The Baltimore Arena plays host to UFC 172 this weekend.
Fans have been awaiting the return of light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and in the main event he will take on number one contender Glover Teixeira. Another light heavyweight match-up is featured in the co-main event, as Phil Davis welcomes Anthony “Rumble” Johnson back to the Octagon.
The rest of the main card features battles between Luke Rockhold and Tim Boetsch, Jim Miller and Yancy Medeiros and kicking off the main PPV portion of the card are featherweights Max Holloway and Andre Fili.
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 on FOX 11.
Allen – 25-9
Justin – 24-15
Jeremy – 23-16
Suraj – 15-7
Callum – 10-7
Thinesh – 7-5
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Jon Jones vs. Glover Teixeira
Jeremy: Teixeira may be the most lethal striker that Jones has ever faced and that is saying a lot. His trainer, John Hackleman, has said on many occasions that Teixeira hits harder than former LHW champ Chuck Liddell and that is saying a lot. The problem for the Brazilian may be getting his hands on the champ. The reach and speed of Jones could pose many problems for the contender in this match-up. There is not much else to say — my pick is Jon Jones via Round 3 Submission.
Allen: Glover Teixeira doesn’t get enough credit for what he’s accomplished, although I don’t see how he wins this fight. If he can pull a Fabricio Werdum and suddenly improve his cardio by drastic measures, that will be one significant step for him to pull off the upset. He looked fatigued in his signature wins over Rampage Jackson and Ryan Bader. Also he’s been prone to leaving himself too open, which is a bad habit to have against a rangy striker. Teixeira may be well-rounded, but he’s too slow for Jon Jones. In the end, I’m expecting him to try to shoot in and get caught with a knee. Eventually Jones will overwhelm him against the fence with various different strikes to reign supreme once again. Jon Jones via 2nd round TKO.
Justin: I already went over this in more detail in the latest Stats for Suckas, but for the “TL;DR” crowd, here’s the cliffs notes: Jon Jones will use his reach advantage to wear down Glover from the outside, before eventually landing a takedown and pounding out the win. Jon Jones via Round 4 TKO.
Callum: Jon Jones is simply in a different class from Glover Teixeira. Though didn’t we say the same about some Swedish guy? I really favour Jones here, I think he took a lot from the Gustafsson fight and will have upped his game. He’s gone from being the young up and comer running through all the veterans to now being the one targeted by a new generation, and he needs to have adapted to stay on top. Jones via Round 2 TKO
Thinesh: The phenom, that is Glover Teixeira, has found his way to the title picture after a phenomenal run of results in the 205-lbs division. The Brazilian has looked sharp, powerful and above all, driven to take the belt from current king-pin, Jon Jones. With that said, I believe Teixeira has never quite faced a fighter like Jones before. The American’s gifted physical attributes has made him an efficient fighting specimen like none other. While it’s hard to look past Jones in this one, at the same, it’d be criminal to disregard Teixeira’s knockout ability as well. I’ll fancy Jones to use his reach and irk out a decision here. He could finish the fight in the latter rounds, but I’ll stay on the safe side and say a decision will suffice. Jones via Unanimous Decision
Phil Davis vs. Anthony Johnson
Jeremy: Since being released from the UFC in 2012, after losing to Vitor Belfort and not making weight on a number of occasions, he has gone on a six-fight winning streak. Four of his six wins have come by either KO or TKO and have been at both heavyweight and light heavyweight. While Johnson was outside the organization, Davis was inside the Octagon making his case for number one contender status himself. Since his UFC title eliminator loss to Rashad Evans, Davis has gone 3-0 with 1 no-contest. My pick is Phil Davis via Unanimous Decision.
Allen: After picking all of the favorites last week (how Romero was an underdog against Tarvares, I’ll never know), I’ve been feeling an upset pick. I’ve always had this sentiment that if the light heavyweight division wasn’t the most depleted division in the UFC, Phil Davis would be a fringe top ten fighter at best. His striking still seems to be a work in progress. I’m still waiting to see him utilize his reach better, since he has so much range and is so physically gifted. Anthony Johnson is in a win-win situation, where not many people are expecting him to win. As long as he doesn’t gas out and get too over aggressive, he can pose major problems for Davis. It’ll be interesting to see how much better his takedown defense has gotten with Kenny Monday as his head coach. It’s an intriguing fight, where I sense an upset brewing. Johnson’s fearlessness will bode well for him here. Anthony Johnson via first round TKO
Justin: Dana White’s comments about Anthony Johnson’s weight leading to a lifetime UFC ban are another stress thrown into “Rumble’s” mind. While he’s looked good in WSOF, it’s tough to tell where he’ll stand in the current UFC Light Heavyweight division. This will be a tough test, but I can see Phil Davis grinding this out, or – less likely – catching a submission. Phil Davis via Unanimous Decision.
