Tag: Observer Panel Picks

UFC 219 Observer Panel Picks: Cris Cyborg vs. Holly Holm

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

It’s the last event of a relatively down year for MMA as UFC 219 airs on PPV Saturday night from Las Vegas, NV.

Cris Cyborg defends her featherweight title against former bantamweight champion Holly Holm in the main event. This will be Cyborg’s first title defense in a division that is relatively contenderless as there’s only 2-3 women in the actual division.

In the co-main, it’s a likely title eliminator situation as the unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov returns after a long layoff to face Edson Barboza in a battle of top five lightweight contenders. Nurmagomedov was supposed to face Tony Ferguson for the interim belt earlier this year, but the enigmatic Russian failed to make weight and the fight went to Keith Lee instead. He’s been off for more than a year and will try to keep his streak going against the longtime contender Barboza who was last seen knocking out Beneil Dariush in March.

Outside of the top two matches, this card is relatively thin for a PPV. Jimmie Rivera was originally scheduled to face former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and later John Lineker but when Lineker dropped out due to a tooth infection, there wasn’t enough notice to find Rivera an opponent so that fight was scrapped despite the efforts to get Marlon Moraes to take the bout.

Former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit will meet Neil Magny in a welterweight fight that will kick off the main card, while the unbeaten Cynthia Calvillo will try to keep that zero in the loss column when she faces the first ever UFC strawweight champion, Carla Esparza.

Rounding out our panel picks is a featherweight fight on the FS1 prelims where former TUF lightweight competitor Myles Jury will attempt to pick up his second straight win since moving down a weight class as he meets former WSOF champion Rick Glenn. The latter is coming off a one-sided beatdown of rising contender Gavin Tucker in his last fight.  

If you’re new here, our panel picks are listed below and alongside the fighter’s names are their worldwide FightMatrix rankings, as well as BestFightOdds.com betting odds. The panelist’s 2017 records is in parentheses, and we also have panel consensus picks as well as a line where we show how the betting favorites did:

  • Dave Meltzer (54-26; .675) — Wrestling Observer publisher
  • John Pollock (54-26; .675) – POST Wrestling co-founder
  • Favorites (54-26; .675)
  • Consensus Picks (50-29; .633)
  • Tom Lawlor (27-16; .628) – Co-host of Filthy Four Daily; pro wrestling undercard fighter; UFC enhancement talent currently suspended due to wellness violation
  • Steve Juon (50-30; .625) — MMA Mania writer, Angry Marks publisher
  • Josh Nason (50-30; .625) — Host of Josh Nason’s Punch Out, WrestlingObserver.com assistant editor
  • Mike Sempervive (50-30; .625) — Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
  • Mike Sawyer (49-31; .613) — Tough Talk MMA publisher
  • David Bixenspan (48-32; .600) – Deadspin pro wrestling columnist; Between the Sheets podcast host
  • Ryan Frederick (46-34; .575) — WrestlingObserver.com UFC writer
  • Front Row Brian (43-37; .538) — MMA newsbreaker, beloved internet personality, podcast host
  • Paul Fontaine (41-39; .513) — MMADraws.com publisher, WrestlingObserver.com writer

> UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg (18-1) vs Holly Holm (11-3)

Cyborg is fighting for the fourth time in the UFC and has knocked out all three of her previous opponents, including Tony Evinger in her last bout to win the title that had been vacated by Germaine de Randamie. She is facing a woman who will most likely be the most skilled striker she’s ever seen in former bantamweight champion Holm.

Holm rebounded from a three-fight losing streak, the first three losses of her career, to defeat former title challenger Bethe Correia with a question mark kick that capped off an otherwise dull fight. If she can withstand with the brutal attack of the champion, her best hope is that Cyborg tires out and Holm is able to catch her late in the fight in similar fashion.

The oddsmakers seem to think that Holm has a better chance of pulling off the upset than any of Cyborg’s previous UFC opponents as she is usually anywhere from a -700 to -1000 favorite. The odds are much closer this time around.

  • Cyborg #1; -320 betting favorite: Sawyer, Juon, Frederick, Pollock, Bix, Nason, Dave
  • Holm #5; +315 betting underdog: FRB, Lawlor, Fontaine, Sempervive

> Khabib Nurmagomedov (24-0) vs Edson Barboza (19-4)
LIGHTWEIGHTS

This makes for a very interesting style matchup here as Nurmagomedov is known for taking his opponents down at will and smothering his way to victory. It’s not terribly exciting but it’s effective as evidenced by his long unblemished record. Barboza, meanwhile, is one of the most dynamic strikers in the division, capable of a knockout at any time. He’s an almost even-money bet to pick up a post show bonus award as he’s racked up eight of them in 17 UFC fights as opposed to none for his opponent.

With divisional kingpin Conor McGregor seemingly holding the belt hostage, the winner here will almost certainly get interim champion Tony Ferguson sometime in 2018.

  • Nurmagomedov #6; -265 betting favorite: Sawyer, FRB, Frederick, Juon, Pollock, Sempervive, Nason
  • Barboza #4; +260 betting underdog: Lawlor, Fontaine, Bix, Dave

> Cynthia Calvillo (6-0) vs Carla Esparza (12-4)
STRAWWEIGHTS

Calvillo has taken the UFC by storm as the Team Alpha Male product debuted early this year with just three fights on her resume. She had the rare distinction of appearing on the main card of two straight UFC PPVs, winning both of her fights by submission. She followed that up with a decision over veteran Joanne Calderwood in July and will fight for the fifth time in 2017 (she also fought on a regional show in January) against former champion Esparza.

Esparza, who was also a champion in Invicta, won the TUF 20 tournament to claim the women’s strawweight title. She lost her first title defense to Joanna Jedrzejczyk but has rebounded to win two of three since then. She does hold a victory over current champion Rose Namajunas so a win here could get her close to a rematch with “Thug Rose”.

  • Calvillo #13; -210 betting favorite: Sawyer, FRB, Frederick, Lawlor, Fontaine, Bix, Sempervive, Nason, Dave
  • Esparza #8; +245 betting underdog: Juon, Pollock

Carlos Condit (30-10) vs Neil Magny (19-6)
WELTERWEIGHTS

When we last saw Condit 17 months ago, the former title challenger was submitted in the first round by Demian Maia and many felt it might be the last time we’d see him in the Octagon. After that long time off, he returns tonight and will hope to avoid his third straight loss against longtime contender Magny. Although he’d faced very tough competition, Condit only has one victory in almost five years and badly needs a W here.

