Fighter vs Writer - UFC Fight Night London: Calderwood vs Heard - THE REMATCH

Fighter vs Writer: JoJo Calderwood - UFC Fight Night London
by Ben Heather @benheather

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.

For this feature we challenge some of the biggest names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged the likes of Dustin Poirier, Luke Barnatt, Jim Alers, Mike Wilkinson, Phil Harris, Cathal Pendred and Michael Wootten.

This weeks opponent comes in to the battle having already defeated our writer Sam Heard and will be looking to prove once again she is as good at her predictions as she is in the cage. At 8-0 she is one of the favourites to win the soon to be recorded UFC The Ultimate Fighter 20, the first season to be full of women and all of them will fight for the inaugeral UFC 115lb womens belt. She is of course Jojo Calderwood and this weekend our writer Sam Heard will be looking for revenge.

The Scoring
If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

The Predictions

Alexander Gustafsson vs Jimi Manuwa

Calderwood: Man it gets tougher and I hate picking against some awesome fighters.

I said at last night q&a gustafsson will win in the third so I better stick to my guns.

Prediction:  Alexander Gustafsson - Submission Round 3

Heard: As a Croydon native it pains me to pick against one of my own but I think Gustafsson brings too much to the table for Jimi. Though the unbeaten prospect has seen off all his opponents in highly convincing fashion, Manuwa has never fought anyone close to the Swede’s calibre and I believe this step-up in competition will prove too great. It’s important to note also that though Manuwa is billed as the prospect, the 34-year old is getting on in MMA terms and is 7-years the senior of Alexander.

I personally would’ve preferred to see Jimi fight a fringe top-10 Light Heavyweight next rather than the guy who arguably beat Jon Jones in his last Octagon outing. The man who has never been past the second round will more than likely find himself in very deep water in a five-rounder against the aspiring 205-lbs champ.

Prediction: Alexander Gustafsson - TKO (punches) Round 4

Melvin Guillard vs Michael Johnson

Calderwood: Melvin by second round knockout, just on his explosiveness and experience.

Prediction: Melvin Guillard - KO Round 2

Heard: Though it was disappointing news to hear of Ross Pearson’s injury, I’m probably more excited to see this fight between two excellent 155-lbs strikers as I feel like we already knew Guillard had Pearson’s number.

Johnson’s so-so record has stopped me picking him in the past but after his last two performances against  top-notch opponents it’s a tall order to not hop on the Johnson hype train. I expect the huge improvements he’s made since training with the Blackzilians to come into play here, allowing him to most likely counter punch his way to victory against the explosively powerful yet inconsistent Guillard. Both men have reasonably solid chins so I expect Johnson to pick up a close, highly compelling decision.

Prediction: Michael Johnson - Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Brad Pickett vs Neil Seery

Calderwood: I'm hoping for an upset as I've been around Neil and his camp, tough tough debut though and it would be a Rocky story if he pulls it off.

Prediction: Neil Seery - TKO Round 2

Heard: While I can’t really be disappointed about the replacement Co-Main event I am certainly a bit upset with this one.

Once one of the most highly anticipated fights on the card featuring a floundering Ian McCall looking to rebound against Brad Pickett, we now see a mismatch with Brad making his Flyweight debut against a UFC debutant. I don’t expect this one to be very competitive at all. For me, it’s just a question of whether Pickett outright KOs him or rocks him on the feet before sinking in a choke.

Prediction: Brad Pickett - TKO (punches) Round 2

Gunnar Nelson vs Omari Akhmedov

Calderwood: Probably the one I'm most looking forward to, Nelson has great movement and I think the ground work in this fight will be a great watch for the fans.

Prediction: Gunnar Nelson - Submission Round 2

Heard: Another close matchup which could feasibly go either way. Nelson will likely try to get the fight to the floor where he will be able to work his terrific ground game but I feel like he might have a difficult time doing so against Akmedov’s sambo experience.

The Russian’s have been causing waves in the UFC and I think if he can keep it standing Akhmedov’s heavy hands will allow him to continue this Russian domination.

Prediction: Omari Akhmedov - KO (punch) Round 3

Cyrille Diabate vs Ilir Latifi

Calderwood: I think Latifi will wrestle his way to a decision here.

Prediction: Ilir Latifi - Decision

Heard: In this intriguing clash of a tall, rangy Light Heavyweight against a short, compact one, I expect Ilir Latifi to get the win. Though the bookies have the two at near level odds, I believe the Swede has some key advantages in this matchup. Diabate has easily fought the tougher competition but he has been around the block a bit, nearing his 41st birthday. Latifi is a decade younger and I believe his power will allow him to grind out a decision.

Prediction: Ilir Latifi - Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Luke Barnatt vs Mats Nilsson

Calderwood: I think Luke will use his reach and strike to victory, potentially even the KO of the night.

Prediction: Luke Barnatt - KO Round 2

Heard: The card’s other clash of a Brit and a Swede and this time I can say that I comfortably expect the Englishman to be victorious. Though Nilsson has shown himself to be a force to be reckoned with at Cage Warriors, it’s very hard to pick against Luke after that amazing UFC fight in Manchester.

Prediction: Luke Barnatt - TKO (punches) Round 2

Brad Scott vs Claudio Henrique da Silva

Calderwood: Brad will be better than Claudio in all areas in this fight.

Prediction: Brad Scott - Decision

Heard: I believe Brad is a criminally underrated fighter and his experience against superior opponents and the fact that this is now his third UFC fight will get him the win over the London-based Brazilian. Silva hasn’t been finished before however and his only loss came by DQ so it should be a competitive decision victory for Brad.

Prediction: Brad Scott by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Davey Grant vs Roland Delorme

Calderwood: I really like watching Davey Grant on TUF and he will win this fight.

Prediction: Davey Grant - TKO Round 3

Heard: I expect this one to be a Fight of the Night candidate. Both guys keep up a high tempo and mix it up well. However, once again I’m going to have to follow my mind instead of my heart to ensure I beat JoJo this time around and say that Delorme wins a thrilling decision.

In his last fight he lost a very debatable split decision to Alex Caceres who has since looked like a world beater in the Bantamweight division. I believe Davey Grant is undeniably UFC calibre but Roland Delorme is a stud.

Prediction: Roland Delorme - Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Igor Araujo vs Danny Mitchell

Calderwood: I see Danny Mitchell pulling off a reversed flying 360 triangle or something crazy.

Prediction: Danny Mitchell - Submission Round 2

Heard: Another clash of grapplers and another difficult pick. I’m going to pick on the side of caution and say that the more experienced Brazilian who has already picked up his first win in the Octagon will continue his run and add a brace of UFC wins to his record.

Prediction: Igor Araujo - Submission Round 3

Phil Harris vs Louis Gaudinot

Calderwood: This will be a competitive fight, but I think Phil will edge it.

Prediction: Harris - Decision

Heard: This one is a tough one to call as both flyweights favour their submission games rather than trading strikes so the question is really who is the more competent grappler (and unfortunately also who has a style which will appeal to the fickle judges more).

This could well be because Phil Harris is such a credit to the world of MMA, but I believe he’s going to land some big Judo throws which will send everyone in the crowd wild and get some vital top position to win a close decision.

Prediction: Phil Harris - Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Saturday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to JoJo for providing us with her picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man or woman win!!

