UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Hill (February 19, 2022)

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

ESPN+ 7:00 pm ET
Johnny Walker vs. Jamahal Hill
Kyle Daukaus vs. Jamie Pickett
Alan Baudot vs. Parker Porter
Jim Miller vs. Nikolas Motta
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Joaquin Buckley

ESPN+ 4:00 pm ET
Jonathan Pearce vs. Christian Rodriguez
Mario Bautista vs. Jay Perrin
Gabriel Benitez vs. David Onama
Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Stephanie Egger
Chas Skelly vs. Mark Striegl
Diana Belbita vs. Gloria de Paula
Chad Anheliger vs. Jesse Strader

[hankcream]

Overall a shitty card but I'm going big on Johnny Walker
6 units Johnny walker +220

[Brandt Moat]

Who is that dork jewish fella doing the interview? He better hope he has am uncle in the broadcasting business. I'm sure he does. The ghetto dude in the car smoking the blunt can care less he is being interviewed by him. How do 2 losers like that think we care what they are saying? Kids these days are fookn dipshiots. My generation was the worst parents in the world. What the fook do these pucie males wear their stocking caps in summer, inside, while playing hoop all the fookn time?

[hankcream]

Who is that dork jewish fella doing the interview? He better hope he has am uncle in the broadcasting business. I'm sure he does. The ghetto dude in the car smoking the blunt can care less he is being interviewed by him. How do 2 losers like that think we care what they are saying? Kids these days are fookn dipshiots. My generation was the worst parents in the world. What the fook do these pucie males wear their stocking caps in summer, inside, while playing hoop all the fookn time?

The guy busting the blunt is Jamahal Hill, not sure if doing that much weed when he's training helps him win this fight.

[Brandt Moat]

Hope he gets a slow choke put on him. Those twats tap so quick they don't need the extra lung strength. He is a solid fav in the bout.

[Brandt Moat]

Walker is a goof! Seen some footage on him. If the pot smoker can hit him, he seems to be easy to KO. So we got a goofy acting fighter with a glass jaw and a pot smoking idiot in the other corner. What a main Dana. The dope smoker should lose. That Walker has some game.

[JIBBBY]

Prelims -


125 lbs.: Diana Belbita vs. Gloria de Paula

Romania’s Diana Belbita (14-6) stumbled out of the UFC gate with consecutive losses to Molly McCann and Liana Jojua, the latter of whom caught her in an armbar after getting dropped early. She did better for herself against Hannah Goldy, however, racking up over 100 significant strikes and a clean knockdown to claim a unanimous decision victory.
“Warrior Princess” stands two inches taller than “Glorinha” and will enjoy a slight reach advantage.
Gloria de Paula (5-4) capped off a 4-1 run by cruising past Paulina Macias on the Contender Series to earn herself a UFC contract. Her first UFC victory has proven elusive, as she dropped a decision to Jinh Yu Frey before succumbing to a vicious head kick from Cheyanna Vlismas.
She has scored three knockouts as a professional, two of them in the third round.
I’ll admit that Belbita exceeded my expectations in the Octagon, even in defeat, while de Paula let me down badly in her debut. That said, the stylistic match up does seem to favor the Brazilian. “Glorinha” is by far the more technical striker of the two; indeed, if Belbita can’t consistently push the action and keep de Paula on her heels, she’ll struggle to get through de Paula’s counters and vicious clinch game.
de Paula has admittedly struggled with pressure in the past, so Belbita knuckling down and winning a dogfight through sheer attrition isn’t out of the question. Still, de Paula should be sharp enough to land the more telling blows and eke out a win.
Prediction: de Paula via split decision
Related
Up Next! Walker Vs Hill In Vegas!

