UFC on ESPN 4: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards (July 20, 2019)

[Thrilla]

UFC heavyweight Greg Hardy joins Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show to preview his fight vs. Juan Adams at UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards this Saturday on ESPN. He says because of what happened vs. Allen Crowder in January, he can’t fight emotionally. (5:30) Hardy says he’s done with football and (6:30) expresses an interest in boxing in the future.

[Shagdogy]

Gut feel says 100% Walt Harris flatlines Oleinik.

Trying to be a bit more calculated and reasonable, I think Harris wins around 70%. Value in that line.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Hooker vs Vick sounds like a good FOTN candidate. Both durable, push forward, and bang.

I wouldn't call Vick really any of those things. I see him as a chinny counter fighter who likes to pick and poke from long range.

[Hugo de Naranja]

There's nothing fun about watching Andrei Arlovski fight brother.

Not this version of him at least

[Sanity Check]

[Thrilla]

Never back James Vick. Guy posts picks and bets on MMA all the time. Why would he not bet on his opponent and lose the fight intentionally? The risk is too big.

[firekillex]

Never back James Vick. Guy posts picks and bets on MMA all the time. Why would he not bet on his opponent and lose the fight intentionally? The risk is too big.

because he could go to jail and lose his career if he losses a couple more??
wtf kind of logic is that

[Sanity Check]

IMO Leon Edwards is bigger than Kevin Lee with more technical kickboxing and striking. RDA has had trouble in the standup with bigger fighters before: Tony Ferguson, Hamaru Usman, etc. Leon Edwards also has good wrestling and grappling as he showed in fights with Vicente Luque and Gunnar Nelson.

On paper Edwards should be the favorite. I wouldn't bet the house on him though. RDA very tough, durable and skilled. Can't look past the man.

After re-watching RDA and Edward's last fights, RDA looks to enjoy a good cardio advantage. RDA has a chance of breaking Edwards with his pace and pressure. Don't know if RDA will be as successful in the standup as he was with Kevin Lee though. Kevin Lee stood flat-footed in front of RDA which allowed RDA to land brutal body/leg/head kicks early on. I think Leon Edwards will stand a bit farther away from RDA and move more which will make it harder for RDA to connect on things.

I might have gotten it wrong. RDA could be the favorite here. It all depends on whether Leon Edwards can keep RDA at distance and slow the pace of the fight the way he did against Donald Cerrone. That could be his best chance of winning.

[Hugo de Naranja]

After re-watching RDA and Edward's last fights, RDA looks to enjoy a good cardio advantage. RDA has a chance of breaking Edwards with his pace and pressure. Don't know if RDA will be as successful in the standup as he was with Kevin Lee though. Kevin Lee stood flat-footed in front of RDA which allowed RDA to land brutal body/leg/head kicks early on. I think Leon Edwards will stand a bit farther away from RDA and move more which will make it harder for RDA to connect on things.

I might have gotten it wrong. RDA could be the favorite here. It all depends on whether Leon Edwards can keep RDA at distance and slow the pace of the fight the way he did against Donald Cerrone. That could be his best chance of winning.

Should be a good fight. Both guys super skilled.

[Sanity Check]

Walt Harris vs Aleksei Oleinik..

This is like the 3rd fight in a row where they pitted a black guy, who might be stereotypically BJJ phobic, against a skilled submission guy to give the underdog a potential path to victory.

Sigh.

[Thrilla]

because he could go to jail and lose his career if he losses a couple more??
wtf kind of logic is that

Yeah I know right why would he? He has a legit shot at the title and we live in a world without crime and corruption because of the fear of going the jail.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Lots of passes for me on this card, especially on the Prelim card. I like the next card a lot more from a betting perspective.

[Demonata]

I think i can lose a ton on this card lol. 😆

[UncleChael]

Never back James Vick. Guy posts picks and bets on MMA all the time. Why would he not bet on his opponent and lose the fight intentionally? The risk is too big.

James Vick bets on himself. Loll please don't bet on James Vick idiot.