Magny’s history is such that he usually beats the guys ranked behind him and loses to those ahead of him, so he’s been stuck in the bottom half of the top 10 rankings for a couple of years now. He’s also lost two of his last three, but a victory here would be the biggest of his long career and might finally move him into the top five of a tough division.

  • Condit NR; -152 betting favorite: FRB, Frederick, Lawlor, Pollock, Bix, Sempervive, Nason, Dave
  • Magny #13; +155 betting underdog: Sawyer, Juon, Fontaine

> Myles Jury (16-2) vs Rick Glenn (20-4-1)
FEATHERWEIGHTS

Jury returned from a 16-month absence and KO’d Mike De La Torre in the first round earlier this year to snap a two-fight losing streak. The one-time lightweight may be even better than his impressive record shows as his only two losses have come at the hands of Charles Oliveira and Donald Cerrone. He doesn’t immediately spring to the mind when you think of title challengers, but that record is hard to ignore and increased activity will only help his cause.

Glenn has picked up two straight since losing a short notice fight in his UFC debut against the much larger Evan Dunham at lightweight. He’s actually won five straight in the weight class since losing his WSOF title to Lance Palmer in 2014. He couldn’t have looked better in his last fight, destroying the previous unbeaten Gavin Tucker in a bout that got the very rare 30-24 score including one round that was scored 10-7. This fight could steal the show.

  • Jury #17; -185 betting favorite: Sawyer, Juon, Frederick, Lawlor, Fontaine, Nason, Dave
  • Glenn #41; +198 betting underdog: FRB, Pollock, Bix, Sempervive

**********

The rest of the card:

> Daniel Hooker (14-7) vs Marc Diakese (12-1)
LIGHTWEIGHTS

  • Hooker #50; +174 betting underdog
  • Diakese #112; -178 betting favorite

> Khalil Rountree (6-2) vs Michal Oleksiejczuk (12-2)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

  • Rountree #49; -300 betting favorite
  • Oleksiejczuk #97; +285  betting underdog

> Omari Akhmedov (17-4) vs Marvin Vettori (12-3)MIDDLEWEIGHTS

  • Akhmedov #76 at welterweight; +186 betting underdog
  • Vettori #55; -205 betting favorite

> Louis Smolka (11-4) vs Matheus Nicolau (12-1-1) FLYWEIGHTS

  • Smolka #27; +255 betting underdog
  • Nicolau NR; -214 betting favorite

> Tim Elliott (14-8-1) vs Mark De La Rosa (9-0) BANTAMWEIGHTS

  • Elliott #9 at flyweight; -200 betting favorite
  • De La Rosa #108; +185 betting underdog

– Action begins with the Fight Pass prelim at 7:30 PM EST and moves over to FS 1 at 8 PM EST. The main card airs on PPV at 10 PM EST, and yours truly will have play by play coverage of the show.

– Josh Nason spoke with fellow panel member John Pollock about UFC 219, the launch of his new website and other pro wrestling and MMA topics on the latest edition of Josh Nason’s Punch Out. 

UFC 218 Observer Panel Picks: Max Holloway vs. Jose Aldo II

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

UFC returns tonight for its second show of the weekend with an event that looks exciting on paper but probably won’t be breaking any box office records. Top to bottom, though, it’s one of the best shows of year headlined by a featherweight title rematch where Max Holloway defends the belt against longtime former champ Jose Aldo.

In the co-main, a future heavyweight title contender should emerge as up and coming prospect Francis N’Gannou hopes to extend a five fight UFC winning streak against MMA legend Alistair Overeem, making one last title run in the twilight of his career.

In a fight that promises to steal the show, and both competitors have said as much, TUF 26 coaches Justin Gaethje and Eddie Alvarez will square off in a lightweight bout. In another main card fight with title implications, top flyweight contenders Sergio Pettis and Henry Cejudo meet in attempt to determine another victim for division kingpin Demetrious Johnson.

Rounding out the main card and our panel picks is a strawweight bout between former Invicta atomweight champion Michelle Waterson against Tecia Torres. Both are top contenders to the belt recently won by Rose Namajunas and the winner could be in line for a title opportunity.

If you’re new here, our panel picks are listed below and listed alongside the fighter’s names are their worldwide FightMatrix rankings, as well as BestFightOdds.com betting odds. The panelist’s 2017 records is in parentheses, and we also have panel consensus picks as well as a line where we show how the betting favorites did:

  • Dave Meltzer (50-25; .667) — Wrestling Observer publisher
  • John Pollock (50-25; .667) — Co-host of John and Wai’s Reviews
  • Favorites (50-25; .667)
  • Steve Juon (47-28; .627) — MMA Mania writer, Angry Marks publisher
  • Consensus Picks (46-28; .622)
  • Josh Nason (46-29; .613) — Host of Josh Nason’s Punch Out, WrestlingObserver.com assistant editor
  • Mike Sempervive (46-29; .613) — Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
  • Mike Sawyer (46-29; .613) — Tough Talk MMA publisher
  • Tom Lawlor (23-15; .605) – Co-host Filthy Four Daily; pro wrestling undercard fighter; UFC enhancement talent currently suspended due to wellness violation
  • David Bixenspan (45-30; .600) – Deadspin pro wrestling columnist; Between the Sheets podcast host
  • Ryan Frederick (43-32; .573) — WrestlingObserver.com UFC writer
  • Front Row Brian (40-35; .533) — MMA newsbreaker, beloved internet personality, podcast host
  • Paul Fontaine (38-37; .507) — MMADraws.com publisher, WrestlingObserver.com writer

> UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway (18-3) vs Jose Aldo (26-3) II

Holloway KO’d Aldo in the third round of their first fight this past June and was initially scheduled to face Frankie Edgar in his first title defense. But when the former lightweight champion pulled out due to injury, Aldo was chosen to step in as he was training for a fight with Ricardo Lamas.

In a very unique stat, this will be Aldo’s 11th fight in UFC and they have all been title matches. Only Ronda Rousey, with eight title matches and no non-title bouts, is even close. He was getting the better of Holloway early in their first bout but gassed out, allowing the younger challenger back into the fight he eventually won.

Holloway has won 11 straight since losing a decision to current lightweight champion Conor McGregor and he’d love nothing better than a chance to avenge that loss some day in a different weight class. While that is unlikely for now, he’ll have to settle for attempting to defeat a bonafide MMA legend for a second straight time.

  • Holloway #1; -250 betting favorite: Sawyer, Juon, Pollock, Meltzer, Fontaine, Sempervive, Lawlor, Nason, FRB, Bix
  • Aldo #2; +255 betting underdog: Frederick

> Francis N’Gannou (10-1) vs Alistair Overeem (43-15)
HEAVYWEIGHTS

N’Gannou has taken the UFC by storm, winning five straight with five finishes in just over two years. He’s finished nine opponents in a row overall and if he can manage to beat long-time contender Overeem, it’s likely he’ll get the shot at champion Stipe Miocic.

