Koscheck might be done, if his motivation isn't there I see him being clipped and stopped again. Woodley has to pull the trigger and go after him.

Prediction: Tyron Woodley - TKO RD 3

Tim Elliot vs Ali Bagautinov
Strong: Nothing like a good flyweight fight to kick off the main event!

Elliot is coming off a very good win over Louis Gaudinot and will be looking to put himself in title contention with a win over Bagautinov in what many believe is the weakest division within the UFC.

Elliot will have his work cut out though fighting the heavy handed Russian Bagautinov who is on a 9 fight winning streak, and has finished his last 3 opponents via knockout.

If Elliot employs the right game plan, I think the fight should go his way, though when you have genuine knock out power of Bagautinov you always have a chance.

Prediction: Tim Elliot - Unanimous Decision 

Broadey: I feel this fight will mostly take place on the feet,  and if it plays out that way Bagautinov should have the edge. His striking is on a different level and he should have the know how to stay off his back. Elliot is well rounded fighter and will have his moments but will be worn down late on.

Prediction: Ali Bagautinov - TKO RD 2

UFC Fight Night 32: Belfort vs Henderson Predictions

UFC Fight Night 32: Belfort vs Henderson Predictions

With Tim Kennedy's knock out, Alexis Davis' masterclass, and James Krause nether region (take that how you will) still fresh in our mind, The UFC is back already, and this time from Goiania, Brazil with UFC Fight Night 32: Belfort vs Henderson.

Kingdom MMA writer Jack Broadey (Twitter @j3cK_b) and Tommy Strong (Twitter @strong_tea) give you their predictions for the event which is sure to be a cracker!

Vitor Belfort vs Dan Henderson:
Strong: A fight between 2 of my least favourite fighters in the UFC. Not because of their fighting style, but because they both use TRT, but thats for another discussion.

I'm still trying to work out why this fight is happening? Belfort coming into the fight with stunning wins over Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold at Middleweight, I'm struggling to see why he would move up in weight to take on someone very dangerous like Henderson.

Henderson though is in the twilight of his career, now 43 and coming off 2 very close losses to Machida and Rashad Evans, a loss here would surely see the end of his UFC career.

Im torn between who to pick. Can Vitor knock Hendo out? I don't think so. Can Vitor have the cardio for 5 rounds? I don't think so... 

Prediction: Vitor Belfort - Submission RD 3

Broadey: All I'm seeing is people not only completely write Dan Henderson off but totally underestimate him too. Belfort has looked amazing lately finishing fights with one shot or the infamous "Belfort Blitz." Henderson just doesn't get knocked out, by anybody. If we see a KO in this fight I feel it's likely to come from Hendo's right hand as Belfort rushes in. Neither man is renowned for there gas tank but Hendo also has a huge advantage there should the fight go deep. Belfort may well submit Henderson if this turns into a wrestling match.

Prediction: Dan Henderson - Unanimous Decision

Cezar Ferreira vs Daniel Sarafian:
Strong: Really looking forward to this fight. Both were scheduled to meet in the Brazil TUF final before Sarafian had to pull out due to an injury. Ferreira went onto beat the replacement and the man Sarafian beat in the semi finals Sergio Moraes via unanimous decision and win the TUF Middleweight tournament.

I think size might be the difference here, I really like Sarafian and wouldn't be surprised to see him win, though I have to go with Cezar Ferreira.

Prediction: Cezar Ferreira - Unanimous Decision

Broadey: We finally get to see the TUF Brazil finale. Safarian hasn't impressed me at all so far whilst the injury hit Ferreira has looked mightily impressive in his limited appearances so far. Cesar has way to much power in his hands for Safarian and he will stand and trade.

Prediction: Cezar Ferreira - TKO RD 2

Rafael Cavalcante vs Igor Pokrajac:
Strong: All of Rafael 11 wins have come via KO and his losses come to think of that, though Igor just isn't in the same league for me, having lost his last 3 fights I only see one winner here!

Prediction: Rafael Cavalcante - KO RD1 (Banker of the Night)

Broadey: Pokrajak has no business at all being on a main card never mind the 3rd main fight. He's lost 3 in a row and that should have been 4. He's tough and doesn't often get beatdown but he doesn't impose himself in fights. Cavalcante is very much hit and miss himself. Losing 2 of his last 4 with a win being chalked off after a drugs ban. He has motivational issues which makes him kind of hard to predict. If he turns up in the right frame of mind he should win this fight.

Prediction: Rafael Cavalcante - Unanimous Decision 

Paulo Thiago vs Brandon Thatch
Strong: This welterweight fight really has me interested, merely to see Brandon Thatch back in action again! His stunning debut knocking out Justin Edwards inside the 1st round was very impressive! Having won 10 fights inside the first round via KO or submission (1 loss) he may have to wait a little longer to get the job done on Thiago.

Thiago isn't the force he once was, though will be a good test for Thatch to see where he is in the division. Thiago doesn't possess the striking ability of Thatch or knock out power so will have to try and work some magic on the mat.

Prediction: Brandon Thatch - TKO RD 2

Broadey: This is a very fun fight. Thatch entered the UFC with a ton of hype and duly delivered and outstanding KO on debut. Thiago has been there and done it all, he's a whole different league to the competition Thatch has so far faced. Thiago generally only loses to the top guys in the division. Thatch will put himself in that mix after he knocks Thiago out.

Prediction: Brandon Thatch - TKO RD 1

Santiago Ponzinibbio vs Ryan LeFlare
Strong: Not going to lie here, I don't know much about Santiago if anything at all, but I know how good LeFlare is at grappling, takedowns and top position! I always back a man who can control a fight on the floor over a striker.

Prediction: LeFlare - TKO RD 2

Broadey: I don't know much Ponzinibbio other than he beat some descent competition on the way to the final of Tuf Brazil 2 including the eventual winner Santos before having to pull out due to injury. LaFlare is a huge Welterweight but very inexperienced. That could be a factor fighting in Brazil against a huge crowd favourite here. Benny Alloway took him the distance in a close fight so I won't expect fireworks here.

Prediction: Ponzinibbio - Unanimous Decision

Rony Jason vs Jeremy Stephens:
Strong: Not normally I like to pick the favourites for each fight, though I'm struggling to pick against Rony Jason here. Jeremy Stephens made his featherweight debut in May this year where he defeated Estevan Payan in dominating fashion via UD. But can he raise his game even further?

Rony Jason is a joy to watch at times , if he can get Stephens to the ground I fancy him pulling off a submission win. Though is the fight stays on the feet this could a very bad night for Rony.

Prediction: Jeremy Stephens - Unanimous Decision (Although not really comfortable about this pick)

Broadey: Jeremy Stephens although predominantly a striker is good everywhere but Jason is excellent everywhere - his one isn't close.

Prediction: Rony Jason - Submission RD 1