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.

MMA Bantamweight Rankings: September Edition

As we at CR continue our rankings, we now head into arguably the entertaining division in MMA: bantamweight.

After the UFC merged with the WEC, the 135ers have headlined multiple UFC cards, including a couple PPVs. Let’s look at where the best in the world rank:

Photo via MMACarnivale.com

10. Tyson Nam – Eduardo Dantas was a consensus top-10 bantamweight and Tyson Nam knocked him out in 1:40 of the very first round. Being number 10 is the lowest spot he deserves for his most recent win. Unfortunately, Tyson Nam is in a bit of a limbo as he is facing a lawsuit from Bellator. There is hashtag on Twitter which says #FreeTysonNam. Everyone should go and try to make this trend. This lawsuit is rather unfair to say the very least.

9. Bibiano Fernandes – So close. The UFC was so close to signing the best bantamweight outside of their 135-lb division. Bibiano Fernandes has been that one guy who UFC fans have been waiting to come over to the world’s largest MMA promotion. With wins over Antonio Banuelos, Masakazu Imanari, Joachim Hansen, and Joe Warren, there is no wonder as to why everyone wants to see him fight in the UFC. He decided to sign with the Asian promotion ONE FC instead.

Photo via FiveOuncesofPain.com

8. Scott Jorgensen – Although he may be riding a two fight losing streak to both Renan Barao and Eddie Wineland, Scott Jorgensen is still immensely talented and one of the best bantamweights in the world. He has wins over the likes of Brad Pickett, Jeff Curran, and Takeya Mizugaki. He has incredible power and is always extremely entertaining.

7. Brad Pickett – “One Punch” has been one of the constant stable mates as a top contender at 135. Never failing to entertain, this Englishman is the type of fighter that the UFC salivates over. He always puts everything on the line and poses as a threat to every fighter at 135.

Photo via MMAWeekly.com

6. Eddie Wineland – Wineland was on a two fight losing streak after hard fought and close decision losses to Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez. He retaliated with a brutal and shocking 2^nd round KO over Scott Jorgensen. Wineland dominated that fight from the beginning. Renan Barao, the current interim bantamweight champion, couldn’t even do what Wineland did. This showed that Wineland is looking for one more shot at the belt before he decides it’s time to hang up the gloves.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

5. Michael McDonald – 21 years old. How often do you see someone barely old enough to drink and one of the best fighters in his division? Almost never. That’s why McDonald is one of the most promising young fighters in the UFC right now. He has insane power for 135. His KO win over former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres was incredible. It’s terrifying to think that he is only 21. When Jon Jones was 21, he made his UFC debut. Yikes.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

4. Brian Bowles – I love Brian Bowles. I mean, how can you not? He’s unbelievably entertaining, always slugging it out every fight, and he’s a really nice, quite country boy. He is mainly known for his wild standup, but his ground game is solid, considering he was a successful collegiate wrestler. Although he hasn’t fought since his UFC 139 loss (due to constant hand issues), his next fight should be against a big name.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

3. Urijah Faber – Say what you want about Faber constantly being given title shots, but the guy deserves every single one. He is a true legend of the sport and will undoubtedly become a Hall-of-Famer. Sure, his loss to Renan Barao might have dashed his hopes of becoming a UFC champion for a while, but until he loses to a non-champion, he will remain a top-5 fighter,

2. Renan Barao – 31 fights. 29 wins. And only 25 years old. Absolutely incredible. What else can you say about the interim champ? His dominating wins over Chris Cariaso, Brad Pickett, Scott Jorgensen, and Urijah Faber speak for themselves. The kid is easily going to be Dominick Cruz’ hardest test to date, and if he can win, he will be champion for some time to come.

1. Dominick Cruz – One of the most dominate champions, Dominick Cruz easily slides into number one. Hate all you want on his lack of finishing ability, but the guy is truly amazing. His footwork is mesmerizing. What else can you say about it? The guy is a master of footwork and it shows in every one of his performances. He only has two real tests left and if he can get past both of those guys, I don’t really see anyone beating him.

