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UFC Fight Night: Dos Santos vs. Rothwell staff picks and predictions
The Bloody Elbow staff has made its predictions for Sunday’s UFC Fight Night: Dos Santos vs. Rothwell fight card in Zagreb, Croatia.
What a world we live in where the Bloody Elbow staff has a slight edge towards Ben Rothwell defeating Junior dos Santos in the UFC Zagreb main event. This would’ve been unthinkable about 2 years ago. Not so surprising is the clean sweep in favor of Derrick Lewis, whom we all expect to beat Gabriel Gonzaga in the co-main event.
Note: Predictions are entered throughout the week and collected the day before the event. Explanations behind each pick are not required and some writers opt not to do so for their own reasons. For example, if Phil Mackenzie entered all of his predictions on Tuesday without adding in any explanations, he has no idea if he’s going to be the only one siding with one fighter for any given fight.
Junior dos Santos vs. Ben Rothwell
Artem Safarov: It looks like the damage dos Santos took from Cain has affected his health in a very negative way. He used to be a knockout danger for anyone, and now look at this – nobody gives him a chance against (who could think?) vs. Ben Rothwell! How could this happen to the striking prodigy and former champion? I know that JDS is obviously in the downfall of his career, but I will root for him. I think it’s too early to write him off. Cigano can be back. Junior Dos Santos via KO
Fraser Coffeen: I clearly have underrated Rothwell many times now. I picked against him against Schaub, Vera, Reem, Mitrione, and Barnett. In fact, in my entire time making picks for BE, I have picked FOR Rothwell just once, against Gonzaga. Which he lost. Moral of the story? I am an idiot and you should not have any faith in my picking here. Junior dos Santos, KO, R2
Mookie Alexander: Look, there’s every reason to believe JDS has the power to stop Rothwell, because he’s KO’d Cain and he’s KO’d Hunt and he’s still a devastating hitter. I just can’t go against Rothwell right now, nor do I have the confidence in JDS to revert to the 2008-2012 beast that I came to know and love. I can just envision Rothwell doing very little on offense and then suddenly bullrushing Junior, hurting him with a big shot, and then slapping on a choke out of nowhere that surprises everyone when the fight is over. Ben Rothwell via maniacal laughter.
Zane Simon: The JDS that fought Overeem looked incredibly gunshy and went down on the first hard shot Overeem landed. That is not a dude I’m going to trust to win fights against a guy like Rothwell right now. Ben Rothwell via KO, Round 2.
Staff picking JDS: Tim, Artem, Fraser, Phil Staff picking Rothwell: Nick, Tim Bis, Stephie, Mookie, Zane
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Derrick Lewis
Mookie Alexander: Sure, I guess Gonzaga can school Lewis on the ground or catch him with a big punch standing — Lewis has been caught and KO’d before — but there’s practically nothing that Gonzaga has shown me in his last 4 fights to suggest he’s still capable of doing that. Lewis is probably going to hurt Gonzaga with the first huge shot he lands and that’ll be that. Derrick Lewis by KO, round 1.
Zane Simon: I like Gonzaga, and I’m not counting him out, but I think if you run this fight 10 times Gonzaga gets KO’d in round one 7 out of 10. Derrick Lewis via KO, Round 1.
Staff picking Gonzaga: Staff picking Lewis: Nick, Tim B, Stephie, Mookie, Tim, Artem, Fraser, Zane, Phil
Curtis Blaydes vs. Francis Ngannou
Zane Simon: Both huge, both athletic, one a decent power striker, the other a very good power wrestler, both super raw. Taking the wrestler over the striker here, especially given that a much smaller more mediocre wrestler just took Ngannou down at will last fight. Curtis Blaydes via TKO, Round 3.
Phil Mackenzie: For raw fighters, pick the better grappler. Can Ngannou take Blaydes head off? Sure. Curtis Blaydes by TKO, round 3.
Mookie Alexander: Hey, it’s heavyweight prospects! The variance is high in the air! Ngannou doesn’t seem to be very good at defensive wrestling, Blaydes is good at that, but Ngannou can negate that by punching him really hard. Don’t think that happens. Curtis Blaydes by unanimous decision.
Artem: No one can deny that Tybura has an extremely boring fight style. He is your typical Ben Askren of a heavyweight division. But there’s something that makes me pick this guy. He is a clever, smart fighter. He can think and change during the fight. I think he will take Johnson down and get him tired, while the crowd will be buzzing with disappointment. We definitely shouldn’t expect anything but a boring fight and decision win by Tybura. Marcin Tybura via decision.
