International Fight Week is upon us. UFC 175 goes down this Saturday night from Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas,Nevada. There are two titles up for grabs on the pay-per-view portion of the fight card.
In the main event, Chris Weidman will look to defend his middleweight championship against the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida.
UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey takes on Alexis Davis in the evening’s co-main event.
MMASucka Staff Predictions: UFC 175
As always the staff at MMASucka.com will make their predictions for the entire main card. As you can see from our overall running scores, some of us are much better than others. But without further ado, check out the MMASucka Staff Predictions.
Below are the scores after our UFC 173.
Allen – 34-15
Jeremy – 33-19
Justin – 33-21
Suraj – 23-9
Callum – 18-14
Thinesh – 10-7
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Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida
Jeremy: Weidman has, in my mind, legitimately beat the greatest of all time on two different occasions. Five years ago, Joe Rogan and Michael Goldberg dubbed the term the ‘Machida Era’ when he beat Rashad Evans at UFC 98. This time around, at a different weight-class, Machida has the chance to regain stream at 185-pounds. When I first heard of this fight being announced, it was a great match-up, but thought Weidman would remain champion. After thinking about it a little more, Machida’s skill-set could be difficult for Weidman to figure out. Chris Weidman via Round 2 TKO.
Suraj: I am completely clouded on this one. On one side, you have Chris Weidman, the true “Legend Killer” and current UFC middleweight champion. He is undefeated and has shown ridiculous skill in all of his fights thus far. On the other side, we have a reborn Lyoto Machida. If this fight was at 205, it might have been a bit easier for me. But the fact is, Machida has been a beast at 185. However, the one factor about Weidman that separates him from his peers is his mental toughness. He is an extremely motivated fighter and finds ways of not only winning, but dominating his opponent. With that said, I believe Weidman has all the tools to retain the UFC middleweight belt. Chris Weidman via Round 3 TKO.
Allen: As impressive as Weidman has looked, Machida poses so many problems. It used to be all about his expert timing and counter striking. Now he’s becoming more of the aggressor as a middleweight. We’ve seen Weidman in his past few victories dictate the pace and control the octagon. It’s hard to believe he can do that again against such a dynamic opponent. While Anderson Silva was dynamic, Weidman was able to easily overpower him in the clinch and on the ground. That won’t be the case here. Machida will make this into a stand-up battle and will eventually catch an inexperienced Weidman, who has yet to be tested into deep waters. Lyoto Machida via Round 3 TKO
Callum: This is probably the most interesting fight of 2014 so far. Machida looked to be fading at light heavyweight, but has looked impressive since dropping to middleweight and really only has one last chance to win another championship. Weidman has two victories over the best mixed martial artist ever, despite how those fights ended – though because of the disappointing endings to those fights we’ve only really seen two rounds of Chris Weidman in championship fights. However, he showed an impressively well rounded game on the feet to deal with what Machida could offer, and his wrestling credentials are well documented. For that reason I see Weidman taking this fight, especially considering Machida’s chin is somewhat questionable. Chris Weidman via Round 2 TKO.
Justin: For the full-length version, I suggest you read this week’s Stats for Suckas. For “TL;DR” set, I’ve got Weidman by TKO in the championship rounds. Chris Weidman via Round 4 TKO.
Ronda Rousey vs. Alexis Davis
Jeremy: On this week’s episode of The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Alexis Davis knocked out Ronda Rousey in a simulation match of EA Sports UFC. Do I think this fight is going to go down this way? HELL NO. Rousey is too well versed — even at just 9-0. I honestly don’t see this fight making it out of the first round. My pick is Ronda Rousey via Round 1 Submission.
Suraj: As much as I want to see Davis come away with the win, reality dances to a completely different tune. Rowdy Ronda is nothing short of spectacular and has dominated opponents throughout her career. I just don’t see Davis being the fighter to dethrone the greatest Women’s MMA fighter in the world. Ronda Rousey via Round 1 Submission.
