UFC 187 takes place live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Nevada! The card's main event tabs resurging light heavyweight; heavy handed Anthony "Rumble Johnson taking on former two time olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier for the now vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. After orginally scheduled for four previous cards, UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman will look for another win over another tenured Brazilian as defends his title against Vitor Belfort who will look to become the third man to hold UFC titles in two different weight classes. Donald Cerrone will be hunting for his eighth consecutive win over John Makdessi who's coming off a first round knockout over Shane Campbell following a lengthy near 15-month layoff, a win over Makdessi will likely propel Cowboy into a rematch with champion Rafael dos Anjos for the lightweight championship. Travis Browne will be looking to string another win streak of knockouts together as he battles the always dangerous Andrei Arlovski, and former flyweight title challengers Joseph Benavidez and John Moraga will be looking to once again climb back up the ladder to once again get a shot at the Flyweight Championship of the world. Here are my predictions for the event.
JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ VS JOHN MORAGA
In July 2014 at the Key Arena in Seattle, John Moraga unsuccessfully challenged flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson for the title and lost via armbar in the fifth round after being dominated with superb wrestling and level changes. Some four-odd months later, Johnson then faced Joseph Benavidez at UFC on Fox in Benavidez's hometown of Sacramento. The two had previously met the previous year in the co main event of UFC 152, but unlike their first encounter in which Johnson took home a close 5 round split decision, Mighty Mouse viciously knocked out Joe-Bi-Wan in the first round proving for the second time that he was the better fighter out of the two. Since dropping losses to the champ, Benavidez has defeated Tim Elliot by guillotine choke which earned him his first "Performance of the Night" bonus, and Dustin Ortiz by decision; where as Moraga has gone 3-1 also going the distance with Ortiz before dropping a doctor's stoppage to #1 ranked Flyweight John Dodson, but has since rebounded by submitting Justin Scoggins and Willie Gates. If it's non stop action you crave, the flyweights always deliver and these two most certainly will do so. Here's why this is such an interesting fight.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Joseph Benavidez - Benavidez certainly always provides exciting action every time he steps into the octagon. His explosive striking power and speed makes him capable of ending a fight with anything at anytime. Joe loves to get his opponents backing up with his right hand and finish his combinations with kicks and knees. On the ground he presents just as equal danger with seemingly Alpha Male exclusive choking power. So what he needs to do if he wants to win this fight is; he needs to take to the center of the cage and keep Moraga on the outside, from there he needs to change levels really strike to the head and look for that big right hand or a takedown, and from there look for a finishing choke.
John Moraga - John Moraga although not explosive as Benavidez can smother you over the pace of five rounds, he has enough power in his punches to earn his opponents respect and his clinch game can be very deadly if he has you up against the cage. Moraga's wrestling pedigree certainly serves him justice and makes him very dangerous in a dominant position on the ground as half of his wons have come by submission (7 by choke). His keys to the victory are as follows; Push the pace on Benavidez and get him backed into the cage, engage the clinch and look for knees and takedowns, and like Benavidez establish a dominant position and look for a finishing choke.
FINAL PREDICTION
TRAVIS BROWNE VS ANDREI ARLOVSKI
Travis Browne has always been so close yet so far to the heavyweight gold in his career. The Hawaiian Heavyweight holds a UFC Record of 8 wins and 2 losses with his most recent loss coming off a number one contender's bout to Interim Champ Fabricio Werdum. But a first round win over Brendan Schaub has reignited Hapa's desires to get back on top of the heavyweight championship ladder. Just as hungry to get back on top of the division is former champ Andrei Arlovski, who is currently riding a four fight win streak, two being in his most recent return to the octagon. Arlovski stated his case for the title by knocking out Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in front of his home country in Brazil, something in which a torn hamstring prevented Travis Browne from doing when he fought Silva in October 2012. A win over Arlovski will not only propel Hapa back into the top 5, but also wash the taste of his loss to Bigfoot Silva in the aforemention event. Let's take alook at our keys to victory.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Travis Browne - With a height of 6 foot 7, a reach of 80 inches, and a background in basketball all throughout high school and college; Travis Browne is at his very best on his feet at a distance. He posseses the ability to not only walk his opponent down with the use of his clinch and kicks, but he's also an effective counter striker as well and can rally from an early storm (ala Alistair Overeem). Browne's guarenteed finishing power however comes from those vicious elbows to the head he used to knockout Gabriel Gonzaga and Josh Barnett back in 2013, so should Arlovski initiate a takedown against the fence Browne will have answer for that. Although he rarely goes to the ground in his fights, Browne still is capable of finishing the fight from a top position as he finished a dazed Chad Griggs with an Arm Triangle Choke back in April 2012. For Travis Browne to win this fight, he needs back Arlovski up to the outside and cut him off using the cage, he needs to engage the clinch and look for those elbows that he always love to throw.