Zane Simon: Tybura should win this. He’s tough as leather and a much better grappler. But, he’s not a great wrestler and his striking is hardly dominant. Timothy Johnson is huge and tough and powerful in the clinch and has a real shot at an upset TKO or even a grinding win. But, I’ve got Marcin Tybura via UD.
Phil Mackenzie: I don’t like to be a downer, but this card is really overloaded with fights which could be absolutely terrible and this is a prime example. I don’t really like Tybura’s wrestling game, and Johnson’s proto-Rothwell approach of being big and working in short uppers and collar ties while the other guy punches you should actually play pretty well with it. Basically I just think that being huge and having a surprisingly decent gas tank should allow him to edge out a stinker of a fight. Timothy Johnson by unanimous decision.
Staff picking Johnson: Artem, Phil Staff picking Tybura: Nick, Tim Bis, Mookie, Stephie, Tim, Fraser, Zane
Jan Blachowicz vs. Igor Pokrajac
Mookie Alexander: The one local guy on the main card is Igor Pokrajac? Unless Blachowicz is way worse than I thought — and how could he be when he demolished the legendary Latifi? — Pokrajac is going to get smoked. Jan Blachowicz via TKO, round 2.
Zane Simon: Blachowicz shouldn’t be the favorite that he is. Outside of KOing Ilir Latifi, he’s looked anything but dominant. That said, he should beat Pokrajac, but we might be talking Ryan Jimmo decision style here. Jan Blachowicz via decision.
Phil Mackenzie: Poker jack wasn’t ever a great fighter, but he was at least stupid tough in his “prime”. That’s been fading in recent years, leaving you with a… what exactly? Blachowicz has a mediocre gas tank, terrible pace, and only decent power to compensate. I’m going to pick a knockout early for him, because if he doesn’t this fight could be dire. Jan Blachowicz by TKO, round 1.
Staff picking Blachowicz: Nick, Stephie, Mookie, Tim, Artem, Fraser, Zane, Phil Staff picking Pokrajac: Tim Bis
Maryna Moroz vs. Cristina Stanciu
Zane Simon: Most likely scenario to me is that Stanciu blitzes Moroz out of the gate, hurts her, chases her to the ground and then gets submitted. Maryna Moroz via submission, Round 1.
Phil Mackenzie: Pretty clear lock for fight of the night. Moroz is a touch robotic in her striking, so there’s a chance that Stanciu can throw her off her game, but she’s got a much, much deeper game. Maryna Moroz by submission, round 2.
Zane Simon: Cummings is big and powerful, but I don’t think he can match Dalby’s output and I doubt that he’s consistent enough as a striker to KO Dalby if he hurts him. He might be able to out grapple him, but Cummings isn’t an electric wrestler. Basically his best bet would be to hurt Dalby and cage grind him or to out work him on the mats. I think Dalby will edge enough rounds and might even take over late in the fight if Cummings fades. Nicolas Dalby via decision.
Phil Mackenzie: Dalby is definitely starting to scrape up against his limits here. He’s disciplined, high-pace, incredibly tough and gutsy, and mixes it up well, but he’s fundamentally a deeply average athlete. Since I saw him live at Cage Warriors my point of comparison has been Court McGee, and I still think that one holds. Zak Cummings… is actually a pretty underrated good athlete, the kind of Brunson Anglerfish that just dunks on people who don’t belong in there with him. I don’t think he does that here, but I think he can broadly replicate what Darren Till did, minus the shoulder injury. Zak Cummings by unanimous decision.
Staff picking Cummings: Nick, Tim Bis, Stephie, Mookie, Fraser, Phil Staff picking Dalby: Tim, Artem, Zane
Ian Entwistle vs. Alejandro Perez
Zane Simon: Entwistle’s flashy leglock game won’t work all the time, but I think it’ll work here. Ian Entwistle via sub round 1.
Phil Mackenzie: Entwistle really really likes leg locks. He’s actually a pretty physical fighter, especially at Bantamweight, and as Palhares et al have shown, it’s pretty scary to have someone who is strong and explosive just jumping after your legs. Also, going to train with Imanari was kind of rad. TUF LatAm have consistently surprised me, and AKA are and always have been a fantastic counter-grappler team, but Ian Entwistle by submission, round 1.
Mookie Alexander: Rousimar Palhares is gone to Venator, so somebody has to fill the leglock void. Ian Entwistle by submission, round 1.