Aside from a first round KO loss in his first and only UFC title shot, Overeem is on quite a roll himself. Sandwiched around that defeat are six wins, including four by KO. Three of those victories came against former UFC champions, including his most recent win over Fabricio Werdum.

This is your classic ‘next big thing’ vs. the fading legend, but we’ve seen the legend pull out a win before and if Overeem can manage to do that here, it would be quite a story.

  • N’Gannou #7; -208 betting favorite: Frederick, Sawyer, Juon, Pollock, Meltzer, Fontaine, Sempervive, Lawlor, Nason
  • Overeem #2; +200 betting underdog: FRB, Bix

> Henry Cejudo (11-2) vs Sergio Pettis (16-2)
FLYWEIGHTS

Cejudo is a former Olympic gold medallist who burst onto the MMA scene with nine straight wins before running into Demetrious Johnson in a title shot that he probably took too early in his career. He was KO’d in the first round and then lost a split decision to Joseph Benavidez in his next fight. In his most recent fight, he KO’d recent title contender Wilson Reis and looked great in doing so.

Standing across the Octagon will be “The Phenom” Pettis, riding a four-fight win streak and basically the only top contender left who has yet to face Johnson. He will almost certainly get that elusive title fight with a win here while Cejudo could also get the nod with an impressive finish.

  • Cejudo #3; -269 betting favorite: Frederick, Sawyer, Juon, Pollock, Meltzer, Sempervive, Lawlor, Nason, FRB, Bix
  • Pettis #6; +265 betting underdog: Fontaine

> Justin Gaethje (18-0) vs Eddie Alvarez (28-5)
LIGHTWEIGHTS

Gaethje, the former World Series of Fighting lightweight champion, made his UFC debut in spectacular fashion with a win over longtime contender Michael Johnson in a fight of the year candidate that landed him two post-show bonus awards.

Alvarez is a former Bellator champion that shocked the world by winning the UFC title over Rafael Dos Anjos. He would go on to lose the strap to Conor McGregor. He followed that up with a strange no-contest against Dustin Poirier that was shaping up to be a hell of a fight before he landed illegal knees, causing the fight to be prematurely stopped. Both guys are promising to deliver a fight of the night performance.

  • Gaethje #7; -175 betting favorite: Frederick, Sawyer, Juon, Pollock, Meltzer, Fontaine, Sempervive, Lawlor, Nason, Bix
  • Alvarez #3; -165 betting underdog: FRB

> Tecia Torres (9-1) vs Michelle Waterson (14-6)
STRAWWEIGHTS

Torres, aka “The Tiny Tornado”, has won five of her six UFC fights with the only loss coming at the hands of current champion Rose Namajunas. She does hold a victory over the champ in a pre-UFC bout early in their respective careers and a third bout between the two would be a chance to settle that rivalry.

Waterson is somewhat undersized for this division but the former Invicta 105-lb champion started her UFC career with two straight submission wins before being stopped by Namajunas in a title eliminator bout earlier this year. At 31, she’s one of the oldest contenders in the division and she’ll probably need a decent winning streak to get back into title contention.

  • Torres #10; -225 betting favorite: Frederick, Pollock, Meltzer, Fontaine, Sempervive, Lawlor, Nason, Bix
  • Waterson #22; +220 betting underdog: Sawyer, Juon, FRB

**********

The rest of the card:

> Paul Felder (14-3) vs Charles Oliveira (22-7)
LIGHTWEIGHTS

  • Felder #20; +105 betting favorite
  • Oliveira #13; +110 betting underdog

> Alex Oliveira (18-4-1) vs Yancy Medeiros (14-4)
WELTERWEIGHTS

  • Oliveira #9; -218 betting favorite
  • Medeiros #34; +220 betting underdog

> Drakkar Klose (8-0-1) vs David Teymur (6-1)LIGHTWEIGHTS

  • Klose #88; +160 betting underdog
  • Teymur #59; -170 betting favorite

> Felice Herrig (13-6) vs Cortney Casey (7-4) STRAWWEIGHTS

  • Herrig #14; -120 betting favorite
  • Casey #11; +110 betting underdog

> Abdul Razzak Alhassan (7-1) vs Sabah Homassi (11-6) WELTERWEIGHTS

  • Alhassan #157; -240 betting favorite
  • Homassi NR; +220 betting underdog

> Dominick Reyes (7-0) vs Jeremy Kimball (15-6) LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHTS

  • Reyes #54; -425 betting favorite
  • Kimball #53; +450 betting underdog

Angela Magana (11-8) vs Amanda Cooper (2-3) STRAWWEIGHTS

  • Magana NR; +415 betting underdog
  • Cooper NR; -440 betting favorite

Allen Crowder (9-2) vs Justin Willis (5-1) HEAVYWEIGHTS

  • Crowder #106; +195 betting underdog
  • Willis #56; -215 betting favorite

Action begins with the Fight Pass prelims at 6:30 PM EST and moves over to FS1 at 8 PM EST. The main card airs on PPV at 10 PM EST, and yours truly will have play by play coverage of the show.

UFC 213 Observer Panel Picks: International Fight Week Edition

Posted on by Ryan Frederick

It’s UFC’s International Fight Week in Las Vegas, typcially the biggest fight week of the year, with two events. We’ve already had one which featured what may be the best fight you will see this year with Michael Johnson and Justin Gaethje having an instant classic.

Now comes time for what is traditionally the biggest UFC pay-per-view event of the year with UFC 213. However, it lacks the luster of previous International Fight Week pay-per-view events, and it isn’t even the most stacked event this month with UFC 214 and three title fights looming large three weeks from now.

While this show lacks names like Conor McGregor, Anderson Silva, Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey that have made this the can’t miss weekend in the past, UFC 213 is a good card at Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena with two title fights.

Amanda Nunes defends the UFC women’s bantamweight championship against Valentina Shevchenko in the main event, the second time they will have fought inside the Octagon. Nunes is wanting to make it 2-0 against her foe, while Shevchenko is looking to end the Brazilian’s title reign before it hits 365 days.

