[JIBBBY]

Best fight odds - https://fightodds.io/mma-events/4556...desanya-2/odds

[JIBBBY]

Over view UFC.com - https://www.ufc.com/event/ufc-287

[JIBBBY]

Prelim write ups MMAMANIA -







115 lbs.: Cynthia Calvillo vs. Lupita Godinez

Cynthia Calvillo (9-5-1) went 5-1-1 as a UFC Strawweight before making a successful Flyweight debut at Jessica Eye’s expense. Subsequent efforts proved trickier, resulting in a four-fight losing streak that saw her stopped twice.
Her professional finishes are split 3/2 between submissions and knockouts.
Lupita Godinez’s (8-3) perfect (5-0) professional start saw her defeat Vanessa Demopoulos for LFA’s Strawweight title in her promotional debut. She currently sits at 3-3 in the Octagon, most recently suffering a decision loss to Angela Hill that snapped a two-fight win streak.
She stands two inches shorter than Calvillo and faces a three-inch reach disadvantage.
The gap between Godinez’s skills and her ability to use them properly is incredible. She has this bizarre knack for fighting in the most self-destructive fashion imaginable; she exclusively grappled Jessica Penne and Luana Carolina despite holding a clear boxing edge and almost exclusively boxed Angela Hill despite holding a clear wrestling edge. Luckily for her, she seems to have an edge over the floundering Calvillo in both areas.
This isn’t to say she can’t still find a way to fumble things, just that Calvillo’s looked so damn bad of late that even Godinez’s penchant for self-destruction can’t get me to pick against her. In short, Godinez’s heavier hands and strong takedowns should carry her to victory.
Prediction: Godinez via unanimous decision
Related
Dustin Poirier Headed To UFC 287


155 lbs.: Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Trey Ogden

A front kick finish of Edson Gomez sent Ignacio Bahamondes (13-4) to the Octagon and made him a favorite in his UFC debut, which saw him drop a split decision to John Makdessi. He went on to flatten Roosevelt Roberts with a bonus-winning wheel kick, then nudge his UFC record back over .500 by submitting Rongzhu six months later.
This marks his first fight in more than one year because of **** issues.
Trey Ogden (16-5) fought his way into UFC via Lookin’ for a Fight, only to drop a narrow split decision to Jordan Leavitt in his UFC debut. An upset over hot prospect, Daniel Zellhuber, put him back in the mix, though a March 25, 2023, clash with Manuel Torres fell through after a medical issue bounced “El Loco” from the weigh-ins.
He steps in for Nikolas Motta — who suffered a gnarly cut in training — on less than two weeks’ notice.
Ogden had a very good chance of scoring his second consecutive upset over Torres, who’s yet to prove he can handle someone with Ogden’s ground skills. His outlook’s not quite as rosy against Bahamondes, a much more seasoned veteran with a rangy, kick-heavy approach who figures to give Ogden fits. “La Jaula” also boasts rock-solid takedown defense, and considering the sort of volume he usually throws, Ogden can’t expect him to sleepwalk through the fight like Zellhuber did.
There’s just not much going Ogden’s way in this match, especially since he lacks the power to decisively punish Bahamondes’ shaky defense. Odds are that Bahamondes takes him apart at range for a mid-round accumulation stoppage.
Prediction: Bahamondes via second round technical knockout
Related
‘Maverick’ Flying Solo, Won’t Land At UFC 287