So what did you guys think? Let us know in the comments section on what you either agreed on or disagreed on.

CR Exclusive Interview with Eduardo Dantas!

Bellator Bantamweight Champ Eduardo Dantas (Photo by Hexlinc)

Eduardo Dantas is a rarity in a sport such as MMA. At only 23 years old, he is the bantamweight champion in the 2^nd largest promotion to hold the 135-pound division. He has incredible power for a bantamweight as he has a brutal knockout win over veteran Wilson Reis with a beautifully set up flying knee. He also holds up a very advanced ground game that was especially shown with his submission win over former champ, Zach Makovsky. This is all helped by his reach advantage he has over most of his opponents as he towers over them at 5’10”.

And to top this all off, he trains at one of the best camps in the world, Nova Uniao, alongside UFC champions Jose Aldo and Renan Barao.

He was very gracious in taking time from training for his next fight for an interview.

Championship Rounds: Hey Eduardo, thank you very much for agreeing to do this interview! So, how do you see the fight between Luis Nogueira and Marcos Galvao going? Who do you predict is going to be the winner?

Eduardo Dantas: It will be a tough fight for 3 rounds, and I believe “Loro” (Marcos Galvao) will win!

CR: Describe the experience watching the bantamweight tournament unfold in determining your next challenger. What has that been like?

ED: It is great to see a tournament with so many good fighters, and to see my next [challenger]. I'm going to settle [into training]!

CR: What is it like being only 23 years old and a champion of one of the world’s biggest MMA organizations?

ED: It is very good; I hope to get to 30 years old with many titles!

CR: How many fights do you have left on your contract with Bellator? Will you come to the UFC once it’s fulfilled?

ED: Bellator is an event that I will not leave; it treats me very well. I love all the organizers at Bellator. They are my family. My contract is 1 year and 6 months. In the UFC, Renan is my friend, who will be beating everyone. I do not see anyone in the UFC beating him.

CR: When you come to the UFC, would you be willing to fight your teammate Renan Barao if he is the champion?

ED: This is our job, we are paid for our show, and so we will fight!

CR: What is it like training at such a prestigious camp such as Nova Uniao?

ED: It is paradise! Everyday I power train with the best! Thank God, I love to fight!

CR: What is a name from Nova Uniao that we should keep our eye on?

ED: Everyone, we [at Nova Unaio] just have the best!

Thanks again to Eduardo Dantas. Make sure you follow him on Twitter @Dudantas22 and watch Bellator 73 as Luis Nogueira and Marcos Galvao battle to be the next one to challenge Dantas for his belt!

UFC 149: Barao vs. Faber Main Card Recap

Renan Barao getting the belt

This event started off with some of the best prelims we have had in some time and it was capped off by one of the worst PPV main cards that the UFC has ever had. Not only this, but Dave and I had our worst prediction night since starting CR. Weird night but let’s head into the recap.

Matt Riddle vs. Chris Clements: Before this fight, I wasn’t really a fan of Matt Riddle due to the fact that I thought that he was a guy that didn’t deserve to be in the UFC and his all around MMA game just wasn’t good. This fight shut me up. His boxing needs work but his kicks are great. His wrestling is great and the fight ending standing arm triangle was beautifully set up. I said at the end that he must have worked a lot on his BJJ and he said that he worked a lot with Robert Drysdale. It showed.

Possible matchups for Riddle: In one of the funniest rants that I have ever seen at a UFC post-fight press conference, Riddle called out Dan Hardy. Riddle recalled of a time that a Brit had spat directly in his mouth and wants to take revenge upon Dan Hardy, but doesn’t have anything against Dan Hardy himself. That fight would be good and if Riddle fights smart and tries to take it to the ground, he could actually win.

Possible fights for Clements: Clements is not a very good fighter. Plain and simple. His standup is sloppy and his ground game is very amateurish. Lance Benoist is also coming off a loss and they both have fought Matt Riddle, and even though Benoist won against Riddle, they both need rebound fights.

James Head vs. Brian Ebersole: This fight was just plain weird. It looked like Ebersole didn’t even care about the fight. His takedown attempts were just horrendous, and then they wouldn’t do anything. I thought Head definitely won the fight and that a split decision was ridiculous.

