Things we learned about mma since the last time we posted; Joanna Jedrzejczyk can at times channel Chuck Liddell, RDA is an even more terrifying monster than we all thought, you don’t boo Al Iaquinta unless you're ready for some of that East Coast attitude, and you’re allowed to bring a hatchet into the Octagon so long as you disguise it as Mirko Cro Cop’s elbows.
Tonight, however, we take that ride across the river to the Jersey side as the UFC returns to Newark, NJ in a night of prospects versus veterans. Many of the up-and-coming fighters on this card will be facing their toughest tests yet as the more established crop will seek to show that they can still mix it up with the young go-hards invading the ranks of every division.
I’m predicting a 4-2 split in favor of the prospects (the veteran versus prospect fights being defined here as Mizugaki versus Sterling, Saint Preux versus Cummins, Miller versus Dariush, Herrig versus VanZant, Swanson versus Holloway, and Machida versus Rockhold). No matter which way they go I’m looking forward to tough, competitive fights from bottom to top.
Starting at the bottom, I expect Aljamain Sterling to get it done against Takeya Mizugaki by decision. I like Sterling because he shows better fight IQ than most prospects. Along with his athleticism and offensive ability, this should be enough to overcome the superior experience of Mizugaki. That being said, this is a definite test for the Longo-Serra student, and a very dangerous fight.
Not much to say about the next fight. Anderson should be able to take advantage of Villante’s notoriously bad striking defense, as well as bully him in the clinch. Anderson by decision.
Ovince Saint Preux (OSP) versus Patrick Cummins is a little more complicated to call. While Cummins should be about to get the fight to the ground and control St. Preux once he’s there, OSP has has shown an aptitude for landing low-percentage maneuvers with great success. Too bad he doesn’t show the same aptitude for bread-and-butter striking and wrestling. Hard to call, but I’ll go with Cummins by decision.
I’m a little more confident in picking Beneil Dariush over Jim Miller, but not by much. You don’t get to be a stalwart of the Lightweight division for as long as Jim Miller has unless you are one seriously bad mofo. Miller is one of the toughest men in the Ocatagon, but Beneil Dariush is a serial killer on a rampage. Between his highly effective boxing and submission game I expect Dariush to get the finish, or if not, to carry away a decision victory.
Moving up to the main card, the momentum shifts slightly towards the veterans.
WCL veteran Felice Herrig is like the Michael Bisping of the Women’s Strawweight division; a jack off all trades, ace of none. She can hit you with hard clean shots on the feet, but probably won’t know you out. She can dominate in the clinch or smother you out on the mat, and she’ll lay some ground-n-pound on you, but again, she probably won’t stop the fight. At this point in her career, I don’t think that the still-raw Paige VanZant has the skills to get past her. Herrig by decision.
The next fight should be a barn-burner, as Cub Swanson takes on Max Halloway. Both fighters have an aggressive style, and both have the ability to put a quick hurting on their opponents. Expect a tough, gritty bloodbath, with Swanson just barely edging out Halloway. High potential for a finish.
Also, “Jacare” Souza will most likely finish Chris Camozzi again. On less than two weeks notice, there is nothing to make me think that Camozzi will do any better this time than he did the last time. I’m still bitter that we lost Yoel Romero in this fight.
The main event is a coin flip every time, as far as I’m concerned, as well as a definite Fight of the Year contender. I’ve been looking forward to this one ever since it was announced, so instead of straining to put every possible thought and angle down on paper, I’m just going to sit back, relax, and enjoy a high-level martial arts contest between two of my favorite fighters.
As usual, you can chill with @KevJMahon via twitter during the fights.
Hands up, protect yourself at all times, don’t you fucking dare boo us here at Rabbit Punch!
