UFC 211: Miocic vs. Dos Santos 2 (May 13, 2017)

[Thor4140]

I'm going to be big on Brazilians this card

They letting them use steroids on this card?

[JIBBBY]

MMA mania prelim write ups coming in - Part 1...



115 lbs.: Jessica Aguilar vs. Cortney Casey

Jessica Aguilar (19-5) came back from her controversial loss to Zoila Frausto in Bellator to win 10 straight, including a decision against Carla Esparza and two decisions over the legendary Megumi Fujii. That pedigree wasn’t enough to save her from Claudia Gadelha, who overpowered “Jag” in the latter’s UFC debut.
This will be her first fight since Oct. 2015 thanks to a torn ACL.
Cortney Casey (6-4) came up short in her first two UFC bouts against Joanne Calderwood and Seo Hee Ham, winning “Fight of the Night” both times, but showed dramatic improvement in dominant wins over Cristina Stanciu and Randa Markos. This set up a fight with Gadelha, who delighted the Brazilian crowd while handing Casey her third UFC defeat.
She will have three inches of height and four inches of reach on Aguilar.
This fight boils entirely down to how much the layoff affects Aguilar. Casey has parlayed her size, strength and mean streak into some solid performances, but the wrestling and experience disparities are just too much for her present skillset to overcome. Heck, Aguilar first fought Fujii a year before Casey’s professional debut.
Casey doesn’t have enough to fall back on when Plan A (physically overpowering Aguilar) inevitably goes south. Aguilar out-grapples her on the way to her first UFC victory.
Prediction: Aguilar def. Casey via unanimous decision

145 lbs.: Jared Gordon vs. Michel Quinones

Jared “Flash” Gordon (12-1) — though not the SAVIOR OF THE UNIVERSE — rebounded from his first career loss to Jeff Lentz by winning the CFFC Featherweight title. In his first defense, he impressed Dana White and Co. enough to be the latest “Lookin’ for a Fight” acquisition.
He has knocked out five opponents and submitted another two.
A striker out of American Top Team, Michel Quinones (8-1) knocked out three consecutive opponents in the first round, including The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 22 competitor Billy Quarantillo, to earn a call up to Titan FC. There, he picked up just his second decision win over previously unbeaten Caio Uruguai.
He was originally set to debut in February against Alexander Volkanovski before suffering an injury.
There’s not much out there on Gordon save highlights, but thankfully, Fight Pass has Quinones’ last fight. “El Capo” is an aggressive, powerful striker with a tricky left leg, but has a tendency to rush forward when attacking in combination and open himself up to counters. What I can piece together of Gordon suggests a strong wrestler with pop in his hands.
While they’re both solid, Gordon gets my tentative nod. He looks capable on the counter and — though Quinones’ takedown defense looked stout — those charges are just begging for a well-timed double-leg takedown. Gordon mixes striking and takedowns for a decision win.
Prediction: Gordon via unanimous decision

265 lbs.: Chase Sherman vs. Rashad Coulter

Chase Sherman (9-3) entered UFC with nine first-round knockouts in 10 fights, the sole loss coming to current UFC competitor Alex Nicholson. He has struggled to recreate that success in UFC, dropping a wide decision to Justin Ledet in his debut and suffering a knockout to fellow physical specimen Walt Harris in January.
At 6’4”, he stands five inches taller than Rashad Coulter (8-1).
Coulter enters UFC having won five straight, all of them in the first round under solid banners like Bellator and Legacy FC. His last two fights have ended in a combined 1:49 and none of the five lasted more than three minutes. Like Sherman, all of Coulter’s wins have come by form of knockout.
I’m going to be honest: Aside from about 10 seconds from AXS TV’s post-show recaps, I can’t find any recent footage of Coulter. I do, however, know that he’s fought at Light Heavyweight before and his weight tends to fluctuate dramatically, which suggests he’s carrying unnecessary fat. Sherman may be technically limited, but he’s a 240-pound beast.
Both guys are coming in on short notice, adding another layer of intrigue. Accepting that the lack of fight tape makes this a shot in the dark, I say Sherman ends the slugfest partway through the first.
Prediction: Sherman via first-round technical knockout

