UFC on ESPN+ 33: Smith vs. Rakic (August 29, 2020(

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

ESPN+ 9:00 pm ET
Anthony Smith vs. Aleksandar Rakic
Robbie Lawler vs. Neil Magny
Alexa Grasso vs. Ji Yeon Kim
Ricardo Lamas vs Bill Alegeo
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cutelaba

ESPN+ 5:00 pm ET
Maki Pitolo vs. Impa Kasanganay
Mallory Martin vs. Hannah Cifers
Alessio Di Chirico vs. Zak Cummings
Alex Caceres vs. Giga Chikadze
Julian Marquez vs. Saparbeg Safarov
Polyana Viana vs. Emily Whitmire
Sean Brady vs. Christian Aguilera

[Hugo de Naranja]

Thank you Locky! Really appreciate your contribution as Master of Threads.

[JIBBBY]

Smith and Ruthless Robbie have a chance in this one!! Can't sell them short at those odds..

[hankcream]

Hopefully Ankalaev & Cutelaba will finally be able to fight again. Should be good

[WolfTicketDealer]

Got some strong bets on Magny and Rakic. Also like Chikadze.

[PaperTrail07]

Solid Contender tonight.....on Pickett 150

[frankieunits2685]

Solid Contender tonight.....on Pickett 150

what's up PT, I was just thinking about how tonight could end up being a really good card

[frankieunits2685]

Solid Contender tonight.....on Pickett 150

3rd times a charm for Pickett? He's lost twice on the Contender Series so far.

[PaperTrail07]

Looks VERY competitive overall......yes, I think they gave him tough tests early but this looks more to his skillset....

what's up PT, I was just thinking about how tonight could end up being a really good card

[PaperTrail07]

Very interested overall

Huckbody seems like a W from being bigger,

[PaperTrail07]

Also-they must see something as well for shot 3 right.....other than that, just give the guy a contract-its like he has a contender series career lol...

3rd times a charm for Pickett? He's lost twice on the Contender Series so far.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Very interested overall

Huckbody seems like a W from being bigger,

Have you watched his tape? He is not good.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Also-they must see something as well for shot 3 right.....other than that, just give the guy a contract-its like he has a contender series career lol...

Not too impressed with Pickett either. Think him getting a third shot is more about UFC needing fighters now then him doing much after his second shot.

[PaperTrail07]

Yes he is not-but as we saw-he is bigger and his opponent is less skilled wrestling based and heavy

Have you watched his tape? He is not good.

[PaperTrail07]

I mean the watered down cards explain that much-but they dont offer 3 shots to complete bums for the most part....

Not too impressed with Pickett either. Think him getting a third shot is more about UFC needing fighters now then him doing much after his second shot.

[PaperTrail07]

These gambling discussions on UFC are awesome lol The Greek

[WolfTicketDealer]

These gambling discussions on UFC are awesome lol The Greek

That guy has stolen picks from successful cappers. Not a fan 👎

[PaperTrail07]

no way-little crazy...I mean its simply to induce action IMO......he lays juice 9/10....

That guy has stolen picks from successful cappers. Not a fan 

[PaperTrail07]

Alves looked real good wow

[Hugo de Naranja]

Yes he is not-but as we saw-he is bigger and his opponent is less skilled wrestling based and heavy

You got this one right. The bigger bum beats the smaller bum haha

[Hugo de Naranja]

These gambling discussions on UFC are awesome lol The Greek

Gianni is a fraud and a rat. Fuckk that guy.

[JIBBBY]

MMA MANIA prelims -




145 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Giga Chikadze

Alex Caceres (16-12) — who struggled through a 2-5 skid from 2014 to 2017 — now finds himself with wins in four of his last six bouts. He’s won two straight since falling to Kron Gracie, narrowly edging Steven Peterson last year and utterly dominating Chase Hooper nine months later.
“Bruce Leroy” stands two inches shorter than Giga Chikadze (10-2) and gives up a half-inch of reach.
Chikadze’s “Contender Series” bout in 2018 ended in disaster when Austin Springer scored a comeback submission in the final minute of the final round. After two gimme wins in Gladiator Challenge, Chikadze got his shot in the Octagon, where he’s won three straight over Brandon Davis, Jamall Emmers and Irwin Rivera.
All seven of his stoppage wins have come in less than three minutes.
Chikadze’s fight with Emmers showed that he’s still vulnerable to pressure and aggressive wrestling, which “Pretty Boy” simply failed to utilize until Chikadze had built an insurmountable lead. While Caceres has the submission skills to ruin Chikadze’s day if it hits the mat, he lacks the style or takedown prowess to bring them to bear. His mobile, out-fighting style plays right into the Georgian’s hands, and he’ll likely struggle to get the clinches he needs to bring Chikadze to the mat.
Caceres admittedly has a habit of flipping the script and making me look extremely stupid, so an upset isn’t out of the question, but I have more faith in Chikadze’s kickboxing than in the universe’s desire to thwart me at every turn. Chikadze chews him up at range for a wide decision.
Prediction: Chikadze via unanimous decision
Related
Lawler Returns, Fights Magny On Aug. 28

