Staff Standings:
Ben Kohn: 57-26 .687
TC Engel: 69-35 .663
Josh Hall: 33-18 .647
Luke Irwin: 98-54 .645
Earl Montclair: 51-31 .622
Lucas Bourdon: 3-2 .600
Nolan Howell: 47-36 .566
Dan Galvan: 5-6 .455
Heavyweight Bout: Fabio Maldonado (21-6) vs. Stipe Miocic (11-1)
Luke Irwin: As I pointed out in my point/counterpoint with Ben Kohn, I think this moment is the pinnacle of Maldonado’s career, I think he throws everything he has into it, and I think he leaves it all on the canvas. I just don’t think it’s quite enough. Miocic via SD.
Nolan Howell: Fact: Fabio Maldonado was a professional boxer and Stipe Miocic only boxed in Golden Gloves tournaments. That’s really all there is to it. Fabio Maldonado by first-round TKO.
The Ultimate Fighter Heavyweight Final: Antonio Carlos Jr. (3-0) vs. Vitor Miranda (9-3)
Luke Irwin: Carlos might turn out to be a great fighter, but I’m going with experience here, as Miranda is a very experienced kickboxer and has competed at the highest level. Miranda via UD.
Nolan Howell: No clue. Guy with more fights, I guess. Vitor Miranda by unanimous decision.
The Ultimate Fighter Middleweight Final: Marcio Alexandre Jr. (12-0) vs. Warlley Alves (6-0)
Luke Irwin: Yup, two welterweights fighting at middleweight. This fight is probably going to be rather shitty, but I trust a fighter that plied his wares at Jungle Fight more. Alves via UD.
Nolan Howell: Guy has Lyoto as a nickname, apparently. Marcio Alexandre Jr. by unanimous decision.
Welterweight Bout: Alexander Yakovlev (21-4-1) vs. Demian Maia (18-6)
Luke Irwin: Out of Yakovlev’s four losses, three are by submission, and he’s never seen anyone like Maia on the mat. Maia via R1 submission.
Nolan Howell: Alexander Yakovlev might wanna stick with that rap game. Demian Maia by first-round submission.
Featherweight Bout: Robert Peralta (17-4) vs. Rony Jason (14-4)
Luke Irwin: Now this is a damned great fight. More of these fights would make this card decent. Two pretty evenly-matched fighters with a number of tools at their disposal. I think they put on a hell of a fight, and it goes down to the judges. Jason via SD.
Nolan Howell: All faith in Robbie Peralta should be lost, especially against a more dynamic striker and grappler like Rony Jason. Rony Jason by first-round TKO.
Lightweight Bout: Rashid Magomedov (17-1) vs. Rodrigo Damm (12-6)
Luke Irwin: Magomedov has been one of Europe/Russia’s best prospects for some time, walking through M-1 with ease, and Damm is primed for a good win. Magomedov via UD.
Nolan Howell: Rodrigo Damm fights a lot more shitty than he really is. Rashid Magomedov by unanimous decision.
Lightweight Bout: Elias Silverio (10-0) vs. Ernest Chavez (7-0)
Luke Irwin: At the very least, Silverio actually looks like he belongs in the UFC. Silverio via UD.
Nolan Howell: Elias Silverio by unanimous decision.
Welterweight Bout: Gasan Umalatov (14-3-1) vs. Paulo Thiago (15-6)
Luke Irwin: Oh, Paulo Thiago…why must you be a husk that’s only kept around for Brazilain cards…I wanted so much better. Umalatov via UD.
Nolan Howell: Ew, Paulo Thiago? Gasan Umalatov by first-round KO.
Featherweight Bout: Edimilson Souza (14-3) vs. Mark Eddiva (6-0)
Luke Irwin: I like Souza’s power a lot more here and Eddiva won’t be able to tie him up to stop it. Souza via R2 KO.
Nolan Howell: Edimilson Souza by first-round TKO.
Heavyweight Bout: Marcos Rogerio de Lima (11-2-1) vs. Richardson Moreira (7-1)
Luke Irwin: This is a clear example of guys that fight way toooo heavy and add way too much weight to fight in The Ultimate Fighter. So, this fight is going to be awful, but Pezao has much more high-level experience. de Lima via R3 TKO.
Nolan Howell: Richardson is not a real first name. Marcos Rogerio de Lima by first-round TKO.
Middleweight Bout: Ricardo Abreu (4-0) vs. Wagner Gomes (3-0)
Luke Irwin: Abreu is a scary, scary dude. His longest fight in his career has been 61 seconds and he’s a crazy-accomplished BJJ competitor and has ground power to end it that way, too. Abreu via R1 submission.
Nolan Howell: Ricardo Abreu by first-round submission.
Bantamweight Bout: Matt Hobar (8-1) vs. Pedro Munhoz (10-1)
Luke Irwin: After being fed to a wood chipper in his UFC debut, Munhoz gets a bit of a step down, but not too much. Hobar cut his teeth on the indies and was the top dog in Legacy. I think Hobar does enough here in a tight contest. Hobar via SD.
Nolan Howell: Pedro Munhoz by unanimous decision.
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