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| Poster by Shawn James |
MGM Grand Garden Arena
Las Vegas, Nevada
Main Card on PPV:
Anderson Silva (33-6) -450 vs. Nick Diaz (26-9- 1) +325
Its a dream match of epic proportions as the GOAT returns from one of the most horrific injuries of all time and questions abound. What will Anderson's psyche be when he gets back into the cage after such a traumatic injury? Can the "Spider" reclaim his mojo and find the dominance he once had?
Welcoming Silva back to the cage will be the one and only Nick Diaz. We haven't seen 209's finest since '13 when he lost a decision to then Champion Georges St. Pierre. Diaz walked away from the sport after the loss and stayed semi-retired for the last two years.
The greatest striker of all time meets the marathon striker and its highly unlikely we'll see any Jiu-Jitsu from the two black belts. The "Spider" displays brilliant head movement (when he's not clowning) bringing text book strikes of every style and a variety of counters. Let us not forget that Silva also has one of the most vicious clinch games of all time and brings up his long legs for soul crushing knee attacks.
The Cesar Gracie student loves to mock opponents into a brawl where he unleashes record breaking amount of strikes that slowly get stronger and stronger as the fight progresses. Diaz also mixes in punches to the body that wear opponents down even quicker while they are trying to block the head shots. Nick doesn't feel the need to check leg kicks but you have to wonder if Silva will throw very many after his last outing. Diaz also has a granite chin but tends to cut and bleed easily as scar tissue gives way to the strikes he eats in a stubborn refusal to be hurt in a fight.
There are so many questions coming into this dream bout that there is little chance of actually predicting how the fight will play out. What we do know, is that Anderson has competed at the absolute highest level for most of his career while Diaz has struggled to maintain top status. Though Nick will get his shots in, Silva is so adept at movement that the attacks may not land with the force expected. We doubt the two just step to the center and throw till someone drops and there are just too many ways for the much larger fighter to win. Successful leg kicks can slow Diaz he is facing a quick power the likes of which he has seen but once in his career (Paul Daley). Expect 209's son to give it his best, but ultimately take a beating during which he shows great heart, but falls far behind on the scorecards.
WINNER-Anderson Silva by Decision
Tyron Woodley (14-3) -105 vs. Kelvin Gastelum (10-0) -125
Here we have a very intriguing fight at Welterweight between two young guns trying to break into title contention.
Gastelum came out of nowhere off the TUF show but has cut his teeth dominating brutes like Jake Ellenberger and Rick Story. Kelvin is massive for the division and has struggled some making weight but he still manages to put the pressure on foes behind his southpaw jab. The Arizonan has big power in his hands but isn't very technical winging bombs that often miss. Gastelum's true talents shine on the mats. His takedown shot is an explosion which he follows through with ferocity. Once on the ground, Kelvin doesn't look to pass guard as much as he just pounds opponents with nasty strikes.
"T-Wood" is much the same. Woodley has great power in his hands but is more technically solid though he doesn't throw enough volume with his strikes. The decorated Mizzou wrestler runs the pipe like a champ and can take anyone down when he pleases. His top game is suffocating but he hasn't shown a willingness to go for very many submissions. Not as well known is that Tyron possesses staunch takedown defense to keep men in front of him at all times. The gas tank is always suspect when carrying around so much muscle mass but he is coming in from this camp a bit leaner.
This should be a very close fight, and honestly, it could get quite boring. Both men can cancel each other out in almost every facet of the game A couple of advantages for Gastelum are his cardio and how much he improves fight to fight while Woodley has not. In a razor thin decision we side with young Kelvin to win the later rounds but never stopping his pressured attack.
* Kelvin badly missed weight yet again this time by 9 freaking pounds! If you aren't professional enough to make weight, you should be forced to fight a weight class up for your next fight. That's a new MMAFO rule. And so, Gastelum looked awful Friday night and had to be taken to the hospital for rehydration. Based upon all this...
Upset Pick WINNER-Tyron Woodley by Decision
Joe Lauzon (24-9) +155 vs. Al Iaquinta (10-3-1) -190
Another intriguing fight, this time at Lightweight, pits two go for broke fighters who are prone to make mistakes while trying to make the highlight reels.
The Serra-Longo fighter has good power in his hands and really good kicks that he should use more. Iaquinta thinks himself a submission grappler but has made numerous mistakes on the ground where a Jiu-Jitsu ace like Lauzon will make anyone pay.
"J-Lau" gave up on being a title contender long ago and instead looks for fight night bonuses however they may come. Joe enjoys a good scrap on the feet but he shouldn't as he gets hit far too often and doesn't have the best technique or volume to bring back on his opponents. Lauzon excels on the canvas where he chains submission attempts back to back sometimes risking too much.
Al isn't exactly a smart fighter but he should have the tools to stay at a comfortable distance and land with consistency. We highly doubt the Jersey camp would allow him to try and hang with "J-Lau" in the grappling department when he has such an obvious advantage on the feet. Lauzon has heart and grit for days but that just means he takes a ugly beating if Iaquinta stays on point without getting too excited.
WINNER-Al Iaquinta by Decision
Thales Leites (24-4) -500 vs. Tim Boetsch (18-7) +350
The "Barbarian" saved his job last out by catching Brad Tavares with his power in a fight he was obviously losing. If judging weren't so piss poor in MMA he would have lost his previous 5 fights instead of going 2-3. Tim is very slow and basically only has a puncher's chance.