Fighter vs Writer - UFC on FOX 10 - Nurmagomedov vs Heather

Fighter vs Writer: Khabib Nurmagomedov - UFC on FOX 10 

by Ben Heather @benheather

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.

For this challenge we challenge some of the biggest names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged the likes of Luke Barnatt, Jim Alers, Mike Wilkinson, Phil Harris, Cathal Pendred, JoJo Calderwood and Dustin Poirier. Last time out at UFC 168, JoJo Calderwood defeated Sam on his first attempt at a fighter vs writer, so this time I will be trying to regain our pride.

This weeks opponent needs no introduction. He is one of the biggest names in the Lightweight division and is currently ranked #7 in the UFC official rankings. He is the man nobody wants to fight, with all the top stars supposedly turning fights down with him and the lesser ranked fighters trying to call him out to make a name for themselves. He is of course our breakthrough fighter of 2013, the one, the only, "The Eagle" Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The Scoring
If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

The Predictions

Benson Henderson vs Josh Thomson

Khabib's Prediction: Josh Thomson

Heather: I really am looking forward to this fight, it has been the first main event which really excites me in 2014. Thomson finally made it back to the UFC last year and certainly made an impact becoming the first man to knock out Nate Diaz.... Something that Henderson couldn't do when he fought Nate although he did everything but, in a dominant display.

I think Benson will be looking to get back in the win column and prove to the world once again that he is an exciting fighter, now he has lost his title. People have said that he shouldn't have won all the fights in the UFC and i agree they were all very close fights but at this level of MMA that's what I want to see and I think we will see that again on Saturday night. However, I think it will be Benson who gets his arm raised as the smarter fighter. Thomson may take some risks in the fight and I think Benson will be able to exploit these when it happens.

Prediction: Benson Henderson - Unanimous Decision

Gabriel Gonzaga vs Stipe Miocic

Khabib's Prediction: Stipe Miocic

Heather: Stipe has to keep this fight standing if he is going to win the fight, I think if he keeps it standing he will be able to showcase his strikes and start to breakdown Gonzaga before finishing him later in the fight.

That being said, Gonzaga does have one punch KO power and some amazing kicks. Certainly if this fight goes to the ground then Gonzaga will be in his element and in my opinion certainly has the edge at this part of the fight. The only problem is, the only time I see Gonzaga hitting the mat is just after Stipe lands his power punches and finishes the fight

Prediction: Stipe Miocic - TKO Round 3

Donald Cerrone vs Adriano Martins

Khabib's Prediction: Donald Cerrone

Heather: For me going in to this fight I don't know too much about Martins other than his finish against Cruickshank in his UFC debut but I feel the jump in opponent between Daron and the cowboy will be too much for him. Cerrone is one of the best lightweight fighters in the world..... on his day and proved that in his last fight he is back. I think he will carry on his good form in this fight and pick up the win.

Prediction: Donald Cerrone - Sub Round 2

Darren Elkins vs Jeremy Stephens

Khabib's Prediction: Jeremy Stephens 

Heather: I like the underdog in this fight, Elkins has beaten some really tough opponents but came unstuck against Chad Mendes, who is arguably the best featherweight in the world not called Jose Aldo. So that result was nothing to be ashamed by. He then bounced back defeating the highly regard Hatsu Hioki in August and I think he will pick up the win again on Saturday night before looking to the top 10 for his next opponent.

Stephens looks to have got his career back on track with back to back wins since dropping to featherweight following three losses in a row to end his career at lightweight. Last time out he scored a highlight reel knock out over Rony Jason which really put him on the map in the featherweight division but I think Elkins

Prediction: Darren Elkins - Unanimous Decision


So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Saturday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to Khabib for providing us with his picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man win!!

Fighter vs Writer - UFC 168 Calderwood vs Heard

Fighter vs Writer: JoJo Calderwood - UFC 168
by Ben Heather @benheather

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.

For this feature we challenge some of the biggest names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged the likes of Dustin Poirier, Luke Barnatt, Jim Alers, Mike Wilkinson, Phil Harris, Cathal Pendred and Michael Wootten.

This weeks opponent was the perfect woman for the job. After recently taking her MMA record to 8-0 at Invicta 7 with a unanimous decision win over Katja Kankaanpaa she was back in the news when Dana White told the world that the UFC will now have a 115lb womens division and that she was one of 11 women to have signed for the UFC. She is of course Jojo Calderwood and this weekend she will compete against our newest writer Sam Heard.

The Scoring
If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

The Predictions

Chris Weidman vs Anderson Silva

Calderwood: I think Silva will be back to his best for this fight with a point to prove.

Prediction: Anderson Silva - TKO Round 3 

Heard: The moment we’ve all been waiting for! I believe we will see a more serious, focused Anderson Silva who will keep the clowning to a minimum. Until he got caught in the first fight, Anderson seemed quicker than Weidman and was landing hard leg kicks at will. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if Anderson was able to “give back” the KO to Weidman.

However, as much as it pains me to say it, I think Weidman has the edge here. Historically, championship rematches have never failed the older fighter and though Silva is without doubt the GOAT there is no escaping the fact that he is nearing 40. Weidman is a relentless wrestler who happens to also have decent stand-up and even better submissions; everyone knows that wrestlers are the worst matchups for Anderson. He nearly got that heel hook in the first round of their first clash and I believe we could see Anderson, who could well just have accepted the rematch he initially showed no interest in for the big cheque, tap out.

Prediction: Chris Weidman - Submission Round 4

Ronda Rousey vs Miesha Tate

Calderwood: I'd love to see this go a bit but Ronda is pretty determined and it's going to go the way everyone expects.

Prediction: Ronda Rousey - Armbar Round 2

Heard: The bookies would have you believe this fight is certain to end with Ronda’s hand raised. I really think that they’re undervaluing Miesha Tate here. In their first match Miesha looked like she had an edge on the feet and displayed some brilliant counter-grappling to resist Ronda’s first attempt at the Armbar and even take the Bantamweight Champion’s back.

So what’s changed since then? Ronda seems to be spending an increasing amount of time on her acting career. There’s no doubting Tate seems more focused on her MMA career at this stage. Added to this, Rousey’s nature as a fighter who’s ultra-specialised in one very focused area means that training and a game plan can be focused on countering her speciality; namely that awesome Armbar of hers. I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that not only does Miesha take Ronda into the uncharted territories of the 2nd and 3rd round put that she pulls off the upset.

Prediction: Miesha Tate - Unanimous Decision

Josh Barnett vs Travis Browne

Calderwood: I think Barnett is one of the best heavyweight submission guys, he's dealt with tall opponents before and I think once he gets past Browne's range I think the sub will come.

Prediction: Josh Barnett - Submission Round 2

Heard: Despite coming off two huge wins, I’m not entirely sold on Travis Browne. Though he went on to KO Overeem with that brilliant front kick, I think Overeem did enough to get the stoppage as there were stages where Browne seemed defenceless and have seen referees jump in for far less. Yes, he did beat Gonzaga but Barnett is a very different beast to the Brazillian, having competed at the top level throughout his whole career and has only ever lost to the very best.

I don’t think Barnett will manage to get the finish against Browne but I think he has an advantage in all areas. Browne’s experience is mainly limited to the first round while Barnett has gone all the way in a five round main event so expect Barnett to show better conditioning.


