UFC on Fuel TV 7 Predictions

Make sure to tune onto Facebook at 12 PM ET and to Fuel at 3 PM ET for this event.

Sam's Picks

Main Card

Renan Barao vs. Michael McDonald: A fight between the two brightest and most entertaining stars in the UFC? I’m down, but it’s not going to be as close as we are hoping it to be. Despite McDonald’s incredible power for a bantamweight, Barao is the superior fighter everywhere it goes. His technique and speed is unmatched by many fighters at 135 and his ground game is probably the best at bantamweight, or at least his BJJ. We have to really see what McDonald’s ground game is like as his standup has been putting many of his opponents unconscious early. Barao will be able to pick McDonald apart on the feet for a majority of the fight. If he is able to avoid the power punches, a late submission could be in the works for Barao = Barao via 5^th round submission (choke). My 2^nd pick for FOTN!

Cub Swanson vs. Dustin Poirier: Early fight of the year candidate? Absolutely. Hard fight to pick the winner of? Yes, and no. I have picked against Swanson in his last 3 fights, only for him to knockout his last three opponents. Dustin has been look progressively worse in his last three fights: losing the standup game to a promotional newcomer, being submitted by the underdog in Chan Sung Jung, and almost being finished by Jonathan Brookins. Though he has gone 2-1 in those fights, Poirier is still a growing fighter. He needs more time to grow before becoming a title contender. Swanson is hitting his prime right now in his career. Because Poirier was nearly knocked out in his last fight against Brookins, I think that’s what Swanson will do = Swanson via 2^nd round TKO. My 1^st pick for FOTN!

Jimi Manuwa vs. Cyrille Diabate: I’m a fan of Jimi Manuwa. I love to watch him fight and I look forward to his UFC career. But he desperately needs to work on his conditioning. The only reason he got the finish over Kingsbury in his last fight was because of a swollen eye. Diabate looked absolutely fantastic in his last bout over Griggs, but I feel as though it was more Griggs looking atrocious and Diabate taking advantage of that. Diabate has the technique advantage while Manuwa will have a huge power advantage. I see Manuwa winning two of the three rounds with Diabate showing holes in Manuwa’s game = Manuwa via unanimous decision.

Gunnar Nelson vs. Jorge Santiago: It’s a shame that someone like Jorge Santiago just simply can’t find his groove inside the UFC. His record of 1-4 is very under-average and doesn’t do his skills a justice. But Gunnar Nelson, now that is a name that casual fans need to remember. His BJJ is some of the best in the UFC. Santiago also has spectacular BJJ but Nelson is on another level. We saw what happened when Santiago fought someone who was the better grappler in Maia: he lost by decision. Though Nelson isn’t as good as Maia, I still predict a similar outcome = Nelson via unanimous decision.

James Te Huna vs. Ryan Jimmo: I love this fight. They are two of the more exciting prospects in the UFC looking to send themselves into contention. Though they are both big power punchers, but there is a difference in how they find that big punch. Te Huna is a blitzer; he goes right after his opponent with combinations aplenty looking for the knockout. Jimmo measures more and takes his time when looking for that finishing shot. Both guys have amazing chins and are pretty good grapplers. I think Te Huna’s blitzing style is what is going to win him this fight = Te Huna via unanimous decision. My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Che Mills vs. Matt Riddle: I have got to say, Matt Riddle has really impressed me lately. He looked really good against Chris Clements (despite the fact that it was overturned due to marijuana) and showed a more measured fighting style against John Maguire. But Mills is on a different level to that of both Clements and Maguire. His standup is devastating. He hits so hard that it’s hard to watch. Mills will continually hurt Riddle until he gets the finish = Mills via 2^nd round KO. My pick for KOOTN!

Terry Etim vs. Renee Forte = Etim via 1^st round submission (armbar).

Paul Sass vs. Danny Castillo = Sass via 1^st round submission (triangle). My pick for SOTN!

Josh Grispi vs. Andy Ogle = Grispi via split decision.

Stanislav Nedkov vs. Tom Watson = Nedkov via 2nd round submission (arm triangle).

Vaughan Lee vs. Motonobu Tezuka = Lee via unanimous decision.

Ulysses Gomez vs. Phil Harris = Gomez via 3^rd round submission (choke).

