Last Event Winner: Nolan Howell (7-3)
Yearly Standings:
Lucas Bourdon: 9-4 .692
Ben Kohn: 149-72 .674
Josh Hall: 35-21 .625
TC Engel: 87-53 .621
Luke Irwin: 236-151 .610
Earl Montclair: 111-72 .607
Nolan Howell: 166-109 .604
Naomi Kamornick: 6-5 .545
Dan Galvan: 5-6 .455
UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship: Fabricio Werdum (18-5-1) vs. Mark Hunt (10-8-1)
Luke Irwin: Unlike Roy Nelson, unlike Stefan Struve, and unlike just about every other fighter with a modicum of a ground game that Hunt has faced, Werdum isn’t going to let his pride get in the way of a win. He may take a couple shots, but Werdum not only doesn’t mind submitting foes, he relishes it, and he’ll eat a couple to get it to where he wants it. The only problem is that if those few blows will be enough to put him out before he can get to Hunt. I say no, this is too big for him. Werdum via R1 Submission.
Earl Montclair: First of all, this really is a win-win situation. Either Fabricio Werdum or Mark Hunt is going to leave the Octagon with gold around their waist. Fabricio has more ways to win this fight not to mention a full camp under his belt. I quite honestly would give 5 years off the back end of my life for Hunt to win here and complete the greatest story in the history of combat sports but I just don’t see it happening. Hunto can land a heater at any time and Fabricio would be a moron to stand with him, even with his vastly improved Muay Thai game. The equation is pretty simple: Altitude + Short Notice + Werdum being the best Heavyweight BJJ guy on the planet = your NEW Interim Heavyweight Champion of this world, Fabricio Werdum, Arm Triangle, Round 1.
Ben Kohn: Check out the breakdown :). Werdum by Sub round 3.
Welterweight Bout: Jake Ellenberger (29-8) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (9-0)
Luke Irwin: The time has come and gone for Jake. His stock is worth selling. Jake was right there in the pack of the 2011-2012 welterweight wrestleboxer class, but he never truly adapted, adjusted, or did what it took to reach that next level. He’s lost a lot of fights and has been inactive for a while. Gastelum, meanwhile, is an absolute hoss. He reminds me of a bigger, stronger Mike Pierce, and that’s saying something. Jake is cannon fodder at this point, to me. Gastelum via R1 TKO.
Earl Montclair: This, THIS is a co main of a numbered PPV event. If Ellenberger lets em fly, he has this. If he waits, Gastelum will wear him down and punish him. Jake needs this bad. Jake Ellenberger, TKO, Round 1.
Ben Kohn: Ellenberger really needs a dominant win to get back on track. He’s suffered rather embarrassing losses back to back, first to Rory by UD and to Lawler by TKO in the 3rd round. He still is a legit top 10 talent though and big step up for Gastelum. I really like Kelvin, he’s talented, young, exciting, and has tools on the ground and striking to make him a legit threat in the division. However, he gets hit too much for my taste and Ellenberger may have the most powerful fists at WW. I see Ellenberger being conservative for a bit before tagging the younger fighter and finishing him with strikes. Ellenberger by TKO round 2.
Featherweight Bout: Dennis Bermudez (14-3) vs. Ricardo Lamas (14-3)
Luke Irwin: Excellent fight here. You have to think if Bermudez wins here, he gets his title shot, especially if it’s a finish. Lamas’s return fight after losing to Aldo was a rather uninspired win over Hacran Dias, and just judging on momentum alone, Dennis should roll here. Lamas is a fantastic fighter, and a top-five featherweight, but I don’t know if that Aldo fight didn’t set him back, as it does for some fighters. Bermudez via UD.
Earl Montclair: Dennis Bermudez is the best prospect in the Featherweight division. Ricardo Lamas is an excellent fighter but I don’t think he is the guy to slow down this freight train. All aboard the Dimmis War Wagon! Dennis Bermudez, Dominant Unanimous Decision.
Ben Kohn: Dennis the Menace is getting a top 5 fighter and I see him rising to the occasion. He’s tough as nails, has greatly improved his offensive striking, and his scrambling, takedowns, and ground and pound are all lethal. Lamas is a very similar fighter to Bermudez but I feel he’s not as strong as him and will get outworked pace-wise by the cardio machine that lives inside Dennis. Bermudez by UD in my FOTN pick.
Welterweight Bout: Edgar Garcia (14-3) vs. Hector Urbina (16-8-1)
Luke Irwin: The fact that is on a UFC Pay-Per-View main card is disgusting. Garcia has been demolished every time he’s taken a step up and Urbina is 2-2-1 in their last five fights. Disgusting. Garcia via SD.