Andrei Arlovski - Much like his opponent, Andrei Arlovski isn't the kind of fighter that likes to stand and bang on the inside. He would much rather wait for his opponent to initiate the battle and stay just enough on the outside to throw that oh so famous right hand he's known for. Although at a 3 inch height and reach disadvantage, Arlovski has proven time and time again that he can hit his laser beam like right hand from any angle at any time of the fight. More than likely, we will see Arlovski doing his very best to circle to lead Browne into the pocket and circle out to his left in an effort to strike Browne with his right hand. Arlovski would be smart to avoid the clinch game with Browne, but should he manage to get a takedown without eating a mouthful of elbows on the way down, he is dangerous with ground and pound and presents more of a threat should the fight get to the ground. For Arlovski to win this fight, he needs to circle away from Browne's power side, he needs to force Travis to come inside the pocket and look for that big right hand, then as soon as he can exit the pocket and reset himself in the centre of the cage.
FINAL PREDICTION
DONALD CERRONE VS JOHN MAKDESSI
After losing to eventual champ Rafael Dos Anjos back in August 2013, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone has been tearing through the UFC's Lightweight Division. He topped off a four fight year that year with a Submission of the Night over Evan Dunham, then racked up six wins over the course of his next calendar year. However while Cowboy was racking up wins from January 2014 to 2015, Makdessi only fought once losing a controversial decision to the undefeated Alan Patrick back at UFC 169. But nearly 15 months later, Makdessi returned in dramatic fashion by knocking out Shane Campbell in the first round in from of his hometown of Montreal at UFC 186. The sudden exit of No. 2 ranked lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov left UFC matchmakers scrambling to find an opponent, until Makdessi finally filled the void. Both fighters present kickboxing backgrounds which makes them no stranger to pressure on the feet, but this one may point to physical attributes being a huge part in play. Let's take a look at how I think this one will play out.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Donald Cerrone - Donald Cerrone is one of those fighters that's never capable of being in a boring fight. Although he may fail to live up to the "barnburner" label that many fans throw on his fights the second they're announced, his work in the cage is certainly far from boring. Cerrone is capable of finishing the fight from nearly any place at any time; his height and reach serves him well for his technical thai boxing stand up, from a dominant position on the ground he has very dangerous ground and pound elbows, and if he's on his back - watch out for his triangle choke. For Cerrone to win this fight, he needs to stay on top of the action at all times. On the feet he needs to control the action from the center of the cage and get Makdessi backing up, he needs to initiate a takedown to expose Makdessi's biggest weakness - his grappling. Should he get Makdessi to the ground, he certainly won't have any problem exposing Makdessi's submission defense which cost him his match against Dennis Hallman.
John Makdessi - Although Makdessi may be able to match Cerrone in terms of skills, he certainly won't in terms of versatility. For him to win this fight, he'll need to stick to his bread and butter which will be on the feet or it may be a short night for him. One impressive thing about Makdessi in which not a lot people realize is his head movement, and if one thing may catch Cerrone it may be that seeing as trading hands is out of his comfort zone. In order for Makdessi to win this fight, he's going to have to stick and move, he'll need to throw 2-3 punch bursts and exit using odd angles, he'll need to use his head movement, and once he does so hit some nice counters on Cerrone.