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Renan Barao vs. Michael McDonald: McDonald is a great young fighter with a huge future ahead of him, but outside of a “puncher’s chance”, he is not going to come close to winning this. Barao is an animal who is a better athlete and is far above McDonald’s skill level in every facet of the game. I see Barao controlling the fight and not getting too risky, but if he hurts McDonald at all, he will pounce and finish it. = Barao by unanimous decision.

Dustin Poirier vs. Cub Swanson: Possible fight of the year candidate in this one. Swanson has been improving by leaps and bounds lately and seems to be taking out good competition rather easily. Poirier is always a gamer but the main difference in this fight for me is Cub’s fight IQ as of late. He is a Jackson’s fighter and it has been showing. Poirier is a great fighter but his recklessness will hurt him in this one. I see Poirier getting sloppy and Cub sneaking in an opening and dropping Poirier. = Cub by TKO in round 2. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Cyrille Diabate vs. Jimi Manuwa: If it wasn’t for the Swanson vs. Poirier fight, this would be my pick for Fight of the Night! This fight will be an all out technical striking match. The main differences in this fight are the facts that Diabate’s chin will not be able to handle Manuwa’s power and speed. Manuwa will be much faster, stronger but Diabate will have a major reach disadvantage. If Diabate wants to win, he must keep Manuwa as far away as possible. But I see Manuwa using leg kicks and speed to be able to cut down on Diabate’s footwork and mobility. This will be a close one but don’t be surprised if Manuwa pulls off a huge KO. = Manuwa by unanimous decision.

Gunnar Nelson vs. Jorge Santiago: Always good to see Jorge back in the UFC. He is an exciting fighter who can be brilliant at times. Nelson is going to be a very tough test for Jorge. Nelson is extremely well rounded and is a finisher in every sense of the word. Jorge has a chance to come back and win this by playing it smart and not getting into any ugly scrambles, but Gunnar is a young brute and he will find a way to win. = Nelson by unanimous decision.

Ryan Jimmo vs. James Te Huna: Oh boy, this is a treat. Minus his last fight, Jimmo is a slow starter that plots around looking for an opening to land bombs. That will not be the case this time as Te Huna will blitz him like he always does. Jimmo will be forced out of his comfort zone and I don’t think he will like this fight one bit. I see Te Huna being too much for Jimmo and later on catching him. = Te Huna by TKO in round 3.

Che Mills vs. Matthew Riddle: Riddle’s boxing is very strange and not all that effective. That is what will lose him this fight against Mills. Mills has great striking abilities. Mill will land early and often until Riddle is out cold. = Mills by KO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Prelims

Terry Etim vs. Renee Forte = Etim by submission in round 1.

Danny Castillo vs. Paul Sass = Sass by submission in round 2. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Josh Grispi vs. Andy Ogle = Grispi by unanimous decision.

Stanislav Nedkov vs. Tom Watson = Nedkov by split decision.

Vaughan Lee vs. Motonobu Tezuka = Lee by submission in round 2.

Ulysses Gomez vs. Phil Harris = Gomez by split decision.

Let us know your predictions either on Twitter @Champion_Rounds or in the comments.

CR's 2012 MMA Awards!

 We are doing an end of the year award post for this amazing year of MMA in 2012. We cover a variety of subjects and give you our take on what was the best of the best. Let us know your choices in the comments section below!

Sam’s Awards

Fighter of the Year – Ronda Rousey: MMA had a rocky 2012, this is something that the UFC will try to change in in the year 2013. But when men’s MMA had a rocky year, women’s MMA had the best year in its history and it’s all due to one women: Ronda Rousey. Being a former Olympic bronze medalist, she smoothly made her transition into MMA with seven first round armbar finishes heading into 2012. After snapping Miesha Tate’s arm in half and doing much of the same to Sarah Kaufman in her first title defense, Rousey became a star. Her natural sex appeal, aggressive personality, and dominant fighting style put women’s MMA in the mainstream light. With what Rousey has done in only 365 days is what makes her the Fighter of the Year.

