The ladies take center stage at UFC 184 on Saturday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey will defend her UFC women’s bantamweight title against Cat Zingano in the main event.
Raquel Pennington greets undefeated and highly touted prospect Holly Holm to the promotion in the co-feature. The most prominent men’s bout is a battle of desperate veteran welterweights on separate three-fight losing streaks. Jake “The Juggernaut” Ellenberger faces Josh “Kos” Koscheck in what equates to a crossroads bout for both men.
Here’s a look at the entire card with predictions for each bout and viewing information. Just below the table is a closer look at the predictions for the top three fights on the schedule.
The Juggernaut Will Finish Kos
Neither Ellenberger nor Koscheck have looked impressive in recent memory. However, when you take into consideration the way Koscheck has dropped his last two fights, the fact that he hasn’t fought since Nov. 2013 and that he is 37 years old, it’s hard to see him winning. Both fighters pack a decent punch, but the edge in power belongs to Ellenberger.
Koscheck has been viciously stopped in his last two fights. There’s no telling how much physical and emotional damage the losses to Tyron Woodley and Robbie Lawler have done. All signs point to an Ellenburger victory by knockout.
According to Mike Bohn of MMAjunkie, Koscheck wants to finish his career with the UFC, and he believes the layoff was good for him.
“I think this time off was a great opportunity for me to improve in a lot of areas, especially becoming a more complete fighter,” Koscheck said. “The time off was well needed. I’ve had a long career with the UFC, and I think that this time off was important time, but also I improved in a lot of areas I needed to improve in.”
That all sounds good, but I can’t ignore the signs that say this is the end of the line for Kos.
Holm is Too Big, Strong and Athletic for Pennington
Pennington is one tough cookie and an underrated grappler. She proved that in her submission win over Ashlee Evans-Smith. That said, Holm is an elite athlete with next-level striking skills from her days as a professional boxer. She also has strong shoulders, hips and legs. Holm has worked hard to build good takedown defense so that she can ensure the fight can be waged on her terms.
Pennington will try to take this fight to the ground, but Holm will fight her off, press her against the cage and wear her down. In the second round, Holm will finish the fight with strikes on her exhausted opponent.
Rousey Will Win a Tough and Gritty Bout
This fight will have its share of anxious moments, but Rousey will prove her toughness and resiliency. Zingano is not just physically strong; she’s also skilled as a striker and wrestler.
Even with all of those things going for her, Zingano will fall just short of pulling the upset. Rousey‘s grappling game is just too good, and she’s smart enough to understand Zingano is a different type of an opponent than she’s faced before.
Don’t expect Rousey to spend a lot of time trading in the striking game. She knows she can’t match strength with Zingano there. Instead, Rousey‘s stand-up approach will be to jab, try to control distance and to pick her spot to go for the takedown.
This will be an excellent fight and a top candidate for Fight of the Night, but Rousey will win it with an armbar in the fourth round to retain her title.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.
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