145 lbs.: Gabriel Benitezvs. Enrique Barzola

Gabriel Benitez (19-5) — who defeated Diego Rivas on the inaugural TUF: “Latin America” season — won his first two UFC bouts before suffering a career-first loss to Andre Fili at UFC Fight Night 78. Ten months later, “Moggly” returned to action and choked out Sam Sicilia in Hidalgo for his fifth win in six fights.
Ten of his 19 professional wins have come by submission, including four by guillotine choke.
Enrique Barzola (12-3-1) — lived up to his nickname on TUF: “Latin America” 2, beating Jonathan Ortega and Cesar Arzamendia before dominating Horacio Guitierrez at the Finale. After a questionable loss to Kyle Bochniak, Barzola cruised past Chris Avila in Mexico City last November.
His wins are split evenly between knockouts, submissions and decisions.
It’s been nice to see TUF: “Latin American” fighters find success after being brushed aside as novelties. Benitez has proven a very effective striker and Barzola is much more well-rounded than one would expect considering the limited training opportunities he had early in his career.
That well-roundedness has me picking the Peruvian. He can hold his own on the feet and blends his wrestling with his striking quite well. The threat of the takedown should muzzle Benitez’s usual kicking onslaught and Barzola has the cardio to grapple all night. He outworks Benitez to a clear decision win.
Prediction: Barzola via unanimous decision

205 lbs.: Gadzhimurad Antigulov vs. Joachim Christensen

Gadzhimurad Antigulov (19-4) put a three-fight losing streak behind him with 12 consecutive victories, all but one by knockout or submission. This set up a UFC debut against Marcos Rogerio de Lima, whom Antigulov overpowered for a bonus-winning guillotine choke in 67 seconds.
He has stopped 16 opponents in the first round, including seven in less than one minute.
Joachim Christensen (14-4) saw his five-fight win streak come to an end in his UFC debut when Luis “Frankenstein” recovered from a nasty knee to submit him in the second. Three months later, he returned to action and knocked out Bojan Mihajlovic with a lovely uppercut midway through the third.
At 6’3”, he is four inches taller than Antigulov.
Antigulov is a natural Middleweight who makes up for his physical disadvantages with freakish aggression. It’s not a sustainable style, nor one that will continue to work once he starts to scratch the top of the division, but it makes him must-watch TV against those below the 205-pound median.
Christensen has power and solid striking skills. And if the fight goes past the first, it’s his for the taking. Sadly, he has not demonstrated the takedown defense necessary to turn aside Antigulov’s initial rush. Antigulov downs him early and locks up something ugly in transition.
Prediction: Antigulov via first-round submission

Part 2 -


155 lbs.: Eddie Alvarez vs. Dustin Poirier


Despite +255 odds and two straight wins by razor-thin split decision, Eddie Alvarez (28-5) delivered one of 2016’s biggest upsets with a first-round technical knockout of Rafael dos Anjos to earn the UFC Lightweight title. His reign proved brief, as Conor McGregor moved up to 155 pounds four months later and put him away with punches midway through the second.

Fifteen of his 22 stoppage wins have come by form of knockout.
Following his knockout loss to Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier (21-5) returned to Lightweight and immediately embarked on a rampage that saw him score three first-round knockouts and a decision over Joe Duffy. Michael Johnson halted his momentum with a surprise knockout in Hidalgo, but he dug deep to re-enter the win column against Jim Miller in February.
Despite being an inch shorter than Alvarez, he will have a three-inch reach advantage.
This is just a really, really good fight. Two powerful, aggressive strikers who can fight through adversity? Indeed, fight fans couldn’t ask for a better “Prelims” headliner. Poirier has more raw power and is coming off a win, but Alvarez’s footwork and willingness to grind on the cage for extended periods of time have me leaning his way.
Alvarez has been dealing with come-forward bruisers his whole career. Though he can’t trade bombs with them the way he used to, he’s developed tricky movement that can defuse power punchers. If Poirier can’t find his chin early, Alvarez can and will seize the rhythm and he’s more than happy to spend half a round fighting for a takedown. Expect Poirier to land an early knockdown, but ultimately lose a narrow decision.
Prediction: Alvarez via unanimous decision

145 lbs.: Chas Skelly vs. Jason Knight


Chas Skelly (17-2) stepped right into the deep end in his UFC debut, taking on super-prospect Mirsad Bektic and forcing him to settle for a majority decision. He has since won six of seven, five of them by submission, and re-established himself as a contender to watch.