Staff picking Entwistle: Nick, Tim Bis, Stephie, Mookie, Tim, Artem, Fraser, Zane, Phil Staff picking Perez:
Damir Hadzovic vs. Mairbek Taisumov
Zane Simon: Weird fight that just about anybody can probably guess. Mairbek Taisumov via decision.
Phil Mackenzie: For set-up fights like this, this is fairly decent as far as they go. Hadzovic is at least getting “his” kind of fight, the problem is that Taisumov is just better at it. Mairbek Taisumov by unanimous decision.
Staff picking Hadzovic: Staff picking Taisumov: Nick, Tim Bis, Stephie, Mookie, Tim, Artem, Fraser, Zane, Phil
Filip Pejic vs. Damian Stasiak
Zane Simon: Pejic is the better athlete, but he’s kind of technically inferior everywhere except in the pocket and he rarely gets to strike there. I think Stasiak will have to survive some scares but will be able to grind Pejic on the ground for a win. Damian Stasiak via decision.
Phil Mackenzie: Another weird one. Stasiak’s grappling and physicality was badly exposed in his last fight, but in this one it’s fairly clear that any grappling exchanges will come from his side. He’s smaller and less powerful, but also less hittable and can likely hit Tecia Torres-esque counter takedowns. Damian Stasiak by unanimous decision.
Staff picking Pejic: Nick, Tim Bis, Stephie, Mookie, Fraser Staff picking Stasiak: Tim, Artem, Zane, Phil
Lucas Martins vs. Rob Whiteford
Zane Simon: Elkins was able to pop Whiteford hard more than few times as Rob waited to see what Elkins would do next. If he lets Martins do that, he’ll end up taking a nap in the cage. Lucas Martins via KO, Round 1.
Phil Mackenzie: Fight of the Elkins leftovers. Whiteford’s game has developed over time into one of those “decent everywhere, great nowhere” approaches. Despite the judo base he’s really been working more as a striker in his recent fights, but as Zane alluded to, he tends to leave his head upright a lot, which I don’t think plays well with Martins’ ability to hit big shots closing in. Lucas Martins by TKO, round 2.
Mookie Alexander: Picked Whiteford on Three Amigos Podcast earlier this week, but thinking it over, this is a fight that should favor Martins. They’re both a bit messy defensively with their striking, and if Martins’ takedown defense can hold, he’s the more powerful puncher. I can definitely see Whiteford giving Martins a rough time and trying to grind him out for a decision win, but I’m changing my pick to Martins. Lucas Martins by TKO, round 2.
Zane Simon: Cannonier is the better athlete. Asker might be tougher, but is also coming off a scene that probably doesn’t leave him much prepared for the UFC (not that Alaska is way better). Still, I’ll take the better athlete. Jarod Cannonier via decision.
Phil Mackenzie: Asker reminds me a little of Nicholas Dalby up the card- consistent, tough, decent pace, wrestling which is a little more enthusiasm than reliable craft. I don’t have much faith in Cannonier’s ability to win decisions- Tony Lopez is a solid, well-travelled journeyman but winning a split (of which I’ve never found any tape) over him is not really something a “UFC-level talent” should be doing. Basically I think Cannonier knocks out or badly hurts Asker early, or gets outworked. On balance? Jarod Cannonier by TKO, round 1.
Staff picking Asker: Staff picking Cannonier: Nick, Tim Bis, Stephie, Mookie, Tim, Artem, Fraser, Zane, Phil
Bojan Veličković vs. Alessio Di Chirico
Zane Simon: Velickovic is probably just a little too competent and well seasoned across the board to get beat by di Chirico. But Di Chirico looks like a pretty great athlete and might just be too dynamic. Still, that’s a tough bet for a guy coming off the Italian MMA scene. Bojan Velickovic via decision.
Phil Mackenzie: Borderline mirror match (including opposite stances and everything) between two physically imposing but low output kickboxers who can also grapple a bit. Veličković is a tad bigger and more consistent in the takedown and scrambling, and comes from a very reliable scene. RFA is still a good belt to hold. That’s enough for me to pick him, but this is really a coinflip, and may well be a dire match of peck… wait… peck…wait… wait… peck… failed takedown. Boran Veličković by unanimous decision
Mookie Alexander: Bless both Phil and Zane for managing to conjure up quality analysis of fighters whose names would make Mike Goldberg go into a tailspin. Bojan Velickovic by unanimous decision.