The co-main event sees an interim title being made at 185 pounds as Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker do battle. It remains to be seen what is next for the winner of this fight. Do they get Michael Bisping? Is Bisping still going after a fight with Georges St. Pierre, and if so and GSP wins, what happens then? Perhaps, in the event Romero wins, Bisping immediately announces his retirement. There have been a lot of crazy things going on in this division.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum and Alistair Overeem will fight for the third time, making history as it will be the first time that the same fight has happened in the big three promotions of UFC, PRIDE, and Strikeforce. Former lightweight chapion Anthony Pettis looks to return to lightweight glory as he takes on Jim Miller. Finally, Travis Browne looks to break out of a slump when he takes on Aleksei Olienik on the featured bout of the prelims.

If you’re new here, our panel picks are listed below and listed alongside the fighters’ names are their worldwide FightMatrix rankings, as well as BestFightOdds.com betting odds. The panelists’ 2017 records are in parentheses, and we also have panel consensus picks as well as a line where we show how the betting favorites did:

  • John Pollock (32-15; .681) — Fight Network analyst, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, MMA Report co-host
  • Favorites (31-16; .660)
  • Consensus Picks (30-16; .652)
  • Dave Meltzer (30-17; .638) — Wrestling Observer publisher
  • David Bixenspan (30-17; .638) – Deadspin pro wrestling columnist; Between the Sheets podcast host
  • Steve Juon (29-18; .617) — MMA Mania writer, Angry Marks publisher
  • Tom Lawlor (6-4; .600) – Co-host Filthy Four Daily; pro wrestling undercard fighter; UFC enhancement talent currently suspended due to wellness violation
  • Mike Sawyer (28-19; .596) — Tough Talk MMA publisher
  • Josh Nason (28-19; .596) — Host of Josh Nason’s Punch Out, WrestlingObserver.com assistant editor
  • Mike Sempervive (28-19; .596) — Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
  • Ryan Frederick (26-21; .553) — WrestlingObserver.com UFC writer
  • Paul Fontaine (24-23; .511) — MMADraws.com publisher, WrestlingObserver.com writer
  • Front Row Brian (23-24; .489) — MMA newsbreaker, beloved internet personality, podcast host

> UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes (14-4) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (14-2) II

Amanda Nunes won the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship from Miesha Tate at UFC 200 at last year’s International Fight Week event. She earned that title shot on the heels of a win over Valentina Shevchenko, her challenger on that night. Since that night Nunes won the title from Tate, she has defended just once- a first-round mauling of Ronda Rousey that seemingly ended the career of the trailblazer and established Nunes as the dominant female fighter at 135 pounds.

Since that loss to Nunes, Shevchenko has scored an impressive decision win over former champion Holly Holm, and, in January, she dominated and submitted Julianna Pena on FOX. Shevchenko may very well be a future champion at 125 pounds when the UFC adds the flyweight division later this year, but having another championship on her mantle wouldn’t bug her at all.

When Nunes defeated Shevchenko in March 2016, it was interesting in the sense that Nunes started to fade late and Shevchenko won the third round, but Nunes got the decision based on winning the first two rounds. With two more rounds now coming into play in a title fight, it seems to put the advantage in the hands of Shevchenko, who many see enters the fight as the favorite.

  • Nunes #1; -110 betting favorite — Fontaine, Juon, Bix, Nason, Meltzer
  • Shevchenko #2; +100 betting underdog — Pollock, Sawyer, Frederick, FRB, Lawlor, Sempervive

> Yoel Romero (13-1) vs. Robert Whittaker (18-4) – Interim UFC Middleweight Championship

When you look at every single fight that could possibly be made, a match-up between Yoel Romero and Robert Whittaker might be the single-best piece of matchmaking there can be. It is the best 185-pound fight put together in a long time, and perhaps ever, no offense to any other fight made. Romero is a freak of nature at his age, and he looks just unreal. Whittaker fights unreal, as exciting as one can be, with dangerous power.

Romero has yet to lose inside the Octagon, having won eight straight fights, many by vicious finish, making him arguably the single scariest male fighter in the sport. He has never lost at 185 pounds. However, neither has Whittaker, who has won seven straight fights, and is coming off a dominant finish of Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza in April. No offense to champion Michael Bisping, but the winner of this fight is the best middleweight in the world.

  • Romero #2; +110 betting underdog: Fontaine, Sawyer, Frederick, FRB, Lawlor, Juon, Nason
  • Whittaker #5; -120 betting favorite: Pollock, Bix, Sempervive, Meltzer

> Fabricio Werdum (21-6-1) vs. Alistair Overeem (42-15 1 NC) III
Heavyweights

Two men hunting for the next title shot in the heavyweight division will meet in a trilogy bout. Fabricio Werdum would love to get a chance for a rematch against UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic, who knocked out Werdum in May 2016 to win the championship. Overeem would like another crack at Miocic, who also knocked him out when Overeem challenged for the championship in September.

In order to do so, someone has to win the rubber match. Werdum submitted Overeem in PRIDE in 2006, while Overeem won a boring decision in Strikeforce in 2011. Both mens’ careers have drastically changed since they last fought, and this time they do so inside the Octagon will title shot aspirations hanging in the balance. Werdum last fought in September, scoring a win over Travis Browne, while Overeem last fought in March, knocking out Mark Hunt.

  • Overeem #3; -135 betting favorite: Fontaine, Sawyer, Pollock, Frederick, FRB, Lawlor, Juon, Bix, Sempervive, Nason, Meltzer

> Anthony Pettis (19-6) vs. Jim Miller (28-9 1 NC)
Lightweights

28 months ago, Anthony Pettis was the UFC Lightweight Champion. The king at 155 pounds. He was on a tear, and he won a championship many were expecting him to win the day he set foot in the UFC from the WEC, and many were expecting him to be champion for a long time. He then ran into Rafael Dos Anjos, who demolished him to win the title. Then came more losses. Then came a drop to 145 pounds. A win followed. A title shot at an interim title came. Missing weight for said title fight happened, and then a destruction at the hands of Max Holloway in that fight sent Pettis back to the lightweight division, where he hopes to regain glory. He needs to if he ever wants to get the fans behind him once again, and he knows his back is against the wall.

Jim Miller will be fighting in the Octagon for the 27th time, a company record. He will be in the UFC until the day he decides to hang the gloves up for good. You rarely seen an unentertaining Jim Miller fight. While he may never get that elusive title shot that he once came oh so close to securing, the fans always have had the back of Miller for his penchant for entertainment, and he is a crowd-pleaser to say the least, and one of the most likeable fighters in the sport. He is looking to get back into the win column after suffering a loss to Dustin Poirier in February, which snapped his three-fight win streak.