145 lbs.: Shayilan Nuerdanbieke vs. Steve Garcia

Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (39-10) entered UFC in the midst of a 7-1 run, but proved unable to topple Joshua Culibao in his promotional debut. “Wolverine” now finds himself on a three-fight winning streak that features two upset decisions and his infamous 70-second finish of Darrick Minner.
His 29 professional finishes include 19 by (technical) knockout.
Steve Garcia (13-5) torched Desmond Torres on Contender Series for his second-straight first-round finish, but walked away empty-handed thanks to missing weight. After missing weight again for a fight with Jose Mariscal, he stepped up on short notice to join UFC, where he’s alternated losses and wins through four appearances.
He’ll enjoy four inches of height and six inches of reach on Nuerdanbieke.
Credit where it’s due: Garcia absolutely demolished Chase Hooper when I’d assumed he’d get torched. This figures to be a trickier assignment, though. While Nuerdanbieke lacks Hooper’s fluidity on the mat, he’s a far stronger offensive wrestler than “The Dream” and has shown off enough striking improvement to at least survive Garcia’s haymakers on the feet.
Though still the more dangerous of the two in the stand up, Garcia figures to have a much tougher time planting his feet and unloading bombs when doing so leaves his hips open to Nuerdanbieke’s takedowns. He hasn’t shown the technique and composure to employ the measured approach Culibao used to defuse “Wolverine,” either, so expect his over-eagerness to get him taken down and controlled for most of the 15 minutes.
Prediction: Nuerdanbieke via unanimous decision
Related
Finalized! UFC 287 Fight Card, PPV Lineup


115 lbs.: Jacqueline Amorim vs. Sam Hughes

American Top Team’s Jacqueline Amorim (6-0) collected several accolades in international Brazilian jiu-jitsu — including medals at both the World and World No-Gi Championships — before making her professional mixed martial arts (MMA) debut in 2020. She’s since torn through LFA’s Strawweight division, culminating in a 2022 campaign that saw her win and defend its title with submission finishes.
All of her wins have come in the first round, five of them in less than two minutes apiece.
Sam Hughes (7-5) roared back from a winless (0-2) UFC start by upsetting Istela Nunes and Elise Reed back to back. She couldn’t quite make it three straight against Piera Rodriguez, who racked up five takedowns en route to a unanimous decision win.
Though the taller of the two by two inches, she faces a 3.5-inch reach disadvantage.
I’ve revised my opinion on Hughes more than once and in more than one direction, but if there’s one thing I can definitively say about her, it’s that her takedown defense doesn’t measure up to her takedown offense. That looks like the deciding factor here; while she’s far more seasoned than Amorim and a massively superior striker, she doesn’t have an answer for “Jacque’s” excellent top game.
That said, Amorim isn’t the most overpowering takedown artist out there and has no experience past the first round. It’s very feasible that Hughes either successfully sprawls-and-brawls or survives early danger to take over once Amorim slows down. Between how often Rodriguez got Hughes down and Amorim’s submission skills, though, it seems likelier that Amorim drags her to the mat in the opening minutes and polishes her off before ever seeing deep water.
Prediction: Amorim via first round submission



185 lbs.: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Chris Curtis

Moving to Middleweight paid immediate dividends for Kelvin Gastelum (17-8), who went 3-1 (1 NC) to earn himself an interim title shot. He now sits at 1-5 in his last six appearances, including a decision loss to Jared Cannonier his last time out.
He fights for the first time in nearly 20 months because of injuries.
The out-of-nowhere rise through the ranks for Chris Curtis (30-9) came to a halt at the hands of Jack Hermansson, who used lateral movement to snap “The Action Man’s” eight-fight win streak. He got back on track five months later with a nasty knockout of Joaquin Buckley that earned him “Performance of the Night.”
Fifteen of his 18 stoppage wins have come by knockout.
Next to Ian Heinisch — the one man Gastelum’s managed to beat in almost five years — Curtis is Gastelum’s most winnable matchup in awhile. “The Action Man” is a long-time Welterweight and hasn’t even attempted a takedown in the Octagon, taking Gastelum’s biggest bugbears out of the equation. That said, I still favor Curtis against most people willing to stay in the pocket with him.
Curtis has a significant reach advantage, a rock-solid chin, and generally throws a fair bit more volume than Gastelum, which is enough to get the nod. It’s a coin flip, but expect Curtis to narrowly outwork him for a unanimous decision.
Prediction: Curtis via unanimous decision
Related
Watch ‘Countdown to UFC 287’