Staff picking Velickovic: Nick, Stephie, Mookie, Tim, Artem, Fraser, Zane, Phil Staff picking Di Chirico: Tim Bis
The Bloody Elbow staff has made its predictions for Sunday’s UFC Fight Night: Dos Santos vs. Rothwell fight card in Zagreb, Croatia.
What a world we live in where the Bloody Elbow staff has a slight edge towards Ben Rothwell defeating Junior dos Santos in the UFC Zagreb main event. This would’ve been unthinkable about 2 years ago. Not so surprising is the clean sweep in favor of Derrick Lewis, whom we all expect to beat Gabriel Gonzaga in the co-main event.
Note: Predictions are entered throughout the week and collected the day before the event. Explanations behind each pick are not required and some writers opt not to do so for their own reasons. For example, if Phil Mackenzie entered all of his predictions on Tuesday without adding in any explanations, he has no idea if he’s going to be the only one siding with one fighter for any given fight.
Junior dos Santos vs. Ben Rothwell
Artem Safarov: It looks like the damage dos Santos took from Cain has affected his health in a very negative way. He used to be a knockout danger for anyone, and now look at this – nobody gives him a chance against (who could think?) vs. Ben Rothwell! How could this happen to the striking prodigy and former champion? I know that JDS is obviously in the downfall of his career, but I will root for him. I think it’s too early to write him off. Cigano can be back. Junior Dos Santos via KO
Fraser Coffeen: I clearly have underrated Rothwell many times now. I picked against him against Schaub, Vera, Reem, Mitrione, and Barnett. In fact, in my entire time making picks for BE, I have picked FOR Rothwell just once, against Gonzaga. Which he lost. Moral of the story? I am an idiot and you should not have any faith in my picking here. Junior dos Santos, KO, R2
Mookie Alexander: Look, there’s every reason to believe JDS has the power to stop Rothwell, because he’s KO’d Cain and he’s KO’d Hunt and he’s still a devastating hitter. I just can’t go against Rothwell right now, nor do I have the confidence in JDS to revert to the 2008-2012 beast that I came to know and love. I can just envision Rothwell doing very little on offense and then suddenly bullrushing Junior, hurting him with a big shot, and then slapping on a choke out of nowhere that surprises everyone when the fight is over. Ben Rothwell via maniacal laughter.
Zane Simon: The JDS that fought Overeem looked incredibly gunshy and went down on the first hard shot Overeem landed. That is not a dude I’m going to trust to win fights against a guy like Rothwell right now. Ben Rothwell via KO, Round 2.
Staff picking JDS: Tim, Artem, Fraser, Phil Staff picking Rothwell: Nick, Tim Bis, Stephie, Mookie, Zane
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Derrick Lewis
Mookie Alexander: Sure, I guess Gonzaga can school Lewis on the ground or catch him with a big punch standing — Lewis has been caught and KO’d before — but there’s practically nothing that Gonzaga has shown me in his last 4 fights to suggest he’s still capable of doing that. Lewis is probably going to hurt Gonzaga with the first huge shot he lands and that’ll be that. Derrick Lewis by KO, round 1.
Zane Simon: I like Gonzaga, and I’m not counting him out, but I think if you run this fight 10 times Gonzaga gets KO’d in round one 7 out of 10. Derrick Lewis via KO, Round 1.
Staff picking Gonzaga: Staff picking Lewis: Nick, Tim B, Stephie, Mookie, Tim, Artem, Fraser, Zane, Phil
Curtis Blaydes vs. Francis Ngannou
Zane Simon: Both huge, both athletic, one a decent power striker, the other a very good power wrestler, both super raw. Taking the wrestler over the striker here, especially given that a much smaller more mediocre wrestler just took Ngannou down at will last fight. Curtis Blaydes via TKO, Round 3.
Phil Mackenzie: For raw fighters, pick the better grappler. Can Ngannou take Blaydes head off? Sure. Curtis Blaydes by TKO, round 3.
Mookie Alexander: Hey, it’s heavyweight prospects! The variance is high in the air! Ngannou doesn’t seem to be very good at defensive wrestling, Blaydes is good at that, but Ngannou can negate that by punching him really hard. Don’t think that happens. Curtis Blaydes by unanimous decision.
Artem: No one can deny that Tybura has an extremely boring fight style. He is your typical Ben Askren of a heavyweight division. But there’s something that makes me pick this guy. He is a clever, smart fighter. He can think and change during the fight. I think he will take Johnson down and get him tired, while the crowd will be buzzing with disappointment. We definitely shouldn’t expect anything but a boring fight and decision win by Tybura. Marcin Tybura via decision.
