Main Card on ESPN+ PPV (9pm/CT):
Welterweight Champion #1 Kamaru Usman -185 vs. Interim Champion #2 Colby Covington +170
MMAFO is going to be completely honest the MMA world about this Main Event Welterweight title unification bout.
Both of these wrestle heavy cats are not the most pleasing to view in the cage, and both men are absolute cunts.
Granted, most people hate Colby for his Republican/racist/Trump shit but it's an obvious troll that people continue to fall for and become enraged about. It's an act, and as an act, MMAFO is not entertained. This is MMA. We would like to know who the best fighter is.
As for "Marty," well, he's an entitled piece of shit as well. Since he joined the UFC he has been an arrogant asshole, who gets into fights outside of the UFC (in PFL), can't control his emotions, and is managed by fellow garbage human, Ali Abdel-Aziz.
In closing, fuck both of these guys. We'll be tuning in to see a good fight to settle who really is the man at 170, but we're not invested and really hope there is a way for both men to lose.
WiNNER-Kamaru Usman by Decision (as always)
Featherweight Champion #1 Max Holloway -170 vs. #2 Alexander Volkanovski +160
When you go down Maxine's resume, you may notice Alex is the best fighter he has ever defended his title against. Now, Jose Aldo is still has a better career than Volkanovski, but the Brazilian was exiting his prime when he met Holloway while the Aussie is reaching his.
Alexander "The Great" has marched through the UFC winning all 7 of his appearances with a strike heavy bruising style. Volkanovski can oscillate between volume heavy or power heavy striking and is improving every time out.
But he's facing Max. We dunno what to say really because if you don't have some scary 1-punch knockout power threats at 145, you're just not going to out-work and out-point Holloway. Not until he gets old at least. Alex doesn't have that threat to scare off Mac who just bites down on the mouthpiece and does the work he always do. It is what it is man.
WiNNER-Max Holloway by Decision
Women’s Bantamweight Champion #1 Amanda Nunes -335 vs. Germaine de Randamie +305 [Rematch]
The GOAT female fighter is back again looking to get her 10th win in a row! The record is a "who's who" of the best women's fighters and Raquel Pennington (ha!). The "Lioness" simply has better technique, in-cage i.q., and power than her peers. As of late, she has looked unbeatable.
If there is someone out there that can give Amanda a run for her money, it's "The Iron Lady." Randamie become vilified for refusing to defend the 145 title she won against Holly Holm back in '17 and became a MMA pariah. Truth be told, Germaine told the UFC from the jump she would not remain at 145 but they booked her anyway. She stayed true to her word, and the UFC hung her out to dry. Shameful really. But to her credit, the Netherlander took things in stride, getting back to work quietly, while continuing to be a Police officer in her "real life." We have nothing but respect for this nice lady and the way she carries herself against a legion of critics.
De Randamie is a great kickboxer but she will admit to being a relative novice on the ground. If Nunes wants, she can get this to the canvas where she will style, or Amanda can just elbow the shit outta Germaine like she did in 2013. Randamie is a great MMA fighter, but there's just none that can touch Nunes at this time.
WiNNER-Amanda Nunes by Rd.3 TKO
Jose Aldo +170 vs. #2 Marlon Moraes -185
"Scarface" is the GOAT at 145, fight me! Fickle fans quickly forget all the dominance in Aldo's career after a single 0:13 loss, but he was amazing in his day. Unfortunately, Aldo is looking for that miracle cure and instead of going up in weight as has been suggested his entire career, he has decided to really test his horrific weight cut abilities by dropping down to 135. We'll believe it when he tips the scales successfully and how the hell can anyone think this is a good idea? Terrible mismanagement from his team and this should end badly.
* Aldo had little trouble making the weight cut and actually looked decent at the weigh-ins.
MMAFO told everyone who would listen back in '12 that "M&M" would be a future champ in the UFC someday and that still might come true, but his last performance against the smaller Henry Cejudo was worrying. Instead of employing a game plan, "Magic" Marlon decided to got tit for tat and got knocked flat. Moraes is so well rounded you have to wonder if it was just overconfidence or stupidity.
So, we have two overconfident fighters who may not be learning from their mistakes. Well hell, let's just let hands fly but bank on the younger cat who has mastered the weight cut and has far less damage on the tires.
WiNNER-Marlon Moraes by Decision
Urijah Faber +450 vs. #6 Petr Yan -525
"The California Kid" returned from retirement in July and shocked the MMA world by starching Ricky Simon in 0:43 in a single round in front of the hometown Sacramento crowd. It was the perfect ending to a legendary career, and now it's about to be eclipsed as we watch Faber come up short in every facet of the game against an opponent 14 years his junior!