115 lbs.: Michelle Waterson-Gomez vs. Luana Pinheiro

Michell Waterson-Gomez (18-10) put herself on the brink of contender status with three straight wins, all of them numerical upsets. The momentum wasn’t to last, as she went on to lose four of her next five.
She stands one inch taller than Luana Pinheiro (10-1) at 5’3.”
Pinheiro capped off a six-fight winning streak by knocking out Stephanie Frausto on the Contender Series. Her subsequent Octagon career has seen her beat Randa Markos via disqualification and claim her second-ever decision win at Sam Hughes’ expense six months later.
This marks her first appearance in over 16 months.
On paper, this is Pinheiro’s fight to lose. She’s younger, bigger, the heavier hitter, and the superior takedown artist. If she fights to anywhere near the best of her abilities, there’s not a whole lot Waterson-Gomez can do to her.
There’d usually be a “however” or “but” here, but I can’t really think of an objection. Pinheiro’s judo is too potent for Waterson-Gomez to initiate any ground exchanges, so the only way the latter wins is if she pulls the former into a pure striking match and edges it on ineffective volume. While I’ve seen better fighters fumble more winnable matches, Pinheiro’s power and takedowns are sufficiently superior to earn her the nod.
Prediction: Pinheiro via unanimous decision
Related
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265 lbs.: Chase Sherman vs. Karl Williams

After nearly two years away from the promotion, Chase Sherman (16-11) scored his first UFC win since 2017, knocking out Ike Villanueva. He enters the cage this Saturday having lost five of six, though he did claim “Performance of the Night” for his finish of Jared Vanderaa.
All but one of his professional wins have come by knockout.
An upset decision over Jimmy Lawson on Contender Series extended Karl Williams’ (8-1) win streak to four and earned him a UFC contract. He ultimately debuted seven months later, leaning on his wrestling to claim a decisive victory over Lukasz Brzeski.
He steps in for Chris Barnett on a week’s notice for his second fight in less than one month.
Williams is, to put it mildly, a much less favorable matchup than the inconsistent and undersized Barnett. Sherman has never had an answer for persistent wrestlers, as seen in his quick submission losses to Jake Collier and Alexandr Romanov. Williams’ hands are also fast enough that I wouldn’t favor Sherman too heavily in a pure striking battle, either, much less with the threat of takedowns looming over his head.
All Williams has to do to win here is follow the same gameplan he utilized against Brzeski, which Sherman flat-out doesn’t have the means to stop. Expect another grind-heavy victory for the Contender Series product.
Prediction: Williams via unanimous decision
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185 lbs.: Gerald Meerschaert vs. Joe Pyfer

Undaunted by a 2-5 skid, Gerald Meerschaert (35-15) rattled off three consecutive finishes to re-establish himself as a Middleweight of note. Though he fell to Krzysztof Jotko his next time out, a club-and-sub of Bruno Silva returned him to the win column and earned him his 33rd professional finish.
He’ll enjoy a 2.5-inch reach advantage despite being the shorter man.
Two years after losing to Dustin Stoltzfus via injury on Contender Series, Joe Pyfer (10-2) returned to the program to knockout Ozzy Diaz and claim a UFC contract. He made his promotional debut less than two months later, flattening Alen Amedovski for his first post-fight bonus.
He’s knocked out seven professional foes and submitted two others.
Strip away Pyfer’s knockout hype and Baldfather endorsement and you get a strong, heavy-handed wrestler who’s yet to face an opponent of Meerschaert’s caliber. He does, however, have the means to pass this test. Meerschaert is an opportunistic finisher, utilizing his great gas tank to survive until his opponents slow down and leave openings. Against someone with stout fundamentals who doesn’t make a ton of mistakes (like Jotko) his inability to force favorable engagements comes back to bite him.
Pyfer will, however, have to fight smart and avoid getting caught up in his own hype. So long as he stays composed, doesn’t get pulled into a pace he can’t sustain, and remembers to use his takedowns if Meerschaert starts building any momentum, he should be able to clip Meerschaert inside the first five minutes.
Prediction: Pyfer via first round technical knockout

