MMASucka staff picks continue on with card number three of the weekend.
August remains busy for mixed martial arts fans with UFC on ESPN 50 taking place tonight, August 5th, from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. This comes as the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s sixth ever event from the Music City and first event since UFC Fight Night 148 in March of 2019. Tonight’s preliminary card will kick off at 6:00pm ET (3:00pm PT) followed by the main card at 9:00pm ET (6:00pm PT). All fights will be available to watch on either ESPN or ESPN+.
UFC on ESPN 50: Sandhagen vs. Font results will be available here at MMASucka.
Take a look back at our staff picks from Friday’s ONE Fight Night 13 from Bangkok, Thailand and PFL 7 2023 from San Antonio, Texas. Also, Stay tuned for more picks this upcoming Tuesday the 8th for Dana White’s Contender Series 2023: Week 1.
The Fights
In the night’s main event, a meeting between Cory Sandhagen and Rob Font will take place at a catchweight of 140 pounds. Umar Nurmagomedov was originally scheduled to take on Sandhagen until suffering injury in July which forced him out and ultimate replacement Font in for the five-round main event; five pounds above the bantamweight division.
Former interim Bantamweight Champion challenger, Sandhagen, has won two in-a-row including a main event split decision over Marlon Vera earlier this year. A victory for the top-ranked Colorado talent would be his 17th in 20 fights dating back only to May of 2015 as he continues his attempt at reclimbing the divisional ladder. Sandhagen’s opponent, Font, had suffered two defeats of his own before earning an impressive “Performance of the Night” with his April knockout in the first round over Adrian Yanez. Another knockout for the former CES Featherweight Champion would move him in a tie with T.J. Dillashaw for most knockouts in 135-pound UFC history in what will be his 15th octagon walk.
Women’s strawweights will clash in the co-main event between Jessica Andrade and Tatiana Suarez. Former champion of the weight class and promotional veteran, Andrade, makes her fourth appearance of 2023 looking to snap a two-fight skid following finishing losses to both Erin Blanchfield and Yan Xiaonan. The Ultimate Fighter 23 winner, Suarez, sits undefeated at nine wins having made a successful return after a near-four year hiatus over Montana De La Rosa in February. Andrade took the fight on short notice after Virna Jandiroba was forced out of the contest due to a knee injury.
Four additional fights make up the anticipated main card tonight including former Cage Fury Fighting Champion Dustin Jacoby and the awaited return of Canada’s Gavin Tucker. Find our staff picks for these fights for UFC on ESPN 50: Sandhagen vs. Font further below.
Two of bantamweight’s BEST strikers meet tomorrow!!@CorySandhagen vs @RobSFont in our #UFCNashville main event!
[ 9pmET / 6pmPT | Live on ESPN & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/ytTw6TBo9r
— UFC (@ufc) August 4, 2023
2023 Staff Picks
MMASucka staff picks are composed of five promotions: the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator MMA, ONE Championship, the Professional Fighters League (PFL), and Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS). UFC and Bellator events feature picks from only main cards. PFL will feature select fights from the main and preliminary card while DWCS sees all fights counted from the event. ONE Championship returns to picks for the first time since 2020 and will feature only mixed martial arts (MMA) fights selected from cards with a minimum three matchups.
The WINNER of staff picks at the end of 2023, who picked the most victorious fighters, will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a chain from Championship Chains. Staff picks in 2022 was won by Wesley Riddle with a record of 264-135.
Check out below who is picked to win at UFC on ESPN 50: Sandhagen vs. Font.