Look, MMAFO has had nothing but love for Urijah his entire career but this move is senseless. Yan does a lot of the things Faber did well in his prime but Urijah isn't in his prime anymore while Petr is. Nobody beats father time forever and don't improve your odds picking opponents that are a younger version of you.
This bout makes so sense for us and we're just hoping Faber makes it to the final bell and that the money and reputation damage was worth it to "put over" the next generation. "We hates it."
WiNNER-Petr Yan by Rd.3 TKO
Prelims on ESPN2 (7pm/CT):
Geoff Neal -230 vs. Mike Perry +210
Didja, didja see Perry's nose after his last fight against Vicente Luque? What in the fuck? Mike may be dumb as shit but he's also tough as hell. That is the absolute worst nose break in MMA we at MMAFO have ever seen! "Platinum" even fought though the break and finished the bout in a Split Decision loss. Respect. We wonder how Perry will react after the snout reconstruction. Rory MacDonald was never the same fighter after he dealings with a shattered proboscis and much of Mike's game is his ability to take a punch, and continue through it to give his own.
Congratulations to the "Handz of Steel" on finally quitting his job as a server to become a full time mixed martial artist! Well deserved and Neal has been a great inspirational story winning all 4 of his appearances with brutal punching power and against staunch competition for a guy low on experience.
Despite the fact we really like Geoff, he seems the smarter pick here. In a perfectly healthy world, it's a coin-flip fight with either striker winning emphatically at the drop of a dime but factor in the gruesome injury and not knowing how Mike will returning from such a vicious injury. Neal may just be the 1st fighter to end Perry with strikes!
WiNNER-Geoff Neal by Rd.2 TKO
#3 Ketlen Vieira -180 vs. Irene Aldana +168
We've been harsh critics of the Lobo in the past but she's earned our respect with simple hard work and an obvious desire to compete.
"Fenomeno" seems her opposite. Natural talent that doesn't want to put in the work.
Vieira is ripe for an Upset and Aldana is just the woman to force it.
Upset Pick WiNNER-Irene Aldana by Decision
Omari Akhmedov +115 vs. Ian Heinisch -125
ATT's "Wolverine" is all systems go with the successful move to 185 paying immediate dividends. We are unsure as to why Ian is the favorite here but we see it the other way and rather easily.
Upset Pick WiNNER-Omari Akhmedov by Decision
Matt Brown -320 vs. Ben Saunders +290
Ah for Hell's sake. Why does "Killa-B" keep taking fights against big hitters when that is his Achilles heel? MMAFO loves us some "Killa-B" and he's been "one of our boys" for going on 12 years but we're at the point where we're just worried about Ben's future safety after 37 professional bouts and 9 (T)KO losses. All 7 of Saunders' last losses have been by finish. We really are sorry to point all this out but it's time to put one's future 1st, and retire with a career to be proud of.
Brown wins this in nasty fashion and likely retires again and we don't care.
WiNNER-Matt Brown by Rd.1 TKO
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass (5:15pm/CT):
Chase Hooper -110 vs. Daniel Teymur +100
Choosing "The Teenage Dream" for your nickname when you are 20, is just baffling. There is just so much wrong with it that it may be brilliant. A thread for another day "Hoops" has this as we bid "good luck" to Teymur and his future endeavors outside of the UFC.
WiNNER-Chase Hooper by Rd.2 Submission
Brandon Moreno +140 vs. Kai Kara France -150
"Don't Blink" coming in on a 8-fight bounce looking to add to it in a division that... exists? Does it? Does Flyweight still exist? What are we doing here?
WiNNER-Kai Kara France by Decision
Jessica Eye +165 vs. Viviane Araújo -175
* MMAFO gives Jessica the "Evil" Eye as she botches her weight cut missing by 5lbs. which is just unacceptable.
Viviane, meanwhile, is jaaaaaaacked and looking to make a statement at 125 with a win over the former #1 contender, who got destroyed by Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko in July. "Vivi" has looked sharp as fuck thus far and is on the 5-fight bounce.
We've never thought a lot of Eye to be honest and this feels like a torch passing if ever there was one.
WiNNER-Viviane Araujo by Decision
Punahele Soriano +100 vs. Oskar Piechota -110
"Story Time" (because he knocks his opponents out? is that what that nickname is about?) is a shredded Hawaiian who is just going to starch Piechota into darkness.
WiNNER-Punahele Soriano by Rd.1 KO