FINAL PREDICITON
CHRIS WEIDMAN(C) VS VITOR BELFORT (UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
It's easy to believe that I thought this fight would never happen, it was set to headline UFC 173 last year, UFC 175, UFC 181, then UFC 184 which took place earlier this year. But now the stage is finally set and Chris Weidman will once again defend his UFC Middleweight Champion against a Brazilian in Las Vegas. This time he does so against longtime UFC veteran and former Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort, a win over Weidman will make Belfort the third man to hold two UFC Championships in two different weight classes. It's the classic story of a undefeated champion who's proved his prominence by becoming the only person to defeat Anderson Silva in the UFC and then went to war for 25 minutes with another former champ in the form of Lyoto Machida versus a resurging contender who believes his rightful place is at the top of the division holding the gold. Are we in for an upset? Let's take a look.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Chris Weidman - The undefeated UFC Middleweight Champion may very well be a wrestler, but with that base he has proven to show his aggressiveness in all areas of MMA. Whether it be taking the fight to his opponent by walking his opponent down in a straight line, catching them with short range elbows on the inside, or raining down horrifying ground and pound - Chris Weidman can do it all. He'll need to be cautious about coming forward seeing as Vitor is capable of delivering dangerous counter strikes, but seeing as Weidman kept a level head against Anderson Silva he may have to present a more measured game plan in which he fought the likes of Lyoto Machida with. For Weidman to win this fight, he'll need to cut Vitor off using the cage and not crazily jump into exchanges with the Brazilian, he'll need to change levels quickly and secure a takedown, and while he's in the ground - look for any kind of finish whether it be ground and pound or a submission.
Vitor Belfort - We all know that Vitor likes to go for the knockout, but considering Weidman has been praised for having a solid chin - that may be harder to do than it sounds. Weidman will more than likely keep Vitor on the outside which is a comfort zone for The Phenom seeing as he likes to catch guys coming in. If Vitor is to become the third man to win championships in two different weight classes - he's gonna have to catch Weidman coming in and circle away, he's gonna have to change levels, he'll need to mix up his boxing with combinations to the head and body, and in the event he should wind up on his back, people often forget that Vitor is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, so if he does - he should look for submissions off of his back. We know Weidman has yet to be tested in that position so maybe Vitor may pull off a submission.
FINAL PREDICITION
ANTHONY JOHNSON VS DANIEL CORMIER (UFC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
For the first time since March 2011, another fighter other than Jon Jones will wear the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship belt in light of his suspension. But that doesn't mean that the division can surely be shaken up some more, as Anthony "Rumble" Johnson will be looking to add another win to his 9 fight win streak which includes a vicious first round knockout over top contender Alexander Gustafsson. In his way is former two time wrestling olympian Daniel Cormier who was the last person to face Jones in what was a memorable back and forth war. The two fighters who never expected to face each other are now pitted to do so to decide a new 205 lb kingpin. Who's gonna win this one? Let's take a look at what I think.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Anthony Johnson - If you saw Anthony Johnson fighting against Dan Hardy at 170 back in March 2011, it's hard to believe that you'd see him in this position. However after being cut from the UFC after many failed attempts to make 170 and even one so at 185, AJ decided to test himself at 205 pounds where he's done absolutely outstanding since. Johnson loves to go to war with his opponents which means that if Cormier brings it the way he did in the Jones fight, this one may very well end up fight of the night as well. For Johnson to win this he needs to keep Cormier on the outside with his devastating head kick, he needs to use those big uppercuts like he used against Nogueira when he's got Cormier on the outside, and he needs to pace himself with his combinations so he doesn't get thrown on his back, which Cormier is most certainly capable of doing.