Prediction: Josh Barnett - Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Jim Miller vs Fabricio Camoes

Calderwood: I don't know too much about Camoes, I like watching Jim Miller fight and I'm pretty sure he's coming off a loss so he will be even more dangerous.

Prediction: Jim Miller - Unanimous Decision 

Heard: I believe this is a showcase fight for Miller with Fabricio being fed to the lions a bit. Camoes is 1-1 in the UFC and coming off a loss to inconsistent Melvin Guillard while Miller is arguably one of the best lightweights to have never had a shot at the title and is coming off a loss which he very nearly won ( and which was eventually overturned) to Pat Healy.

I think Miller has the tools to win comfortably.

Prediction: Jim Miller - Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30, 27)

Dustin Poirier vs Diego Brandao

Calderwood: Looking forward to this fight, I think it will be competitive for a round or two but Brandao will gas leaving Poirier to win on points.

Prediction: Dustin Poirier - Unanimous Decision and FOTN

Heard: There’s no doubting that Brandao’s kamikaze aggression makes for entertaining fights but it makes it very difficult to have any faith in him as a pick. He has a tendency to rush out all guns blazing for the first round only to slow down ridiculously in the latter two thirds of the fight. This bad fight IQ won’t fair well against an athlete like Poirier.

Poirier survived and overcame the elite striking skills of Erik Koch in his last fight so should be able to weather the early storm of Diego Brandao. When Brandao inevitably gases I think Poirier should be able to implement his slick submission skills and get the win in the latter part of the fight, probably by armbar or his signature d'arce choke.

Prediction: Dustin Poirier - Submission Round 3


So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Saturday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to JoJo for providing us with her picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man or woman win!!

Fighter vs Writer - TUF 18 Finale

Fighter vs Writer: Michael Wootten - The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 Finale 
by Ben Heather @benheather

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.

For this challenge we challenge some of the biggest names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged the likes of Luke Barnatt, Jim Alers, Mike Wilkinson, Phil Harris, Cathal Pendred and Dustin Poirier.

This weeks opponent was a perfect man for the job and the only man for the job this weekend. He was part of Team Rousey on the current series of TUF, unfortunately losing in the semi final of the show to Chris Holdsworth. He is of course Michael Wootten.

The Scoring
If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

The Predictions

Gray Maynard vs Nate Diaz

Wootten: Great main rematch and main event. It will be a very close fight and both posses different styles but I am a Diaz fan so I am going with Nate.

Prediction: Nate Diaz - Submission Round 2 

Heather: I love this fight, it could go either way and is a perfect replacement main event for the event, even though both guys come in to the fight after losing in their last outing. My main thought on this is whether Diaz can get the fight to the ground if he can it should be his fight to lose but on the feet I give Maynard the advantage. That being said over three rounds I see Diaz having enough to take the win.

Prediction: Nate Diaz - Unanimous Decision

Julianna Pena vs Jessica Rakoczy

Wootten: Having seen a lot from both girls throughout my time in the TUF house I am very excited to see both girls fight against each other. I think Jessica will win via TKO in the third round. I feel her footwork and boxing experience will be the key.

Prediction: Jessica Rakoczy - TKO Round 3

Heather: Like Mike I think that Jessica will be able to dominate this fight if it stays on the feet. How confident I am that it will stay there I am not sure.... Pena looked a beast in the house dominating her fights and getting the wins but was never really challenged. Rakoczy will certainly do that tonight but I think Pena will have enough and keep Rakoczy down to bring home the win and title of first women's TUF champion.

Prediction: Daniel Cormier - Unanimous Decision

Chris Holdsworth vs Davey Grant

Wootten: Chris and Davey are two great athletes that have different styles. Its a very interesting match up but I think Davey will win via TKO in the second round due to his physicality.

Prediction: Davey Grant - TKO Round 2

Heather: For me, this is the ultimate clash between head and heart. My heart certainly is telling me that Davey will win and bring home the title to the UK. As Mike knows unfortunately all too well, Holdsworth is a beast and certainly has proved why he is a BJJ black belt with the way he submitted Mike on the show.

That being said if Davey turns up bringing his A game like he did to make it on to the show and no thinks no matter what happens I will get the win then it will be a very entertaining fight and could go either way. However, I have to go with my head on this and predict a win for the American.

Prediction: Chris Holdsworth - Submission Round 2

Jessamyn Duke vs Peggy Morgan

Wootten: Tough fight for me to call having seen both these girls train and fight. Two similar styles match up wise as both are very competent strikers. Peggy has the size advantage and Jessamyn has the advantage on the ground. I think Jessamyn will win via sub in the third round.

Prediction: Jessamyn Duke - Submission Round 3 

Heather: I like Mike think that Duke should be able to make the most of her skills getting the fight down to the ground where she will finish the fight.

Prediction: Jessamyn Duke - Submission Round 2

Roxanne Modafferi vs Raquel Pennington

Wootten: Roxy vs Rocky is a clash of styles and experience. Roxanne has been in the game for many years now and rocky is inexperienced compared to Roxanne. But I see rocky being too big and strong at the weight and finishing the fight in the first round.

Prediction: Raquel Pennington  - TKO Round 1

Heather: As Mike has said, you can not even try and say that Roxanne does not have the experience on her side in this fight. I think that experience should see her through and help her defend against the size and strength advantage that Pennington will certainly have.

If she does not use her past experience this fight will be very tough for Modafferi but I think she will be able to pull of a decision victory.
Prediction: Roxanne Modafferi - Unanimous Decision


So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Saturday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to Mike for providing us with his picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man win!!

Fighter vs Writer: Brendan Loughnane predicts UFC 166 (The Results)

Fighter vs Writer: Brendan Loughnane predicts UFC 166 (The Results)

by Ben Heather @benheather

On Saturday night Brendan Loughnane stepped in to the hot seat to challenge Kingdom MMA in the latest Fighter vs Writer feature.

This week we put forward the one and only, the MMA Ranter himself Tommy Strong. Tommy certainly had his work cut out for him this week facing a very talented competitor but we hoped he could get the win for Kingdom MMA.
Below you will be able to see the results as the fights happened. It was a closely contested battle and Brendan certainly proved he isn't just a good fighter but also great at predicting the fights too and he was a respectable opponent for Tommy.

The Scoring

If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

UFC 166 Results

John Dodson Def. Darrell Montague by KO RD1

• Brendan Loughnane: Dodson by Decision - Score 1
• Tommy Strong: Dodson by TKO Rd 2 - Score 2

Score after the 1st fight: Brendan Loughnane - 1 Tommy Strong - 2

Gabriel Gonzaga Def. Shawn Jordan by TKO RD1

• Brendan Loughnane: Gonzaga by TKO Rd 1 - Score 3
• Tommy Strong: Jordan by TKO Rd 1 - Score 0

Score after the 2nd fight: Brendan Loughnane - 4 Tommy Strong - 2

Gilbert Melendez Def. Diego Sanchez by Unanimous Decision

• Brendan Loughnane: Melendez by TKO Rd 3 - Score 1
• Tommy Strong: Melendez by Unanimous Decision - Score 2

Score after the 3rd fight: Brendan Loughnane - 5 Tommy Strong - 4

Daniel Cormier Def. Roy Nelson by Unanimous Decision

• Brendan Loughnane: Cormier by Unanimous Decision - Score 2
• Tommy Strong: Cormier by Unanimous Decision - Score 2

Score after the 4th fight: Brendan Loughnane - 7 Tommy Strong - 6

Cain Velasquez Def. Junior Dos Santos by TKO RD5

• Brendan Loughnane: Velasquez by TKO Rd 5 - Score 2
• Tommy Strong: Velasquez by Unanimous Decision - Score 1

FINAL SCORE BRENDAN LOUGHNANE - 9 TOMMY STRONG - 7

Kingdom MMA would like to thank Brendan Loughnane once again for his participation in Fighter vs Writer even if he has become only the second fighter to beat one of our writers. All I can say is the best man won and it's going to be a long time before we put Tommy up to represent the site again.

