1. Gervonta Davis: I predicted that Yuriorkis Gamboa would take Davis later than he’s been taken in years, and indeed he did, to the last round. However, it wasn’t very competitive, and Davis had his way with Gamboa most of the fight.
2. Fedor Emelianenko: In what he said was his final bout in MMA, Fedor Emelianenko ended it in spectacular Fedor fashion, hitting Rampage Jackson so hard and so precisely, that the former UFC champion crumbled in a confused heap. It was one hell of a standoff, and back full-circle. Two Pride legends swinging in Japan.
3. Jean Pascal: When Jean Pascal upset Marcus Browne in August as a +700 underdog, most of us figured it was a one-off, one last great fight for a former world champ. That he’d gracefully pass it off to his next challenger. Badou Jack was to be that challenger, and, through some crafty veteranship, and controversial judging, Pascal escaped with a split-decision win and his WBA title.
4. Arsen Goulamirian: The WBA “Super” World Cruiserweight champion advanced to 26-0 with a tenth-round stoppage of Constantin Bejenaru in France in Saturday.
5. Rukiya Anpo: In a card that was rife with shoddy decisions, Anpo defended his K-1 Super Lightweight championship against the ever-dangerous Kaew Fairtex in the co-main of K-1 World Grand Prix in Japan.
6. Lionell Thompson: Pulled off the biggest upset of the weekend, defeating former Super Middleweight world champion Jose Uzcategui after a strong performance.
7. Angelo Leo: After a dominant performance and stoppage of Cesar Juarez, Leo is the WBO Latino Junior Featherweight champion and mandatory on-deck for the winner of Daniel Roman and Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
8. Goiti Yamauchi: Daron Cruickshank had absolutely nothing for Yamauchi, as I predicted he wouldn’t in my picks. Goiti did exactly what he wanted to, wrapping him up for a firs-round submisson in the opening contest of Bellator/Rizin: Japan.
9. Kana Watanabe: Solid win for the undefeated JMMA WMMA competitor, and good visibility on the main card on Bellator/Rizin: Japan, scoring a TKO win with 21 seconds remaining against Ilara Joanne.
10. Muhamad Farkhan: Now holds WBA and WBC Asian Cruiserweight championships. The 31 year-old Malaysian is now 11-0 with 11 KOs and is someone to keep an eye on in the shallowest division in boxing.
11. Israel Gonzalez: In a fun matchup in Osaka, junior bantamweight title challengers Gonzalez and Sho Ishida clashed, with Gonzalez earning a split-decision victory to stay in title contention.
12. Jarred Brooks: In the ever-rare men’s strawweight bout, Brooks defeated longtime JMMA strawweight/flyweight veteran Haruo Ochi at Bellator/RIZIN.
13. Lorenz Larkin: Defeated longtime JMMA vet Keita Nakamura in Saitama by a wide UD at Bellator/Rizin: Japan.
14. Michael Page: Did what Michael Page does, and put another overmatched opponent to sleep on a Bellator main card.
15. Michael Chandler: BOY, would it have been much more fun to watch him battle Benson Henderson like he was supposed to, but, alas, you can only fight who’s in front of you, and Chandler took care of business swiftly against Sidney Outlaw in the co-main of Saturday’s Bellator/RIZIN card.
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