Fight of the Year – Chan Sung Jung def. Dustin Poirier via D’Arce choke at 1:07 of round 4: The equation for a fight of the year candidate consists of a back and forth brawl, people being dropped, submission attempts, and an exhilarating finish. This fight had that and a little more.  They slugged it on the feet, Jung went for multiple submissions in the second with almost getting a few, and ended up finishing Poirier with Poirier’s favorite technique. There was only one other fight that could be considered better and Dave picked it.

Round of the Year – Dustin Poirier def. Jonathan Brookins via D’Arce choke at 4:15 of round 1: Apparently Poirier loves to be in amazing fights. After he lost in his Fight of the Year bout against Jung, he was looking for a rebound fight against TUF winner, Jonathan Brookins. Brookins came out strong and aggressive, pushing Poirier against the fence and swinging for the fences. Poirier returned and eventually caught Brookins, dropping him into a sloppy takedown attempt. Poirier countered with a D’Arce choke and finished him off.

Submission of the Year – Ronda Rousey def. Miesha Tate via armbar at 4:27 of round 1: When picking a submission or knockout of the year, it will typically be a comeback win, the first of its kind, or a win with huge implications. This is the third, but we didn’t know it at the time. Rousey won the fight, but the huge explosion for women’s MMA is what causes this win to be my submission of the year. Also the arm snapping didn't hurt, well, except Miesha Tate.

KO of the Year – Edson Barboza def. Terry Etim via KO (Spinning wheel kick) at 2:02 of round 3: Did you really expect anything else? This knockout was insane. I couldn’t stop watching it for weeks. Remember the three different things a “Finish Of the Year” would need? This was the first of its kind. No one has ever knocked anyone out with a spinning wheel kick in the UFC. And Etim just happened to be frozen in time while falling unconscious.

Upset of the Year – Jamie Varner def. Edson Barboza via TKO (punches) at 3:23 of round 1: Varner’s return was a very unexpected surprise but he was supposed to be absolutely blasted by Edson Barboza, who was coming off his win over Terry Etim. Varner was about a 5-1 underdog in the betting lines heading in, but an even bigger one in people’s opinions. Varner bum rushed him and easily finished him in the first round.

Event of the Year – UFC 144: With a card filled with brutal knockouts, awesome submissions, stunning upsets, insane comebacks, and all out wars, this card was absolutely nuts. Sure there were one or two fights that weren’t that great but seriously this card was one of the best in UFC history.

Comeback of the Year – Tim Boetsch def. Yushin Okami via TKO (punches) at 0:54 of round 3: Heading into this fight, Boetsch was meant to be a rebound win for Okami, who was coming off of his failed title shot. Okami was well on his way to a possible 30-26 or 29-27 decision win but Boetsch came out into the third round a different man. He completely demolished Okami in seconds into the third round, pulling off one of the best comebacks of all time and best upsets of the year.

Prospect of the Year – Max Holloway: At only 21 years old, Max Holloway has already amassed a 2-1 record in the UFC. He possesses some of the most technical striking in the UFC’s featherweight division. His last two wins over Justin Lawrence and Pat Schilling are just the beginning of what this young prospect can do.

Most Improved Fighter – Matt Brown: Heading into 2012, Matt Brown was on the brink of being released from the UFC. He was 1-4 with all his losses being submissions in the second round. His New Year resolution was apparently to become a better fighter, and boy did he succeed at that. He ended up going 4-0 in 2012 with two big upsets and three T/KO finishes. That is the definition of improved.

Moment of the Year – Jose Aldo Celebrating with Brazilian Crowd: At UFC 142 in Brazil, the featherweight champion Jose Aldo capped off the night with a first round KO win over Chad Mendes. After his win, he ran into the wild crowd. At first, I was worried because it seemed as though he was being mauled. But then he was put upon the shoulders of a fan and was carried while swinging the Brazilian flag. It was a very emotional and amazing scene.