Brendan proved what many people have been saying for a long time, Tommy is all talk!!

Fighter vs Writer - UFC 166 - Loughnane vs Strong

Fighter vs Writer: Brendan Loughnane - UFC 166
by Tommy Strong @Strong_tea

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.

For this challenge we challenge some of the biggest names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged the likes of Luke Barnatt, Jim Alers, Mike Wilkison, Phil Harris, Cathal Pendred and Dustin Poirier. Jim Alers still remains the only fighter to beat one of our Kingdom MMA writers.

This weeks opponent was team of Team UK on the UFC's TUF Smashes, unfortunately losing in the Finale of the show to Mike Wilkinson and recently got back to winning ways with a decision victory in the main event of FCC7. He is of course Brendan Loughnane.

The Scoring
If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

The Predictions

Cain Velasquez vs Junior Dos Santos

Brendan: I believe JDS got lucky in the first fight and the second fight was a dominant display by the champ.

Prediction: Cain Velasquez - TKO Round 3 

Strong: The fight everyone has been waiting for! Having one win a piece it will be very interesting if Cain can hold onto his belt, or see JDS once again be the heavyweight champion!

I'm really torn between these two fighters. JDS proved in their first encounter he has the knockout power to stop Cain, and Cain proved in their rematch he can maul and handle JDS if he can get in close!
Both fighters claim they were not totally fit for both fights, I'm hoping no excuses are made and we are in for another great fight.

With the heavyweight division not the strongest within the UFC, I feel this won't be the last we see of them fighting each other!!
Prediction: Cain Velasquez - Unanimous Decision

Daniel Cormier vs Roy Nelson

Brendan: I see this being a very boring fight and Cormier wrestling him to death.

Prediction: Daniel Cormier - Unanimous Decision

Strong: I've been quite vocal about my thoughts on Cormier and I'm not his biggest fan at all. He's overweight and overrated!! If you really look into his record it isn't all that! Having looked awful against Mir I'm hoping Big Country makes it an unpleasant night for him!

Though this will be a test for Roy, if he can keep Cormier from hugging him all night and land one that right hand I think Roy can cause an upset.

My head says Cormier to ground out a very lack luster performance, but my heart is hoping and praying for a Big Country win!
Prediction: Daniel Cormier - Unanimous Decision

Gilbert Melendez vs Diego Sanchez

Brendan: I think Sanchez is past his sell by date and Melendez will maul him.

Prediction: Gilbert Melendez - TKO Round 3

Strong: Really looking forward to this fight! Styles makes fights and I love both of these fighters styles. I'm hoping Sanchez comes in on weight, having missed the lightweight limit of 156lbs, weighing in at 158lbs and being fined 20% of his purse when he went onto a split decision win against Takanori Gomi

Melendez will be looking to bounce back after his very close split decision loss to then UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson.

I think Melendez is the all round better fighter and will put on a display to get himself back into title contention!
Prediction: Gilbert Melendez - Unanimous Decision

Gabriel Gonzaga vs Shawn Jordan

Brendan: I hope that the Gonzaga that fought Cro Cop turns up and we will see a destruction.

Prediction: Gonzaga - TKO Round 1 

Strong: Blink and you might miss this fight!! Jordan is coming into the fight of the back of brilliant display knocking out Pat Barry within the first minute of round one to earn himself knockout of the night!

Gonzaga isn't the easiest fighter to predict, he can either be world class one minute and totally average the next! I have to favour Jordan in this fight, Gonzaga doesn't possess the greatest chin and with Jordan's knockout power this fight could be over very early!
Prediction: Shawn Jordan - KO Round 1

John Dodson vs Darrell Montague

Brendan: I see Dodson moving around and out pointing his opponent.

Prediction: John Dodson  - Unanimous Decision

Strong: I'm really not a fan of the flyweight division. I couldn't care less what Dana says, there just isn't any excitement in the division except for one fighter and that is John Dodson!

He brings excitement every time he fights, has punching power and speed that caused UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson his toughest title defence to date.

Darrell Montague will be making his UFC debut and like Dodson carries punching power and submission skills that will make it an entertaining fight, having only gone the distance in 3 of his 15 fights. Though Dodson has fought and beat better fighters and I fully expect him to come away with the victory!

Prediction: John Dodson - TKO Round 2


So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Saturday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to Brendan for providing us with his picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man win!!

Fighter vs Writer - UFC Fight Night 27 - Poirier vs Heather

Fighter vs Writer: Dustin Poirier - UFC Fight Night 27
by Ben Heather @benheather

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.


For this challenge we challenge some of the biggest names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged the likes of Luke Barnatt, Jim Alers, Mike Wilkison, Phil Harris and Cathal Pendred. Last time out at UFC Fight Night 26, Cathal Pendred was defeated by Chris, which still leaves Jim Alers as the only fighter to beat one of our Kingdom MMA writers.

This weeks opponent needs no introduction. He is one of the biggest names in the Featherweight division and is currently ranked #6 in the UFC official rankings. He is also the star of the movie Fightville and holds impressive victories over Jonathan Brookings, Max Holloway and many more. He is of course Dustin Poirier and you can see him return to the Octagon on Saturday night against Erik Koch at UFC 164.

The Scoring
If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

The Predictions
(Note: The fight card wasn't finalised when we spoke to Dustin so we will only be picking 5/6 main card fights)

Carlos Condit vs Martin Kampmann

Dustin's Prediction: Carlos Condit - Decision 

Heather: This is a big fight for both guys, a win could push both guys very close to getting the next title shot, however a loss could seriously damage that dream. I have to pick Condit here, I can't see a way which Condit loses. Yes he has lost his last two but against the champion and challenger for the belt. I think that's still respectable. That will be pushing Carlos to get back in the win column and he will come Saturday night.

Prediction: Carlos Condit - TKO Round 3

Donald Cerrone vs Rafael Dos Anjos

Dustin's Prediction: Donald Cerrone - TKO

Heather: Cerrone for me is in a similar group to Urijah Faber, he will beat almost anyone in the division other than the very elite guys and even then (Other than the Pettis fight) he will put up a bloody good fight. In my opinion he is also one of the most exciting fighters to watch. He always comes to fight and rarely disappoints the fans.

On the other hand Dos Anjos has improved so much over the past couple of years after starting his UFC career 4-4 he has gone on a 4 fight win streak and a win on Wednesday would certainly be the biggest of his career. Unfortunately for Rafael I don't see it happening and I see him being finished within the distance. I think Cerrone will be able to beat him a number of ways but I am picking a third round submission for this.

