‘You can call me Mystic Mac because I predict these things’
Well, not quite, however here are 10 outlandish MMA predictions for 2020. These are only fun predictions, so may seem a little out there. If all come to fruition, however, we’re in for a hell of a 2020.
MMA Predictions for 2020
1 – Conor McGregor fights three times, none of which are for a Championship belt
Prediction #1 is that Conor McGregor will fight three times in 2020. Obviously we know he is booked for January 18th to fight Donald Cerrone, which will (if all goes ahead) serve as his first fight in 2020.
McGregor will then challenge Jorge Masvidal for the ‘BMF’ title at international fight week in July. Dana White stated that it is a fight that the Irishman is interested in and is certainly a fight that would have fans excited. Masvidal responded to a previous call out from McGregor and would be ill-advised to turn the fight down.
McGregor’s third fight in 2020 will be against Nate Diaz in their trilogy fight. This will take place at the UFC’s annual Madison Square Garden card in November. It is a fight that needs to happen at some point as the score is currently one apiece. Likely to happen at welterweight, these two men always provide a captivating fight.
2 – Douglas Lima defeats MVP for a second time and goes up to challenge for the middleweight title
Douglas Lima is easily one of the top welterweights on the planet. The current Bellator 170lbs champion won the Grand Prix in style, dominating every opponent he came up against. One of these opponents was Michael Venom Page. He provided us with one of the knockouts of the year against Page, handing the Brit his first professional loss.
Douglas Lima put him to sleep ?
(via @BellatorMMA)pic.twitter.com/BwspDNvFT5
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 12, 2019
Since then, Page has knocked out three opponents and is looking for a rematch with Lima.
There is another man on the scene however, Lorenz Larkin. This prediction goes as follows: Page will face Larkin in the toughest test of his career. Winning by split decision over three rounds, he will rematch Lima. Despite early success again from Page, Lima’s experience will take over, leading to victory. With few challenges left at 170lbs, and as we know he has historically had to cut a lot of weight to make 170lbs, Lima will move up to middleweight in a bid to become a ‘Champ champ’.
3 – Jon Jones defeats Dominick Reyes and Corey Anderson and moves up to heavyweight
Jon Jones is one of the greats of the sport. Set to face Dominick Reyes at UFC 247, Jones defeats Reyes with ease. Using his superior octagon IQ, Jones stops Reyes late with a submission after wearing him down.
Corey Anderson faces Jan Blachowicz in the main event on February 15th in New Mexico. In a fairly mundane fight, Anderson grinds out a win. Despite a lot of trash talk, Anderson is outclassed by Jones when he faces him for the belt. Jones again wears his opponent down and stops him late, this time via TKO.
4 – Maycee Barber realises a title shot but it is too much too soon
Maycee Barber is one of the brightest prospects in the UFC today. Sitting pretty at 8-0, finishing all but one fight, she has impressed in the UFC. At just 21, she wants to become the youngest champion in UFC history.
There is one problem, however. One of the pound for pound best women in the world holds the belt in her division, Valentina Shevchenko. The prediction is that Barber dominates at UFC 246 and then fights again in April against Joanne Calderwood. In a close fight, Barber edges a decision against Calderwood and is matched with Shevchenko. The champion plays the matador and it proves to be too much too soon for Barber, retaining the belt via unanimous decision.
5 – Israel Adesanya will face Darren Till at Anfield
Arguably the most outlandish prediction of all, middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will step into enemy territory when he faces Darren Till in Till’s hometown of Liverpool. The fight will be the first MMA event at the home of Liverpool football club, Anfield. In the 54,000 seater stadium, two middleweight strikers go to war, providing an instant classic.
6 – Stipe Miocic defeats Francis Ngannou for a second time
This prediction is assuming these two men come through prior bouts. Francis Ngannou defeats Jairzinho Roezenstruik in March, before challenging Stipe Miocic later in the year. Miocic grants Daniel Cormier his rematch narrowly defeating him (sending him into retirement). The rematch goes similarly to the first bout between Miocic and Ngannou, with the champion using his superior wrestling to outpoint the Cameroonian.
7- Weili Zhang makes two defences of her belt against two former champions
Set to face off against long-time former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk in March, China’s first UFC champion becomes only the second woman to finish Jedrzejczyk. Following this, she serves as the co-main event at international fight week against the returning Rose Namajunas. The superior power of Zhang is enough to finish Namajunas. Rumours of a super fight between Zhang and Shevchenko start to circulate after both women dominate their divisions.
8 – Weidman and Rockhold rematch at 205 and the loser retires
Following their title fight at UFC 194, Chris Weidman and Luke Rockhold have been out of luck. Scheduled for a rematch which never came to fruition, neither man has strung two wins together since they first met. A combined record of 2-7, with seven knockout losses, neither man has hit the mark as of late.
Having both moved up to light heavyweight in 2019, neither man was successful. Weidman was knocked out by Reyes in the first round, whereas Blachowicz handed Rockhold a knockout loss in his 205lbs debut.
This prediction is that these men will face off with each other, the loser retiring from the sport as a result of accumulative damage taken over recent fights.
9 – Kayla Harrison and Cris Cyborg will face off in a Bellator/PFL crossover bout
PFL’s Kayla Harrison has been on a tear since her debut. At 7-0 with five finishes, the two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Fighting at lightweight, Harrison is yet to be really tested in her MMA career. Who could provide this test? Non-other than former UFC, Invicta and Strikeforce champion, Cris Cyborg.
Although Cyborg is signed to Bellator, we know they’re not opposed to having a cross-promotion fight. This could be the perfect opportunity for Harrison to break into the big time.
10 – The 165lbs division comes to fruition in the UFC
Let’s be honest, it’s time. We suggested that it is a change that needs to be made in 2020 in a previous article. The division has the potential to be stacked. It would also make it safer for fighters not having to cut as much weight to make lightweight.
A new weight class breathes new life into the UFC and should be made in order to provide fans with entertaining fights and fights that previously couldn’t be made due to weight issues. Historically the UFC don’t like to headline PPV cards without a title bout and the creation of a new division would give them another opportunity to do this.
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