He is an inch taller and seven years older than Jason Knight (16-2).
An eight-fight win streak carried Knight to UFC, where the great Tatsuya Kawajiri overpowered his guard game to hand him his first defeat in three years. Knight proceeded to re-invent himself as a pressure fighter, a move which has paid dividends with two post-fight bonuses in his three consecutive wins.
Ten of his 16 professional victories have come by submission.
Knight’s current strategy works because his guard is basically nuclear deterrence against most Featherweight fighters. He’s one of the rare modern fighters who is a legitimate finishing threat off of his back against solid opposition. As such, opponents are hesitant to exploit the takedown opportunities his relentless advance provides.
Unfortunately, Skelly’s top game is more than up to snuff and he knows it.
Skelly is one of those scary wrestlers who knows how to blend those skills with opportunistic submissions, something like what we thought Phil Davis would be early in the latter’s UFC run. Knight doesn’t have the takedown defense to control position and Skelly can hold his own on either the feet or the mat. Barring critical cardio failure, Skelly takes home the decision win.
Prediction: Skelly via unanimous decision

185 lbs.: Krzysztof Jotko vs. David Branch


Krzysztof Jotko (19-1)fought back from a 1-1 start to his UFC career to win five straight, becoming an unexpected contender in the stacked Middleweight division. His last two fights have been the most impressive of all, knocking out Tamdan McCrory with one punch and dominated the resurgent Thales Leites.

He will give up four inches of reach to David Branch (20-3).
A 2011 submission loss to Rousimar Palhares ended Branch’s first UFC run at 2-2. Two wins and a loss to “Rumble” Johnson later, he embarked on his current 10-fight win streak and picked up both the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Series of Fighting (WSOF) titles.
He has knocked out five opponents and submitted another seven.
Okay, this might suck. Though Jotko has shown improvement on the feet, he is far and away more comfortable looking for the takedown. Branch, likewise, does the vast majority of his best work from top position.
It’s close, but I’m leaning toward Branch. He has experience fighting larger opponents and has the overall grappling talent to control the fight on the mat. Expect a clinch-heavy slog, with Branch ultimately spending enough time on top to take home the decision.
Prediction: Branch via unanimous decision

155 lbs.: Polo Reyes vs. James Vick


Polo Reyes (7-3) —a member of Team Escudero on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): “Latin America” 2, knocked out Nacaragua’s Christhian Soto in the opening round before falling to teammate Horacio Gutierrez in the semis. “Marco” Polo bounced back with impressive knockouts of Cesar Arzamendia and Dong Hyun Kim, though he had to settle for his first career decision win against Jason Novelli.

Six of his eight professional wins have come by form of knockout.
The run for James Vick (10-1) onTUF 15 came to an end when, after three victories in the house, he succumbed to Mike Chiesa’s grappling prowess in the semifinals. Undaunted, he’s gone 6-1 in UFC proper, including a submission over Abel Trujillo in February.
At 6’3,” he will have a four-inch height advantage over Reyes.
Vick has done a surprisingly good job of not falling into the traditional “Tall Skinny Guy” pitfalls that befell the likes of Stefan Struve and Will Chope. He does a very good job of maintaining range, defends takedowns well, and doesn’t take too many shots directly to the chin. And that’s a good thing because Reyes has the power to take that chin clean off his head.
Of course, he’ll have to reach that chin first and I’m not convinced he’ll be able to. Vick is by far the best opponent Reyes has ever faced and the opposite is not true. Indeed, we’ve not seen Reyes in UFC against an opponent he can’t simply brawl his way past. Expect Vick to keep Reyes at bay with a stiff jab and long kicks before punishing his increasing desperation to get inside with a submission finish.
Prediction: Vick def. Reyes via second-round submission

[JIBBBY]

^^ I'm leaning DP over Eddie Alvarez for sure.. I think DP is more polished standing. DP maybe could finish Eddie with strikes or a sub in this one before the final bell. If DP starts connecting standing Eddie isn't gonna last.. http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Dustin-Poirier-50529

Odds are just decent enough to bet DP straight though IMO.. DP just took Jim Miller to a decision win so maybe this fight plays out the same.. ITD is a bit sketchy.. Eddie has a chin as well now that I think about it..

UFC 211 - Lightweight 3 rounds - American Airlines Center - Dallas, Texas - FX

Sat 5/13		1501 Dustin Poirier		-130	o1½ -250
9:30PM		1502 Eddie Alvarez		+110	u1½ +210

Possible props but I don't think I'm gonna play either..