Prediction: Donald Cerrone - Sub Round 3

Kelvin Gastelum vs Brian Melancon

Dustin's Prediction: Brian Melancon - TKO 

Heather: As one of the few guys who predicted that Kelvin would defeat Uriah Hall in his last fight I am not going to pick against him today. Gastelum has a decent skill set and now with the drop down to welterweight he won't be one of the smaller guys.

Melancon has taken this fight on short notice after a very impressive debut in the octagon. That fight proved an upset as he defeated Seth Baczynski on the buzzer at the end of the first round and another win on Wednesday night would be just as big of an upset.

I think Gastelum will be able to grind out an early onslaught from Melancon but then control the fight to pick up a decision victory.

Prediction: Kelvin Gastelum - Decision

Court McGee vs Robert Whittaker

Dustin's Prediction: Court McGee - Decision 

Heather: Whittaker impressed me in the TUF Smashes and was definitely one of a couple of good fighters to come out of the house. At the same time in his last fight against Colton Smith I didn't expect to see the improvements I did and thought he would lose..... how wrong was I!! After that performance I am now expecting to see big things in this fight.

McGee on paper has faced greater competition than Whittaker and in his last fight looked very impressive in the first round before he looked like he was gassed and then just did enough to win the decision when really he should have finished the fight.

Against Whittaker he will not be given the ability to cruise and I think Whittaker will have enough to come away with the win in equally impressive style to his last fight.

Prediction: Robert Whittaker - TKO Round 1

Brad Tavares vs Robert McDaniel

Dustin's Prediction: Brad Tavares  - TKO

Heather: This is simple for me.... If Jon Jones wasn't his coach on TUF Bubba would not have been given a second chance and we wouldn't even have this fight. I really do not understand why this fight has even been made. Tavares has fought and beat a lot better fighters than McDaniel and I can see him cruising to another win come fight night.

Hopefully we will now see Tavares matched up with a big name fighter as he works towards the top 10 in the division. He certainly deserves a better opponent than Bubba McDaniels.

Prediction: Brad Tavares - TKO Round 2


So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Wednesday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to Dustin for providing us with his picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man win!!

Fighter vs Writer: Cage Warriors Champion Cathal Pendred predicts UFC Fight Night 26 (THE RESULTS)

Fighter vs Writer: Cage Warriors Cathal Pendred predicts UFC Fight Night 26 (The Results)

by Ben Heather @benheather

On Saturday night Cage Warriors Welterweight champion Cathal Pendred stepped in to the hot seat to challenge Kingdom MMA in the latest Fighter vs Writer feature.

This week we put forward the big man himself, the man who started it all, our Editer and Co Owner Chris Houten. Not to put any more pressure on Chris than he already had facing a very talented competitor but we hoped he could do better than he did last time out against another Cage Warriors Champion in Jim Alers. In Chris' previous appearance on Fighter vs Writer he lost in what is still Kingdom MMA's only defeat.
Below you will be able to see the results as the fights happened. It was a closely contested battle and Cathal certainly proved to be a respectable opponent for Chris.

The Scoring

If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

UFC Fight Night 26 Results

Conor McGregor Def. Max Holloway by Decision

• Cathal Pendred: McGregor by TKO Rd 1 - Score 1
• Chris Houten: McGregor by TKO Rd 1 - Score 1

Score after the 1st fight: Cathal Pendred - 1 Chris Houten - 1

Michael McDonald Def. Brad Pickett by Sub RD2

• Cathal Pendred: Pickett by Decision - Score 0
• Chris Houten: Pickett by Decision - Score 0

Score after the 2nd fight: Cathal Pendred - 1 Chris Houten - 1

Michael Johnson Def. Joe Lauzon by Decision

• Cathal Pendred: Lauzon by Sub Rd 1 - Score 0
• Chris Houten: Lauzon by Sub Rd 1 - Score 0

Score after the 3rd fight: Cathal Pendred - 1 Chris Houten - 1

John Howard Def. Uriah Hall by Decision

• Cathal Pendred: Hall by TKO Rd 2 - Score 0
• Chris Houten: Howard by Unanimous Decision - Score 2

Score after the 4th fight: Cathal Pendred - 1 Chris Houten - 3

Matt Brown Def. Mike Pyle by TKO RD1

• Cathal Pendred: Pyle by Sub Rd 2 - Score 0
• Chris Houten: Pyle by Unanimous Decision - Score 0

Score after the 5th fight: Cathal Pendred - 1 Chris Houten - 3

Urijah Faber Def. Yuri Alcantara by Decision

• Cathal Pendred: Faber by Unanimous Decision - Score 2
• Chris Houten: Faber by Sub - Score 1

Score after the 6th fight: Cathal Pendred - 3 Chris Houten - 4

Travis Browne Def. Alistair Overeem by TKO RD1

• Cathal Pendred: Overeem by TKO Rd 1 - Score 0
• Chris Houten: Browne by Unanimous Decision - Score 1

Score after the 7th fight: Cathal Pendred - 3 Chris Houten - 5

Chael Sonnen Def. Shogun Rua by Sub RD1

• Cathal Pendred: Sonnen by Unanimous Decision - Score 1
• Chris Houten: Sonnen by Unanimous Decision - Score 1

Score after the 8th fight: Cathal Pendred - 4 Chris Houten - 6

FINAL SCORE CATHAL PENDRED - 4 CHRIS HOUTEN - 6

Kingdom MMA would like to thank Cathal Pendred once again for his participation in Fighter vs Writer and would all like to wish him good luck at trying to get in to the house for the next series of TUF. For more on Cathal Pendred, check out and follow Cathal on Twitter - @PendredMMA

Fighter vs Writer: Cathal Pendred - UFC Fight Night 26

Fighter vs Writer: Cathal Pendred - UFC Fight Night 26
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Joe.ie & Cage Warriors

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.

For this challenge we challenge some of the big names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged the likes of Luke Barnatt, Jim Alers, Mike Wilkison and Phil Harris. Last time out at UFC 163, Mike Wilkinson was defeated by 2 point by Tommy, leaving Jim Alers the only fighter to beat one of our Kingdom MMA writers.

This weeks opponent needs no introduction. One of the biggest prospects on the European scene, he is the current Cage Warriors Welterweight Champion, holds impressive victories over Gael Grimaud, Che Mills and many more, and is a team mate of Conor McGregor. He is Cathal Pendred and you can expect to see him taking UFCs welterweight division by storm within the next 18 months.

The Scoring
If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

The Predictions


Chael Sonnen vs Shogun Rua

Pendred: You never know what you're going to get with Shogun. He can sometimes look like that world class fighter that won the Pride tournament, but at other times he looks very average and even sluggish. You always know what you're going to get with Chael and his style is generally very effective.

Prediction: Chael Sonnen - Unanimous Decision 

Houten: This is a big fight for both guys, with both needing to avoid a loss to save the curtains coming down on their careers. Shogun has looked up for it in the lead up to the fight, and could knock Chael out if he keeps the fight standing. Unfortunately I don't think he will be able to stop Sonnens relentless grinding style.

Prediction: Chael Sonnen - Unanimous Decision

Alistair Overeem vs Travis Browne
Pendred: These big boys are most likely gonna hit each other with big shots early and one of them will probably go unconscious. If that doesn't happen we might see a 3 round sloppy affair where both guys gas out. Lets hope not.