Earl Montclair: Edgar Garcia, Violent KO, Round 2.
Ben Kohn: No idea. Edgar Garcia by KO round 1.
The Ultimate Fighter Latin America Featherweight Finals: Leonardo Morales (4-0) vs. Yair Rodriguez (3-1)
Luke Irwin: Strangely about Morales, I favor him because two of his four fights were WSOF Central America fights, which gives him some credibility, but two of his wins were by Doctor Stoppage. Strange as it is, I’m going to give him the benefit of being a stoppage fighter. Morales via R2 TKO.
Earl Montclair: Man, I remember when it wasn’t always like this. Leonardo Morales, Unanimous Decision.
Ben Kohn: Uhhhhh…… Morales by KO?
The Ultimate Fighter Latin America Bantamweight Finals: Alejandro Perez (14-5) vs. Jose Alberto Quinonez (3-1)
Luke Irwin: Perez is different from most TUF Latin America contenders is that he has a large record, but more importantly, Perez has gotten out of his comfort zone and fought in Brazil, tested his merit there, and gained a lot from it. Perez via R2 Submission.
Earl Montclair: That moustache is heinous. I ain’t picking Tio Creepy here. Alejandro Perez, Unanimous Decision.
Ben Kohn: Gonna pick the guy with wayyyyy more experience here. Perez by TKO round 3.
Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Jessica Eye (10-2) vs. Leslie Smith (7-5-1)
Luke Irwin: Leslie is always game and up for an entertaining fight, as well as having faced the best of the best, but Eye has a little more at her disposal and is a little cleaner, but she rarely uses it, meanwhile Leslie is going to come at you 100% all the time, and I think that recklesness is enough. Smith via SD.
Earl Montclair: Total squash match. Jessica Eye, TKO, Round 2.
Ben Kohn: Eye is going to absolutely wreck Smith and it won’t be pretty to watch, this is a bad matchup. Eye by beatdown (UD).
Welterweight Bout: Augusto Montano (13-1) vs. Chris Heatherly (8-2)
Luke Irwin: This is actually a legit fight that should be on the main card. Heatherly was fed to Ben Saunders in his UFC return and it ended predictably awful. Montano is a punching machine that has actually fought in legit promotions, unlike most Mexican fighters on this card. I think Montano has enough experience to take it here. Montano via R2 TKO.
Earl Montclair: Nothing like going from getting tooled on the ground by Ben Saunders on the prelims of a Fight Night card to getting a MAIN CARD FIGHT ON A PPV IN YOUR NEXT OUTING! Augusto Maontano, Unanimous Decision.
Ben Kohn: Nice record for Montano, 8 wins by KO and 5 by sub? Impressive. He’s fighting the guy who got omaplata’d by Ben Saunders by the way. That guy is going to get KO’d here. Montano by KO round 1.
Bantamweight Bout: Marco Beltran (5-3) vs. Marlon Vera (6-1-1)
Luke Irwin: Beltran is coming off of a three-fight losing streak in regionals, which is just the kind of guy I want on a PPV card. Vera via R1 Submission.
Earl Montclair: Marlon Vera, Unanimous Decision.
Ben Kohn: Ugh….Vera by Sub round 2.
Bantamweight Bout: Enrique Briones (15-4-1) vs. Guido Cannetti (6-1)
Luke Irwin: Going Guido with the upset, simply because he has a win in Bitetti and Jackson’s in his last two fights. Cannetti via R1 TKO.
Earl Montclair: Henry Briones, TKO, Round 1.
Ben Kohn: Who are these guys? Briones by KO round 2.
Featherweight Bout: Gabriel Benitez (16-4) vs. Humberto Brown Morrison (4-4)
Luke Irwin: Unfortunately, I’m not versed enough in the regional Costa Rican fight promotions of a .500 fighter to put much of a prediction here. So, I’ll just have to go on instinct. Benitez via UD.
Ben Kohn: Benitez seems pretty good at grappling. Benitez by Sub round 1.
Bantamweight Bout: Alexander Torres (1-1) vs. Masio Fullen (9-4)
Luke Irwin: Going strictly on experience here. Fullen via R2 TKO.
Ben Kohn: Idk who these people are. Fullen by UD.
Flyweight Bout: Bentley Syler (5-0) vs. Freddy Serrano (1-0)
Luke Irwin: Sherdog tells me that Serrano’s win was over a year and a half ago and it was via N/A. I’M SOLD. Serrano via UD (or N/A).
Ben Kohn: Fuckkkk, really UFC? Syler by UD?
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