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Leaning Adesanya here. I think he wins assuming he does not get finished. He was winning last fight until he got stopped in the 5th round. He could definitely get stopped again but I think the chances are high that he wins if it goes the distance. He also had Pereira in deep trouble at the end of the 1st round, might have got the KO if there was another 15-20 seconds left in the round.

[JIBBBY]

This is a very good card. I like the match ups!

[Demonata]

I like adensanya as well! Might just parlay him with burns.

[Headsterx]

Oh right! Can’t wait as it’s another great card. Sometimes there is that one fighter who figured you out and thought you are the best, there’s that one guy you just can’t beat. I think Pereira is that guy for Israel.

Pereira +115

[hankcream]

Going Black on this one:
$245 Izzy/Holland/Curtis parlay to win $1000

[hankcream]

Going Black on this one:
$245 Izzy/Holland/Curtis parlay to win $1000

1 more black play - $312.50 Rob Font +160

[magpie878]

Going Black on this one:
$245 Izzy/Holland/Curtis parlay to win $1000

1 more black play - $312.50 Rob Font +160

Holland in any parlay is dangerous. Doesn't seem to care enough.

(and about Font... uhh https://www.ufc.com/news/rob-font-br...ican-style-mma)

[Thor4140]

Holland in any parlay is dangerous. Doesn't seem to care enough.

(and about Font... uhh https://www.ufc.com/news/rob-font-br...ican-style-mma)

Heard Holland busted his hand up pretty good against wonderboy. heard Weidman (wonderboys buddy)say the other day he can't see how his hand has healed that fast.

[hankcream]

Holland in any parlay is dangerous. Doesn't seem to care enough.

(and about Font... uhh https://www.ufc.com/news/rob-font-br...ican-style-mma)

The play on Holland is more of a fade against Ponz, I think he may be washed up. Morono on less than a week notice was landing at will for 2.5 rounds vs Ponzinibio and Holland has more power than Morono

[Nate rasta]

Holland in any parlay is dangerous. Doesn't seem to care enough.

(and about Font... uhh https://www.ufc.com/news/rob-font-br...ican-style-mma)

Ya Holland cares more about dancing in his walk up than the fight

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Holland's fight IQ is pretty awful...hard to trust him to stick to a game plan.

[Kermit]

I'm on this ugly 18 year old mofo ITD +128.

[pavyracer]

Nice write ups JIBBBY. Hope you win!

[Allure]

Pereira
Burns ITD
Yanez + Burns ML parlay
Rojas + Burns ML parlay

[Headsterx]

I'm on this ugly 18 year old mofo ITD +128.

Yeah, the problem child is going cause problem for many fighters,

[Ghenghis Kahn]

[JIBBBY]

Live weigh ins -

[Allure]

I hope The Last Transgender loses and we don't hear shit from him for a while. Feed him to Khamzat next so he falls down in the rankings even more.

Transgender Adesanya and Shevchenko are two I love to see losing again. Both delusional fukks that keep on finding excuse after excuse.

[unlearn]

Nice write ups JIBBBY. Hope you win!

LOL

[hankcream]

The only way I’m betting womens MMA from now on is taking dogs
$130 The Karate Hottie +160

[Mackballs]

I hope The Last Transgender loses and we don't hear shit from him for a while. Feed him to Khamzat next so he falls down in the rankings even more.

Transgender Adesanya and Shevchenko are two I love to see losing again. Both delusional fukks that keep on finding excuse after excuse.

Jesus dude

[JIBBBY]

I'm going with Alex Periera the champ again. By KO prop +170..