Callum: This one is a really tough pick. Anthony Johnson is a slightly unknown quantity against top opposition at 205, and his wins over Mike Kyle and Andrei Arlovski probably don’t tell us any more about his potential at the top of the UFC light heavyweight division than his losses to Josh Koscheck and Vitor Belfort do. However, I’m going to go for Davis here. We saw against Machida how he has the potential to be a really difficult opponent for anyone, and I think he has the confidence to take a decision and dominate. Davis by Unanimous Decision
Thinesh: A classic striker vs. grappler contest and as always, being the opportunist that I am, I’m going for the grappler, Phil Davis. Johnson holds a unique flamboyant striking style which has garnered him not only eye-catching victories, but lots of fans as well. I’ve always been a fan of Johnson, particularly in the striking aspect of the arts, but come fight night, Davis’ trademark and powerful wrestling credentials will be the difference. Davis’ wrestling, coupled with an ever-improving Boxing game, gives him edge in this one and I see ‘Mr. Wonderful’ chain wrestling his way for a decision victory. Davis by Unanimous Decision.
Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Boetsch
Jeremy: Will the former Strikeforce Champion, Rockhold be able to get himself back ‘in the mix’? Or will Boetsch spoils his dreams? Rockhold looked fantastic in his last bout against Costas Philippou, earning himself ‘Knockout of the Night’ honors, while Boetsch is coming off a split decision win to C.B. Dolloway. This bout was expected to take place in October of last year, however Rockhold pulled out due to injury, so it is a fight that both have wanted for some time now. If Rockhold is able to use his speed, footwork and stay away from Boetsch’s clinch game then I think he can win this fight. My pick is Luke Rockhold via Unanimous Decision.
Allen: On paper, this is a horrible matchup for Boetsch. He’s going up against Rockhold, who’s a better striker, more athletic, and is comfortable fighting anywhere. Unless Boetsch can make this fight ugly and smother Rockhold, it’s highly unlikely that will see much of a competitive fight. Rockhold is so well-rounded and is so unpredictable as a striker. Boetsch tends to charge in recklessly, with his chin too high. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him get clipped early on going up against a great counter striker. Boetsch is tough as nails, who never seems to go away unless he has only one eye functioning properly in reference to his loss against Costa Philippou. Unless Rockhold lands another devastating liver kick, I’d expect 15 minutes of dominance. Luke Rockhold via Unanimous Decision
Justin: It puzzles me the way people underestimate the Strikeforce middleweights that came over in the merger. Luke Rockhold, the promotion’s final middleweight champ, didn’t have the best of UFC debuts against (“The TRT-nom”) Vitor Belfort, but he certainly rebounded by going Full Rutten™ on Costa Phillipou earlier this year en route to a liver shot TKO victory. Is Tim Boetsch good? Certainly. Is he “Vitor Belfort on TRT” good? Sadly, no. So, expect to see AKA’s resident surfer dude take the durable “Barbarian” the distance. Luke Rockhold via Unanimous Decision.
Callum: Despite the UFC trying their best to convince us that Tim Boetsch has knockout power, I would imagine he has very little to offer Rockhold here. His TKO victory over Costas Philippou really established him as a top contender at middleweight, and I see him getting another finish here. Rockhold via Round 1 TKO
Thinesh: Personally, it’s not the best of match-ups, stylistically, for Boestch. Rockhold uses his reach well and his striking for MMA is at the very least, stellar, so I would expect the AKA native to keep Boestch at bay with his range and work to shrug off takedown attempts. And with Boestch being as durable as they come, I won’t expect him to be finished here. Rockhold via Unanimous Decision
Jim Miller vs. Yancy Medeiros
Jeremy: Miller has been ever so close to a UFC title shot, but always seems to come up short. A fight against his original opponent Bobby Green may have propelled him up the ladder, however I don’t see a win over Medeiros doing too much. Miller is coming off a huge submission win against Fabrício Camões and Medeiros is coming off a knockout victory against Yves Edwards that was eventually over turned due to testing positive for marijuana in his post-fight drug test. Miller will more than likely be able to use his experience and tenacity to overcome the obstacle in front of him. My pick Jim Miller via Round 2 Submission.