Story of the Year – UFC 149 Injury Bug: Not only is this the story of the year because it’s insane, but because it’s extremely comical. The amount of injuries that this card sustained is absolutely mindboggling. I will give you a quick rundown of what happened: Bisping was replaced by Lombard against Boetsch. Yoshihiro Akiyama was supposed to fight Thiago Alves but pulled out, Siyar Bahadurzada filled in. Alves pulled out and Chris Clements filled in. Bahadurzada pulled out and Matt Riddle filled in. Thiago Silva was supposed to fight Shogun but pulled out and Shogun left the card to fight Brandon Vera later on. Jose Aldo, originally headlining against Erik Koch, pulled out and Urijah Faber and Renan Barao ended up headlining after Dominick Cruz pulled out of his fight with Faber. George Roop was supposed to fight Antonio Carvalho but pulled out and Daniel Pineda filled in. Big Nog, originally fighting Cheick Kongo, was still healing from his broken arm he got from Frank Mir. And last but not least, Claude Patrick was going to fight James Head but pulled out and Brian Ebersole filled in. It not only was terrible but led to one of the worst cards in MMA history.

Dave’s Awards

Fighter of the Year – Matt Brown: Yes, Matt “The Immortal” Brown. Brown went 4-0 with 3 of those being finished by (T)KO. He destroyed one of the most highly touted prospects in MMA in Stephen Thompson. And put a screeching halt to Mike Swick’s comeback ride. Brown not only did all of this in a dominating fashion but also made each fight incredibly fun to watch. Matt Brown is why I watch MMA. He is talented and fun to watch. And in 2012 Matt Brown was the best.

Fight of the Year – Joe Lauzon def. Jamie Varner via triangle choke at 2:44 of Round 3: This fight was freaking insane! Everyone watching this around me lost their minds on at least 5 different times. It was a back-and-forth affair that ended with a fantastic scramble that summed up the fight as a whole and got Lauzon back in the win column.

Round of the Year – Ivan Menjivar def. John Albert via RNC at 3:45 of Round 1: This round was my favorite because I was certain it was over 2 times and each time the other guy pulled it out somehow. Albert came at Menjivar like a wild animal. Albert was destroying him but Menjivar, the wily vet, kept his cool and somehow came back and won in one of the most fun fights you’ll ever see.

Submission of the Year – Wolfgang Janssen def. Aaron Armstrong via Flying Reverse Triangle at 1:57 of Round 2: This fight didn’t mean much and it was in a small promotion but it is one of the most amazing technical grappling maneuvers I have ever seen. He didn’t get lucky in a scramble and run with it. Janssen was looking for it and got it. Please go watch it on YouTube NOW!

KO of the Year – Johny Hendricks def. Martin Kampmann via KO at :46 of Round 1: Both of these guys had a ton of steam coming into this fight and it lived up to the hype. Most people thought Hendricks would outwrestle Kampmann but he instantly put a big left hand on Kampmann and Kampmann went flying back like a punch from Superman in a comic book. 46 seconds in and we found the scariest man at 170. Watch out GSP!

Upset of the Year – Tim Boetsch def. Yushin Okami via TKO at :54 of Round 3: This fight was supposed to be a one sided beating, and for 2 rounds, it was. Most people thought Okami would just throw Boetsch around and blanket him, and for 2 rounds, he did. But then Boetsch decided to take Okami’s head off and he did. Incredible.

Event – UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort: I’m a little biased because I was there close to the action but the action was nonstop during this one. The night started out with 3 straight 1^st round finishes. Then there was Grant vs. Dunham which could have been Fight of the Year. Then Vinny Magalhaes’ submission over Igor Pokrajac was a thing of beauty. A few fun fights later and you get two amazing title fights! The first ever Flyweight Title fight which was a back-and-forth technical battle and then Jon Jones defended his light heavyweight title against legend Vitor Belfort. That fight alone was amazing. All in all it was the best time I had watching MMA this year.

Comeback of the Year- Martin Kampmann def. Jake Ellenberger via TKO at 1:40 of Round 2: I thought Jake was going to destroy Martin. And he was well on his way to doing so until Martin somehow landed a knee out of nowhere that sent Jake to the ground in a heap. I was speechless at the time. I truly felt that Ellenberger would easily win that fight, but you can't ever count out Kampmann.

Prospect of the Year – Erik Perez: Perez is only 23 years old, is 2-0 in the UFC and both of those wins came against quality opponents. Not only that, but both of those wins ended in the first round. On top of all of this, he trains at Jackson’s camp. This kid has a huge chance to do something amazing at 135 pounds.

