UFC 185 Main Card
(C) Anthony “Showtime” Pettis (18-2-0) vs. #1 Rafael dos Anjos (23-7-0)
In what should be an incredibly exciting fight, the UFC lightweight champion puts his title on the line against the ever-improving dos Anjos. After losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov, dos Anjos has won three straight against Jason High, Benson Henderson and Nate Diaz. Not only did he knockout Henderson in the first round but he absolutely dominated Diaz in a one-sided decision. Interestingly enough, both fighters have lost to Clay Guida. In Pettis’ case, he has not lost a fight since.
Pettis is 5-0 since the loss and has beaten Jeremy Stephens, Joe Lauzon, Donald Cerrone, Benson Henderson and Gilbert Melendez. His first title defense came against the Cesar Gracie fighter and it was the first time Melendez was every finished. Pettis won the fight via guillotine choke in the second round but dominated the fight for two rounds. It is hard to discuss his strengths because he has all the tools of an elite fighter. Amazing endurance, unpredictable strikes and a very unique style of grappling.
Considering both fighters’ strengths, it is difficult to predict an outcome. If dos Anjos’ chin can survive five rounds, his submission and grappling skills should keep him alive throughout the fight. Nevertheless, with the level of competition he has faced and his all-around ability, it would be hard to bet against the current UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis.
(C) Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza (11-2-0) vs. #1 Joanna Jedrzejczyk (8-0-0)
In terms of skill, both strawweight fighters bring a lot to the table. Esparza is a very good wrestler and won the very first Invicta FC title. During her five-fight win streak, Esparza has compiled 2 TKO, 1 submission and 2 decision victories. She has never been finished by strikes but lost via submission to Megumi Fujii and by decision to Jessica Aguilar in Bellator.
Jedrzejczyk is a six-time world muay thai champion and four-time European champion. She has incredible striking skills with great footwork and demonstrated some good takedown defense during her most recent fight against Claudia Gadelha. While it was a close split decision, it was her perseverance and stand up skills that won her the fight. If this bout stays standing, it really is anyone’s fight. Jedrzejczyk has a very good skill set to take the title from Esparza, but the 27-year old American looks determined to keep her belt by defending her title for the first time in the UFC.
#1 Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks (16-3-0) vs. #5 Matt “The Immortal” Brown (21-12-0)
In what could very well be the fight of the night, Hendricks and Brown will be looking to throw some leather and end the fight as soon as possible. Both fighters have incredible chins and have never been knocked out in their careers. On the opposite end, Hendricks and Brown have knocked out a plethora of top-level fighters and will look to keep that trend going tonight.
With so much talent in the welterweight division, there are several fights to look forward to as Robbie Lawler will make his first title defense in a rematch against Rory MacDonald at UFC 189. It seems like the most likely outcome will be the winner of both bouts fighting each other in the next welterweight title fight. With that said, expect Hendricks and Brown to throw serious bombs as they fight for the number one contender spot in the UFC welterweight division.
#8 Roy “Big Country” Nelson (21-10-0) vs. #9 Alistair “The Reem” Overeem (38-14-0, 1NC)
In the first heavyweight bout of the night, Nelson and Overeem will be looking for a big win as they try to move up the UFC ranks. In his last fight, Nelson lost via KO for only the second time in his career against Mark Hunt. Prior to that, Nelson knocked out Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the very first round. In what has been a see-saw of a career, Nelson will have problems in any fight that goes longer than a round. Overeem has been known to get too confident in fights, but since joining the Jackson-Wink camp, he looks like a much more disciplined fighter.
Overeem beat Stefan Struve with a first round knockout after losing to Ben Rothwell in the same way. Training with much better fighters and taking the steps to improve, one must give the advantage to Overeem as Nelson has yet to take the necessary steps to become a more consistent fighter. If this fight does not end in the first round, it could come down to lucky punch or an uneventful decision. Nevertheless, this could be the most exciting first round of any fight tonight, so expect fireworks for five minutes at the very least.
Chris “Kamikaze” Cariaso (17-6-0) vs. Henry “The Messenger” Cejudo (7-0-0)
What should be a classic case of experience versus youth, Cariaso brings a world of talent to the octagon against the up-and-coming youngster Cejudo. Cejudo won his UFC debut against Dustin Kimura and looked very dominant in that fight. Both fighters have incredible cardio, as most flyweights do, and it would be no surprise to see this fight go to a decision.