135 lbs.: Chad Anheliger vs. Jesse Strader

Chad Anheliger (11-5) brought an eight-fight win streak and two Rise FC belts into his Contender Series appearance, which pitted him against ONE standout Muin Gafurov. Despite entering as more than a three-to-one underdog in places, “The Monster” secured both a split decision and a contract on the strength of an early knockdown and late striking success.
He stands one inch shorter than Jesse Strader (5-2) and gives up nearly a half-foot of reach.
Strader made his name under the Combate banner, where he won three of four while falling to fellow future signee Marcelo Rojo. This led to a March 2021 UFC debut against Montel Jackson, who stopped “Sui Generis” less than two minutes into the first round.
Four of his five professional victories have come via knockout within two rounds.
Part of supporting a fighter is knowing their limitations. Strader’s fun as all hell to watch, but his lack of cardio and durability will forever keep his body-shredding style from carrying him into contention. While Anheliger isn’t any sort of title contender, he’s got a solid gas tank, a solid chin, and some solid counter-striking that should let him take Strader apart when the latter’s early blitz inevitably fails to produce a finish.
The big concern for Anheliger is actually Strader’s underutilized wrestling, as all five of “The Monster’s” pro losses have come by submission. Still, Strader isn’t enough of a submission threat to make what takedowns he manages count, so expect Anheliger to plunk him with a counter once he starts to fade.
Prediction: Anheliger via second round technical knockout
Related
Up Next! Walker Vs Hill In Vegas!

145 lbs.: Jonathan Pearce vs. Christian Rodriguez

The dominant Contender Series appearance from Jonathan Pearce (11-4) didn’t translate into immediate Octagon success, suffering a 93-second beatdown loss to Joe Lauzon in his promotional debut. A drop to 145 paid dividends, however, as “JSP” stopped both Kai Kamaka and Omar Morales in successive efforts.
He has ended 10 fights inside the distance, last going the distance in victory in his second professional fight.
Roufusport’s Christian Rodriguez (7-0) got off to a red-hot pro start with wins in both LFA and CFFC. This led to a Contender Series opportunity against Junior Cortez, which saw Rodriguez dominate but miss out on a contract after coming in two pounds heavy.
“CeeRod” steps in for the injured Austin Lingo on around a week’s notice.
Rodriguez’s slick, powerful hands make him a worthy addition to the roster, but they’re not enough to carry him to victory here. Though he couldn’t get his wrestling going, Cortez’s consistent ability to tie Rodriguez up and put him against the fence bodes ill against a larger, more physical grappler with the stand up skills to set up his entries.
Even with Rodriguez’s obvious skills and potential, I don’t see him getting past someone this suffocating, especially not on short notice. In the end, Pearce keeps the pressure on, gets him to the ground, and puts the screws to him around the midpoint.
Prediction: Pearce via second round submission
Related
Dana White Calls Bulls—t On Joe Rogan’s UFC 271 ‘Scheduling Conflict’

135 lbs.: Mario Bautista vs. Khalid Taha

Mario Bautista (8-2) went from falling to Cory Sandhagen in his Octagon debut to out-slugging Jin Soo Son and knocking out Miles Johns, earning a pair of post-fight bonuses for his troubles. This set up a clash with Trevin Jones, who put Bautista to sleep with a vicious uppercut early in the second round.
He’ll have two inches of height and four inches of reach on “The Warrior.”
A short-notice UFC debut against Nad Narimani didn’t work out for Khalid Taha (13-4), who suffered a unanimous decision loss to “Smiler.” Though he bounced back by flattening Boston Salmon, he now finds himself in an 0-2 (1 NC) hole that’s seen him drop consecutive decisions to Raoni Barcelos and Sergey Morozov.
His professional finishes are split 8/3 between knockouts and submissions.
This is a very, very volatile match up. Bautista’s skillset is one that Taha clearly struggles with — he’s not fond of long-range kicks, especially to the legs, and his straightforward boxing attack leaves him vulnerable to counters. As we saw against Jones, however, Bautista’s good work can be erased in an instant.
For all of his flaws, Taha’s definitely not short on power.
Bautista’s length and ability to punish Taha both at range and as he tries to close the distance have me leaning his way regardless, but he’ll have to stay sharp for all 15 minutes. I’ll be an optimist and say he does.
Prediction: Bautista via unanimous decision