Allen: While Davis is the first black belt that Rousey has faced as champion, it won’t materialize into much. Rousey is too explosive and strong for Davis, who hasn’t particularly shown much when she had her opponents on the ground. I’ve never been a believer in MMA Math, but she couldn’t even come close to finishing Jessica Eye or Rosi Sexton on the ground. Those are two of the more undersized bantamweights in the UFC (I’m aware that Sexton retired). Rousey will eventually throw her and land in her signature side control, then it will be all over. Davis has vicious leg kicks, but that won’t materialize into much success. Rousey won’t give her any room to breathe, once she successfully has those under-hooks against the cage. Ronda Rousey via Round 1 Submission
Callum: If her previous fights are anything to go by, Alexis Davis has nothing to offer Ronda Rousey. She should not have had as much trouble with Rosi Sexton or Jessica Eye as she did if we are to take her seriously as a title challenger, and nothing that I’ve seen in the build up has convinced me of anything I haven’t seen. Another win for Ronda is very like. Ronda Rousey via Round 2 Submission
Justin: Alexis Davis has great jiu jitsu, and some very solid submission defense. As a brown belt, she forced the much-hyped Kyra Gracie to beat her on points in a no-gi BJJ match at the 2012 World Jiu Jitsu Expo. However, Kyra Gracie is very methodical on the ground, and essentially the exact opposite of Ronda Rousey. Rousey’s ground work is more akin to an old catch wrestler, reversing the BJJ mantra of “position before submission.” This level of aggressiveness can throw jiu jitsu specialists off their game, and I expect that to be what happens here. Once again, the certainties in life are: Death, taxes, and Rousey by armbar. Ronda Rousey via Round 2 Submission.
Stefan Struve vs. Matt Mitrione
Jeremy: Struve will make his return to the Octagon in over a year, after being diagnosed with a leaking aortic valve as well as an enlarged heart. His last time inside the Octagon was a TKO loss to Mark Hunt, so he will be looking to get back on track. Mitrione is coming off one of his best performances ever, as he knocked out Shawn Jordan at the TUF China Finale and earned the $50,000 ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus. Both men garner knockout power, but the submission skills of Struve could come into play if he is able to get this fight to the ground. My pick is Stefan Struve via Unanimous Decision.
Suraj: This fight is an intriguing matchup between one very experienced fighter and one, well, not so much. Struve’s only losses in the octagon have come against Junior dos Santos, Roy Nelson, Travis Browne and Mark Hunt. Could Matt Mitrione actually join this company? Highly unlikely. Regardless of what Mitrione can pull out of his hat, Struve has way too much on his side to lose this fight. If his health is 100%, I don’t see Struve losing this fight 99 times out of 100. Stefan Struve via Round 3 Submission.
Allen: The hardest fight to pick on the card. I’d given serious thought into picking Mitrione for how explosive and well-rounded he is on the feet. Then I watched his fights against Cheick Kongo and Brendan Schaub to remember that he’s lost on the ground. I’ve criticized Struve heavily for his poor fight IQ in the past getting into slugfests. He attributed that to lack of cardio and having health problems. That is behind him and has vowed to be a more smarter fighter. Saturday will see the full verification of that statement. I’m expecting him to look to knock out Mitrione early, before either looking for a leg sweep or possibly even pull guard. Struve knows this is a big moment and doesn’t want to get into another slugfest coming off a year long absence. Stefan Struve via Round 2 Submission
Callum: It’s really great to see Stefan Struve back in the UFC, but his long lay off makes it hard to predict what we are going to get. Mitrione has dangerous hands and Struve has a notoriously bad chin – possibly as a result of being thrown in against heavy hitters when he was barely at legal drinking age. I think Struve has enough technique to keep Mitrione at distance, but he really needs to use his height properly if he is going to progress. Stefan Struve via decision.
Justin: Stefan Struve will return from his near career-ending battle with a bicuspid aortic valve with a chip on his shoulder, and that does not bode well for Matt Mitrione. “The Skyscraper” could do one of three things: Jump guard to get the fight to the ground and catch a submission, pick the former NFLer apart from distance with strikes, or get into a brawl. Of these options, only the latter would give Mitrione a shot, but I just don’t see it happening. Stefan Struve via Round 1 Submission.
Uriah Hall vs. Thiago Santos
Jeremy: Hall is coming off probably one of the biggest beat down victories of his career at UFC 168 when he defeated Chris Leben. He was highly touted on The Ultimate Fighter 17, however lost in the finals and then followed up with a split decision loss to John Howard at UFC Fight Night 26. The pressure is on Santos in this bout, as it will be his first time competing in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas. My pick is Uriah Hall via Round 2 TKO.