[JIBBBY]

Prelim write ups MMA MANIA - Parts 1 and 2..





125 lbs.: Roxanne Modafferi vs. Jennifer Maia

The second The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) run for Roxanne Modafferi (23-15) proved more productive than the first, as she reached the semifinals with two (technical) knockouts before falling to Sijara Eubanks. “The Happy Warrior” has gone 2-1 in her latest Octagon run, including a notable upset of Antonina Shevchenko in April.
She stands two inches taller than Jennifer Maia (16-5-1) at 5’6.”
Maia defeated Vanessa Porto for the interim Invicta Featherweight belt, then successfully defended the full title against Modafferi and Agnieszka Niedzwiedz before jumping ship to the Octagon. Though she dropped a decision to Liz Carmouche in her debut, she enters the Octagon this Saturday on the heels of a decision over Alexis Davis.
She steps in for the injured Carmouche on a month’s notice.
Yes, Maia beat Modafferi the first time they fought. She did so, however, by pulling away in the championship rounds, which she won’t have the luxury of doing here. Modafferi has the edge in a three-round bout, especially considering Maia’s history of slow starts.
The Brazilian remains the better striker, and certainly still has the skills to sprawl-and-brawl her way to victory. Modafferi’s newfound wrestling prowess and Maia’s issues with takedown defense have me leaning towards “The Happy Warrior,” though. Expect Modafferi to bank the first two rounds and survive a late resurgence.
Prediction: Modafferi via unanimous decision
Related
Modafferi Gets Maia Rematch At UFC On ESPN 4


135 lbs.: Ray Borg vs. Gabriel Silva

It’s been one misfortune after another for Ray Borg (11-4) since his unsuccessful bid for Flyweight gold in 2017. After Conor McGregor shenanigans (details here) scratched a UFC 223 bout with Brandon Moreno, his newborn son’s medical issues scrapped the rebooked match up, and two different opponents fell through for his March return, “The Tazmexican Devil” lost a controversial decision to Casey Kenney that 15 of 18 recorded mixed martial arts (MMA) pundits scored for Borg.
Four of his six submission wins have come by rear-naked choke.
Gabriel Silva (8-0) — brother of UFC and Bellator veteran Erick Silva — has been effective if not terribly busy during his professional career, fighting just seven times in nearly eight years. His March stateside debut saw him end a two-year hiatus with an 83-second knockout of Jake Heffernan under the LFA banner.
He stands two inches taller than Borg at 5’6.”
“Gabito” lacks his brother’s striking variety, instead preferring to wing huge hooks, but boasts a more robust wrestling game to compensate. More important, he has more than five minutes of gas, which alone suggests that he has the higher ceiling of the two.
He’s still in for a rough start. Silva’s free-swinging offense leaves him vulnerable to Borg’s own wrestling, and the fact that Silva increasingly falls back on his takedowns when tiring suggests that things will just get worse for him as the fight progresses. The concern here is size, as Silva’s held his own at Featherweight before, but Borg’s got enough of a technical edge to offset what strength difference there may be. Borg wears him down with constant scrambles before finding the rear-naked choke late.
Prediction: Borg via third-round submission
Related
UFC San Antonio Poster Drops For ‘Dos Anjos Vs Edwards’


135 lbs.: Mario Bautista vs. Jin Soo Son

Victories in LFA and Combate brought Mario Bautista (6-1) to the Octagon, where he debuted on short notice against top prospect Cory Sandhagen in January. Bautista survived a flying knee to hit an early takedown, but tapped to an armbar late in the first round.
Three of his five stoppage wins have come by form of choke.
Korea’s Jin Soo Son (9-3) cut his teeth in the venerable DEEP promotion, where he knocked out Toshiaki Kitada in April 2018 to claim the Bantamweight title. He stepped up on short notice in Sept. 2018 against knockout artist Petr Yan, missing weight and losing a decision; however, he demonstrated his status as a “Korean Zombie” protege by claiming “Fight of the Night” in an insane brawl.
He’ll give up two inches of height to the 5’9” Bautista.
What makes this fight interesting is that we haven’t really seem all that these two have to offer. Bautista’s fight with Sandhagen was too short for proper analysis and Son didn’t get a chance to show anything other than his durability against a monster in Yan. It’s a pick-‘em because of insufficient data.
My heart says Son — he’s nightmarishly difficult to put away, and unless Bautista can maintain a calorically expensive grinding style for 15 minutes, Son’s persistence and power should carry him to victory.
Prediction: Son via second-round technical knockout
Related
McGregor Opens As Betting Underdog For Potential Masvidal Bout