Daniel Cormier - Cormier spent most of his MMA career as a heavyweight, but to avoid any match making with his team mate Cain Velasquez Cormier dropped down the Light Heavyweight Division in February 2014 and has proved to be just as dangerous at that weight class as he is at heavyweight. For Daniel Cormier to win this fight, he's gonna have to do what Daniel Cormier does best and that is grind, grind, grind. He'll need to push AJ back into the cage with big punches like he did in the Jones fight, he'll need to throw him down on his back, and considering three out of Johnson's four losses have come by rear naked choke he'll have to wait for AJ to give up his back and then choke him out if he has any chance in finishing.
FINAL PREDICTION
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[MENTION=51]Anaconda Vice[/MENTION] [MENTION=121]Wang Chung[/MENTION] [MENTION=154]Swinny[/MENTION] [MENTION=835]Austerio[/MENTION] [MENTION=75]Champagne Charlie[/MENTION] [MENTION=60]The Linebacker[/MENTION] [MENTION=843]HoHo[/MENTION]
Thank you for reading, if you are a fan and would like to leave your opinnion, please do so! I'd like to read it as well.
JOSEPH BENAVIDEZ VS JOHN MORAGA
In July 2014 at the Key Arena in Seattle, John Moraga unsuccessfully challenged flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson for the title and lost via armbar in the fifth round after being dominated with superb wrestling and level changes. Some four-odd months later, Johnson then faced Joseph Benavidez at UFC on Fox in Benavidez's hometown of Sacramento. The two had previously met the previous year in the co main event of UFC 152, but unlike their first encounter in which Johnson took home a close 5 round split decision, Mighty Mouse viciously knocked out Joe-Bi-Wan in the first round proving for the second time that he was the better fighter out of the two. Since dropping losses to the champ, Benavidez has defeated Tim Elliot by guillotine choke which earned him his first "Performance of the Night" bonus, and Dustin Ortiz by decision; where as Moraga has gone 3-1 also going the distance with Ortiz before dropping a doctor's stoppage to #1 ranked Flyweight John Dodson, but has since rebounded by submitting Justin Scoggins and Willie Gates. If it's non stop action you crave, the flyweights always deliver and these two most certainly will do so. Here's why this is such an interesting fight.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Joseph Benavidez - Benavidez certainly always provides exciting action every time he steps into the octagon. His explosive striking power and speed makes him capable of ending a fight with anything at anytime. Joe loves to get his opponents backing up with his right hand and finish his combinations with kicks and knees. On the ground he presents just as equal danger with seemingly Alpha Male exclusive choking power. So what he needs to do if he wants to win this fight is; he needs to take to the center of the cage and keep Moraga on the outside, from there he needs to change levels really strike to the head and look for that big right hand or a takedown, and from there look for a finishing choke.
John Moraga - John Moraga although not explosive as Benavidez can smother you over the pace of five rounds, he has enough power in his punches to earn his opponents respect and his clinch game can be very deadly if he has you up against the cage. Moraga's wrestling pedigree certainly serves him justice and makes him very dangerous in a dominant position on the ground as half of his wons have come by submission (7 by choke). His keys to the victory are as follows; Push the pace on Benavidez and get him backed into the cage, engage the clinch and look for knees and takedowns, and like Benavidez establish a dominant position and look for a finishing choke.
FINAL PREDICTION
With a closely similar style on the ground, these two will more than likely negate each other in the grappling department and keep it on the feet in which makes for a very exciting fight. In this case my pick is Benavidez, he presents more of a well rounded threat and is much more explosive and tricky to deal with on the feet. I believe Moraga will have a hard time dealing with the angles that Benavidez throws his right hand from and will more than likely struggle in the first and second round. I believe he may rally in the third given that the fight will make it that far, but should the fight go to a decision, Benavidez may do enough in Rounds 1 and 2 to secure a judge's decision.