Possible matchups for Head: Head and Seth Baczynski are both looking for steps up in competition and if they fought, the winner would get just that.

Possible matchups for Ebersole: Ebersole clearly had no interest in this fight. His body looked drained and non muscular, which I’m guessing was from his cut down to 155 pounds. Mac Danzig is the type of fighter who is always right on the brink of title contention and loses a fight; a matchup with Danzig would be a tough first test for Ebersole at 155 pounds.

Cheick Kongo vs. Shawn Jordan: In my opinion, this was the worst fight of the night. It was punch then clinch. Punch, and then clinch for the whole 15 minutes, it was brutal. Kongo ended up winning but I did not care who won or lost.

Possible matchups for Kongo: Kongo is the ultimate gatekeeper. Brendan Schaub is still looking for an opponent for his next fight and it didn’t seem like Kongo took very much damage at all in this fight.

Possible matchups for Jordan: Jordan still has a lot of potential along with being one of the most athletic heavyweights in the UFC. Mike Russow just came off of a high profile loss and they both need big rebound fights.

Tim Boestch vs. Hector Lombard: This was the most disappointing fight on Saturday. We were all expecting big things in Lombard’s debut and he did not impress, to say the least. The fight was Lombard standing flatfooted while Boestch leg kicked and punched him. It was weird and I actually scored every round to “The Barbarian”.

Possible matchups for Boestch: Even though this fight was highly boring, Boestch still impressed me and moved himself into the top 5 of 185 pounds. He and Alan Belcher could face off in a potential number 1 contenders match.

Possible matchups for Lombard: In my last recap for UFC on Fuel 4, I said that Munoz should fight the loser of this fight. It’s really the only one that makes sense, including that Lombard called him out before this fight.

Renan Barao vs. Urijah Faber: Barao showed us all that he truly has the best chance at dethroning the bantamweight champion that is Dominick Cruz. Barao dominated this fight from the beginning with kicks, knees, and powerfully fast punches. Barao truly is amazing.

Possible matchups for Barao: If Barao isn’t planning on waiting for Cruz, the only fight that makes sense for him to defend his belt would be against Michael McDonald.

Possible matchups for Faber: Miguel Torres and Urijah Faber’s careers are starting to close in on them. This used to be the super fight that we all wanted very badly back in the WEC days. There is no better time than now. 

For prelim recap, click here.

UFC 149: Barao vs. Faber Predictions

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Urijah Faber vs. Renan Barao: (our interview with Urijah about this fight and much much more, click here!)This fight is going to be amazing! I am so pumped for this. We will either see 1) Faber win and become one of the best fighters to ever live (if he is not one already) and cement himself as a legend and be only the 3^rd person ever to be a Zuffa champion in 2 different weight classes. Or 2) Barao wins and we see a new star born who has the potential to beat Cruz and own that belt for years to come. Barao will be much bigger and stronger and have better striking but Faber will be faster and have better wrestling. I think the BJJ aspect will be cancelled out because both are amazing. Anything can happen in this fight but I feel more comfortable in picking Barao. I think he has more ways to win and I can see him winning the fight in a similar fashion to when Jose Aldo beat Faber. This one will be fun and I can’t wait! = Barao by unanimous decision. My 1st Pick for Fight of theNight!

Tim Boetsch vs. Hector Lombard: I love Tim Boetsch; from the time I saw him throw David Heath neck-first onto the floor like a rag doll.The guy puts on fights, real fights. Lombard is a high level grappler with crazy strength and decent striking. This will be Lombard’s long awaited UFC debut and Boetsch is no easy test to start your UFC career against. Boetsch has amazing heart and is as strong as they come but is not great at any one thing. I hope Boestsch wins but the safer pick is with Lombard. = Lombard by unanimous decision.