  • Pettis #8; -220 betting favorite: Fontaine, Sawyer, Pollock, Frederick, FRB, Lawlor, Meltzer
  • Miller #20; +200 betting underdog: Juon, Bix, Sempervive, Nason

> Travis Browne (18-6-1) vs. Aleksei Olienik (51-10-1)
Heavyweights

Travis Browne may have already scored the biggest win outside of his fighting career, having recently becoming engaged to Ronda Rousey. When it comes to what he’s done inside the Octagon, he is in desperate need of a victory on Saturday. Browne has lost three straight fights, and is just 2-5 in his last seven fights. He was knocked out cold by Derrick Lewis in February, which followed defeats at the hands of former champions Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez. Many thought he would challenge for UFC gold one day- now he’s fighting for UFC survival.

Aleksei Olienik is a veteran fighter who made his professional debut in 1997. At 40-years-old and entering the 63rd fight of his career, he gets his highest-profile fight in the UFC to date against Browne. Olienik is not the most exciting fighter, but he is effective as evidenced by his three UFC wins in four UFC appearances. He also holds career wins over the likes of Mirko Cro Cop and Jeff Monson, while also holding a defeat at the hands of Chael Sonnen.

  • Browne #11; -225 betting favorite: Fontaine, Sawyer, Pollock, Frederick, FRB, Lawlor, Juon, Bix, Meltzer
  • Olienik #30; +205 betting underdog: Sempervive, Nason

​​​​​​​**************

The rest of the card:

Daniel Omielanczuk (19-7-1 1 NC) vs. Curtis Blaydes (6-1 1 NC)  (heavyweights)

  • Omielanczuk #35; +570 betting underdog
  • Blaydes #54; -705 betting favorite

Chad Laprise (11-2) vs. Brian Camozzi (7-3)  (welterweights)

  • Laprise #153; -605 betting favorite
  • Camozzi #268; +505 betting underdog

Thiago Santos (14-5) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (26-8)  (middleweights)

  • Santos #25; -150 betting favorite
  • Meerschaert #46; +140 betting underdog

Jordan Mein (29-11) vs. Belal Muhammad (11-2)  (welterweights)

  • Mein #58; +120 betting underdog
  • Muhammad #65; -130 betting favorite

Rob Font (13-2) vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade (24-1 1 NC)  (bantamweights)

  • Font #30; -295 betting favorite
  • Silva de Andrade #72; +265 betting underdog

Cody Stamann (14-1) vs. Terrion Ware (17-5)  (featherweights)

  • Stamann #63BW; -245 betting favorite
  • Ware #66BW; +225 betting underdog

Trevin Giles (9-0) vs. James Bochnovic (8-1)  (light heavyweights)

  • Giles #109MW; -260 betting favorite
  • Bochnovic #139; +240 betting underdog

Action begins with the Fight Pass prelims at 6:30 p.m. ET and moves over to FS1 at 8 p.m. ET. The main card airs on PPV at 10 p.m. ET, covered bymyself, Ryan Frederick.

Bellator NYC Observer Panel picks: Chael vs. Wanderlei; Fedor vs. Mitrione

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

It’s the biggest show in the history of Bellator MMA tonight as they return to PPV with Bellator NYC. There are three world title fights on the card, but the show is headlined by a grudge match years in the making with Chael Sonnen taking on Wanderlei Silva in the promotional debut for the latter fighter.

Also making their Bellator debut is former Pride legend and the one-time top heavyweight in the world Fedor Emelianenko. He will step into the cage with Matt Mitrione, looking for his third straight win since joining Bellator.

The most high profile title fight will actually headline the prelims on Spike, called Bellator 180, as light heavyweight champion Phil Davis faces the debuting Ryan Bader. 

On the PPV main card, there are two title fights. Lightweight champion Michael Chandler, who in many ways is the face of the company, defends against little known but unbeaten Brent Primus while recent UFC free agent Lorenz Larkin challenges champion Douglas Lima for his welterweight belt.

If you’re new here, our panel picks are listed below and listed alongside the fighter’s names are their worldwide FightMatrix rankings, as well as BestFightOdds.com betting odds. The panelist’s 2017 records is in parentheses, and we also have panel consensus picks as well as a line where we show how the betting favorites did:

  • John Pollock (30-13; .698) — Fight Network analyst, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, MMA Report co-host
  • Dave Meltzer (30-13; .684) — Wrestling Observer publisher
  • Consensus Picks (28-13; .683)
  • Favorites (29-14; .674)
  • Mike Sawyer (28-15; .651) — Tough Talk MMA publisher
  • David Bixenspan (28-15; .651) – Deadspin pro wrestling columnist; Between the Sheets podcast host
  • Steve Juon (27-16; .628) — MMA Mania writer, Angry Marks publisher
  • Josh Nason (26-17; .605) — Host of Josh Nason’s Punch Out, WrestlingObserver.com assistant editor
  • Tom Lawlor (3-2; .600) – Co-host Filthy Four Daily; pro wrestling undercard fighter; UFC enhancement talent currently suspended due to wellness violation
  • Mike Sempervive (25-18; .581) — Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
  • Ryan Frederick (23-20; .535) — WrestlingObserver.com UFC writer
  • Paul Fontaine (22-21; .512) — MMADraws.com publisher, WrestlingObserver.com writer
  • Front Row Brian (20-23; .465) — MMA newsbreaker, beloved internet personality, podcast host

Chael Sonnen (28-15-1) vs Wanderlei Silva (35-12-1)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

This fight was originally scheduled to happen in UFC in 2013, but both men had PED issues at that time and the fight never took place despite both guys building up the grudge match as TUF Brazil coaches.

Sonnen has already fought in Bellator, losing to Tito Ortiz earlier this year while “The Axe Murderer” will be fighting for the first time in Bellator. Both guys have been relatively quiet leading into this one and it’s hard to say where either guy goes from here, no matter what the result.

  • Sonnen #40; -149 betting favorite: Lawlor, FRB, Frederick, Sempervive, Fontaine, Nason, Bix
  • Silva NR; +155 betting underdog: Sawyer, Juon, Pollock, Meltzer

> Fedor Emelianenko (36-4) vs Matt Mitrione (11-5)
HEAVYWEIGHTS

This one was originally set to go down in February in San Jose, but Mitrione had to pull out that night due to kidney stones while Fedor elected to wait until Mitrione was healthy enough to compete rather than take on another opponent.

Fedor is on a five-fight win streak with no blemishes on his record since losing to Dan Henderson in Strikeforce back in 2011. However, he was retired for a few years and one of the wins on his comeback, Fabio Maldonado in EFN, was questionable at best. Mitrione has knocked out both of his Bellator opponents so far and a third KO in this one would make him the leading contender for the vacant heavyweight title.