1505

Poirier wins inside distance

+241

or

1507

Poirier wins by 3 round decision

+240

I'm thinking this for a possible hedge against the DP straight since the odds are pretty good (insurance) -

1533

Alvarez wins by TKO/KO

+545

Yancy M





Bobby Green

[Hugo de Naranja]

They letting them use steroids on this card?

Yeah man. Demian Maia is going to be jacked as penetrate. Have you seen his Instagram posts? Dude is shredded.

[Hugo de Naranja]

^^ I'm leaning DP over Eddie Alvarez for sure.. I think DP is more polished standing. DP maybe could finish Eddie with strikes or a sub in this one before the final bell. If DP starts connecting standing Eddie isn't gonna last.. http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Dustin-Poirier-50529

Odds are just decent enough to bet DP straight though IMO.. DP just took Jim Miller to a decision win so maybe this fight plays out the same.. ITD is a bit sketchy.. Eddie has a chin as well now that I think about it..

UFC 211 - Lightweight 3 rounds - American Airlines Center - Dallas, Texas - FX

Sat 5/13		1501 Dustin Poirier		-130	o1½ -250
9:30PM		1502 Eddie Alvarez		+110	u1½ +210

Possible props but I don't think I'm gonna play either..

1505

Poirier wins inside distance

+241

or

1507

Poirier wins by 3 round decision

+240

I'm thinking this for a possible hedge against the DP straight since the odds are pretty good (insurance) -

1533

Alvarez wins by TKO/KO

+545

Yancy M





Bobby Green

I disagree that Eddie has a chin. He gets dropped in every single fight. I think Poirier knocks him out here or maybe clubs and subs. I'm on Alvarez KO as my hedge.

[PaperTrail07]

Eddie had a softball installed in his head by a Pettis Head Kick....While he gets rocked--He usually gets composed again.....EA DOES HAVE A CHIN

I disagree that Eddie has a chin. He gets dropped in every single fight. I think Poirier knocks him out here or maybe clubs and subs. I'm on Alvarez KO as my hedge.

[PaperTrail07]

loeese to Connor, Cowboy and Chandler.....respectable losses...

[Hugo de Naranja]

Eddie had a softball installed in his head by a Pettis Head Kick....While he gets rocked--He usually gets composed again.....EA DOES HAVE A CHIN

I guess it depends on what you qualify as a chin. For me someone with a chin takes a big shot without getting knocked down. A good example would be Tony Ferguson or John Lineker. Both guys have taken massive shots flush and kept moving forward. Neil Magny on the other hand, although he doesn't get finished much, is often knocked down in fights. I would classify that as having a questionable chin with excellent recovery. For me Frankie Edgar, Joanna, and Eddie all fall into the category of getting knocked down often but rarely finished because they have a good recovery rate.

[Hugo de Naranja]

loeese to Connor, Cowboy and Chandler.....respectable losses...

Poirier has lost to all respectable guys too. Not sure how this changes the matchup

[JIBBBY]

I guess it depends on what you qualify as a chin. For me someone with a chin takes a big shot without getting knocked down. A good example would be Tony Ferguson or John Lineker. Both guys have taken massive shots flush and kept moving forward. Neil Magny on the other hand, although he doesn't get finished much, is often knocked down in fights. I would classify that as having a questionable chin with excellent recovery. For me Frankie Edgar, Joanna, and Eddie all fall into the category of getting knocked down often but rarely finished because they have a good recovery rate.

Agreed.. Hense the term granite chin vs good chin.. Eddie does not have a granite chin for sure..

Eddie does get rocked in fights like a Frankie Edgar so I can see why you would label him with a questionable chin.. Eddie doesn't get put to sleep though, he does recover well after being rocked.. I would say has a good chin myself.. He can take a shot and not go out..

[JIBBBY]

loeese to Connor, Cowboy and Chandler.....respectable losses...

Agreed..

[firekillex]

both are evenly skilled and lost to elite guys but eddie has beaten better competition
both have questionable chins imo.... its a toss up fight basically

and for the eddie chin debate, he doesnt have a good chin he DOES have great heart though its 2 different things

[Pinoy-T-X]

I was leaning towards Andrade till I saw this height/reach advantage. Now, it's a NO bet for me.