145 lbs.: Gabriel Benitez vs. David Onama

Gabriel Benitez (22-10) — an original The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): Latin America alum — snapped a two-fight skid in 2020 by crushing Justin Jaynes with a bonus-winning knee to the body. Then came Billy Quarantillo, who overwhelmed “Moggly” with pressure and ground control before pounding him out late.
He gives up three inches of height and reach to David Onama (8-1).
Glory MMA’s Onama went undefeated (10-0) as an amateur on his way to the professional ranks, where he racked up five finishes in under a half-round. Just two weeks after a win in FAC, he stepped up on short notice to face Mason Jones in his UFC debut, which saw him go toe-to-toe with “The Dragon” en route to a competitive decision loss.
All of his professional wins have come inside the distance, five of them by knockout.
I really do want to see Benitez succeed; the man kicks like a mule and is capable of some horrific feats of violence. Unfortunately, that loss to “Billy Q” doesn’t give me much hope. Quarantillo was able to get inside and land his looping punches far too easily, and the fact that he managed to drop Benitez early raises real questions about “Moggly’s” ability to withstand damage.
Those are both serious red flags against someone with Onama’s power. Benitez needs to keep the taller, longer man on the end of his kicks, which he doesn’t seem capable of doing if Onama commits to closing the distance. Prediction? Benitez’s kicks and Onama’s jab battle for dominance at range before a booming right from the latter ends things in the first.
Prediction: Onama via first round technical knockout
Related
Dana White Calls Bulls—t On Joe Rogan’s UFC 271 ‘Scheduling Conflict’

135 lbs.: Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Stephanie Egger

Jessica-Rose Clark (11-6) opened her UFC career with consecutive victories over Bec Rawlings and Paige VanZant, only to drop her next two to Jessica Eye and Pannie Kianzad. She’s since returned to form by stopping Sarah Alphar and grinding out Joselyne Edwards, the latter on the heels of a 13-month layoff.
She gives up one inch of height and 3.5 inches of reach.
Stephanie Egger (6-2) rode a three-fight win streak into the Octagon, where she dropped her debut to rising grinder Tracy Cortez. Her second effort proved more fruitful, pounding out Shanna Young in Oct. 2021.
That victory was her third via (technical) knockout and fifth overall inside the distance.
“Jessy Jess” has the right style to win this, though it could get hairy if she’s as one-note as she was in the Edwards fight. Egger showed in the Cortez fight that despite her judo pedigree, she’s very vulnerable to getting taken down in return, which plays right into Clark’s grind-happy hands. If Clark gets too predictable, on the other hand, Egger’s sharp enough to toss her around while she tries to work against the fence.
Between Clark’s experience and the fact that she’s never been finished, I like her to power through any rough moments and grind out Egger from guard. She’ll have to stay composed, but expect her wrestling to carry the day.
Prediction: Clark via unanimous decision
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145 lbs.: Chas Skelly vs. Mark Striegl

Chas Skelly (18-3) bounced back from a UFC debut loss to Mirsad Bektic by winning six of his next seven, including a 19-second anaconda choke of Maximo Blanco that earned him “Performance of the Night.” He’s 1-1 (1 NC) since, most recently scraping past Jordan Griffin in Vancouver.
He fights for the first time in more than 29 months.
Mark Striegl (18-3) followed his brief stint in ONE with a championship run in URCC, capped off with a low-blow-induced No Contest against UFC veteran Shunichi Shimizu. His Octagon debut wasn’t quite as successful, suffering a 51-second knockout loss to Said Nurmagomedov in Oct. 2020.
All 14 of his stoppage wins have come by submission.
Even if Skelly peaked lower than I thought he would, he’s more than capable of winning this. He’s ostensibly superior to Striegl in their mutual wheelhouse, the wrestling, and his cardio issues are offset by “Mugen’s” own. Without the pace or striking to wear down Skelly, Striegl’s at the mercy of a more proven and effective ground artist.
Skelly’s layoff is obviously a huge concern, and it wouldn’t be terribly surprising to see his gas tank drain before Striegl’s. More likely, though, he slowly pulls ahead in a grinding slog before wrapping up a choke.
Prediction: Skelly via second round submission

[magpie878]

Not looking forward to much on this one.