  • Fedor #29; +110 betting underdog: FRB, Sawyer, Meltzer
  • Mitrione #21; -120 betting favorite: Lawlor, Frederick, Juon, Sempervive, Pollock, Fontaine, Bix, Nason

> Bellator Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler (16-3) vs Brent Primus (7-0)

Chandler has looked great ever since capturing the title vacated by Will Brooks. He knocked out Patricky Pitbull in the first round to win the belt and then won a decision over former UFC champion Benson Henderson in his first title defense. Primus will fight on a Bellator main card for only the second time in his career but he does have five stoppage wins in his young career, including each of his first three Bellator fights. Neither the oddsmakers or our panel is giving him much of a chance of escaping MSG with his perfect record intact.

  • Chandler #6; -714 betting favorite: Lawlor, FRB, Sawyer, Frederick, Juon, Sempervive, Pollock, Fontaine, Bix, Nason, Meltzer

> Bellator Welterweight Champion Douglas Lima (28-6) vs Lorenz Larkin (18-5)

Lima is a 2-time champion in Bellator, having won a tournament for the vacant title in 2015, later losing it to Andrey Koreshkov, and then gaining it back with a 3rd round KO last November. He’s a Bellator mainstay as this will be his 14th trip into their cage. Larkin fights for the first time in Bellator but he has worked for Scott Coker in the past. He started his career in Strikeforce, running up an impressive record there before moving over to UFC when that promotion was shut down. He won his last two fights in UFC and would’ve won five in a row if not for a split decision loss to Albert Tumenov.

Another ex-UFC vet in Rory McDonald awaits the winner.

  • Lima #15; +170 betting underdog: Juon, Sempervive
  • Larkin #10; -185 betting favorite: Lawlor, FRB, Sawyer, Frederick, Pollock, Fontaine, Bix, Nason, Meltzer

> Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Phil Davis (17-3) vs Ryan Bader (22-5)

This will be the first title defence for the veteran Davis, who won the title with a dominant performance over Liam McGeary last November. He has won all four of his fights in Bellator, including a one-night tournament in September 2015 which earned him the title shot.

Bader was long considered the top UFC 205-pound fighter to not receive a title shot. Like Larkin, he won his last two UFC fights and seven of his last eight fights there with the only loss being a first round KO at the hands of Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. Bader beat Davis in January 2015 in what was a very controversial decision. The winner here will likely defend against King Mo next.

  • Davis #3; -115 betting favorite: Sawyer, Juon, Sempervive, Fontaine, Nason, Meltzer
  • Bader #5; +110 betting underdog: Lawlor, FRB, Frederick, Pollock, Bix

**********

Other notable fights on the card:

> Aaron Pico (pro debut) vs Zach Freeman (8-2)
LIGHTWEIGHTS

  • Pico NR; no betting odds for this fight
  • Freeman #506

> James Gallagher (6-0) vs Chinzo Machida (5-2)
FEATHERWEIGHTS

  • Gallagher #472; -200 betting favorite
  • Machida NR; +198 betting underdog

> Neiman Gracie (5-0) vs Dave Marfone (5-2)
WELTERWEIGHTS

  • Gracie #212; -833 betting favorite
  • Marfone NR; +702 betting underdog

> Ryan Couture (10-5) vs Haim Gozali (7-3)

WELTERWEIGHTS

  • Couture #253; -525 betting favorite
  • Gozali NR; +530 betting underdog

Action begins with the Spike.com prelims at 6:00 PM EST and moves over to Spike at 8 PM EST. The main card airs on PPV at 10 PM EST, and will be covered here.

UFC 211 Observer Panel Picks: Two titles up for grabs

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

In terms of fight quality and star power, UFC presents its biggest pay-per-view of the year so far tonight with UFC 211.

In the main event, heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic looks to avenge a decision loss at the hands of former champ Junior dos Santos in ia rematch from December 2014.

In the co-main event, strawweight queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk will be looking for her sixth straight title defense and eight UFC win overall as she faces former bantamweight and top contender Jessica Andrade.

Two other main card fights could have immediate title implications as Demian Maia aims for his seventh straight win as he takes on the surging Jorge Masvidal, a former lightweight who has rung up three consecutive wins. The winner will have the best claim to a title challenge against division champ Tyron Woodley.

Former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar hopes to finally earn another featherweight title shot as he faces Yair Rodriguez, one of the most dynamic contenders in any division. With Jose Aldo and Max Holloway set to meet at UFC 212 to determine an undisputed 145-pound king, this fight could determine the next challenger for that belt.

Headlining up the FX-aired prelims is a key lightweight tilt as former champion Eddie Alvarez squares off with Dustin Poirier, one of the hardest hitters in the division. Alvarez will be fighting for the first time since losing his title to Conor McGregor last November at Madison Square Garden.

If you’re new here, our panel picks are listed below and listed alongside the fighter’s names are their worldwide FightMatrix rankings, as well as BestFightOdds.com betting odds. The panelist’s 2017 records is in parentheses, and we also have panel consensus picks as well as a line where we show how the betting favorites did:

  • Dave Meltzer (23-10; .697) — Wrestling Observer publisher
  • Favorites (23-10; .697)
  • John Pollock (23-10; .697) — Fight Network analyst, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, MMA Report co-host
  • Consensus Picks (22-10; .688)
  • Mike Sawyer (22-11; .667) — Tough Talk MMA publisher
  • David Bixenspan (22-11; .667) – Deadspin pro wrestling columnist, Between the Sheets podcast host
  • Steve Juon (21-12; .636) — MMA Mania writer, Angry Marks publisher
  • Mike Sempervive (19-14; .576) — Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
  • Josh Nason (19-14; .576) — Host of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, WrestlingObserver.com assistant editor
  • Ryan Frederick (18-15; .545) — WrestlingObserver.com UFC writer
  • Paul Fontaine (16-17; .485) — MMADraws.com publisher, WrestlingObserver.com writer
  • Front Row Brian (15-18; .455) — MMA newsbreaker, beloved internet personality, podcast host

UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic (16-2) vs. Junior dos Santos (18-4) II

Many, myself included, feel that Miocic won their first fight, which headlined a Fox show in late 2014. Miocic went on to defeat Fabricio Werdum to win the heavyweight crown and will be aiming for his second title defense here against the former champion.

Dos Santos has been relatively inactive as this will be just his third fight since beating Miocic and his first fight in over a year. He has not finished an opponent in nearly four years since stopping Mark Hunt on Memorial Day weekend in 2013.

The betting lines are very close on this one, but our panel doesn’t see it quite that close.