Joseph Benavidez by Unanimous Decision
Joseph Benavidez by Unanimous Decision
TRAVIS BROWNE VS ANDREI ARLOVSKI
Travis Browne has always been so close yet so far to the heavyweight gold in his career. The Hawaiian Heavyweight holds a UFC Record of 8 wins and 2 losses with his most recent loss coming off a number one contender's bout to Interim Champ Fabricio Werdum. But a first round win over Brendan Schaub has reignited Hapa's desires to get back on top of the heavyweight championship ladder. Just as hungry to get back on top of the division is former champ Andrei Arlovski, who is currently riding a four fight win streak, two being in his most recent return to the octagon. Arlovski stated his case for the title by knocking out Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva in front of his home country in Brazil, something in which a torn hamstring prevented Travis Browne from doing when he fought Silva in October 2012. A win over Arlovski will not only propel Hapa back into the top 5, but also wash the taste of his loss to Bigfoot Silva in the aforemention event. Let's take alook at our keys to victory.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Travis Browne - With a height of 6 foot 7, a reach of 80 inches, and a background in basketball all throughout high school and college; Travis Browne is at his very best on his feet at a distance. He posseses the ability to not only walk his opponent down with the use of his clinch and kicks, but he's also an effective counter striker as well and can rally from an early storm (ala Alistair Overeem). Browne's guarenteed finishing power however comes from those vicious elbows to the head he used to knockout Gabriel Gonzaga and Josh Barnett back in 2013, so should Arlovski initiate a takedown against the fence Browne will have answer for that. Although he rarely goes to the ground in his fights, Browne still is capable of finishing the fight from a top position as he finished a dazed Chad Griggs with an Arm Triangle Choke back in April 2012. For Travis Browne to win this fight, he needs back Arlovski up to the outside and cut him off using the cage, he needs to engage the clinch and look for those elbows that he always love to throw.
Andrei Arlovski - Much like his opponent, Andrei Arlovski isn't the kind of fighter that likes to stand and bang on the inside. He would much rather wait for his opponent to initiate the battle and stay just enough on the outside to throw that oh so famous right hand he's known for. Although at a 3 inch height and reach disadvantage, Arlovski has proven time and time again that he can hit his laser beam like right hand from any angle at any time of the fight. More than likely, we will see Arlovski doing his very best to circle to lead Browne into the pocket and circle out to his left in an effort to strike Browne with his right hand. Arlovski would be smart to avoid the clinch game with Browne, but should he manage to get a takedown without eating a mouthful of elbows on the way down, he is dangerous with ground and pound and presents more of a threat should the fight get to the ground. For Arlovski to win this fight, he needs to circle away from Browne's power side, he needs to force Travis to come inside the pocket and look for that big right hand, then as soon as he can exit the pocket and reset himself in the centre of the cage.
FINAL PREDICTION
Although the experience of Andrei Arlovski far out shines that of Travis Browne, I believe Browne's athleticism will be the ultimate deciding factor in this one. There have only been 4 out of 17 opponents who have not succumbed to his overwhelming knockout power, and given as Arlovski has been known to have a weak chin the writing may very well on the wall for this one. Browne presents more options to knock out Arlovski where as Arlovski has a very limited arsenal on the feet. Although he would have much more of chance finishing Browne with ground and pound, I more than likely believe that Arlovski will stand and trade with Browne leading to a quick stoppage in the first round.