135 lbs.: Domingo Pilarte vs. Felipe Colares

The 6’0” Domingo Pilarte (8-1) made a case for a “Contender Series” opportunity by winning four straight, including a 38-second uppercut knockout under the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) banner. Despite a near-disaster at the end of the first round, “Son of Fire” came back to submit Vince Morales in front of Dana White and earn himself a contract.
This will be his first fight in just more than one year thanks to injury scrapping a Nov. 2018 debut opposite Brian Kelleher.
Team Nogueira’s Felipe Colares (8-1) claimed the Jungle Fight Featherweight title in 2017, setting up a Feb. 2019 UFC debut opposite Geraldo de Freitas. Colares ultimately fell short, struggling with his opponent’s wrestling en route to a decision loss.
“Cabocao” has submitted five opponents and knocked out another two.
Pilarte’s certainly a unique Bantamweight — he’s the tallest 135-pound fighter on the roster since George Roop called it quits, but prefers trading heavy leather to sitting behind a jab. Though it’s not a style that makes the most of his frame or one that’ll carry him to the top of the division, it makes him must-watch television.
It’ll most likely be his wrestling that carries him to victory here. Colares gave up six takedowns to de Freitas, so even if Pilarte’s long-range striking offense doesn’t work, Pilarte has an out. So long as his cardio holds up, he should be able to drag Colares to the mat as needed and wrap up a fight-ending submission soon after.
Prediction: Pilarte via second-round submission


145 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Steven Peterson

It’s been more than five years since Alex Caceres (14-12) choked out the surging Sergio Pettis to cap off a five-fight unbeaten streak, and “Bruce Leroy” is just 4-7 since. He was last seen welcoming Kron Gracie to the Octagon in February, tapping to the Brazilian jiu-jitsu great’s rear-naked choke two minutes into the first round.
He will have 3.5 inches of reach on “Ocho.”
Even though the gritty effort Steven Peterson (17-8) turned in against Benito Lopez on “Contender Series” didn’t result in victory, but did earn him a spot in the Octagon two fights later. He’s currently 1-2 in UFC with one “Fight of the Night” bonus to his credit and most recently dropped a decision to Luis Pena in March.
Eight of his 12 professional stoppage wins have come by submission.
On one hand, Caceres’ takedown defense is an Achilles’ heel he seems incapable of fixing. On the other, Peterson has nothing to offer besides pressure and wrestling that relies more on relentlessness than technique. Caceres’ long-range striking presents a quandary for “Ocho,” who has no means to close the distance besides just marching through it.
Peterson can definitely grind him out against the cage or from top position; however, I just don’t think he’s crafty enough to get himself into those positions consistently. Caceres potshots at range to take the decision.
Prediction: Caceres via unanimous decision
Related
UFC San Antonio Poster Drops For ‘Dos Anjos Vs Edwards’


135 lbs.: Raquel Pennington vs. Irene Aldana

Raquel Pennington (9-7) capped a four-fight win streak with an upset decision over Miesha Tate to earn herself a title shot against Amanda Nunes, only to succumb to ground-and-pound after 4.5 one-sided rounds. She returned six months later against Germaine de Randamie, who shut down the Coloradan’s wrestling to claim a wide decision victory.
She stands two inches shorter than Irene Aldana (10-4) at 5’7.”
Aldana got off to a rough start in the Octagon, losing a “Fight of the Night”-winning decision to Leslie Smith and a narrow split decision to Katlyn Chookagian five months later. She has since won three straight, including a comeback submission of Bethe Correia in Rio this past May.
All but one of her eight finishes have come in the first round.
Pennington at her best would be an issue for Aldana — the Mexican slugger doesn’t like pressure, even from technically inferior strikers. “Rocky’s” looked anything but her best against de Randamie, though, and the lingering effects of the Nunes beatdown remain a concern.
Aldana’s the better boxer of the two, and if Pennington can’t commit to powering through incoming fire to slow things down against the fence, she’s in for a long night. In short, Aldana rides her momentum and distance striking to victory.
Prediction: Aldana via unanimous decision
Related
Hardy: I Could Be The Greatest Of All Time