Most Improved Fighter – Cub Swanson: Cub has always been good but if you were to tell me a year ago he would go 3-0 against great competition and all of those wins coming by way of KO, I would think you’re nuts. He got manhandled by Chad Mendes, barely won against Mackens Semerzier and then got destroyed by Ricardo Lamas. But Cub went on a rampage in 2012 and most recently destroyed fellow rising star, Charles Oliveira in just under 3 minutes. The sky is the limit for Cub.

Moment of the Year – Vitor Belfort’s armbar attempt on Jon Jones at UFC 152: This fight was a joke to begin with. You had the scariest man alive, Jon Jones, taking on aging and undersized Belfort squaring off on short notice. It was ridiculous and you could tell from the ring of the bell that Jones was going to destroy Belfort. Jones took Belfort down immediately and started to land vicious elbows. But then out of nowhere, Belfort locks on an armbar that made Jones wince in pain and the Air Canada Centre arena erupted in a noise like no other. I’m a huge Jones fan and even I wanted to see Belfort pull it off. It was incredible and even though Jones defended it off, it was an amazing moment in MMA history.

Story of the Year – Women’s MMA makes it to the UFC: This was a huge moment for MMA history as women will now be able to fight under the UFC banner. It was a long time coming and I am so glad it has happened. I just hope that they sign a ton of fighters and handle the women’s divisions better than they have handled the 145, 135 and 125 divisions for men. Dana needs to keep them off of Facebook and feature them often. I can’t wait  for this chapter in UFC’s history to begin.

UFC 152 Main Card Recap

Jones applying the fight ending Americana on Belfort (Photo by bleacherreport.com)

Cub Swanson vs. Charles Oliveira: This was one of the fights that people we're looking forward to the most. Both of these guys have recently hit their stride in their careers and were looking to make themselves top title contenders at 145 pounds. Oliveira took Swanson down early but Cub has a highly underrated ground game. He got up almost instantly and started to land some solid shots on Oliveira. He eventually landed a sick liver punch that stunned "Do Bronx". He followed it with a monstrous overhand right. It took a second, but Oliveira eventually fell down unconscious. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if it turned out he got a broken orbital bone and was unable to continue.

Possible matchups for Swanson: This win easily makes Cub a top-10 featherweight. Three (T)KO's over 3 really good fighters equals at least top-10 status, if not top-7 or 5. A top fighter that has yet to rebound from his most recent loss is BJJ expert and Japanese star, Hatsu Hioki. Due to the fact that Hioki is still a top-10 featherweight, he will continue to fight top-10 featherweights. If Cub can continue his hot streak against Hatsu Hioki, he could even receive a title shot afterwards.

Possible matchups or Oliveira: Despite the fact that all of his losses in the UFC have come in the first round, you have to remember, Charles Oliveira is only 22 years old still. He still has a lot of time to grow and to mature as q person, not just a fighter. Another fighter that is also just 22 years old is Justin Lawrence. He is coming off a brutal TKO loss at the hands of arguably the most promising fighter in MMA, Max Holloway. Therefore, they are both looking for rebound fights, and this fight could very well be awesome.

Matt Hamill vs. Roger Hollett: Sigh, I really, really don't want to talk about this fight. Absolute garbage. Hollett had no business being in the Octagon. His standup is rudimentary, his wrestling is weak, and he has no submission skills. Like I said, he has no business in the Octagon. Hamill should retire now that he has that last win and Hollet should be immediately cut, if that isn't already clear.

Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann: I have to admit, this fight surprised in more ways than one. The main thing that surprised me was the fact that Brian Stann did so well. He easily won the first round, which was something that I really didn't expect. When Stann landed that huge right hand at the end of the first that almost finished Bisping, I went crazy and so did the Toronto crowd surrounding me. After that though, Bisping utilized his highly underrated wrestling to land some huge double legs and score a tough unanimous decision win. Brian Stann did a lot better than people were expecting.

Possible matchups for Bisping: I felt that Bisping would dominate this fight and earn a title shot against Anderson Silva. Bisping wasn’t impressive enough. It's too bad though, because Bisping has been doing so well and has been with the UFC for so long. The fight that honestly makes the most sense at this point is Bisping fighting the winner of Chris Weidman and Tim Boestch. That winner will get their shot at Silva.

Possible matchups for Stann: Brian Stann looked great against Bisping. Seriously looked awesome. You could possible even make a case for a decision win for him. He is still one of the top middleweights in the UFC. If Bisping fights the winner of Weidman and Boestch, Stann should fight the loser.