115 lbs.: Emily Whitmire vs. Polyana Viana

These two were booked to fight in March before “Spitfire” missed weight and was subsequently pulled. Since recycling is important, I’ll be copy-pasting ...
Emily Whitmire (4-3) took out Christina Marks with a 40-second armbar in the opening round of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 26, but suffered stoppage losses of her own to Roxanne Modafferi in the house and Gillian Robertson at the Finale. She went on to win her next two, including an upset of Jamie Moyle, before running into Amanda Ribas in Minneapolis.
“Spitfire” faces a 3.5-inch reach disadvantage.
Polyana Viana (10-4) — a decorated submission artist — showed her stuff in her Octagon debut by dominating Maia Kahaunaele-Stevenson. She hasn’t tasted victory since, losing three straight and tapping to Veronica Macedo in her most recent effort.
All but one of her 10 stoppage wins have come in the first round.
Viana absolutely has the tools to win this fight. She also had the tools to beat J.J. Aldrich, Hannah Cifers and Veronica Macedo, and look how that turned out. I don’t know whether it’s a mental block or just an overall inability to fight up to her potential, but Viana is a profoundly frustrating fighter to follow.
That said, “Spitfire’s” wrestling and submission defense have failed her in the past, and Viana’s grappling credentials are pretty dang impressive. This pick will probably come back to bite me, but I say Viana claws her way back into the win column with an early submission.
Prediction: Viana via first-round submission
Related
‘Lionheart’ Vs. Rakic Headlines UFC’s Aug. 29th Event

170 lbs.: Christian Aguilera vs. Sean Brady

Christian Aguilera — who fell short in both of his LFA main events — got the call to face Anthony Ivy in June after winning two straight. He made the most of the opportunity, smashing “Aquaman” in just 59 seconds for an upset victory.
Ten of his professional wins, including six of his last seven, have come by knockout.
Sean Brady (12-0) claimed the CFFC Welterweight title back in 2017 with a guillotine finish of Tanner Saraceno, then successfully defended it against Mike Jones and Taj Abdul-Hakim. He’s found similar success in the Octagon, claiming decisions over Court McGee and Ismail Naurdiev.
He’ll enjoy one inch of height and a half-inch of reach on Aguilera.
I expected Aguilera’s grappling issues to cost him in his debut, but he handily side-stepped that hazard by just pulverizing Ivy before he could shoot. I don’t expect things to be anywhere near as easy against Brady. The Renzo Gracie-trained product is exponentially more comfortable on the feet than Ivy, who’s long been prone to simply covering up under fire, and boasts more than enough wrestling chops to Aguilera out of his comfort zone.
“The Beast” appears notably outclassed in practically every area besides power, and Brady’s never shown the sort of durability issues that would let Aguilera turn things around in one shot. Brady out-techniques him on the feet and racks up long stretches of top control for a decision win.
Prediction: Brady via unanimous decision



185 lbs.: Impa Kasanganay vs. Maki Pitolo

Impa Kasanganay (7-0) scored one of the biggest numerical upsets in “Contender Series” history last year when he defied +500 odds to beat knockout artist Kailan Hill by decision. Assorted misfortunes kept him out of action for the next 12 months, after which he returned to “Contender Series” with a victory over Anthony Adams.
He makes an 18-day turnaround on Saturday evening.
Maki Pitolo (13-6) — who flatted Justin Sumter with body shots on “Contender Series” — rebounded from his debut loss to Callan Potter with a second-round mauling of Charles Byrd in June. Two months later, he took on fellow bruiser Darren Stewart, who caught “Coconut Bombz” in a sneaky guillotine partway through the first round.
He has scored seven professional knockouts and three submissions.
The gap between what Pitolo can do and what he’s actually done in the Octagon remains enormously frustrating. At his best, the Hawaiian is a fearsome offensive boxing machine who can punish the body like few others. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen that “Coconut Bombz” since “Contender Series” — even his win over Byrd was a comeback finish after spending most of the first round off of his back.
That said, he’s still a far tougher opponent than any Kasanganay’s faced before. Indeed, his last two victories came over highly limited opposition, leaving him with just a fraction of Pitolo’s experience against quality foes. Even with his recent struggles, Pitolo figures to be the better boxer and have enough grappling chops to either keep it standing or hold his own on the mat.
Prediction: Pitolo via unanimous decision
Related
Lawler Returns, Fights Magny On Aug. 28