Prediction: Alistair Overeem - TKO (RD 1)

Houten: I think this is the fight Overeem gets found out in - no roids, no good. I expect him to look a little sluggish compared to the athletic Browne. I think Browne grind on Overeem, gets a few takedowns and wins this one.

Predictions: Travis Browne - Unanimous Decision

Urijah Faber vs Yuri Alcantara
Pendred: Faber always brings it. And he is world class, but unfortunately just falls short of being a champion. I haven't seen many of Alcantara's fights, but looking down his record he looks very good. I think this one will go the distance, unless Faber manages to slap on one of his viscous guillotines.

Prediction: Urijah Faber - Unanimous Decision 

Houten:Alcantara is a pretty serious guy, but hes not a patch on Faber. I think Faber will catch Alcantara with a big shot in second and finish the fight by submission.

Prediction: Urijah Faber - Submission

Matt Brown vs Mike Pyle
Pendred: Great welterweight fight here. Both guys are on a serious run here and a win for either will be huge. Pyle definitely has the experience advantage here and I think they'd going to play the difference here. The majority of Pyle's wins have come from submission and the majority of Brown's losses have come by submission.

Prediction: Mike Pyle - Submission (RD 2) 

Houten: This fight could be fight of the night. Both a savy vets who are competent in pretty much all areas of MMA. This fight is a pick 'em if ever there was one, but I'm gonna go with Pyle. I think Pyle has the ability to take more punishment, and might be the deciding factor in what could be an electric fight.

Prediction: Mike Pyle - Unanimous Decision 

Uriah Hall vs John Howard
Pendred: Howard is usually welterweight and I think Hall is a bit over rated because of that infamous KO. I'm really not sure about this one.

Prediction: Uriah Hall - TKO (RD 2)

Houten: John Howard has been knocking fools out since he was cut from the UFC, and say 185 is where he is best at. The problem is he is nowhere the stiker Hall is. I do however think Hall might be a little overrated thanks to the highlight real he produced against a bunch of cans in TUF, and I question whether he has the bottle to hack in on the big stage.

This fight is hard for Hall than people think. I think Howard could take this one - it will be a bit boring the way he does it but I'm having Howard as a dark house.

Prediction: John Howard - Unanimous Decision

Joe Lauzon vs Michael Johnson
Pendred: Lauzon is a submission machine and I don't rate Johnson too much. I actually think this fight is a bit of a mismatch.

Prediction: Joe Lauzon - Submission (RD 1) 

Prendred: The UFC must has decided the want rid of Johnson cause this fight is a major mismatch. Johnson is on a 2 fight losing streak to guys that our half the fighter that Lauzon is. Expect this one to end in Lauzon collection a bonus, and Johnson collection the US equivalent of a P45.

Prediction: Joe Lauzon - Submission (RD 1)

Brad Pickett vs Michael McDonald
Pendred: This is an incredible fight. I can't believe how little attention it's getting! Both guys are awesome, the only thing I can separate them by is experience, which Pickett has more off (although McDonald did fight for the title).

Prediction: Brad Pickett - Unanimous Decision

Houten: The fact that this fight is on the undercard shows how deep the line up for UFC Fight Night 26 is! No. 5 vs No.3 is worth of a main card maybe even main / co-main event on some cards.

I have been thinking about this fight all day, and I' struggling to pick. I can make cases for either guy, and while I deep down I think McDonald is probably the better fighter, I can't go against my man Pickett.

Prediction: Brad Pickett - Unanimous Decision

Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway
Prendred: MY MANNNN!! Conor can finish this fight wherever he wants! Unfortunately for Holloway the fight starts standing. The fight might last 2 rounds because I think Holloway will respect Conor's power and keep his distance. But if I predict anything less than a first round finish for Conor he'll kill me!!

Prediction: Conor McGregor - TKO (RD 1)

Houten: Simple - Holloway way came out in the press this week slating the media attention McGregor has received this week, and I expect him to come out feeling like he has something to prove. I expect Holloway to go toe-to-toe with McGregor in the first round and get knocked out for his trouble.

McGregor deserves the attention he has received, he is a start in the making. Here's hoping a big win sets up a fight on the Manchester card against some one like Nick Lentz or the winner of Poirier / Koch

Prediction: Conor McGregor - TKO (RD 1)

So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Saturday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to Cathal for providing us with his picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man win!!

Fighter vs Writer: UFC's Mike Wilkinson predicts UFC 163 (The Results)

Fighter vs Writer: UFC's Mike Wilkinson predicts UFC 163 (The Results)

by Ben Heather @benheather

On Saturday night Mike Wilkinson stepped in to the hot seat to challenge Kingdom MMA in the latest Fighter vs Writer feature.

This week we put forward our very own predictions Guru (we hoped) Tommy Strong and hoped he could follow in my footsteps and get the win after the past two events. At UFC 161 Chris was beaten by Jim Alers and then last time out Jack drew with Phil Harris. So it was about time that we got back to winning ways.

Below you will be able to see the results as the fights happened. It was a closely contested battle and Mike certainly proved to be a respectable opponent for Tommy.

The Scoring

If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

UFC 163 Results

John Lineker Def. Jose Maria by TKO RD2

• Mike Wilkinson: Tome by Decision - Score 0
• Tommy Strong: Lineker by Decision - Score 1

Score after the 1st fight: Mike Wilkinson - 0 Tommy Strong - 1

Thales Leites Def. Tom Watson by Decision

• Mike Wilkinson: Watson by Decision - Score 0
• Tommy Strong: Watson by Decision - Score 0

Score after the 2nd fight: Mike Wilkinson - 0 Tommy Strong - 1

Cezar Ferreira Def. Thiago Santos by Sub RD1

• Mike Wilkinson: Ferreira by TKO - Score 1
• Tommy Strong: Ferreira by TKO Rd 1 - Score 1

Score after the 3rd fight: Mike Wilkinson - 1 Tommy Strong - 2

Phil Davis Def. Lyoto Machida by Decision

• Mike Wilkinson: Machida by Decision - Score 0
• Tommy Strong: Davis by Split Decision - Score 1

Score after the 4th fight: Mike Wilkinson - 1 Tommy Strong - 3

Jose Aldo Def. Korean Zombie by TKO RD4

• Mike Wilkinson: Aldo by TKO Rd 3 - Score 2
• Tommy Strong: Aldo by TKO Rd 2 - Score 2

Score after the 5th fight: Mike Wilkinson - 3 Tommy Strong - 5

FINAL SCORE MIKE WILKINSON - 3 TOMMY STRONG - 5

Kingdom MMA would like to thank Mike Wilkinson once again for his participation in Fighter vs Writer. For more on Mike Wilkinson, check out and follow Mike on Twitter - @M_WilkinsonMMA

Fighter vs Writer - UFC 163 Main Card Picks Challenge - Mike Wilkinson vs Tommy Strong

UFC Fighter Mike Wilkinson challenges Kingdom MMA in a picks challenge

by Tommy Strong @Strong_tea

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.

For this challenge we challenge some of the big names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged the likes of Luke Barnatt, Jim Alers and Phil Harris. Last time out at UFC 162 Phil Harris managed to draw with our very own Jack. Leaving Jim Alers the only fighter to beat one of our Kingdom MMA writers.