Demetrious Johnson vs. Joseph Benavidez: This fight could end up going down in history as the most underrated fight of all time. I personally thought that this fight was amazing. The technical prowess was incredible, the mistakes were few and far apart, the action was constant, and the speed was blinding. Joseph Benavidez was the highly favored fighter heading into this championship bout and was even in the top-10 of most people's Pound-for-Pound list. I thought that Benavidez would dominate everywhere that the fight went. I thought he had superior striking, wrestling, and submissions. The one thing that I didn't take into account was the speed advantage in which Johnson would have. He would easily go in and out with strikes and dodge Benavidez' attacks. I scored every round for Johnson minus the 3rd round. That round, Benavidez almost finished Johnson with a mounted guillotine. But Johnson used amazing defense as he did this sweep I have never seen before, maybe cricket legs or something. Anyway, Johnson looked amazing and he deserves to be the first ever UFC flyweight champion more than anyone.

Possible matchups for Johnson: Now that he has the belt, he needs to defend it against the best (obviously). John Dodson and Jussier da Silva are fighting at UFC on FX 5. That fight has to be a number one contenders bout.

Possible matchups for Benavidez: The final decision for the championship fight was a split decision, even though I thought Johnson definitely won the fight. The Team Alpha Male fighter should be immediately put in a number one contenders bout with Ian McCall. That fight would be a brawl.

Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort: Who would have ever thought that the biggest underdog to fight Jones would actually be the fighter that came the closest to beating him? The 30-45 seconds in which Vitor had that armbar, the arena went absolutely bonkers. There were a couple Brazilian guys in front of us and I thought they were going to go insane. The armbar was so close to finishing the fight that his arm was actually cracking and popping, but Jones showed something that we have yet to see from him (mainly because there was never an opportunity) and that was the heart of a champion. Most fighters would tap out if they felt that their arm was breaking. But once Jones shook his way out of the armbar, he started to dominate the fight. Vitor kept on pulling guard, much to the Brazilian fans in front of us' chagrin, and it added to our confusion. He did it again in the 4th round and was almost immediately submitted by an Americana that looked like his arm was about to be ripped off. Jones truly is one of the best fighters in the world and of all time.

Possible matchups for Jones: This is the next big question. Who is the next number one contender at light heavyweight? Dana announced that Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida have to fight one more time before they get a crack at the 205 belt. But the next big light heavyweight fight that is coming up is between Alexander Gustafsson and Shogun Rua. I feel that the winner of that should fight Jones.

Possible matchups for Belfort: I really highly doubt that Vitor will stay at 205. He was really starting to hit his stride down at 185. Before he accepted his fight with Jones, he was scheduled to fight Wanderlei Silva but had to pull out due to an injury. Although the fight doesn't make sense, it didn’t before and I think that fight could be extremely fun.

For Prelim Recap click here

UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort Predictions

We are going to this event live and the weigh-ins so be ready for some extra coverage! And let us know what your predictions are!

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort: What a crazy ride it’s been! But here we are with Jones vs. Belfort and we get to see it live! I’m pumped to see Jones fight live again. I can see myself telling my kids when they are grown that I saw Jones fight live (at least twice) and met him (at least 3 times). I think he can become one of the top 3 biggest legends of our sport and it’s a privilege to see him live. I think Belfort has the same chance to win this as anyone else Jones has faced and that is a big overhand bomb landing. But if Anthony Johnson can outwrestle Belfort then Jones will throw him around like a ragdoll. I see Jones taking him down and finishing it there. I love Vitor and it is a honor to watch him live but this will be ugly. = Jones by KO in round 1. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson: Oh baby! This is the fight I am most pumped about. I have absolutely loved every single flyweight fight so far in the UFC and this will be the best so far. I think Benavidez will be stronger, have better striking and will be able to out grapple Johnson. I think Benavidez will win this fight and be champion for a very very very long time. = Benavidez by unanimous decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann: What a blast this fight will be! I love Brian Stann. I met him recently and he was such a cool guy. Standing next to him, you almost feel not worthy. This guy is literally a hero in every sense of the word. He didn’t just kill our countries enemy. He had to in order to protect innocent people and in a way that sounds impossible. But anyway, I think Bisping is better than him in everyway except for punching power. Bisping could take this to the ground or out-point Stann on the feet. Stann’s only chance is a big bomb but Bisping is usually very good and avoiding those. So, I see Bisping jabbing and landing combos and Stann getting desperate and swinging for the fences and leaving openings for Bisping to land shots. I want Stann to win but I don’t see it happening. = Bisping by unanimous decision.