Travis Browne by Knockout in Rd. 1
Travis Browne by Knockout in Rd. 1
DONALD CERRONE VS JOHN MAKDESSI
After losing to eventual champ Rafael Dos Anjos back in August 2013, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone has been tearing through the UFC's Lightweight Division. He topped off a four fight year that year with a Submission of the Night over Evan Dunham, then racked up six wins over the course of his next calendar year. However while Cowboy was racking up wins from January 2014 to 2015, Makdessi only fought once losing a controversial decision to the undefeated Alan Patrick back at UFC 169. But nearly 15 months later, Makdessi returned in dramatic fashion by knocking out Shane Campbell in the first round in from of his hometown of Montreal at UFC 186. The sudden exit of No. 2 ranked lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov left UFC matchmakers scrambling to find an opponent, until Makdessi finally filled the void. Both fighters present kickboxing backgrounds which makes them no stranger to pressure on the feet, but this one may point to physical attributes being a huge part in play. Let's take a look at how I think this one will play out.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Donald Cerrone - Donald Cerrone is one of those fighters that's never capable of being in a boring fight. Although he may fail to live up to the "barnburner" label that many fans throw on his fights the second they're announced, his work in the cage is certainly far from boring. Cerrone is capable of finishing the fight from nearly any place at any time; his height and reach serves him well for his technical thai boxing stand up, from a dominant position on the ground he has very dangerous ground and pound elbows, and if he's on his back - watch out for his triangle choke. For Cerrone to win this fight, he needs to stay on top of the action at all times. On the feet he needs to control the action from the center of the cage and get Makdessi backing up, he needs to initiate a takedown to expose Makdessi's biggest weakness - his grappling. Should he get Makdessi to the ground, he certainly won't have any problem exposing Makdessi's submission defense which cost him his match against Dennis Hallman.
John Makdessi - Although Makdessi may be able to match Cerrone in terms of skills, he certainly won't in terms of versatility. For him to win this fight, he'll need to stick to his bread and butter which will be on the feet or it may be a short night for him. One impressive thing about Makdessi in which not a lot people realize is his head movement, and if one thing may catch Cerrone it may be that seeing as trading hands is out of his comfort zone. In order for Makdessi to win this fight, he's going to have to stick and move, he'll need to throw 2-3 punch bursts and exit using odd angles, he'll need to use his head movement, and once he does so hit some nice counters on Cerrone.
FINAL PREDICITON
Keeping in mind that this is MMA and nearly anything can happen, it is Mixed Martial Arts. And between the two Cerrone is certainly the much more well rounded and more aestheticly gifted fighter between the two. I think Cerrone's gonna walk him down and catch Makdessi on the feet and from there he's going to catch Makdessi with a Rear Naked Choke in the first round. As much as I want to root for the Canadian fighter, I have to trust my sense of realism and go with Cowboy for this one, he's been on such a roll with such tougher competition it kind of makes sense for me to pick him more.
Donald Cerrone by Submission in Rd. 1
Donald Cerrone by Submission in Rd. 1
CHRIS WEIDMAN(C) VS VITOR BELFORT (UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
It's easy to believe that I thought this fight would never happen, it was set to headline UFC 173 last year, UFC 175, UFC 181, then UFC 184 which took place earlier this year. But now the stage is finally set and Chris Weidman will once again defend his UFC Middleweight Champion against a Brazilian in Las Vegas. This time he does so against longtime UFC veteran and former Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort, a win over Weidman will make Belfort the third man to hold two UFC Championships in two different weight classes. It's the classic story of a undefeated champion who's proved his prominence by becoming the only person to defeat Anderson Silva in the UFC and then went to war for 25 minutes with another former champ in the form of Lyoto Machida versus a resurging contender who believes his rightful place is at the top of the division holding the gold. Are we in for an upset? Let's take a look.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Chris Weidman - The undefeated UFC Middleweight Champion may very well be a wrestler, but with that base he has proven to show his aggressiveness in all areas of MMA. Whether it be taking the fight to his opponent by walking his opponent down in a straight line, catching them with short range elbows on the inside, or raining down horrifying ground and pound - Chris Weidman can do it all. He'll need to be cautious about coming forward seeing as Vitor is capable of delivering dangerous counter strikes, but seeing as Weidman kept a level head against Anderson Silva he may have to present a more measured game plan in which he fought the likes of Lyoto Machida with. For Weidman to win this fight, he'll need to cut Vitor off using the cage and not crazily jump into exchanges with the Brazilian, he'll need to change levels quickly and secure a takedown, and while he's in the ground - look for any kind of finish whether it be ground and pound or a submission.