  • Miocic #1; -125 betting favorite: Juon, FRB, Sawyer, Frederick, Fontaine, Nason, Pollock, Bixenspan, Meltzer, Sempervive

UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk (13-0) vs. Jessica Andrade (16-5)

Andrade has fought more times than any woman in UFC history as tonight marks her 11th time stepping into the Octagon. She will fight for a title for the very first time as she goes up against the unstoppable-to-this-point “Joanna Champion”.

While flyweight king Demetrious Johnson recently tied the long-standing record for consecutive title defenses at 10, Jedrzejczyk is quietly approaching that record herself and has shown no signs of slowing down. Despite her long winning streak, the oddsmakers have set a fairly close line on this one.

Andrade is one of the hardest hitters in the division and the former 135-pounder will likely have the size advantage here as well. She has three straight wins in her new division including two stoppages and a one-sided beatdown of former Invicta champion Angela Hill in her last outing.

  • Jedrzejczyk #1; -160 betting favorite: Juon, FRB, Sawyer, Frederick, Fontaine, Nason, Pollock, Meltzer, Sempervive
  • Andrade #2; +165 betting underdog: Bixenspan

Demian Maia (24-6) vs. Jorge Masvidal (32-11)
WELTERWEIGHTS

Many feel that Maia has already earned a UFC title shot as the 39-year-old’s seven-fight win streak is the longest in the division. He’ll once again try to hold serve against former lightweight Masvidal, one of the gutsiest brawlers in the division who will try to pick up his fourth straight win.

Maia has an obvious advantage if the fight goes to the ground, but Masvidal is a very tough fighter to put away. His last three losses have been by split decision and he has not been finished since a submission loss in Bellator to Tody Imada in 2009.

At some point, age has to catch up to the veteran Maia, and the oddsmakers surprisingly have the former middleweight title contender set as the underdog. This should be a very close fight either way.

  • Maia #2; +113 betting underdog: Juon, FRB, Sawyer, Frederick, Nason, Pollock, Bixenspan, Sempervive
  • Masvidal #5; -110 betting favorite: Fontaine, Meltzer

Frankie Edgar (21-5-1) vs. Yair Rodriguez (10-1)
FEATHERWEIGHTS

This is a big step up in competition for Rodriguez, who has picked up main event wins in each of his last two fights, beating journeyman Alex Caceres and the legendary BJ Penn. He faces another future Hall of Famer here, although Edgar is much closer to the peak of his abilities than Penn was.

Edgar’s only loss in the last four-plus years came at the hands of division champ Jose Aldo where he took the champ the distance. Sandwiched around that loss at UFC 200 were wins over top contenders Chad Mendes, Urijah Faber, Jeremy Stephens, Cub Swanson, Charles Oliveira, as well as the aforementioned Penn.

Edgar has already lost to Aldo twice, so his best shot at another title fight would be if Holloway were to win that fight at UFC 212, but should Rodriguez emerge victorious here, he could immediately step into the next featherweight title bout.

  • Edgar #3; -122 betting favorite: Juon, Fontaine, Nason, Pollock, Meltzer
  • Rodriguez #26; +110 betting underdog: FRB, Sawyer, Frederick, Bixenspan, Sempervive

Eddie Alvarez (28-5) vs. Dustin Poirier (21-5)
LIGHTWEIGHTS

Alvarez scored one of the most surprising title wins in recent UFC history when he stopped former champ Rafael dos Anjos last July. His reign was short-lived, however, as McGregor blitzed him to capture the belt.

Another past McGregor victim stands in the way this time out as Poirier shoots for his sixth win in his last seven fights. Many have this one pegged as the leading contender for Fight of the Night as Poirier in particular has a penchant for picking up performance awards.

With the division somewhat on ice with champion McGregor focused on a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, both guys badly need a win here to maintain relevance in a tough weight class.

  • Alvarez #2; +113 betting underdog: Juon, FRB, Sawyer, Frederick, Nason, Sempervive
  • Poirier #17; -110 betting favorite: Fontaine, Pollock, Bixenspan, Meltzer

**********
The rest of the card —

Dave Branch (20-3) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (19-1)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS

  • Branch #16; +135 betting underdog
  • Jotko #13; -147 betting favorite

Chas Skelly (17-2) vs. Jason Knight (17-2)
FEATHERWEIGHTS

  • Skelly #17; -123 betting favorite
  • Knight #36; +113 betting underdog

James Vick (12-1) vs. Marco Polo Reyes (7-3)
LIGHTWEIGHTS

  • Vick #36; -335 betting favorite
  • Reyes #178; +353 betting underdog

Jessica Aguilar (19-6) vs. Cortney Casey (6-4
STRAWWEIGHTS

  • Aguilar NR; +103 betting underdog
  • Casey #19; -116 betting favorite

Rashad Coulter (8-1) vs. Chase Sherman (9-3)
HEAVYWEIGHTS

  • Coulter #205; +130 betting underdog
  • Sherman NR; -126 betting favorite

Enrique Barzola (12-3-1) vs. Gabriel Benitez (19-5)
FEATHERWEIGHTS

  • Barzola #192; +137 betting underdog
  • Benitez #66; -140 betting favorite

Gadzhimurad Antigulov (19-4) vs. Joachim Christensen (14-4)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

  • Antigulov #25; -345 betting favorite
  • Christensen #57; +363 betting underdog

Action begins with the Fight Pass prelims at 6:30 p.m. ET and moves over to FX at 8 p.m. ET. The main card airs on PPV at 10 p.m. ET, covered by our Ryan Frederick, who will be live at cageside.

For more UFC 211 coverage —

UFC Fight Night 106 panel picks: Vitor Belfort and Shogun Rua keep on keepin’ on

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

UFC returns to Fox Sports One Saturday with a fairly stacked show from Fortaleza, Brazil, headlined by former UFC titleholder Vitor Belfort taking on one-time welterweight Kelvin Gastelum.

The latter is unbeaten at 185 in the UFC, including a TUF tourney win at that weight several years ago.

Near the top of the card, former UFC light heavyweight champion Shogun Rua returns to battle journeyman Gian Villante while we get a must-see fight between two top 10 lightweight contenders in Edson Barboza and Beneil Dariush.

The show also features two flyweights looking to get a title shot (Jussier Formiga vs. Ray Borg) while former title challenger Bethe Correia fights on her home soil against Marion Reneau to round out the main card.