Zane Simon: Tybura should win this. He’s tough as leather and a much better grappler. But, he’s not a great wrestler and his striking is hardly dominant. Timothy Johnson is huge and tough and powerful in the clinch and has a real shot at an upset TKO or even a grinding win. But, I’ve got Marcin Tybura via UD.
Phil Mackenzie: I don’t like to be a downer, but this card is really overloaded with fights which could be absolutely terrible and this is a prime example. I don’t really like Tybura’s wrestling game, and Johnson’s proto-Rothwell approach of being big and working in short uppers and collar ties while the other guy punches you should actually play pretty well with it. Basically I just think that being huge and having a surprisingly decent gas tank should allow him to edge out a stinker of a fight. Timothy Johnson by unanimous decision.
Staff picking Johnson: Artem, Phil Staff picking Tybura: Nick, Tim Bis, Mookie, Stephie, Tim, Fraser, Zane
Jan Blachowicz vs. Igor Pokrajac
Mookie Alexander: The one local guy on the main card is Igor Pokrajac? Unless Blachowicz is way worse than I thought — and how could he be when he demolished the legendary Latifi? — Pokrajac is going to get smoked. Jan Blachowicz via TKO, round 2.
Zane Simon: Blachowicz shouldn’t be the favorite that he is. Outside of KOing Ilir Latifi, he’s looked anything but dominant. That said, he should beat Pokrajac, but we might be talking Ryan Jimmo decision style here. Jan Blachowicz via decision.
Phil Mackenzie: Poker jack wasn’t ever a great fighter, but he was at least stupid tough in his “prime”. That’s been fading in recent years, leaving you with a… what exactly? Blachowicz has a mediocre gas tank, terrible pace, and only decent power to compensate. I’m going to pick a knockout early for him, because if he doesn’t this fight could be dire. Jan Blachowicz by TKO, round 1.
Staff picking Blachowicz: Nick, Stephie, Mookie, Tim, Artem, Fraser, Zane, Phil Staff picking Pokrajac: Tim Bis
Maryna Moroz vs. Cristina Stanciu
Zane Simon: Most likely scenario to me is that Stanciu blitzes Moroz out of the gate, hurts her, chases her to the ground and then gets submitted. Maryna Moroz via submission, Round 1.
Phil Mackenzie: Pretty clear lock for fight of the night. Moroz is a touch robotic in her striking, so there’s a chance that Stanciu can throw her off her game, but she’s got a much, much deeper game. Maryna Moroz by submission, round 2.
Zane Simon: Cummings is big and powerful, but I don’t think he can match Dalby’s output and I doubt that he’s consistent enough as a striker to KO Dalby if he hurts him. He might be able to out grapple him, but Cummings isn’t an electric wrestler. Basically his best bet would be to hurt Dalby and cage grind him or to out work him on the mats. I think Dalby will edge enough rounds and might even take over late in the fight if Cummings fades. Nicolas Dalby via decision.
Phil Mackenzie: Dalby is definitely starting to scrape up against his limits here. He’s disciplined, high-pace, incredibly tough and gutsy, and mixes it up well, but he’s fundamentally a deeply average athlete. Since I saw him live at Cage Warriors my point of comparison has been Court McGee, and I still think that one holds. Zak Cummings… is actually a pretty underrated good athlete, the kind of Brunson Anglerfish that just dunks on people who don’t belong in there with him. I don’t think he does that here, but I think he can broadly replicate what Darren Till did, minus the shoulder injury. Zak Cummings by unanimous decision.
Staff picking Cummings: Nick, Tim Bis, Stephie, Mookie, Fraser, Phil Staff picking Dalby: Tim, Artem, Zane
Ian Entwistle vs. Alejandro Perez
Zane Simon: Entwistle’s flashy leglock game won’t work all the time, but I think it’ll work here. Ian Entwistle via sub round 1.
Phil Mackenzie: Entwistle really really likes leg locks. He’s actually a pretty physical fighter, especially at Bantamweight, and as Palhares et al have shown, it’s pretty scary to have someone who is strong and explosive just jumping after your legs. Also, going to train with Imanari was kind of rad. TUF LatAm have consistently surprised me, and AKA are and always have been a fantastic counter-grappler team, but Ian Entwistle by submission, round 1.
Mookie Alexander: Rousimar Palhares is gone to Venator, so somebody has to fill the leglock void. Ian Entwistle by submission, round 1.