Allen: Medeiros has great upside, but he’s not ready for a challenge like this. Obviously he had no choice with Bobby Green being injured, so you can’t be upset with this matchup. Medeiros is a solid volume striker, who can change levels and can be very explosive. The issue for him will be his wrestling, where he’s yet to be truly tested. Rustam Khabilov took him down rather easily, although an unfortunate thumb injury ended that fight before anyone can make a rational judgement of his wrestling. Miller is too explosive and battle-tested to lose this bout. He’s too intelligent to try to stand-and-trade for a significant period of time. He knows he has clear advantages on the ground and inside the clinch. That is more than enough to defeat Medeiros. Miller via 3rd round submission.
Justin: Yancy Medeiros is best known for breaking his thumb so badly while getting taken down by Rustam Khabilov that it got the fight stopped. While Jim Miller will not be busting digits, he does have exactly the kind of grappling pedigree that will give “The Kid” fits, and will grind him down into a fine powder before submitting him in round 3. Jim Miller Via Round 3 Submission.
Callum: Yancy Medeiros looked very impressive against Yves Edwards, but he is at a significant experience disadvantage here. Having gone the distance in just 2 of 11 fights, I expect Medeiros to be outworked over the piece by Jim Miller – who is trying desperately to re-establish himself as the lightweight division threatens to leave him behind. Jim Miller via Unanimous Decision
Thinesh: Medeiros is a proven finisher, having made it to a decision only twice in 11 fights. Miller’s a veteran, and it’s his style to take the fight to the canvas and work for submissions. I suspect Miller will be too experienced here to be fazed by anything that Yancy Medeiro throws at him. I can foresee the American getting a victory here by submission, most likely in the third stanza. Miller via 3rd round submission.
Max Holloway vs. Andre Fili
Jeremy: This is the fight that I am looking forward to the most this weekend, as both Holloway and Fili have some serious potential in the featherweight division. Fili was a short notice replacement in his UFC debut last October when he finished Jeremy Larsen by TKO in the second round. The Alpha Male product took the fight on two-weeks notice and cut 30-pounds to make his Octagon debut. Holloway has impressed on many occasions, however he has also fizzled at times as well. This fight is bound to be absolute fireworks with both fighters looking for the knockout win inside the 15-minutes. My pick is Andre Fili via Round 2 TKO.
Allen: This is the toughest fight to choose from on this card. Holloway keeps evolving as a striker, while Fili is one of the more talked about prospects in the UFC. Do you believe in the hype from someone who trains at Team Alpha Male in Fiji or the battle tested Holloway? It doesn’t help that I’ve seen only a handful of fights combined between both fighters. Fiji is the better grappler and knows how to close the distance efficiently. While Holloway seems to have the speed advantage, I’m expecting Fiji to have excellent footwork to negate his speed advantage training with Duane Ludwig. This can go either way, but I’m leaning towards power and technique. Andre Fili via unanimous decision
Justin: This is another one of those fights where I just want to say that we fans watching the card are the winners. Still, while young Holloway loves to bring the fight, he doesn’t quite have the same finishing ability as Fili. There will be blood, but in the end, I predict it will be tears for “Blessed.” Andre Fili via Round 3 TKO.
Callum: Max Holloway was given a big old Will Chope-shaped gift in his last assignment, and Holloway finally put a stop to his losing streak. However in Andre Fili he is facing a highly touted prospect with serious knockout power, and I see Holloway suffering his first knockout loss, and probably not sticking around too much longer. Andre Fili via Round 1 TKO.
Thinesh: Even though this is the main card’s opener, it’s the fight I’m looking forward to the most on the card. It is a blockbuster match-up between two highly touted prospects, with very similar styles. I just think Fili has a tad bit of an advantage with his grappling here. While both fighters, of course, have immaculate footwork to go along with fast and crisp striking skills, Fili is the better grappler and I’d expect him to, perhaps, mix things up to take a decision here. Andre Fili via unanimous decision.