115 lbs.: Hannah Cifers vs. Mallory Martin

Hannah Cifers (10-6) got off to a strong 2-1 Octagon start in 2018, giving elite prospect Maycee Barber her toughest out to date and scoring decisions over Polyana Viana and Jodie Esquibel. Recent sailing hasn’t been quite as smooth, as “Shockwave” has suffered stoppage losses to Angela Hill, Mackenzie Dern and Mariya Agapova.
This marks her fourth appearance of 2020 and her third in the span of three months.
Though her decision win over Micol di Segni on “Contender Series” didn’t earn Mallory Martin (6-3) a contract, she got her Octagon shot in Dec. 2019 when she faced former Invicta champ Virna Jandiroba on short notice. “Carcara” proved too much to handle, snapping Martin’s five-fight winning streak.
She’ll have three inches of height and two inches of reach on Cifers.
While I still don’t see Martin becoming an elite Strawweight, there’s no shame in losing to one of the division’s best wrestlers in Jandiroba. She’s still a solid fighter with the tools to exploit Cifers’ ongoing difficulties in the ground. And “Shockwave’s” powerful right hand is nowhere near enough of a game-changer to make up for the wrestling gap.
There really just isn’t an avenue of victory for Cifers, as what striking advantage she may have is entirely offset by the threat of Martin’s ground game. Barring a one-shot knockout from out of nowhere, Martin bullies her to the mat and batters her for Cifers’ fourth consecutive stoppage loss.
Prediction: Martin via second-round technical knockout
Related
‘Lionheart’ Vs. Rakic Headlines UFC’s Aug. 29th Event

185 lbs.: Zak Cummings vs. Alessio Di Chirico

A narrow decision loss to Michel Prazeres sent Zak Cummings (23-7) to Middleweight, where he defeated Trevor Smith and Trevin Giles to extend his run to 4-1. He failed to do the same to Omari Akhmedov, however, dropping a decision at UFC 242.
Twelve of his 18 stoppage wins have come by submission.
Alessio Di Chirico (12-4) put his 1-2 Octagon start behind him with a bonus-winning knockout of Oluwale Bamgbose and an upset decision over Julian Marquez on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 27 Finale. He enters the cage on a two-fight losing streak, having dropped consecutive decisions to Kevin Holland and Makhmud Muradov.
He’ll give up one inch of reach to Cummings.
While I do think Cummings would be best served getting his weight in check and returning to 170 pounds — where he can better bring his size and strength to bear — I like his chances here. He appears to have Di Chirico just slightly out-classed in mostly every area, boasting the heavier hands, more proven wrestling and scarier submissions.
So long as he isn’t pulled into the same sort of lull that led him to throw just 69 strikes in 15 minutes against Akhmedov, Cumming should land the more telling blows and control the grappling exchanges to win a slow-paced battle. Di Chirico just doesn’t have enough firepower or wrestling chops to take control.
Prediction: Cummings via unanimous decision

[PaperTrail07]

lol 100%....got the gamble right on Pickett too but agree Im reaching on the contender LOL-these guys can be unpredictable...

You got this one right. The bigger bum beats the smaller bum haha

[Unkclan]

Think there is a lot of value on all dogs on main card. Hoping they don't all get blasted and make me look stupid

[JIBBBY]

Think there is a lot of value on all dogs on main card. Hoping they don't all get blasted and make me look stupid

I see alot of these fights going the distance.. May not try my DOG ITD theory with this card.. I'm not giving up on my ITD Dog theory though with these cards though.. This one I'm not seeing the green light to do it like last last event...

Dogs may still bark though but maybe a few by decision...

[PaperTrail07]

Lot of proven vets at the top of the card....def not superjuiced newcomers like the last card....

I see alot of these fights going the distance.. May not try my DOG ITD theory with this card.. I'm not giving up on my ITD Dog theory though with these cards though.. This one I'm not seeing the green light to do it like last last event...

Dogs may still bark though but maybe a few by decision...

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Really like Rakic and surprised he is such a heavy favorite against Smith.

[JIBBBY]

Lot of proven vets at the top of the card....def not superjuiced newcomers like the last card....

Exactly!!

[Thrilla]

[Donuts71]

Loving “Coconut Bombs”. A tough fighter with submissions being his downfall which I don’t think is a threat with Impa.

[UncleChael]

I see alot of these fights going the distance.. May not try my DOG ITD theory with this card.. I'm not giving up on my ITD Dog theory though with these cards though.. This one I'm not seeing the green light to do it like last last event...

Dogs may still bark though but maybe a few by decision...

I might want to play the theory with Robbie Lawler... Dude was a champ.. I don't think Magny will ever be champ. What am I missing? Colby Covington was shitting his pants and wanted no part of Lawler on the feet. Herb Dean gave Askren a free dub and Robbie just a true professional.

[Hugo de Naranja]

I might want to play the theory with Robbie Lawler... Dude was a champ.. I don't think Magny will ever be champ. What am I missing? Colby Covington was shitting his pants and wanted no part of Lawler on the feet. Herb Dean gave Askren a free dub and Robbie just a true professional.

Shitting his pants and wanted no part of Lawler on the feet? Covington outstruck him 2-1 and won most of the standup exchanges.

[PaperTrail07]

I'm going to watch it again right now- I don't remember Colby Shooting....

Shitting his pants and wanted no part of Lawler on the feet? Covington outstruck him 2-1 and won most of the standup exchanges.

[Hugo de Naranja]

I'm going to watch it again right now- I don't remember Colby Shooting....

He hit 10 takedowns.

[PaperTrail07]

For sure-I saw the stats and was like HUH---rewatch time....was a tough 5 rounder....I just think he saw a mismatch int he wrestling-I don't think he was fearing it...it was a very USMAN like performance from Cov...

He hit 10 takedowns.