Leites left the UFC in '09 and came back with additional muscle and the striking he had previously lacked. Since his return, Thales has gone 4-0 and always brings a beautiful Jiu-Jitsu game should he need it.
How the hell does Boetsch win this? Seriously. The guy is done and Leites is on the rise as he has improved his game and is facing a guy who keeps looking worse than worse.
WINNER-Thales Leites by Rd.2 Submission
Jordan Mein (29-9) -145 vs. Thiago Alves (25-9) +115
Back to the land of good fights, we've got two heavy hitters willing to throw leather for brutality's sake.
The ATT's "Pitbull" disappeared in '12 and spend two years battling injuries and getting healthy. Alves has nasty power and some of the most crushing leg kicks in the game. Thiago is uber-tough but has a weakness in the submission game though he shouldn't have much to worry about from Jordan there.
Canada's "Young Gun" is a striking monster with a ton of experience for a 25 year old. Mein has gone 3-1 for Zuffa losing only to beast Matt Brown. We are big fans of his standing elbows and a good defensive wrestler.
Alves should have the counter advantage and has fought a much higher level of competition. Jordan will make it a fun fight but he's out matched in what should be a very exciting fight.
Upset Pick WINNER-Thiago Alves by Decision
Prelims on FOX Sports 1:
Miesha Tate (15-5) +170 vs. Sara McMann (8-1) -210
Holy shit someone get Miesha out of this fight! MMAFO are longtime fans of the Tate but this is a nightmare match for her.
Miesha is a good wrestler and has good striking though she lacks power.
McMann is an Olympic silver medalist in wrestling but she lacks the ability to box with much effectiveness.
Sara is going to take Miesha down (unfortunately) time and time again and she won't be able to get up. McMann is going to pound her from top control in a not so fun to watch fight.
WINNER-Sara McMann by Decision
Ed Herman (22-10) +400 vs. Derek Brunson (12-3) -600
Hey the uber-slow Herman is still in the UFC. Who knew. He's, well, not good.
Brunson is an excellent athlete and trains out of the Jackson-Winkeljohn camp. He's a decent striker and has some so-so wrestling and some subs.
Here's the deal. Derek isn't much more than an average fighter but Herman is god awful. Just awful. This is Brunson's fight all day as he picks and pops while Ed is ten minutes behind at all things.
WINNER-Derek Brunson by Rd.2 TKO
Ian McCall (13-4-1) -230 vs. John Lineker (24-7) +180
Why in the blue fucking hell is this fight buried so low on the card? The winner of this Flyweight fight has to be the new #1 contender to "Mighty Mouse" and this grudge match is guaranteed fireworks. An illness dropped "Uncle Creepy" out of this fight last November when it was originally scheduled but we get another shot at it here.
Lineker is a puncher with extreme power and has struggled numerous times at cutting down to 125.
Ian is the complete package. The guy has the quickness along with great punches to the head and or body. A lightning quick shot will ground Lineker who has no idea what to do about it. "Uncle Creepy" for the win bitches!
* And Lineker has missed weight for the 85th fucking time and McCall was not happy about it! Time for unprofessional bitch Lineker to move up a weight class after "Uncle Creepy" beats his ass!!
WINNER-Ian McCall by Decision
Rafael Natal (18-3) -185 vs. Tom Watson (17-7) +150
This promises to be one of the slowest fights in MMA history. Both men fight at a glacial pace. Watson has not shown the power he was supposed to have in BAMMA and doesn't have much else to offer.
Natal may just be a grappler, but he is good at getting guys to the ground and controlling the fight. Watson has terrible takedown defense and will be on his back in total frustration for 15 minutes.
WINNER-Rafael Natal by Decision
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass:
Diego Brandao (18-10) -175 vs. Jimy Hettes (11-2) +145
Brandao is a big time striker who consistently makes mistakes and has been (T)KO'd 6 times in his career!
Hettes is a grappler with sneaky trips and throws. Jimy has submissions in his arsenal and far better endurance. He also trains with Frankie Edgar and his camp of killers up north. Avoiding the home run KO Hettes should have this running away.
Upset Pick WINNER-Jimy Hettes by Rd.3 Submission
Richardson Moreira (7-2) +150 vs. Ildemar Alcantara (20-7) -185
The other lesser Alcantara moves up in weight to 185 and is average in all facets.
"Rick Monstro" is a physical demon who trains with Team Nogueira out of Brazil and uses his strength to muscle men to the canvas where he pounds them until they are delirious before securing a submission. Same should happen here.
* Moreira has fought at Heavyweight and yet he was able to successfully cut down to Middleweight like a real professional. Lineker and Gastelum should take note.
Upset Pick WINNER-Richardson Moreira by Rd.1 Submission
Thiago Santos (9-3) -175 vs. Andy Enz (7-2) +145
"Marreta" is a fun capoeira style fighter and great power on the feet.
Enz is also a fun striker only not as good.
WINNER-Thiago Santos by Decision
UFC 183 Start Times
Main Card on Pay-Per-View: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Prelims on FOX Sports 1: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Prelims on UFC Fight Pass: 6:45 p.m. ET / 3:45 p.m. PT
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