Hector Lombard vs. Rousimar Palhares
His UFC debut was probably the biggest MMA disappointment of the year, but Lombard will be more motivated than ever to shut the media up with a stunning knockout finish. Lombard will have a greater chance of doing so against Palhares because he is as close to being one hundred percent jiu-jitsu, and zero striking, that an MMA fighter can be. There’s always the chance of being submitted if you’re fighting Palhares and he will hold on to a limb as if his life depended on it, but between his strength and his ground skills, Lombard will be able to prevent Palhares from locking up a submission. Look for Lombard to come out quickly in this fight and waste no time trying render Palhares unconscious on the canvas.
Robert Whittaker vs. Brad Scott
I doubt anyone will be picking Scott to pull off the upset in this fight. Whittaker scored two consecutive knockouts on The Ultimate Fighter, and this fight may see a third. Scott has showcased decent well rounded skills, but he doesn’t possess the striking, power of aggression that Whittaker does. To be blunt, Scott just isn’t on Whittaker’s level, and it will only be a matter of time until he crumbles under the Whittaker’s power and the ref will need to come to his rescue. Whittaker ends his fights quickly, so this fight shouldn’t go past the first round.
Norman Parke vs. Colin Fletcher
Both these fighters have similar skill sets, and for that reason, this fight will be close. Either one of these two talented lightweights could emerge victorious, but my edge goes to Fletcher. Based on the past fights of both fighters, I give a grappling edge to Fletcher as well as having a slight power advantage. The striking advantage can be argued either way, but I’m going with Fletcher mainly for his longer reach. “Freak Show” will use his length on the feet to do enough to get a decision win, but if the fight goes to the ground, don’t be surprised if he finished Parke via submission.
George Sotiropoulos vs. Ross Pearson
This is almost a perfect “striker vs. grappler” match up. No one will make the argument that Sotiropoulos has the best striking, or that Pearson has the better ground game, but the winner will be determined by whoever can implement their lesser skill more than the other fight. If Sotiropoulos’ striking is more impressive than Pearson’s ground game, which I think it will be, he will emerge victorious. Because Sotiropoulos’ ground game is so good, his striking goes unnoticed. He was successful in out striking Joe Stevenson, Kurt Pellegrino, and Joe Lauzon, while holding his own in the striking against expert kickboxer, Dennis Siver. With Sotiropoulos’ reach advantage, Pearson will have to work to get inside to land strikes, giving Sotiropoulos the opportunity to clinch and take Pearson down. It doesn’t matter how diligently Pearson has been working on his jiu-jitsu, once on the ground, Sotiropoulos will be in complete control. If Cole Miller was able to submit Pearson, then it should be even easier for Sotiropoulos to tap him with whatever submission he sees and opening for.
Written by : Ryan “Fight Freek” Poli
@FightFreek