I do want to see Onama after that impressive (huge dog) performace against Mason Jones (I think that's his name). I'm a fan after that match.

Miller too.

[Demonata]

Every week that a ufc is available is a good week!

[JIBBBY]

Every week that a ufc is available is a good week!

Especially if you win money betting on it!!

[JIBBBY]

Kinda liking the dogs in the main card. I think a few will bark..

[Brandt Moat]

If the goofball Walker doesn't get caught by Hill, I think he can get the win. At almost 2-1 seems like a good one to take. I'm sittin another one out. Have been very suspicious of these decisions lately. Want to wait until I am confident in the system to wager on the fights. If Sal A'mato and that other dipshiot are judging the same fight, the guy that barely escaped with his life could win. GL

[Brandt Moat]

I lied. Just got a friend to take my bet. A small 50 to win 90 on goofball Jimmy Walker. Keep me interested.lol

[JIBBBY]

^ Walker should be game early on. He might have a chance if he can clip him on the chin.

Most likely outcome is Hill winning by decision though. https://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Jamahal-Hill-280417

[Brandt Moat]

Walker's chin is suspect. From what little I know about Hill, he has some power. Only risking $50. The Hill guy will never make it in the UFC. He thinks he is invincible. He is a street thug with some good hands. If Goofy puts some time in on leg kicks it will help him to victory. Can't see Hill as a high level thinker! He can be beat easily by an experienced thoughtful fighter. Goofy doesn't seem to have that quality. I probably set a 50 bill on fire.lol

[JIBBBY]

This card has potential for ITD dog theory.

I may try it on every fight.

[Kermit]

I like JRC tonight.

[hwgfb]

Bautista Pearce Belbita De Paul O1.5 rounds +109 1 unit

[hwgfb]

the 2 women's Fight over 1.5 rounds Hill +121 1 unit

[JIBBBY]

Well good luck everyone, win some money fellas!!

I gotta take off for a bit but should be back later. Start time in 30 minutes..

[Merlin21]

Man, haven't seen Hugo in a while.... Anyone heard from him? Good guy, always appreciated his posts and how he approached the fights

[hwgfb]

they are getting ready to walk out to be Knock out!!!!!!!!

[Merlin21]

Pearce had success on his feet, stuns him and chooses to go the ground where he has been owned.... Wow

[pavyracer]

Dogs only bark with no bite.

[pavyracer]

Obama put the Mexican to sleep.

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

I cant tell these two apart...

[JIBBBY]

Miller time baby!! .. Loving it... Old school!!

Good fights so far and just catching up now..

[Kermit]

Miller time baby!! .. Loving it... Old school!!

Good fights so far and just catching up now..

Crazy he was a dog in that one.

[JIBBBY]

Crazy he was a dog in that one.

So were the odds ITD.

[JIBBBY]

Gonna try always bet on black by ko at +350 in this next fight. Big White boy hits hard though.

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

Gonna try always bet on black by ko at +350 in this next fight. Big White boy hits hard though.

does that work with european blacks?

[JIBBBY]

does that work with european blacks?

IDK? We'll soon see Locky..

At +350 I had to try it.. See what sticks in this next one?

[JIBBBY]

Black man had his chances and was connecting and defending take downs but he just doesn't hit like Mike Tyson.

Oh well. Next.

[Merlin21]

In the memory bank for next time, KO/TKO in round 1 or 2 .... These fat penetrates will ride it out if it gets to the 3rd

[Merlin21]

Did anyone hear Felder saying "Are you serious?" and "You gotta be kidding me" about the post fight interview..... Guess Porter didn't want to talk to him?