I just think his power is the equalizer in any fight. The difference is if Alex gets rocked he could recover but if Izzy gets rocked Alex will finish. Alex is ruthless and knows how to finish and punches hard and accurate when he gets anyone rocked.


When you get knocked out twice by the same guy he's in your head also. Hard to over come that.

[JIBBBY]

Main card write ups MMAMANIA - These are decent write ups..


185 lbs.: UFC Middleweight Champion Alex “Poatan” Pereira (7-1) vs. Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya (23-2)
Israel Adesanya has produced, on paper, a pretty spectacular career in the UFC middleweight division, to the point where he was in cruise control for most of his fights. To be fair, he’s had some help along the way. Yoel Romero, a murderous power puncher with Olympic-caliber wrestling, decided to study tape on Paulo Filho and recreate his bizarre non-performance from WEC 36, leading to one of the worst middleweight title fights since this Abu Dhabi disaster. There’s also fighters like Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori, who are good at being tough and throwing wild bombs ... and not much else. “The Last Stylebender” was (and is) levels above most MMA fighters when it comes to striking, thanks largely in part to his successful (but not very profitable) career as a kickboxer. Adesanya is also pretty good at stopping takedowns — but even better at getting back to his feet once his ass does hit the floor. Vettori and Robert Whittaker both landed four takedowns each in their respective title fights and still failed to capture the 185-pound title. Only Jan Blachowicz, a hulking Polish powerhouse who cuts to make 205 pounds, had demonstrable success against Adesanya in the grappling department.
Then came Alex Pereira, who shares most of the same traits as Adesanya across the board, but has far more power in his punches.
Like “The Last Stylebender,” the formula for defeating Pereira seems so simple it’s a wonder why no one has been able to pull it off. I guess that’s what happens when you leave the role of “spoiler” in the hands of a nutcase like Sean Strickland, who entered their UFC 276 showdown with something to prove and instead, joined the Brazilian’s ever-growing highlight reel. To call Pereira’s takedown defense embarrassing would be generous, based on what we saw against Adesanya at UFC 281. Fortunately for the newly-crowned champion, “The Last Stylebender” proved why he’s registered a whopping zero submission finishes in 23 wins after getting his towering nemesis to the floor. There’s not much to say about Pereira that we don’t already know. He was a terrifying kickboxer with great range, one-punch knockout power, and ruthless aggression from bell-to-bell. He also cuts around 742 pounds to make the middleweight limit, which makes him more susceptible to the knockout (it’s science, not speculation). That’s why “Poatan” was on Queer Street after taking one on the kisser in their UFC 281 title fight and honestly, it’s the kind of equalizer that Adesanya can capitalize on — assuming he doesn’t get his cranium cracked in the process.
I’m picking Adesanya in the rematch, which probably sounds idiotic when you consider Pereira defeated him twice in kickboxing and once in UFC, but every fights starts fresh and “The Last Stylebender” still has more ways to win. His conditioning is better and he can probably wear out the hulking Brazilian with a long-distance gameplan, coupled with a few timely takedowns. I also think Pereira’s chin will betray him as a result of the monstrous weight cut, coupled with the fact that he turns 36 in July. Again, this is predicated on Adesanya not getting backed against the fence and bludgeoned like a middleweight piñata, which is how he ended up losing at UFC 281 (and no, the stoppage was not early). 25 minutes is a long time to try to survive against a killer like Pereira and I think Adesanya has the chops to do it. I also think he finishes what he started in round one at UFC 281, capitalizing on a cocky, careless, and overconfident champion. When it’s all said and done, expect Team “Poatan” to blame the weight cut and send Pereira to 205 pounds.
As predicted.
Prediction: Adesanya def. Pereira by technical knockout