Matt Hamill vs. Roger Hollett: This fight is the hardest to predict for me because I don’t know a lot about Hollett and Hamill hasn’t fought in over a year due to a short-lived retirement. The fact that he left due to retirement scares me. It is one thing is it was an injury where he would still eat well and work out in any way possible. Retirement can sometimes contain sloth and gluttony. I’m sure Hamill will be prepared but it still worries me. Before his retirement Hamill fought and defeated better competition that Hollett so I am going with him. = Hamill by unanimous decision.

Charles Oliveira vs. Cub Swanson: Both of these guys have really come into their own lately. Oliveira has looked scary good lately, especially against Brookins. Cub has rebounded nicely since his lost to Ricardo Lamas with 2 straight TKO’s. Anything can happen in this fight. Oliveira is only 22 years old and that is a scary thought. I think this fight will mostly be a standup battle but Oliveira should have the advantage on the ground. I’m going with my gut on this one but anything is possible. = Oliveira by split decision.

Prelims

Vinny Magalhaes vs. Igor Pokrajac: Vinny by submission in round 3. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Evan Dunham vs. T.J. Grant: Dunham by unanimous decision.

Lance Benoist vs. Sean Pierson: Pierson by split decision.

Marcus Brimage vs. Jim Hettes: Hettes by submission in round 1.

Seth Baczynski vs. Simeon Thoresen: Seth by unanimous decision.

Mitch Gagnon vs. Walel Watson: Gagnon by unanimous decision.

Charlie Brenneman vs. Kyle Noke: Brenneman by unanimous decision.

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort: I loved Jon Jones. I was supporting him in his Rashad fight saying he isn't as bad as people are accusing him for. I can't anymore. The whole 151 debacle had me lose lots of respect for him. I really want Vitor to win. I love Vitor and have for a very long time. He's a great human being and an MMA legend. The main problem is the wrestling aspect. Anthony Johnson was easily out wrestling Belfort and that is going to be the deciding factor. This is going to be similar to Jones vs. Matyushenko. It would be good to have Vitor win because Jones needs a GSP/Serra fight to wake him up = Jones via 1st round TKO. My pick for KOOTN!

Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson: This is so awesome. Seriously, I have been looking forward to the UFC having the flyweights come and this is the second best possible fight. The first would be Benavidez vs. Ian McCall for marketing reasons. But this fight is an awesome matchup. The speed in this is going to be blinding. Benavidez has the better submissions and standup. So what does that tell you? = Benavidez via unanimous decision.  My 1st pick for FOTN!

Brian Stann vs. Michael Bisping: This is going to be a war! I'm very excited for this. Michael Bisping is, sadly, better than Stann in every aspect of MMA. His standup is crisper and more technical; while Stann holds some devastating power in both of his hands. Sure, Michael Bisping was KO'd by Dan Henderson, but Stann isn't a Dan Henderson. Bisping is going to dominate this fight and most likely earn a title shot vs. Silva = Bisping via unanimous decision. My 2nd pick for FOTN!

Matt Hamill vs. Roger Hollett: I agree with Dave on the fact that this fight is very hard to pick. Hollett is a promising prospect and Hamill is coming out of retirement. Hamill was a wrestling powerhouse but was dominated in his last two fights. Hollett is very promising and I think he's going to win with superior striking = Hollett via split decision.

Cub Swanson vs. Charles Oliveira: It's great to see these two guys making there way up to title contention. Oliveira is looking like an elite fighter since his drop down to 145. His reach is devastating for the weight class and his ground game is world class. Seriously. His last two submissions can be considered for SOTY, especially the calf slicer over Eric Wisely. Cub Swanson's standup has also looked world class lately, but Oliveira should be able to take it to the ground and finish it = Oliveira via 2nd round submission. My pick for SOTN!