205 lbs.: Sam Alvey vs. Klidson Abreu

Sam Alvey (33-12) went 3-3 as a UFC Middleweight before making the move to 205 pounds, where he knocked out Marcin Prachnio and scraped past Gian Villante in his first two appearances. “Smilin’” has since suffered rough knockout losses to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Jimmy Crute, the former of whom was more than a 3:1 underdog.
He has dispatched 19 professional opponents via (technical) knockout, including five in the Octagon.
Klidson Abreu (14-3) — who boasts a submission win over Johnny Walker — brought a six-fight win streak into his late-notice Octagon debut, including wins over several European standouts. Top prospect Magomed Ankalaev proved too much for “Urso Branco,” though, claiming a decision in Prague.
The fight was Abreu’s first trip to the judges, as he has submitted 10 foes and knocked out another four.
Despite Abreu being a top prospect, Alvey can win this if he plays his cards right. The American’s takedown defense has historically been one of his strongest assets, and Abreu is definitely far less intimidating on the feet than on the mat. Thing is, Alvey is legendarily bad at playing his cards right, and even that fearsome power of his has been scarce lately.
Sure, he knocked out Prachnio, but Prachnio gave him that counter on a silver platter.
Abreu’s the stronger ground artist and should be able to at least hold his own against his infamously inactive foe on the feet. As a result, Alvey drops another frustrating decision.
Prediction: Abreu via unanimous decision

[JIBBBY]

James Vick bets on himself. Loll please don't bet on James Vick idiot.

Thrilla is lost and delusional as usual...

James Vick has lost 2 fights in a row, he needs this win very badly to stay employed in the UFC.. I think he tries hard to win.. lol..

Is James Vick trying really hard to win still good enough to beat Dan Hooker is another question??? Dan Hooker has knock out power, Vick better tuck that chin..

https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/James-Vick-81956

[Thrilla]

James Vick bets on himself. Loll please don't bet on James Vick idiot.

Who the fukk are you calling idiot given your contribution to this place? Watch your mouth useless cokksukker. I'm not your dad.

[Thrilla]

When I say Vick is a gambler. Don't expect dumb racist fukks like Trumpanzee Jibbby and useless broke ass meme guy Uncle retard to understand. Fukking dumb fukks.

Just pointing out a potential risk. He's 32 years old and winning a fight doesn't earn as much as fixing a fight. WTF Like when he wins he won't get cut off? Dumb ass fukks.

[Demonata]

When I say Vick is a gambler. Don't expect dumb racist fukks like Trumpanzee Jibbby and useless broke ass meme guy Uncle retard to understand. Fukking dumb fukks.

Just pointing out a potential risk. He's 32 years old and winning a fight doesn't earn as much as fixing a fight. WTF Like when he wins he won't get cut off? Dumb ass fukks.

God bless donald trump!

[PaperTrail07]

you don't find it entertaining that he is still in the game? Its INSANE.....young guys coming up thinking they will wipe him out bc hes old---NOPE...I love it....big KO or not...

Not this version of him at least

[PaperTrail07]

Guy LITERALLY bets on himself to win

When I say Vick is a gambler. Don't expect dumb racist fukks like Trumpanzee Jibbby and useless broke ass meme guy Uncle retard to understand. Fukking dumb fukks.

Just pointing out a potential risk. He's 32 years old and winning a fight doesn't earn as much as fixing a fight. WTF Like when he wins he won't get cut off? Dumb ass fukks.