Staff picking Entwistle: Nick, Tim Bis, Stephie, Mookie, Tim, Artem, Fraser, Zane, Phil Staff picking Perez:
Damir Hadzovic vs. Mairbek Taisumov
Zane Simon: Weird fight that just about anybody can probably guess. Mairbek Taisumov via decision.
Phil Mackenzie: For set-up fights like this, this is fairly decent as far as they go. Hadzovic is at least getting “his” kind of fight, the problem is that Taisumov is just better at it. Mairbek Taisumov by unanimous decision.
Staff picking Hadzovic: Staff picking Taisumov: Nick, Tim Bis, Stephie, Mookie, Tim, Artem, Fraser, Zane, Phil
Filip Pejic vs. Damian Stasiak
Zane Simon: Pejic is the better athlete, but he’s kind of technically inferior everywhere except in the pocket and he rarely gets to strike there. I think Stasiak will have to survive some scares but will be able to grind Pejic on the ground for a win. Damian Stasiak via decision.
Phil Mackenzie: Another weird one. Stasiak’s grappling and physicality was badly exposed in his last fight, but in this one it’s fairly clear that any grappling exchanges will come from his side. He’s smaller and less powerful, but also less hittable and can likely hit Tecia Torres-esque counter takedowns. Damian Stasiak by unanimous decision.
Staff picking Pejic: Nick, Tim Bis, Stephie, Mookie, Fraser Staff picking Stasiak: Tim, Artem, Zane, Phil
Lucas Martins vs. Rob Whiteford
Zane Simon: Elkins was able to pop Whiteford hard more than few times as Rob waited to see what Elkins would do next. If he lets Martins do that, he’ll end up taking a nap in the cage. Lucas Martins via KO, Round 1.
Phil Mackenzie: Fight of the Elkins leftovers. Whiteford’s game has developed over time into one of those “decent everywhere, great nowhere” approaches. Despite the judo base he’s really been working more as a striker in his recent fights, but as Zane alluded to, he tends to leave his head upright a lot, which I don’t think plays well with Martins’ ability to hit big shots closing in. Lucas Martins by TKO, round 2.
Mookie Alexander: Picked Whiteford on Three Amigos Podcast earlier this week, but thinking it over, this is a fight that should favor Martins. They’re both a bit messy defensively with their striking, and if Martins’ takedown defense can hold, he’s the more powerful puncher. I can definitely see Whiteford giving Martins a rough time and trying to grind him out for a decision win, but I’m changing my pick to Martins. Lucas Martins by TKO, round 2.
Zane Simon: Cannonier is the better athlete. Asker might be tougher, but is also coming off a scene that probably doesn’t leave him much prepared for the UFC (not that Alaska is way better). Still, I’ll take the better athlete. Jarod Cannonier via decision.
Phil Mackenzie: Asker reminds me a little of Nicholas Dalby up the card- consistent, tough, decent pace, wrestling which is a little more enthusiasm than reliable craft. I don’t have much faith in Cannonier’s ability to win decisions- Tony Lopez is a solid, well-travelled journeyman but winning a split (of which I’ve never found any tape) over him is not really something a “UFC-level talent” should be doing. Basically I think Cannonier knocks out or badly hurts Asker early, or gets outworked. On balance? Jarod Cannonier by TKO, round 1.
Staff picking Asker: Staff picking Cannonier: Nick, Tim Bis, Stephie, Mookie, Tim, Artem, Fraser, Zane, Phil
Bojan Veli?kovi? vs. Alessio Di Chirico
Zane Simon: Velickovic is probably just a little too competent and well seasoned across the board to get beat by di Chirico. But Di Chirico looks like a pretty great athlete and might just be too dynamic. Still, that’s a tough bet for a guy coming off the Italian MMA scene. Bojan Velickovic via decision.
Phil Mackenzie: Borderline mirror match (including opposite stances and everything) between two physically imposing but low output kickboxers who can also grapple a bit. Veli?kovi? is a tad bigger and more consistent in the takedown and scrambling, and comes from a very reliable scene. RFA is still a good belt to hold. That’s enough for me to pick him, but this is really a coinflip, and may well be a dire match of peck… wait… peck…wait… wait… peck… failed takedown. Boran Veli?kovi? by unanimous decision
Mookie Alexander: Bless both Phil and Zane for managing to conjure up quality analysis of fighters whose names would make Mike Goldberg go into a tailspin. Bojan Velickovic by unanimous decision.
Staff picking Velickovic: Nick, Stephie, Mookie, Tim, Artem, Fraser, Zane, Phil Staff picking Di Chirico: Tim Bis