For this event I will be challenging Mike Wilkinson, who fought on the last UFC event in Brazil. Unfortunately for Mike it didn't end how we all wanted at UFC on Fuel TV 10 and resulted in the first loss of his career. Hopefully we will see Mike back in the octagon soon where he can get back to winning ways. As yet Mike does not have a fight lined up but I am sure it is only a matter of time before something gets announced.

The Scoring

If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

The predictions:

Main Event: Jose Aldo vs Jung Chan Sung

Wilkinson: The zombie has been looking good in his last fights but I don't think he is able to beat Aldo at this stage in Aldo's career.

Prediction: Aldo by TKO Round 3 

Tommy: I see this being a formality for Aldo, even though Jung looked great against Dustin Poirier in May '12, i think Aldo will be too big and too strong for the Korean Zombie. I just can't see anyway Aldo losses unless its by DQ or... actually or nothing! Aldo doesn't lose this.

Prediction: Aldo by TKO Round 2

Lyoto Machida vs Phil Davis

Wilkinson: Machida has come back with a vengeance since his loss to Jones even though I like Davis and his style I don't think he is going to match Machida's stand up.
Prediction: Machida by Decision

Tommy: Im torn between these two fighters, I keep changing my mind on who wins. It really is a toss up. I know Machida is a big favourite, though my head and heart are telling me Davis wins. That probably means I should pick Machida! But I am going for the upset.

Prediction: Davis by Split Decision

Cezar Ferreira vs Thiago Santos

Wilkinson: Cezar has had a big lay off but won the TUF Brazil and is probably looking to win in style.

Prediction: Cezar by TKO

Tommy: Both fighters have not fought for a year, I can't confess to know much about Santos. Though I'm going for Cezar to win.
Prediction: Cezar by TKO Round 1

Thales Leites vs Tom Watson

Wilkinson: Leites is coming back from a lengthy lay off, his last fight in the UFC was in 2009 and he has not fought in over a year. Watson looked good in his last fight in the UK with a win and a bonus.
 
Prediction: Watson by Decision 

Tommy: Leites hasn't fought for the UFC since 2009 but has won his last 3 fights. Watson showed great heart against Nedkov from the brink of defeat to knocking out Nedkov in an epic fight that will be a contender for fight of the year. Though there are two sides to Watson, if he turns up like he did against Brad Tavares he losses, if like he did against Nedkov I see him winning.
Prediction: Watson by Decision

John Lineker vs Jose Tome

Wilkinson: Tome's first fight in the UFC and he is the underdog but being Brazilian and fighting in his home town comes in his favour.

Prediction: Tome by Decision 

Tommy: Having the advantage of picking after the weigh ins, Lineker missed weight by 3lbs. It will be interesting to see whether this will have any effect on him come tomorrow night.

Tome could be a real handful for Lineker though with his style and having home advantage he could pull of an upset here. With that in mind I'm still backing Lineker to grind out a win.
Prediction: Lineker by Unanimous Decision

So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Saturday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to Mike for providing us with his picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man win!!

Fighter vs Writer - UFC 162 Main Card Picks Challenge - Phil Harris vs Jack Broadey

UFC Fighter Phil Harris challenges Kingdom MMA in a picks challenge

by Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.

For this challenge we challenge some of the big names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged Luke Barnatt twice and Jim Alers. Last time out at UFC 161 Jim Alers was the first fighter to beat one of our Kingdom MMA writers.

For this event I will be challenging Phil Harris, who is set to fight at UFC 163 will be predicting the fight outcomes from UFC 162 which is headlined by Chris Weidman challenging Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight championship. 

Before we go in to the details of the competition we caught up with Phil Harris this week and spoke about his fight at UFC 163.

You are fighting at UFC 163 in Brazil and we all know the Brazilian crowd back their fighters more than any other fight fan in the world, how have you been preparing yourself mentally to enter the 'lions den'?
The Brazilian fans are well known for backing their fighters but once the cage door closes its me vs him so no matter who the crowd are cheering for this wont change my focus to win.

You are fighting John Lineker, who is considered a top 10 flyweight in the world. Do you think a win over Lineker cements your place in the top 10 rankings?
Beating John Lineker will definitely put me in the top 10, he's one of the best 125lb fighters in the world.

How has your training camp been for the fight, have you been working on improving any part of your game going into the bout?
Training has been great for this fight camp, just about all of my camp is done at gym01 in Portsmouth we have great coaches and a gym full of small guys so its ideal for me.

I believe you have also been out in Thailand training at Tiger Muay Thai ahead of this fight, is that something you do during most fight camps, or is your striking game something you have specifically worked on for this fight?
I went to Tiger Muay Thai before I knew about the fight, just to improve on my all round game but specifically my striking.

What areas do you feel you have an advantage over John Lineker?
John is obviously a good striker but I'm happy to trade with him but I think my advantage will be against the cage in the clinch and on the ground.

Are you hoping to fight again this year after UFC 163, would the Manchester event be a card you'd like to fight on?
I've not thought about fighting again this year, I want to get this fight done then make plans. It would be good to spend some time with the family after this fight.

Thank you for answering our questions Phil, now its time to start the competition.

The Scoring

If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

The predictions:

Main Event: Anderson Silva vs Chris Weidman

Harris: Anyone who bets against Anderson is insane.

Prediction: Silva by TKO Round 2 

Jack: I'm torn on this one. Anderson can't go on forever and he will eventually lose to a top wrestler. I just don't know if that top wrestler will be Weidman. He certainly will take Silva down but can he rinse and repeat for 5 rounds? That's the big question for me. I'm just insane enough to believe he can do it.

Prediction: Weidman by Decision

Frankie Edgar vs Charles Oliveira

Harris: Frankie will comfortably win every round.

Prediction: Edgar by Decision

Jack: This is an awesome fight. Oliveira is no joke but he's no Frankie Edgar. I expect Edgar to stamp his authority on this one and get the finish.

Prediction: Edgar by TKO Round 3

Tim Kennedy vs Roger Gracie

Harris: I am not sure about this fight but I'm going for Gracie.

Prediction: Gracie by Submission Round 1

Jack: I like Gracie as well here. Could look very similar to Maia-Fitch but I also see Gracie eventually locking onto some sort of choke.

Prediction: Gracie by Submission Round 2

Mark Munoz vs Tim Boetsch

Harris: Tim Boetsch will take this fight. 

Prediction: Boetsch by Decision 

Jack: Difficult one to read. Munoz has been inactive for so long but Boetsch isn't all that great either. I think Munoz if he's anywhere near what he used to be should be able to take this down and use his G&P to win this.

Prediction: Munoz by TKO Round 2

Cub Swanson vs Dennis Siver

Harris: Cub will take this, he will out wrestle Siver.

Prediction: Swanson by Decision 

Jack: I Like Siver in the upset here. Siver has looked great since dropping down to Featherweight. I think he's the better technical striker and should be able to keep it up long enough to win a decision.

Prediction: Siver by Decision

So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Saturday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to Phil for providing us with his picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man win!!

Fighter vs Writer: Cage Warriors Champion Jim Alers - UFC 161 (The Results)

Fighter vs Writer: Cage Warriors Champion Jim Alers - UFC 161 (The Results)

Cage Warriors Featherweight Champion Jim Alers proved himself to be a winner inside and outside of the cage on Saturday night, defeating Kingdom MMA writer Chris Houten in Fighter vs Writer.