Suraj: In a battle of TUF winners, Hall and Santos are still trying to find their path in the UFC, but it seems their last fight was a step in the right direction. The one thing on Hall’s side is he has all the makings of an elite fighter, he’s just not mean enough. In his last fight against Chris Leben, we saw a bit of that “Prime Time” skill we’ve all been waiting for. If he can continue to grow and fight the way he knows how, there are few fighters who can actually stop this man at his best. Uriah Hall via Round 1 TKO.
Allen: It’s hard to garner enough information on Santos, when his two fights in the UFC have gone for a combined two minutes. He seems very aggressive and has shown potent striking in previous fights. How will that translate against an expert counter striker like Hall? It could end up beneficial if Hall continues to be too complacent. His dominant victory over Chris Leben was a confidence booster, but it was his fight for the taking. How will he do against another up and comer rather than someone completely past their prime? It will be a close striking battle, but I’ll give Hall the slight edge due to his athleticism and unpredictability. Uriah Hall via Unanimous Decision
Callum: This card really falls off a cliff huh? These two have no business being on a UFC pay per view card, but Uriah Hall will probably take this comfortably if he bothers to show up. It’s hard to see what Thiago Santos offers, but this would be a big scalp for his should he manage it. Uriah Hall via Unanimous Decision
Justin: Uriah Hall is a fighter that is still working on the mental aspect of his game. The man who may very well be the kindest fellow fighting in the UFC sometimes lets that aspect of his personality slip into the cage, and it’s cost him decisions. If Hall is going to defeat Thiago Santos and assuage the doubt surrounding him, he’s going to need to be aggressive and get the finish. Uriah Hall via Round 2 KO
Marcus Brimage vs. Russell Doane
Jeremy: Since his time on TUF 14, Brimage has gone 3-1 inside the Octagon. His lone loss came to Conor McGregor at UFC on FUEL TV 9 last April. This will be Brimage’s first time in cage since that loss and will look to follow up with a win against finishing king Doane. The former Tachi Palace Fights Bantamweight Champion is 1-0 inside the UFC, with a triangle choke victory against Leandro Issa in January. This one is a tough pick for me, as I’m a big Brimage fan, but I think Doane could be a step above him. My pick is Russell Doane via Round 1 Submission.
Suraj: Other than the main event, this might be the toughest match to call for me. I believe Brimage is a good fighter and could rise to the occasion in the future, but this will not be his night. What I like about Doane is his success outside the UFC. He has won several championships in Hawaii along with the Tachi Palace championship in California as my colleague mentioned above. His ground skills are solid and he has demonstrated good striking power for the weight class. I believe it will be Doane’s versatility that helps him notch the most important victory of his career. Russell Doane via Round 2 TKO
Allen: Another close one to call, but I’m leaning towards Doane. Brimage has solid wrestling and explosiveness, but seems to be lacking in the striking department. He tends to get too excited and that leads him to get tagged far too easily. I’m expecting this to be a lot of grappling early, before Doane starts to pick him apart. I’m not sure about Doane’s power, so therefore I’ll avoid calling for a finish. Hopefully we get an entertaining opening bout and both fighters can show the world who they are. This is an opportunity of a lifetime for both men. Russell Doane via Unanimous Decision
Callum: And if the last fight was bad….alright. So the guy who lost to Conor McGregor in his debut is taking on a guy with just one prior UFC fight. If this fight goes to the ground Doane has a good chance, but on the feet I don’t know what will happen. Neither have looked particularly impressive though Doane has some nice knockout wins on the regional circuit. Russell Doane via Unanimous Decision
Justin: It’s Hawaii vs. Alabama in the bantamweight division with Russell Doane taking on Marcus Brimage. “The Bama Beast,” is a powerhouse wrestler, but is making his first cut to 135 lbs., while the scrappy Hawaiian Doane has proven himself to be more of a finisher. Given the submission skills that Doane has shown over the course of his career, I expect him to catch the charismatic Brimage with something on the ground. Russell Doane via Round 3 Submission.