If you’re new here, our panel picks are listed below and listed alongside the fighter’s names are their worldwide FightMatrix rankings, as well as BestFightOdds.com betting odds. The panelist’s 2017 records is in parentheses, and we also have panel consensus picks as well as a line where we show how the betting favorites did:

  • Dave Meltzer (15-4; .789) — Wrestling Observer publisher
  • David Bixenspan (14-5; .737) — MMANews.com editor, Sherdog.com contributor, podcast host
  • Consensus Picks (14-5; .737)
  • Favorites (13-6; .684)
  • Mike Sempervive (13-6; .684) — Wrestling Observer Live and Big Audio Nightmare co-host
  • John Pollock (13-6; .684) — Fight Network analyst, Live Audio Wrestling co-host, MMA Report co-host
  • Mike Sawyer (12-7; .632) — Tough Talk MMA publisher
  • Steve Juon (12-7; .632) — MMA Mania writer, Angry Marks publisher
  • Ryan Frederick (10-9; .526) — WrestlingObserver.com UFC writer
  • Paul Fontaine (9-10; .474) — MMADraws.com publisher, WrestlingObserver.com writer
  • Josh Nason (9-10; .474) — Host of Josh Nason’s Punch Out, WrestlingObserver.com assistant editor
  • Front Row Brian (9-10; .474) — MMA newsbreaker, beloved internet personality, podcast host

> Vitor Belfort (25-13) vs Kelvin Gastelum (14-2)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS

The 39-year-old Belfort is a first ballot HOF’er and former two-time UFC champion, but is looking for his first win since 2015 after back-to-back losses to Jacare Souza and Gegard Mousasi. 

Standing across the cage will be a man 14 years his junior in Gastelum. He has struggled with weight-cutting issues at 170 lbs but since moving to middleweight, he’s looked great. He finished the very tough Tim Kennedy last time out, sending him into retirement. After hitting 10-0, he’s 3-2 in his last five with a two-fight win streak.

Belfort’s UFC title opportunites are far behind him, but with a win here, Gastelum could enter the conversation in what is becoming a very crowded group at the top of the middleweight division. At the very least, he would remain the “interesting fight” category.

  • Belfort (#9; +336 betting underdog): Fontaine
  • Gastelum (#10; -359 betting favorite) FRB, Juon, Frederick, Sempervive, Sawyer, Pollock, Nason, Bix, Meltzer

> Shogun Rua (24-10) vs Gian Villante (15-7)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS

Another former UFC champion, Rua has a mediocre 8-8 UFC record but has faced only the top level of competition during his run in the Octagon. Even for people calling for his retirement the past few years, he is on a two-fight win streak for the first time since 2009 as he makes one final run in his legendary career.

His opponent is also on a good run, having won four of his last six. This will be the biggest fight of his career. His last three wins have all come by KO, something Rua will have to watch for given that his last two defeats came via T/KO.

  • Rua (#8; -137 betting favorite): FRB, Juon, Frederick, Sempervive, Sawyer, Fontaine, Pollock, Nason, Bix, Meltzer

> Edson Barboza (18-4) vs Beneil Dariush (14-2)
LIGHTWEIGHTS

Many experts are pointing to this as the fight to watch on this show. The 31-year-old Barboza beat former champions in each of his last two fights, scoring wins over both Anthony Pettis and Gilbert Melendez in 2016, and is 3-2 in his last five.

Dariush has lost just one of his last eight fights and scored an impressive win over top prospect Rashid Magomedov in November after a June KO over rising division foe James Vick.

Both of these two are dynamic fighters and this has “fight of the night” written all over it.

  • Barboza (#5; -142 betting favorite): Juon, Frederick, Sempervive, Sawyer, Fontaine, Pollock, Nason, Meltzer
  • Dariush (#9; +150 betting underdog): FRB, Bix

> Jussier Formiga (19-4) vs Ray Borg (10-2)
FLYWEIGHTS

If Barboza vs. Dariush doesn’t do it for you, this is the most relevant in terms of title contention of any fight on the show with two top flyweights vying to be the next in line to dethrone King Demetrious.

Formiga’s career goes all the way back to the WEC days. He’s won 4 of his last 5 fights, including a win over the next challenger to DJ in Wilson Reis. The 31-year-old is coming off a September decison win over Dustin Ortiz, rebounding from a split decision loss to title contender Henry Cejudo.

Borg has also won four of five and is just 23 years old. He beat Louis Smolka last time out, which was the biggest win of his career.  

  • Formiga (#5; +105 betting underdog): FRB, Juon, Frederick, Sempervive, Fontaine, Pollock, Nason, Bix, Meltzer
  • Borg (#11; -110 betting favorite): Sawyer

> Bethe Correia (10-2) vs Marion Reneau (7-3)
WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHTS

The 33-year-old Correia is most famous for her feud with Ronda Rousey’s “Four Horsewomen”, which culminated with a title challenge defeat to Rousey at UFC 190 in Brazil. The “Pitbull” returns to her native country to compete for the first time since that defeat and is 1-1 in her last two.

Reneau is 39 years, but started lates so is not that old in “fighting years”. Her 3rd round KO win over Milana Dudieva in November snapped a two-fight losing streak and may have saved her job. A win here could put her in the top 10.

  • Correia (#11; +105 betting underdog): FRB; Juon, Sempervive, Fontaine
  • Reneau (#21; -112 betting favorite): Frederick, Sawyer, Pollock, Nason, Bix, Meltzer

**********

The rest of the card:

> Tim Means (26-7-1) vs Alex Oliveira (16-4-1)
WELTERWEIGHTS

  • Means #23; -181 betting favorite
  • Oliveira #25; +205 betting underdog

> Francisco Trinaldo (21-4) vs Kevin Lee (14-2)
LIGHTWEIGHTS

  • Trinaldo #13; +153 betting underdog
  • Lee #20; -149 betting favorite

> Sergio Moraes (11-2-1) vs Davi Ramos (6-1)
WELTERWEIGHTS

  • Moraes #42; -211 betting favorite
  • Ramos #195 at lightweight; +215 betting underdog

> Joe Soto (17-5) vs Rani Yahya (23-8)
BANTAMWEIGHTS

  • Soto #38; +191 betting underdog
  • Yahya #14; -175 betting favorite

> Josh Burkman (28-14) vs Michel Prazeres (21-2)
LIGHTWEIGHTS

  • Burkman #94 at welterweight; -226 betting favorite
  • Prazeres #32; +241 betting underdog

> Rony Jason (14-6) vs Jeremy Kennedy (9-0)
FEATHERWEIGHTS

  • Jason #81; -102 betting underdog
  • Kennedy #123 at lightweight; -105 betting favorite

> Garreth McLellan (13-5) vs Paulo Henrique Costa (8-0)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS

  • McLellan #142; +252 betting underdog
  • Costa #96; -250 betting favorite

Action begins with the Fight Pass prelims at 7 PM EST and moves over to FS 1 at 8 PM EST. The main card continues on FS 1 at 10 PM EST, covered by our Ryan Frederick.