[PaperTrail07]

OK for sure.....you listed the best chin's in MMA though....Linekar punches himself in the face lol

I guess it depends on what you qualify as a chin. For me someone with a chin takes a big shot without getting knocked down. A good example would be Tony Ferguson or John Lineker. Both guys have taken massive shots flush and kept moving forward. Neil Magny on the other hand, although he doesn't get finished much, is often knocked down in fights. I would classify that as having a questionable chin with excellent recovery. For me Frankie Edgar, Joanna, and Eddie all fall into the category of getting knocked down often but rarely finished because they have a good recovery rate.

[firekillex]

I was leaning towards Andrade till I saw this height/reach advantage. Now, it's a NO bet for me.

lol....how did you not know that while analyzing the fight?
height and reach isnt everything

[Pinoy-T-X]

lol....how did you not know that while analyzing the fight?
height and reach isnt everything

I'm no expert but one of Joanna's defensive strategies is using the Thai Plum clinch when she's moving backwards
she uses her opponent's momentum to tie them up, that Thai Plum will be pretty devastating against someone that short. Just my two cents.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Agreed.. Hense the term granite chin vs good chin.. Eddie does not have a granite chin for sure..

Eddie does get rocked in fights like a Frankie Edgar so I can see why you would label him with a questionable chin.. Eddie doesn't get put to sleep though, he does recover well after being rocked.. I would say has a good chin myself.. He can take a shot and not go out..

We'll see if it stays that way. Got knocked down 5 times against Conor. That is a potential life changer

[Hugo de Naranja]

both are evenly skilled and lost to elite guys but eddie has beaten better competition
both have questionable chins imo.... Its a toss up fight basically

and for the eddie chin debate, he doesnt have a good chin he does have great heart though its 2 different things

^^^this

[Shagdogy]

Pettis is orthodox but he will usually switch his stance the opposite to what fighter he's facing stance is

Sounds right come to think of it. I watched the fight and he fought Alvarez mostly southpaw. Honestly the southpaw edge isn't the main reason I like Poirier here. It's his silky smooth, crisp hands when he is in the pocket. Alvarez gets a bit too wide and isn't clean enough in close quarters IMO. Poirier should literally beat him to the punch when they stand in front of each other. And if Alvarez stays outside I think Poirier will hit him with counters similar to McGregor. Alvarez has to smother Poirier to win this and I don't think he'll be able to.

[Shagdogy]

I guess it depends on what you qualify as a chin. For me someone with a chin takes a big shot without getting knocked down. A good example would be Tony Ferguson or John Lineker. Both guys have taken massive shots flush and kept moving forward. Neil Magny on the other hand, although he doesn't get finished much, is often knocked down in fights. I would classify that as having a questionable chin with excellent recovery. For me Frankie Edgar, Joanna, and Eddie all fall into the category of getting knocked down often but rarely finished because they have a good recovery rate.

I'm 100% on board about the chins. You aren't gonna put Alvarez out with one punch but he can be rocked. Poirier too. But Alvarez is older, and just got dropped by everything that touched him vs. McGregor. That could've been Conor's sharp hands, or it could be a sign that Alvarez's chin is going Liddell on him. Regardless, this is a big reason why I like DP. He is more crisp. He doesn't head hunt until he hurts guys, but he lands, quick, sharp, straight, stinging punches and he lands at high volume. Bad for Alvarez. He's going to get hit too often. The accumulation is the issue.

[Shagdogy]

Part 2 -


155 lbs.: Eddie Alvarez vs. Dustin Poirier


Despite +255 odds and two straight wins by razor-thin split decision, Eddie Alvarez (28-5) delivered one of 2016’s biggest upsets with a first-round technical knockout of Rafael dos Anjos to earn the UFC Lightweight title. His reign proved brief, as Conor McGregor moved up to 155 pounds four months later and put him away with punches midway through the second.