Shawn Jordan vs. Cheick Kongo: This should be a fun standup war. Jordan has impressed me for awhile now and Kongo has been looking worse and worse as of late. Jordan should also have the grappling advantage and he has the better camp. I can’t envision Kongo winning this thing unless Jordan either gets careless or has a horrible night. = Jordan by TKO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Brian Ebersole vs. James Head: Head looked great against Papy Abedi and he has beaten the formidable Gerald Harris. However, Ebersole is 4-0 in the UFC and has looked good except in the Claude Patrick fight. Ebersole will be shorter and most likely a reach disadvantage but he is much better then Head everywhere and he should take this. = Ebersole by unanimous decision.

Chris Clements vs. Matt Riddle: This fight will probably be a sloppy brawl but fun to watch. I think Clements is much better then Riddle and I think Riddle will be cut after this fight. Look for Clements to have the speed advantage and take this somewhat easily. = Clements by unanimous decision.

Prelims

Court McGee vs. Nick Ring = Ring by split decision.

Roland Delorme vs. Francisco Rivera = Delorme by split decision. My 2nd pick for Fight of the Night!
(For our interview with Roland Delorme click here, our interview with Fracisco Rivera click here)

Ryan Jimmo vs. Anthony Perosh = Perosh by split decision.

Bryan Caraway vs. Mitch Gagnon = Caraway by unanimous decision.

Antonio Carvalho vs. Daniel Pineda = Pineda by submission in round 2. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Mitch Clarke vs. Anton Kuivanen = Kuivanen by unanimous decision.

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Urijah Faber vs. Renan Barao: (our interview with Urijah about this fight and much much more, click here) This is one of those types of fights that you don’t want either guy to lose. I really want to see the Faber-Cruz trilogy resolved and I also want to see Barao show the world why he is considered Cruz’s biggest threat. Because Barao trains at Nova Uniao, he has a training partner that has fought, and defeated, Urijah Faber. Jose Aldo, the current UFC featherweight champion, dominated Faber in the past which headlined WEC’s largest event. Barao is a very similar fighter to that of Aldo; very technical and quick standup with devastating leg kicks. Barao is going to win this fight with the leg kicks, it worked for Aldo = Barao by unanimous decision. My 2^nd pick for FOTN!

Hector Lombard vs. Tim Boetsch: I am a huge Boetsch fan. I always have been since his amazing slam win over David Heath. I am saying this because I want everyone to know that I am not joining the Lombard hype train. Lombard is a very good fighter. His standup is powerful and technical and his judo is phenomenal. Boetsch is the type of guy who is constantly finding ways to win against fighters who are hefty favorites. He could very well do it in this fight. Lombard is the better grappler but Boetsch can always find a way to win. I will be cheering for "The Barbarian" = Lombard by close unanimous decision.

Shawn Jordan vs. Cheick Kongo: Shawn Jordan is going to be one of the next big things at heavyweight. He has powerful standup and a solid ground game. Cheick Kongo’s chin is gone and his ground game sucks. Everything in this fight favors Jordan = Jordan by 3^rd round TKO. My pick for KOOTN!

Brian Ebersole vs. James Head: Head has not impressed me yet, the best thing he has done is beat Gerald Harris. Ebersole is starting to cement himself as a title contender and James Head will never be one. Ebersole will dominate this fight wherever it goes =Ebersole by 1^st round submission. My pick for SOTN!

Chris Clements vs. Matt Riddle: Riddle is the sloppiest fighter in the UFC. He is just plain bad. I thought that Henry Martinez won their fight and he was half a foot shorter than Riddle. Clements is a fun fighter and should easily win this one = Clements by unanimous decision. My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Prelims

Court McGee vs. Nick Ring: Ring by split decision.

Roland Delorme vs. Francisco Rivera: Rivera by split decision. My 1^st pick for FOTN!
(For our interview with Roland Delorme click here, our interview with Fracisco Rivera click here)

Ryan Jimmo vs. Anthony Perosh: Jimmo by 1^st round TKO (but this was hard to pick).

Bryan Caraway vs. Mitch Gagnon: Gagnon by 3^rd round submission.

Antonio Carvalho vs. Daniel Pineda: Pineda by 1st round submission (choke).

Mitch Clarke vs. Anton Kuivanen: Clarke by unanimous decision.