Vitor Belfort - We all know that Vitor likes to go for the knockout, but considering Weidman has been praised for having a solid chin - that may be harder to do than it sounds. Weidman will more than likely keep Vitor on the outside which is a comfort zone for The Phenom seeing as he likes to catch guys coming in. If Vitor is to become the third man to win championships in two different weight classes - he's gonna have to catch Weidman coming in and circle away, he's gonna have to change levels, he'll need to mix up his boxing with combinations to the head and body, and in the event he should wind up on his back, people often forget that Vitor is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, so if he does - he should look for submissions off of his back. We know Weidman has yet to be tested in that position so maybe Vitor may pull off a submission.
FINAL PREDICITION
This is going to be a tough one to call, both are definitely capable of finishing each other and have the ability to do so. But if I'd put money on this one I'd have to go with Weidman. He comes from a completely different generation of fighters where Vitor is used to mostly dealing with fighters who've been long past their prime like Dan Henderson. Weidman's deep tool box will be the biggest key in defeating Vitor (TRT or no TRT) and I believe Vitor will have a hard time dealing with the pressure that Weidman can bring.
Chris Weidman by Submission in Rd. 3
Chris Weidman by Submission in Rd. 3
ANTHONY JOHNSON VS DANIEL CORMIER (UFC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
For the first time since March 2011, another fighter other than Jon Jones will wear the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship belt in light of his suspension. But that doesn't mean that the division can surely be shaken up some more, as Anthony "Rumble" Johnson will be looking to add another win to his 9 fight win streak which includes a vicious first round knockout over top contender Alexander Gustafsson. In his way is former two time wrestling olympian Daniel Cormier who was the last person to face Jones in what was a memorable back and forth war. The two fighters who never expected to face each other are now pitted to do so to decide a new 205 lb kingpin. Who's gonna win this one? Let's take a look at what I think.
KEYS TO VICTORY
Anthony Johnson - If you saw Anthony Johnson fighting against Dan Hardy at 170 back in March 2011, it's hard to believe that you'd see him in this position. However after being cut from the UFC after many failed attempts to make 170 and even one so at 185, AJ decided to test himself at 205 pounds where he's done absolutely outstanding since. Johnson loves to go to war with his opponents which means that if Cormier brings it the way he did in the Jones fight, this one may very well end up fight of the night as well. For Johnson to win this he needs to keep Cormier on the outside with his devastating head kick, he needs to use those big uppercuts like he used against Nogueira when he's got Cormier on the outside, and he needs to pace himself with his combinations so he doesn't get thrown on his back, which Cormier is most certainly capable of doing.
Daniel Cormier - Cormier spent most of his MMA career as a heavyweight, but to avoid any match making with his team mate Cain Velasquez Cormier dropped down the Light Heavyweight Division in February 2014 and has proved to be just as dangerous at that weight class as he is at heavyweight. For Daniel Cormier to win this fight, he's gonna have to do what Daniel Cormier does best and that is grind, grind, grind. He'll need to push AJ back into the cage with big punches like he did in the Jones fight, he'll need to throw him down on his back, and considering three out of Johnson's four losses have come by rear naked choke he'll have to wait for AJ to give up his back and then choke him out if he has any chance in finishing.
FINAL PREDICTION
Momentum is a very big game changer in MMA, and in case of Anthony Johnson it may very well be on his side for tonight. I believe this fight will be very close seeing as Johnson will have the advantage in power, both their wrestling backgrouns I expect will negate each other and force this to be a 5 round war. I believe Johnson will do quite a number on Daniel Cormier but I don't see him finishing him, Cormier is tough and is at the top of the division for a reason. This one is definitely gonna be one for the ages I'll say that much.
Anthony Johnson by Unanimous Decision
Anthony Johnson by Unanimous Decision
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[MENTION=51]Anaconda Vice[/MENTION] [MENTION=121]Wang Chung[/MENTION] [MENTION=154]Swinny[/MENTION] [MENTION=835]Austerio[/MENTION] [MENTION=75]Champagne Charlie[/MENTION] [MENTION=60]The Linebacker[/MENTION] [MENTION=843]HoHo[/MENTION]
Thank you for reading, if you are a fan and would like to leave your opinnion, please do so! I'd like to read it as well.
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