Prelims
Vinny Magalhaes vs. Igor Pokrajac: Vinny via 1st round submission.
Evan Dunham vs. T.J. Grant: Dunham by unanimous decision.
Lance Benoist vs. Sean Pierson: Benoist by split decision.
Marcus Brimage vs. Jim Hettes: Hettes via 2nd round submission. My 3rd pick for FOTN!
Seth Baczynski vs. Simeon Thoresen: Seth via split decision.
Mitch Gagnon vs. Walel Watson: Watson via split decision.
Charlie Brenneman vs. Kyle Noke: Brenneman by unanimous decision.

CR Exclusive Interview with Isaac Vallie-Flagg

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

On May 19^th of this year, Isaac Vallie-Flagg burst onto the MMA scene with a split decision victory over Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante, which proved as one of the biggest upsets of the year thus far. The Jackson’s MMA product came into the bout while many viewed him as a stepping-stone for the former DREAM lightweight star. 

He changed that after 15 minutes of an amazing fight.

Although JZ clearly won the first round, Vallie-Flagg came back to win the second two rounds on two of the judges scorecards, many journalists, and us at CR.

Isaac is looking to continue his hot 10-0-1 streak as he will be fighting Adriano Martins on September 29^th. And we got an interview with him on this upcoming fight.

Championship Rounds: So your next fight is with Adriano Martins at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Healy. Talk about this fight, how has training camp been going?

Isaac Vallie-Flagg: I’m excited for my fight with Adriano. He is another tough dude and a real test! Even though people haven’t heard of him, he is legit.

Training camp is going well, I spent my first bit of it with Cub Swanson and his boxing coaches, Joel Diaz and Antonio Diaz working on some stuff. Now I’m in Albuquerque training at Jackson’s with my great team and then going to Gracie Barra in New Mexico with some real beast jiu-jitsu guys.

CR: How do you envision the fight going?

IVF: I envision the fight like this: we are both going to punch each other in the face several times (laughs). This fight honestly could go anywhere but I want to dictate where it goes.

CR: You pulled off a huge upset against Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante in your last fight. How does the underdog status affect you?

IVF: I love being the underdog. I fight better when I’m the underdog. I have been the underdog my entire career and it feels good to prove people wrong.

CR: Your fight with JZ was a barnburner, what was your mentality going into that fight?

IVF: I am a fan of JZ. I knew how tough he is and what he is capable of. I knew I was just as capable and had better conditioning so my mentality was to push this dude hard for 3 rounds no matter where the fight goes, just attack. And it ended up being an entertaining fight from what I saw.

CR: After beating a big name like JZ, where do you believe you stand in the lightweight title picture in Strikeforce?

IVF: You know, I hope my name is getting thrown around to compete for a Strikeforce belt sometime, but the task at hand is beating Adriano, so that is what I’m focused on.

CR: Most people scored the fight for you, 29-28. What was going through your head when they announced the 29-28 score for JZ?

IVF: I really felt like I should have gotten the unanimous decision over JZ. He won round 1 for sure but 2 and 3 were mine, but that is judging for you. You never want to leave it in judge’s hands if you can avoid it

CR: What is it like training at Jackson’s MMA with so many champions? Who are your training partners most of the time?

IVF: Training at Jackson’s is great. Our talent pool speaks for itself. My main training partners are usually everybody; I like to get looks from every person in the gym. It’s a huge benefit to have so many guys and girls that are top caliber fighters. I would like to name drop more but I would have to put a huge list of big names as well as some super talented up and comers.

CR: Are there any names that we should keep an eye on fighting out of Jackson’s MMA that we might not know?

IVF: Guys you should keep an eye out for at Jackson’s are Rustam Habilov, Hunter Tucker, Landon Vannata, Clint Roberts, and Nick Urso: the Jackson 5. Oh, also there is this guy Cub Swanson that you should for sure keep an eye on (laughs).

CR: Who’s Cub Swanson?

IVF: Eh, just some dude that looks like Diego Brandao.

Thanks again to Isaac Vallie-Flagg for the great interview. He’s a great guy with a charismatic personality, he also just happens to also be one of the best up and comers in MMA.

Go follow him on Twitter @ikevallieflagg and watch his fight on September 29^th!