---

170 lbs.: Gilbert “Durinho” Burns (21-5) vs. Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal (35-16)
Gilbert Burns has been hanging around the welterweight Top 5 for several years and even worked his way into a title fight against then-champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 258, only to fall by way of third-round technical knockout. What followed was a loss to Khamzat Chimaev sandwiched between wins over welterweight mainstays Stephen Thompson and Neil Magny, the latter of which ended by first-round submission. Despite his incessant whining about newly-crowned 170-pound champion Leon Edwards, who proved he was smarter than “Durinho” by passing on Jorge Masvidal for “Rocky,” Burns remains a credible threat to the welterweight throne because he’s skilled in all facets of mixed martial arts. That said, his gameplan for UFC 287 will have more to do with his chances of victory than his abilities. In fact, if the Burns who fought at UFC 283 earlier this year in Brazil shows up this weekend in “The Sunshine State,” I don’t expect this fight to be close.
Jorge Masvidal has done an admirable job of convincing everyone he belongs in the 170-pound title chase but I’m not sure his record provides any evidence to support that claim. When was the last time “Gamebred” defeated someone currently on the active UFC roster? We have to go back nearly a decade to his UFC on FOX 8 victory over Michael Chiesa. In addition, Masvidal has just three wins over the last six years and they came against Darren Till, who suffered a Marlon Moraes-like collapse before jumping ship, Ben Askren — which I don't even need to explain — and Nate Diaz, who lost their goofy “BMF” fight because of a gaping flesh wound. That doesn’t mean Masvidal is a bum or doesn’t have skills. On the contrary, the part-time boxing promoter is a gifted striker with sneaky submissions and has no problem going hard for three or five rounds. He just hasn’t proved that he belongs in the upper echelon at 170 pounds and I’m not expecting him to start at age 38, especially when he’s already talking about retirement.
Burns would be an idiot to stand and trade with Masvidal, who is the superior striker with knockout power. I know it looks great for the fans and everyone loves a $50,000 bonus check, but if “Durinho” truly wants to get another crack at the 170-pound crown, he’ll wrestle his way to a sweep on the judges’ scorecards. Masvidal has been taken down over 30 times in his UFC career and struggles to get anything going from his back. His guard is probably too stingy to be in any submission danger, even against an elite grappler like Burns, but this fight is only scheduled for three rounds and judges love takedowns. It’s not unreasonable to think the Brazilian neutralizes “Gamebred” with a smothering attack to capture at least two of the three frames.
Prediction: Burns def. Masvidal by decision

---

135 lbs.: Rob Font (19-6) vs. Adrian Yanez (16-3)
Rob Font has been with the promotion for nearly nine years, debuting with a knockout win over George Roop at UFC 175 back in summer 2014. To put that in perspective, Chris Weidman, Johny Hendricks, and Demetrious Johnson were still UFC champions. Font flew under the radar for the first half of his UFC career but turned up the heat in 2018, winning five in a row and six of seven to work his way into the No. 3 spot at 135 pounds. A victory over Jose Aldo at UFC Vegas 44 would have likely earned Font a crack at the division crown but he came up short on points, then followed up that performance with a unanimous decision loss to veteran banger Marlon Vera. That was enough to knock the former CES MMA standout from the Top 5 of the division and I’m sure some fans are starting to wonder why anyone was high on Font to begin with. Part of that is because his victories over Cody Garbrandt and Marlon Moraes — which seemed like a big deal when they happened — have not held up well over time.
We could probably say just the opposite for Adrian Yanez, who continues to look better with each successive outing. The fast-rising Texan blasted his way into UFC with a thunderous first-round finish over Brady Huang on the 2020 season of Dana White’s “Contender Series” and has since rattled off five straight wins with four finishes, including his opening round destruction of Tony Kelley at UFC Austin last June. You're likely to be unimpressed with the quality of opposition, outside of “Dangerous” Davey Grant, but Yanez has destroyed everyone else they’ve put in front of him. That’s what great fighters do and now we get to see a legitimate test against a Top 10 bantamweight (Yanez is currently ranked No. 12). Unless Font has completely shit the bed, I expect him to put up a fight this weekend in “The Sunshine State.” He turns 36 in June but still has some gas left in the tank and has yet to be knocked out in 25 professional fights. That said, I think this is a case of one fighter on his way up (Yanez) facing another fighter on his way down (Font). Regardless of the outcome, I would be surprised if this 135-pound banger didn't produce one or more performance bonuses. It’s just hard to pick against Yanez when you look at his current trajectory.
Prediction: Yanez def. Font by decision