Fifteen of his 22 stoppage wins have come by form of knockout.
Following his knockout loss to Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier (21-5) returned to Lightweight and immediately embarked on a rampage that saw him score three first-round knockouts and a decision over Joe Duffy. Michael Johnson halted his momentum with a surprise knockout in Hidalgo, but he dug deep to re-enter the win column against Jim Miller in February.
Despite being an inch shorter than Alvarez, he will have a three-inch reach advantage.
This is just a really, really good fight. Two powerful, aggressive strikers who can fight through adversity? Indeed, fight fans couldn’t ask for a better “Prelims” headliner. Poirier has more raw power and is coming off a win, but Alvarez’s footwork and willingness to grind on the cage for extended periods of time have me leaning his way.
Alvarez has been dealing with come-forward bruisers his whole career. Though he can’t trade bombs with them the way he used to, he’s developed tricky movement that can defuse power punchers. If Poirier can’t find his chin early, Alvarez can and will seize the rhythm and he’s more than happy to spend half a round fighting for a takedown. Expect Poirier to land an early knockdown, but ultimately lose a narrow decision.
Prediction: Alvarez via unanimous decision

145 lbs.: Chas Skelly vs. Jason Knight


Chas Skelly (17-2) stepped right into the deep end in his UFC debut, taking on super-prospect Mirsad Bektic and forcing him to settle for a majority decision. He has since won six of seven, five of them by submission, and re-established himself as a contender to watch.

He is an inch taller and seven years older than Jason Knight (16-2).
An eight-fight win streak carried Knight to UFC, where the great Tatsuya Kawajiri overpowered his guard game to hand him his first defeat in three years. Knight proceeded to re-invent himself as a pressure fighter, a move which has paid dividends with two post-fight bonuses in his three consecutive wins.
Ten of his 16 professional victories have come by submission.
Knight’s current strategy works because his guard is basically nuclear deterrence against most Featherweight fighters. He’s one of the rare modern fighters who is a legitimate finishing threat off of his back against solid opposition. As such, opponents are hesitant to exploit the takedown opportunities his relentless advance provides.
Unfortunately, Skelly’s top game is more than up to snuff and he knows it.
Skelly is one of those scary wrestlers who knows how to blend those skills with opportunistic submissions, something like what we thought Phil Davis would be early in the latter’s UFC run. Knight doesn’t have the takedown defense to control position and Skelly can hold his own on either the feet or the mat. Barring critical cardio failure, Skelly takes home the decision win.
Prediction: Skelly via unanimous decision

185 lbs.: Krzysztof Jotko vs. David Branch


Krzysztof Jotko (19-1)fought back from a 1-1 start to his UFC career to win five straight, becoming an unexpected contender in the stacked Middleweight division. His last two fights have been the most impressive of all, knocking out Tamdan McCrory with one punch and dominated the resurgent Thales Leites.

He will give up four inches of reach to David Branch (20-3).
A 2011 submission loss to Rousimar Palhares ended Branch’s first UFC run at 2-2. Two wins and a loss to “Rumble” Johnson later, he embarked on his current 10-fight win streak and picked up both the Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Series of Fighting (WSOF) titles.
He has knocked out five opponents and submitted another seven.
Okay, this might suck. Though Jotko has shown improvement on the feet, he is far and away more comfortable looking for the takedown. Branch, likewise, does the vast majority of his best work from top position.
It’s close, but I’m leaning toward Branch. He has experience fighting larger opponents and has the overall grappling talent to control the fight on the mat. Expect a clinch-heavy slog, with Branch ultimately spending enough time on top to take home the decision.
Prediction: Branch via unanimous decision

155 lbs.: Polo Reyes vs. James Vick


Polo Reyes (7-3) —a member of Team Escudero on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): “Latin America” 2, knocked out Nacaragua’s Christhian Soto in the opening round before falling to teammate Horacio Gutierrez in the semis. “Marco” Polo bounced back with impressive knockouts of Cesar Arzamendia and Dong Hyun Kim, though he had to settle for his first career decision win against Jason Novelli.

Six of his eight professional wins have come by form of knockout.
The run for James Vick (10-1) onTUF 15 came to an end when, after three victories in the house, he succumbed to Mike Chiesa’s grappling prowess in the semifinals. Undaunted, he’s gone 6-1 in UFC proper, including a submission over Abel Trujillo in February.
At 6’3,” he will have a four-inch height advantage over Reyes.
Vick has done a surprisingly good job of not falling into the traditional “Tall Skinny Guy” pitfalls that befell the likes of Stefan Struve and Will Chope. He does a very good job of maintaining range, defends takedowns well, and doesn’t take too many shots directly to the chin. And that’s a good thing because Reyes has the power to take that chin clean off his head.
Of course, he’ll have to reach that chin first and I’m not convinced he’ll be able to. Vick is by far the best opponent Reyes has ever faced and the opposite is not true. Indeed, we’ve not seen Reyes in UFC against an opponent he can’t simply brawl his way past. Expect Vick to keep Reyes at bay with a stiff jab and long kicks before punishing his increasing desperation to get inside with a submission finish.
Prediction: Vick def. Reyes via second-round submission

