UFC Middleweight Championship: Luke Rockhold (c) (15-2) vs. Michael Bisping (28-7)
Luke Irwin: Too well-rounded. Rockhold is too goddamned well-rounded. I never thought I’d see anyone do what he did to Chris Weidman. He utterly humiliated him, and while Bisping will be game for his long-awaited title shot, Rockhold has so many ways to beat you. Rockhold via UD.
UFC Bantamweight Championship: Dominick Cruz (c) (21-1) vs. Urijah Faber (33-8)
Luke: Cruz might be a dickhead, but he’s not wrong. Faber doesn’t have the game to be a champion anymore. He stopped evolving long ago, and while he can still feed on young prospects and gatekeepers, he just doesn’t have the horses, unfortunately. Cruz via UD.
Featherweight Bout: Max Holloway (15-3) vs. Ricardo Lamas (16-4)
Luke: The past super contender against the present super contender. Lamas was never the same after the Aldo fight, and Holloway is a house of fire right now. Holloway via R2 TKO.
Middleweight Bout: Dan Henderson (31-14) vs. Hector Lombard (34-5-1)
Luke: This is going to be rough. Lombard via R1 TKO.
Lightweight Bout: Bobby Green (23-6) vs. Dustin Poirier (19-4)
Luke: Green is a heck of a fighter and one of the most perenially fighters in all of MMA, but he’s walking into the living incarnation of the evil, flamethrowing ice cream truck from hell in Twisted Metal known as Lightweight Dustin Poirier. Supercharged 155-lb Poirier has been a monster, and should keep on keeping on. Poirier via R2 Submission.
Featherweight Bout: Brian Ortega (10-0) vs. Clay Guida (32-16)
Luke: Clear gatekeeper vs. prospect fight here. Guida is what he is at this point, he’s not going to get better and the recent wrinkle of being submitted twice in his last three fights is new and seems to spell how this will go. Ortega via R3 Submission.
Lightweight Bout: Beneil Dariush (12-2) vs. James Vick (9-0)
Luke: Dariush, after losing via choke in April, is taking a fight on short notice to probably lose via choke. The fight game can be a fickle mistress. Vick via R3 Submission.
Women’s Bantamweight Bout: Jessica Andrade (13-5) vs. Jessica Penne (12-3)
Luke: Andrade is usually a lot of fun to watch, but Penne is simply too accomplished, too polished, and too complete for a wild card like Andrade to handle. Penne via R1 Submission.
Featherweight Bout: Alex Caceres (11-8) vs. Cole Miller (21-9)
Luke: This should be an excellent grappling exhibition, with all kinds of slick reversals and transitions. I just think Miller has a little bit more in that area and can use his sizeable length advantage to get Caceres into some sticky situations. Miller via R2 Submission.
Welterweight Bout: Sean Strickland (17-1) vs. Tom Breese (10-0)
Luke: I’ve been following Strickland since his stellar King Of The Cage run, and always thought he should have been in the major leagues long before he was. Breese is a dangerous fighter, especially on the ground and has finished nine out of ten opponents, but Strickland is cagey and hard-nosed and I think he’ll drag Breese into a grindfest and gas him late. Strickland via SD.
Light Heavyweight Bout: Luiz Henrique da Silva (10-0) vs. Jonathan Wilson (7-0)
Luke: Two heinous punching machines are going to punch each other until one person falls to punches. I think Wilson has punched better people. Wilson via R1 KO.
Middleweight Bout: Elvis Mutapcic (15-4) vs. Kevin Casey (9-4)
Luke: Elvis can be prone to being ground out for a loss, and I think that’s exactly what Casey will do. Casey via SD.
Lightweight Bout: Dong-Hyun Kim (13-7-3) vs. Polo Reyes (5-2)
Luke: I can only put my faith in one Dong-Hyun Kim per promotion. Reyes via R2 TKO.
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