[Hugo de Naranja]

you don't find it entertaining that he is still in the game? Its INSANE.....young guys coming up thinking they will wipe him out bc hes old---NOPE...I love it....big KO or not...

No not particularly

[PaperTrail07]

Shocking to me.....guys 40 still mixing it up w the best in the world at HEAVYWEIGHT .....love seeing his approach to each fight.

No not particularly

[firekillex]

average HW must be like 35+ right now... not to many young HWS in the UFC

but its good to see an old dog still doing well

[JIBBBY]

When I say Vick is a gambler. Don't expect dumb racist fukks like Trumpanzee Jibbby and useless broke ass meme guy Uncle retard to understand. Fukking dumb fukks.

Just pointing out a potential risk. He's 32 years old and winning a fight doesn't earn as much as fixing a fight. WTF Like when he wins he won't get cut off? Dumb ass fukks.

When a fighter loses 2 fights in a row in the UFC like James Vick has, it's then very likely that if he loses this next and 3rd fight he could be cut and out of a job..

Now why in the hell would he bet against himself in this fight coming in Einstein??? Like I said you are lost and a liberal jerk off.. Go find a safe place now before I really begin to make you look foolish..

[Thrilla]

When a fighter loses 2 fights in a row in the UFC like James Vick has, it's then very likely that if he loses this next and 3rd fight he could be cut and out of a job..

Now why in the hell would he bet against himself in this fight coming in Einstein??? Like I said you are lost and a liberal jerk off.. Go find a safe place now before I really begin to make you look foolish..

Why would he bet against himself? The answer is in the post you replied to, you dumb old fukking racist pussy.

[Thrilla]

I don't know who is the bigger retard, Jibbby or the people that are interested in his plays.

Like always - Jibbby been posting racist shit all week and now it's time to cap fights. Can't make this shit up.

[JIBBBY]

^^ Lol. Thrilla triggered and unhinged...


Ok enough fun and games.. Back to MMA!!!

[Shagdogy]

I stabbed at Bautista. I think that’s a close fight. Son is tough as hell but offensively I don’t see anything that says he runs away with this. He shouldn’t be 70% IMO.

[Sanity Check]

Juan Adams said his mother was a victim of domestic abuse, he personally asked for this fight with Greg Hardy to give himself an opportunity to beat up a domestic violence guy. Don't remember this ever happening before. How do people see this playing out? Will making things personal and putting additional pressure on himself negatively affect Juan Adams ability to perform?

[jacharron17]

Loving the Under 4.5 for Dos Anjos and Edwards for the price given. Also, leaning under 2.5 for the Vick and Hooker fight. I see fireworks for those 2 fights. One fight I may surprisingly pick Over on is Oleinik and Harris. I think both will be extremely defensive for a round and a half.

[Thrilla]

^^ Lol. Thrilla triggered and unhinged...


Ok enough fun and games.. Back to MMA!!!

Jibbby? what's your take on pepperoni? I think it's awesome. It works great in an omelet or a grilled cheese sandwich. Obviously you can guess my fav pizza too. Talk to me chief.

[Demonata]

Jibby is a good guy in real life, I can tell by talking with him. Thrilla i think is emo.

[Enfuego]

Shocking to me.....guys 40 still mixing it up w the best in the world at HEAVYWEIGHT .....love seeing his approach to each fight.

The Arlovski/Rothwell and Harris/Oleinik are two fights literally nobody needs to see unless you have money on them.

[Enfuego]

Juan Adams said his mother was a victim of domestic abuse, he personally asked for this fight with Greg Hardy to give himself an opportunity to beat up a domestic violence guy. Don't remember this ever happening before. How do people see this playing out? Will making things personal and putting additional pressure on himself negatively affect Juan Adams ability to perform?

If Hardy can KO Adams in the first 2:30 of the fight, he has a shot. If Adams is dumb enough to walk straight forward and throw down with Hardy, Hardy will KO him.

If Adams avoids the bombs in the first half of round 1 then wrestles with Hardy, he will win a decision.

Adams has some of the worst striking in the UFC.