Damn. I disagree with 3 out of 4 of these pretty strongly. I like Jotko, Poirier, and Knight in that order. Don't be afraid! Watch tape and bet what you see regardless what everyone is saying on here! Best way to bet.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Damn. I disagree with 3 out of 4 of these pretty strongly. I like Jotko, Poirier, and Knight in that order. Don't be afraid! Watch tape and bet what you see regardless what everyone is saying on here! Best way to bet.

Common misconception. JIBs doesn't write these things. He just posts them to give more information. I think it's someone from MMAJunkie that writes them.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Sounds right come to think of it. I watched the fight and he fought Alvarez mostly southpaw. Honestly the southpaw edge isn't the main reason I like Poirier here. It's his silky smooth, crisp hands when he is in the pocket. Alvarez gets a bit too wide and isn't clean enough in close quarters IMO. Poirier should literally beat him to the punch when they stand in front of each other. And if Alvarez stays outside I think Poirier will hit him with counters similar to McGregor. Alvarez has to smother Poirier to win this and I don't think he'll be able to.

Poirier is also quite tough to outwrestle and may have a power advantage.

[Shagdogy]

Common misconception. JIBs doesn't write these things. He just posts them to give more information. I think it's someone from MMAJunkie that writes them.

Oh damn nah. I know they're not Jibbs personal write-ups... wasn't a shot at him. Just saying in general, just cause you read it doesn't make it true. Trust your gut. A lot of good cappers here but we can't be afraid to go against one another if we believe in what we see. Do the work and trust yourself.

[Shagdogy]

Oh damn nah. I know they're not Jibbs personal write-ups... wasn't a shot at him. Just saying in general, just cause you read it doesn't make it true. Trust your gut. A lot of good cappers here but we can't be afraid to go against one another if we believe in what we see. Do the work and trust yourself.

Just my general advice for whatever it's worth. You don't need it Hugo, obviously. Anyway it looks like a lot of us are seeing these fights the same which is fun.

[JIBBBY]

Damn. I disagree with 3 out of 4 of these pretty strongly. I like Jotko, Poirier, and Knight in that order. Don't be afraid! Watch tape and bet what you see regardless what everyone is saying on here! Best way to bet.

I just disagreed with the Eddie Alvarez call by Patrick, I'm going with DP and hedging with Eddie by KO.. I do think Jotko and Skelly get the wins though.. Not a given and I probably will be hedging in those fights as well..

Tight fights to call and can't blame ya Shag for going the other way...

DP



Eddie



Eddie does get rocked and dropped alot so that DP sub isn't out of the question..

[jamescarton]

It was a really interesting fight I wish the Santos win this fight.

[jamescarton]

For those that want to bet Miocic, I'd advise waiting a few days. I'm confident he'll be all the way to +odds in the next few days after opening at (-245).

I can't wait for this Saturday to watch Dos Santos punching the living hell out of Miocic. https://www.reviewsdir.com/ufc-211-m...t-live-online/ Moreover, I know that Santos would win because he'll strive hard to become the champion again and snatch the title from Stipe.

[jamescarton]

Never Ever underestimate to anyone

[Hugo de Naranja]

I can't wait for this Saturday to watch Dos Santos punching the living hell out of Miocic. https://www.reviewsdir.com/ufc-211-m...t-live-online/ Moreover, I know that Santos would win because he'll strive hard to become the champion again and snatch the title from Stipe.

I'm on JDS here too. Let's get it

[Hugo de Naranja]

JJ looked so-so on the scale. Really liking Andrade here regardless.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Remember JJ did get knocked down by BOTH Claudia Gadelha and Karolina Kowalkiewicz, two girls with a combined 0 UFC finishes in their 9 UFC fights.

[firekillex]

Gordon vs Quinones scraped now

[JIBBBY]

Gordon vs Quinones scraped now

Had Gordon by Decision .... Another one bites the dust..

[firekillex]

Had Gordon by Decision .... Another one bites the dust..

yup same, was liking him at the odds given to.... hopefully nobody else gets scratched my parlay already has 2 guys busted