---

170 lbs.: Kevin “Trailblazer” Holland (23-9, 1 NC) vs. Santiago “Argentine Dagger” Ponzinibbio (29-6)
Kevin Holland has done a great job of keeping himself at the top of the welterweight division despite being unranked at 170 pounds, an impressive feat for any fighter. “Trailblazer” understands his success (and profitability) in the fight game depends as much on drawing power as it does the ability to win fights, which is why Conor McGregor is still the richest cat in the game despite losing spectacularly in three of his last four outings. That said, there’s more to Holland than just his big mouth, evidenced by six performance bonuses over the last three years including “Fight of the Night” honors opposite Stephen Thompson at UFC Orlando; though to be fair, that was mostly “Trailblazer” getting his ass kicked for the better part of four rounds. Holland is a serviceable striker and has sneaky submissions. Cardio has never been an issue at either weight class ... he just can’t stop the takedown, which is not uncommon for high-level combatants on this card (see Pereira, Alex).
Like Holland, the power-punching Ponzinibbio has compiled six performance bonuses of his own, including his $50,000 check for cleaning the clock of Alex Morono at UFC 282 late last year. That was his second straight bonus-winning bout and the fifth in his last seven fights. If you don’t find the “Argentine Dagger” exciting, then you’re either blind or use his fights to make an ill-timed beer run. There was a point in the not-too-distant past when Ponzinibbio was ranked No. 7 at 170 pounds and on the fast-track to a division title shot, but then a variety of injuries, illnesses, and personal setbacks cost him three years of his fighting prime. A knockout loss to Li Jingliang upon his 2021 return made matters worse, and now the aging slugger is just 2-2 since getting salted by the “Leech.” The flip side to that is Ponzinibbio is coming off a win and both of those aforementioned losses were split decisions, so I would expect him to be as dangerous as he’s even been when the cage door closes on fight night.
The big question for this contest is how much Ponzinibbio is willing to use his wrestling. We haven’t seen much of it in recent fights because when you have the “Argentine Dagger’s” power it’s hard to keep that holstered. He was three-for-three on takedowns in a unanimous decision victory over the since-departed Mike Perry and I guess it all depends on whether or not Ponzinibbio is fighting smart to make a run at the title or planting his feet and swinging for that bonus check. I could very easily envision a scenario where Holland spends most of the fight talking smack, frustrating Ponzinibbio and making him play the cat-and-mouse game, which could result in hot pursuit and wild, sloppy punches. That’s a decision win for Holland because he only needs three rounds to get it done. He’s also got a strong enough chin to handle any incoming fire if run-and-gun is the gameplan. Ponzinibbio is an experienced fighter with knockout power, I just think he won’t be able to resist the bait.
Prediction: Holland def. Ponzinibbio by decision