In 12 of 17 victories, Cariaso has won via decision but lost his most recent fight to Demetrious Johnson for the UFC flyweight championship. Trying to make his way back up the ladder, Cariaso will have to stop the very hungry 28-year old who has yet to lose in his MMA career. With so few contenders for Johnson to take on, Cejudo has a huge opportunity against Cariso. With an impressive win, the young Arizona-native could very well join the UFC flyweight title picture.
TSN Preliminaries
Ross “The Real Deal” Pearson (18-8-0, 1NC) vs. Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout (21-10-1)
The preliminary main event will feature two UFC veterans trying to get back in the win column after losing their last bout. Pearson is a good boxer with good all-around ability but Stout’s striking has always been well-respected. It would be surprising to see this fight hit the mat at any point as both fighters have been known for the fisticuffs. If the fight does not end via knockout, expect a very bloody fight for three rounds ending in close decision win for either fighter.
Elias “The Spartan” Theodorou (10-0-0) vs. Roger “Silverback” Narvaez (7-1-0)
With two solid up and coming fighters this bout should be very exciting and competitive. Narvaez is coming off a close split decision win against Luke Barnatt after losing to Patrick Cummins via TKO. Theodorou is already 2-0 in the UFC and could see main card action with an impressive win against Narvaez. Both fighters have the ability to finish but have the endurance to go hard for three rounds. Regardless of the outcome, this should be one of the most enjoyable fights on the card tonight.
Daron “Detroit Superstar” Cruickshank (16-5-0, 1NC) vs. Beneil Dariush (9-1-0)
In a battle of UFC veterans, Cruickshank and Dariush have been in some really entertaining fights and tonight should be no different. They have very impressive versatility and should equal each other out in most areas of the fight. Cruickshank is much more experienced but Dariush has gone 3-1 since joining the UFC, losing only to Ramsey Nijem last year. Since then, Dariush is 2-0 in the UFC and will look for his third straight win against Cruickshank. Cruickshank has not lost since his fight to Jorge Masvidal and will hope to get the win after a disappointing end to his fight with K.J. Noons.
Jared “The Big Show” Rosholt (11-2-0) vs. Josh “Cuddly Bear” Copeland (9-1-0)
In the second heavyweight bout tonight, both fighters are coming off losses and are not your most athletically-built fighters. However, Rosholt and Copeland have shown good versatility, winning by both submission and knockout in the past. Having gone to a decision several times each, both fighters should have the cardio and endurance to fight for three strong rounds. With very little separating both fighters, this bout is basically a coin flip but could be determined on points in a very close decision.
UFC Fight Pass Prelims
Sergio Pettis (12-1-0) vs. Ryan “Baby Face” Benoit (7-3-0)
Making his flyweight debut, Pettis takes on a strong wrestler with good striking in 25-year old Benoit. Benoit lost his UFC debut to Josh Sampo via second round submission but compiled 6 KO/TKO victories outside the UFC. For his second fight, Benoit has the odds stacked against him with the 21-year old brother of the current UFC lightweight champion. Pettis has an credible coaching staff and training partners at Roufusport, which should gives him a significant advantage going into this fight.
Jake “The Librarian” Lindsey (9-2-0) vs. Joseph “Irish” Duffy (12-1-0)
Two fighters at opposite ends of the UFC, Duffy will be making his debut tonight while Lindsey will be looking to avoid his third straight loss in the UFC. Both fighters have shown all-around ability but will need to bring those skills to the octagon to avoid another setback in their MMA careers. If Lindsey takes another loss, there is a good chance he gets cut by the UFC. For Duffy, he will need to shake the UFC jitters and keep his opponent guessing. Both fighters have never lost via decision, which should make this an exciting bout if it goes three rounds.
Larissa Pacheco (10-1-0) vs. #15 Germaine “The Iron Lady” de Randamie (4-3-0)
Kicking off the night is a great matchup between two female bantamweight fighters. Pacheco is a solid grappling specialist who lost her UFC debut to Jessica Andrade. De Randamie is 1-1 in the UFC and lost her most recent bout to Amanda Nunes. She fights out of AKA but is taking on a much younger fighter in the 20-year old Brazilian. Pacheco has incorporated a good striking game to become a complete MMA fighter and should pose a very serious challenge to the more experienced 30-year old American.