Staff Records after Bellator MMA x Rizin 2:
1. Ben Jamieson: 171-87
2. Michael DeSantis: 169-89
3. Jeremy Brand: 164-94
4. Nate Freeman: 163-95
5T. Frazer Krohn: 161-97
5T. Wesley Riddle: 161-97
7. Julio Monteros Jr.: 148-88
8. Jack Goodwillie: 131-75
9. Andrew Benjamin: 129-104
10. Brian Knight: 119-73
11. Tim Wheaton: 105-60
12. Roemello Reyes: 62-34
13. Jonathan Andrade: 31-24
14. Brandon Joint: 12-9
15. Andrew Benjamin: 10-7
16. Joshua Yule: 7-6
17. Antwyn Jackson: 5-6
18. Chris De Santiago: 3-3
*Note – not all staff pick for every event*
*Note – ONE Fight Night 13 & PFL 7 2023 picks will be added to the above records NEXT weekend*
Ignacio Bahamondes (14-4), -238
vs.
L’udovit Klein (19-4-1), +195
Lightweight Division
– 155 LBS. ~ 70.3 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Bahamondes via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Bahamondes via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Bahamondes via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Bahamondes via Round 2 TKO
Nate Freeman: Bahamondes via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Bahamondes via Round 1 TKO
Ben Jamieson: Bahamondes via Round 3 TKO
Chris De Santiago: Bahamondes via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Bahamondes: 8
Staff picking Klein: 0
Tanner Boser (20-10-1), -148
vs.
Aleksa Camur (6-2), +124
Light Heavyweight Division
– 205 LBS. ~ 93.0 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Boser via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Camur via Split Decision
Michael DeSantis: Boser via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Boser via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Boser via Split Decision
Brian Knight: Boser via Split Decision
Ben Jamieson: Boser via Unanimous Decision
Chris De Santiago: Boser via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Boser: 7
Staff picking Camur: 1
Diego Lopes (21-6), -162
vs.
Gavin Tucker (13-2), +136
Featherweight Division
– 145 LBS. ~ 65.8 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Tucker via Round 2 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Lopes via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Lopes via Round 2 SUB
Frazer Krohn: Tucker via Round 2 TKO
Nate Freeman: Tucker via Split Decision
Brian Knight: Tucker via Unanimous Decision
Ben Jamieson: Lopes via Unanimous Decision
Chris De Santiago: Lopes via Round 1 SUB
Staff picking Lopes: 4
Staff picking Tucker: 4
Dustin Jacoby (18-7-1), +130
vs.
Kennedy Nzechukwu (12-3), -155
Light Heavyweight Division
– 205 LBS. ~ 93.0 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Jacoby via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Jacoby via Split Decision
Michael DeSantis: Jacoby via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Jacoby via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Nzechukwu via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Jacoby via Unanimous Decision
Ben Jamieson: Nzechukwu via Round 2 TKO
Chris De Santiago: Jacoby via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Jacoby: 7
Staff picking Nzechukwu: 1
Jessica Andrade (24-11), +295
vs.
Tatiana Suarez (10-0), -375
Women’s Strawweight Division
– Co-Main Event –
– 115 LBS. ~ 52.2 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Suarez via Round 3 SUB
Wesley Riddle: Suarez via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Suarez via Round 2 SUB
Frazer Krohn: Suarez via Round 2 SUB
Nate Freeman: Suarez via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Suarez via Round 2 TKO
Ben Jamieson: Suarez via Unanimous Decision
Chris De Santiago: Suarez via Round 2 TKO
Staff picking Andrade: 0
Staff picking Suarez: 8
Cory Sandhagen (16-4), -360
vs.
Rob Font (20-6), +285
Catchweight Fight
– Main Event –
– 140 LBS. ~ 63.5 KG. –
Jeremy Brand: Sandhagen via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Font via Split Decision
Michael DeSantis: Sandhagen via Round 3 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Sandhagen via Round 4 TKO
Nate Freeman: Sandhagen via Unanimous Decision
Brian Knight: Sandhagen via Round 2 TKO
Ben Jamieson: Sandhagen via Unanimous Decision
Chris De Santiago: Sandhagen via Round 3 TKO
Staff picking Sandhagen: 7
Staff picking Font: 1