Kingdom MMA would like to thank Alers for taking part; we hope one day Jim will give us the opportunity to win our title back!

The Scoring

The scoring was the same as always, if you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point. If you predict the correct method of victory you will get a second point and if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

UFC 161 Results

Shawn Jordan Def. Pat Barry by TKO RD1

• Jim Alers: Shawn Jordan TKO RD1 - Score 3
• Chris Houten: Pat Barry TKO RD 2 - Score 0

Score after 1: Jim Alers - 3 Chris Houten - 0


Alexis Davis Def. Rosi Sexton by Decision

• Jim Alers: Rosi Sexton DECISION - Score 0
• Chris Houten: Alexis Davis SUBMISSION - Score 1

Score after 2: Jim Alers - 3 Chris Houten - 1

Ryan Jimmo Def. Igor Pokrajac by Decision

• Jim Alers: Ryan Jimmo DECISION - Score 2
• Chris Houten: Ryan Jimmo DECISION - Score 2

Score after 3: Jim Alers - 5 Chris Houten - 3

Stipe Miocic Def. Roy Nelson by Decision

• Jim Alers: Roy Nelson TKO RD2 - Score 0
• Chris Houten: Roy Nelson TKO RD1 - Score 0

Score after 4: Jim Alers - 5 Chris Houten - 3

Rashad Evans Def. Dan Henderson by Decision

• Jim Alers: Rashad Evans DECISION - Score 2
• Chris Houten: Rashad Evans DECISION - Score 2

Score after 5: Jim Alers - 7 Chris Houten - 5

FINAL SCORE JIM ALERS - 7 CHRIS HOUTEN - 5

Kingdom MMA would like to thank Jim Alers one again for his participation in Fighter vs Writer. For more on Jim Alers, check our www.fightjim.com and follow Alers on Twitter - @fightjim 

Fighter vs Writer: Cage Warriors Champion Jim Alers - UFC 161

Fighter vs Writer: Cage Warriors Champion Jim Alers - UFC 161
by Chris Houten - @KingdomMMAChris 

Kingdom MMA is back with Fighter vs Writer and this time we going in harder than ever.

Gone is Luke Barnatt. We loved working with Luke but as nice of a guy Bigslow is, he knows and we know, after losing back to back event to our guy Ben Heather, he didn't really want it any more.

So in steps Cage Warriors Featherweight Champion Jim Alers, to take on late replacement for the injured Ben Heather, Chris Houten also coming out of the infamous Kingdom MMA camp.

Currently on a 6 fight win streak, 26 year old Alers (10-1, 5-0 CW) has shown himself to be a real prospect who can finish fights standing or on the ground having finished all his opponents.

A brown belt in BJJ, Alers is one of the best featherweights in the world at this point, and has been tipped to be fighting in The UFC with just a few more wins.

So without further adieu...... it's time!

The Scoring 

One point is scored for predicting the winner of the bout, with an additional point added for predicting the correct method by which the winner takes victory. For all fights which end by stoppage, an additional bonus point can be earned by prediction the round in which the fight will stopped. For fights than go the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points

Rashad Evans vs Dan Henderson

Alers: Not real excited about this fight I think that there is not going to be a lot of excitement to be honest. I see Hendo going for the famous H-Bomb a lot in this fight but it just not finding it's mark. I have Evans taking this fight by playing it smart and using and youth and speed to stay out of the way of the hay maker and grinding out a dec.

Pick: Rashad Evans - Decision

Houten: I actually find this fight kind of intriguing - 2 great wrestler who can knockout any one in the division with one shot.

Realistically Evans is the better fighter. He fights much more intelligently the Hendo, he faster hands than Henderson, and has an excellent wrestling pedigree which Evans uses better in MMA than Dan. That being said, I wouldn't rule out Henderson ending this fight with one big shot, but I think Rashads athleticism, and better overall game wins him this fight by clear cut decision.

Pick: Rashad Evans - Decision

Roy Nelson vs Stipe Miocic 

Alers: Roy Nelson is one of my favorite fighters in the UFC. I can't go against Big Country.  He is going to go for the kill quick and I have him getting the KO in the second round. Miocic is just not ready for his power or for his chin

Pick: Pick Roy Nelson - TKO RD 2  

Houten: As much as I like to watch Roy Nelson, in fact he is probably in my top 3 of of active fighter, I was looking forward to Miocic vs Palelei much more than I am Nelson vs Miocic. Why you ask if Nelson is one of my favourite fighters? Well I just don't see this fight being that competitive.

For Miocic to win this one he needs to use his wrestling and turn the fight into a snoozefest - hold Nelson against the cage, or pin him to the canvas and hope Nelson left BJJ blackbelt at home.

I see this going the completely opposite way, and Nelson blasting Miocic they way only Roy Nelson can.... this one won't go past the first.

Pick: Roy Nelson - TKO RD 1

Ryan Jimmo vs. Igor Pokrajac  

Alers: I think Ryan Jimmo is hungry since he is coming off only his second loss of his career. I see him controlling the whole fight and also get a unanimous decision in this one.

Pick: Ryan Jimmo - Decision

Houten: This fight is a complete pick 'em, I think either guy could win, and I like that.

While I feel both guys sometimes fail to exhibit there true talents in the cage, I do appreciate the way both are willing to stand in the pocket and trade.

Realistically, either guy could win, but I'll got for Jimmo purely as he is the bigger power puncher.

Pick: Ryan Jimmo - Decision

Alexis Davis vs. Rosi Sexton

Alers: This one is a no brainer. I have Rosi Sexton all the way. Cage Warrior Alumni have to stick together. I always think the female fights are far more exciting then many male fights and I have this one going the distance as well but in a very close back and forth fight.  

Pick: Rosi Sexton - Decision

Houten: While I admire Jim for his loyalty to Rosi Sexton, this fight is Alexis Davis' to lose. 

Although its hard to back against a fellow Brit, I think Sexton might be a little small to compete at 135 in the UFC, and I like Davis to drag this fight to the floor fight and submit Sexton.

Pick: Alexis Davis - Submission 

Pat Barry vs Shawn Jordan

Alers: I like Pat Barry but hey what the heck I'm going to say this is my wildcats fight and I'm going to go with Shawn Jordan for the TKO in the first round. I even think fan might think it's an early stoppage and boo at the refs dec. lol that would be great if I call this one to the T.

Pick - Shawn Jordan - TKO RD 1

Houten: I love Pat Barry, as a fighter and as a person. He brings it in every fight, and this fight has got fight of the night written all over it. 

Shawn Jordan is an athletic guy, and a former pro football player has excellent reflexes and power to match, but Barry is by far the better striker, and has added submissions to his game...... atleast when he is doing random BJJ competitions in Colorado.

Can I see Barry losing to a guy with a tongue ring? Sure tongue ring or not you can't count any heavyweight out, but I've got Barry knocking out Jordan for his first back to back victory since entering The UFC.

Pick - Pat Barry - TKO RD 2

Kingdom MMA would like to thank Jim Alers in advance for his participation in Fighter vs Writer. For more on Jim Alers, check our www.fightjim.com and follow Alers on Twitter - @fightjim