---

135 lbs.: Christian “CeeRod” Rodriguez (8-1) vs. Raul “El Nino Problema” Rosas Jr. (7-0)
Raul Rosas Jr. is making headlines because he’s already undefeated at 7-0, which includes a bonus-winning submission victory over Jay Perrin at UFC 282, at the tender age of 18. I guess some people are just built different (or raised different) because my biggest accomplishment at 18 was mounting a set of Cragar S/S rims on my ‘78 Grand Prix. Rosas Jr. is representing the new breed of mixed martial arts; meaning, fighters are now getting closer to their competitive primes at a much younger age, thanks to advancements in training and recovery, as well as the increased opportunities to compete around the world. It was hard to find a quality MMA gym just as little as 10 years ago but now they’re fairly plentiful in major metropolitan markets. So what do we know about “El Niño Problema?” We know he can bulldoze fighters at his level of competition, much like we’ve seen from collegiate wrestling deity Bo Nickal at middleweight.
Christian Rodriguez is not a name that will be familiar to casual fans because like his younger counterpart, “CeeRod” is relatively new to the promotion. Rodriguez failed to impress on Dana White’s “Contender Series” back in 2021, scoring a decision win over Reyes Cortez Jr., but went and picked up a submission victory on the regional circuit to earn his spot on the promotion’s bantamweight roster. In two trips to the Octagon, Rodriguez is 1-1 and coming off a bonus-winning submission over Joshua Weems at UFC Vegas 63 last October. Whether or not that impresses you may depend on how you view “Wide Open” Weems as a competitive fighter and well, it should be noted he was knocked out during his “Contender Series” appearance in late 2021. I don’t think I’m blowing anyone’s mind by suggesting Rodriguez is being fed to Rosas Jr. to keep the bantamweight wunderkind in the win column until they can generate a long-enough highlight reel to feature him in something profitable. I don’t want to go crazy and anoint him the uncrowned king, but he’s certainly skilled enough to push around Rodriguez for a clearcut victory.
Prediction: Rosas Jr. def. Rodriguez by decision

[JAKEPEAVY21]

I'm going with Alex Periera the champ again. By KO prop +170..

I just think his power is the equalizer in any fight. The difference is if Alex gets rocked he could recover but if Izzy gets rocked Alex will finish. Alex is ruthless and knows how to finish and punches hard and accurate when he gets anyone rocked.


When you get knocked out twice by the same guy he's in your head also. Hard to over come that.

Agree that Oliveira has more power but he also has a worse gas tank. That said, he still got the KO even though he was pretty gassed. I'd like to see him win again but have a feeling Adesanya pulls it off. He has more ways to win, Oliveira only path to victory is via KO.

[JIBBBY]

Agree that Oliveira has more power but he also has a worse gas tank. That said, he still got the KO even though he was pretty gassed. I'd like to see him win again but have a feeling Adesanya pulls it off. He has more ways to win, Oliveira only path to victory is via KO.

Well if the fight stays standing which it probably will that's the only path Pereira needs (KO). Both are Kick boxing based fighters and it's tough to add new wrinkles to your bread and butter. I'm not sure who is better on the ground so I x that out.

I suppose Izzy could dance and run all fight and win the fight on points and never get caught though. Both got rocked in the last fight and both may chin protect in this one. Both are familiar with each other now also which could lead to a decision this go around.

Izzy by UN Decision prop is at +225. Could be a hedge play at those odds.

[Mackballs]

Well if the fight stays standing which it probably will that's the only path Oliveira needs (KO). Both are Kick boxing based fighters and it's tough to add new wrinkles to your bread and butter. I'm not sure who is better on the ground so I x that out.

I suppose Izzy could dance and run all fight and win the fight on points and never get caught though. Both got rocked in the last fight and both may chin protect in this one. Both are familiar with each other now also which could lead to a decision this go around.

Izzy by UN Decision prop is at +225. Could be a hedge play at those odds.

Who the penetrate is Oliveira?

[JIBBBY]

Who the penetrate is Oliveira?

Pereira. Brain fart spelling it happens. Pavy threw me off in his last above post. I edited and corrected.

[Demonata]

Pereira. Brain fart spelling it happens. Pavy threw me off in his last above post. I edited and corrected.

Jibby I got corona

[JC2008]

Pereira decision +500

[Optional]

I'm on this ugly 18 year old mofo ITD +128.

He looks like he played rugby second row with those ears.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Pereira. Brain fart spelling it happens. Pavy threw me off in his last above post. I edited and corrected.

You got me saying Oliveira as well...look what you started Jiblet!!

[JIBBBY]

Game time fellas!

Good luck ya all let's win some money!