(C) Chris Weidman vs. #1 Anderson Silva:
At UFC 162 Chris Weidman shocked the world when he knocked out Anderson Silva. Now, the two men will meet once in what is possibly the biggest fight in MMA history.
In their first meeting we honestly didn’t learn all too much about how these men match-up against one another. Silva spent a majority of the fight taunting Weidman and not doing much else. As for Weidman, he landed a takedown early, followed by some heavy ground and pound, but was unsuccessful in further takedowns.
It’s truly a mystery as to what’s going to happen in this fight, it could be a decision, submission, or knockout win for either man. My prediction, however, is that Silva is going to come in to this fight taunting a little less and counter-striking a lot more and I believe that will be the ultimate difference maker. Anything could happen, but I’m going with Silva once again.
Favorite: Silva (-170) Underdog: Weidman (+145)
My Pick: Silva
(c) Ronda Rousey vs. #2 Miesha Tate:
Another rematch, another championship on the line. Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate really dislike each other and have a rivalry that stemmed from the first time them met for the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight championship where Rousey dethroned Tate by way of her patented first round armbar.
Fast forward nearly two years from their first meeting and the two women are now in the UFC and have finished a season as opposing coaches on season 18 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” where their disdain for each other was put on display for the entire world to see.
While some think Tate has a chance coming into this rematch, I don’t see her making it out of the first round, let alone winning this fight. Rousey is just on another level in comparison to Tate, as well as a vast majority of women competing in MMA. Rousey said it best when comparing her skills to Tate’s:
“I’m an Olympic athlete and she’s a high school wrestler.”
Favorite: Rousey (-745) Underdog: Tate (+535)
#6 Josh Barnett vs. #5 Travis Browne:
Travis Browne displayed grit and determination in his previous bout where he took a beating early on from Alistair Overeem, only to come back and knock Overeem out with a front kick. While Browne has only lost one fight in his career to Antonio Silva, he destroyed his leg early on in that fight and many still look at him as undefeated.
As for Barnett, he is a veteran of the sport, a former UFC Heavyweight champion and has only lost once since 2006. In his most recent fight, Barnett destroyed another former UFC Heavyweight champion in Frank Mir where he finished the fight by TKO in the very first round.
This one is tricky, as I believe Browne has the advantage on the feet, but Barnett has a clear advantage on the ground, it will come down to who is able to take the fight into their realm. Barnett should be able to get this fight to the ground and will be looking for the submission, specifically a leg-lock.
Favorite: Barnett (-190) Underdog: Browne (+162)
My Pick: Barnett
#10 Jim Miller vs. Fabricio Camoes:
While Miller hasn’t looked his best recently, he is on another level than Camoes. I’m not entirely sure why this fight was chosen to be on the main card, but I see Miller dominating, earning himself a unanimous decision victory and getting back on the winning track.
Favorite: Miller (-365) Underdog: Camoes (+295)
My Pick: Miller
#6 Dustin Poirier vs. Diego Brandao:
Both of these men are well-rounded, tough fighters and this should be one of the most exciting fights of the night. Brandao is an impressive 4-1 in the UFC, however, he has yet to face anyone or Poirier’s level. These two will be exciting to watch on the ground and it should be pretty close there, but I see Poirier winning this fight on the feet. Poirier should be able to use his length and technical striking to beat up on Brandao and possibly finish the fight in the second or third.
Favorite: Poirier (-225) Underdog: Brandao (+189)
My Pick: Poirier
Preliminary Card:
Uriah Hall (-300) > Chris Leben (+250)
Gleison Tibau (-150) > Michael Johnson (+130)
Dennis Siver (-250) > Manvel Gamburyan (+210)
Siyar Bahadurzada (-150) > John Howard (+130)
Bobby Voelker (-165) > William Macario (+140)
Robert Peralta (-180) > Estevan Payan (+155)
*Odds Courtesy of BetDSI
NUTS PICKS
Matt 207-133 (60.9%)
Chris Weidman (10-0) vs. Anderson Silva (33-5)
Ronda Rousey (7-0) vs. Miesha Tate (13-4)
Travis Browne (15-1-1) vs. Josh Barnett (33-6)
Jim Miller (22-4, 1 NC) vs. Fabricio Camoes (14-7-1)
Dustin Poirier (14-3) vs. Diego Brandao (18-8)
Chris Leben (22-10) vs. Uriah Hall (7-4)
Gleison Tibau (28-9) vs. Michael Johnson (13-8)
Dennis Siver (21-9) vs. Manny Gamburyan (13-7)
John Howard (21-8) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (21-5-1)
William Macario (6-1) vs. Bobby Voelker (24-10)
Robbie Peralta (16-4) vs. Estevan Payan (14-4)
Ingo 187-153 (55%)
Chris Weidman (10-0) vs. Anderson Silva (33-5)
Ronda Rousey (7-0) vs. Miesha Tate (13-4)
Travis Browne (15-1-1) vs. Josh Barnett (33-6)
Jim Miller (22-4, 1 NC) vs. Fabricio Camoes (14-7-1)
Dustin Poirier (14-3) vs. Diego Brandao (18-8)
Chris Leben (22-10) vs. Uriah Hall (7-4)
Gleison Tibau (28-9) vs. Michael Johnson (13-8)
Dennis Siver (21-9) vs. Manny Gamburyan (13-7)
John Howard (21-8) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (21-5-1)
William Macario (6-1) vs. Bobby Voelker (24-10)
Robbie Peralta (16-4) vs. Estevan Payan (14-4)
Magic 8 Ball 207-133 (60.9%)
Chris Weidman (10-0) vs. Anderson Silva (33-5)
Ronda Rousey (7-0) vs. Miesha Tate (13-4)
Travis Browne (15-1-1) vs. Josh Barnett (33-6)
Jim Miller (22-4, 1 NC) vs. Fabricio Camoes (14-7-1)
Dustin Poirier (14-3) vs. Diego Brandao (18-8)
Chris Leben (22-10) vs. Uriah Hall (7-4)
Gleison Tibau (28-9) vs. Michael Johnson (13-8)
Dennis Siver (21-9) vs. Manny Gamburyan (13-7)
John Howard (21-8) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (21-5-1)
William Macario (6-1) vs. Bobby Voelker (24-10)
Robbie Peralta (16-4) vs. Estevan Payan (14-4)