WEC 52 Predictions

WEC 52 – Faber VS. Mizugaki takes place tonight in Las Vegas.  On the second to last WEC card, former WEC Featherweight champion Urijah Faber will be dropping to Bantamweight to take on Takeya Mizugaki.  In addition, Team Alpha Male up and comer Chad Mendes will square off against BJJ ace Javier Vazquez. The last […]

WEC 52 – Faber VS. Mizugaki takes place tonight in Las Vegas.  On the second to last WEC card, former WEC Featherweight champion Urijah Faber will be dropping to Bantamweight to take on Takeya Mizugaki.  In addition, Team Alpha Male up and comer Chad Mendes will square off against BJJ ace Javier Vazquez.

The last two WEC cards look to be very exciting.  As a long time fan of the promotion, I hope the fans tune in and the fighters put their best game forward (which they generally do).  As always, myself and Mike Hammersmith will give our takes on the best bets for tonight’s WEC 52 event.  Make sure to keep up to date on the WEC 52 odds and check out the WEC 52 Pros’ Picks.

Joseph Benavidez – Mike Hammersmith -210 on SportBet)

Coming off a failed, but very exciting title bid against Dominick Cruz, Joseph Benavidez will get back into the swing of things in November. His opponent is stand-out fighter Wagnney Fabiano, whom has made a recent trek to 135lbs and has taken two decisions against some of the division’s lower-level opponents.

This fight is a real clash of styles, as Benavidez is one of the fastest men in the division, taking on the sometimes plodding assault of Fabiano. With a clear advantage in the striking department and solid game planning, Benavidez has this fight in the bag if he can keep off his back. Look for Benavidez to set a blistering pace in the striking department that will leave Fabiano flustered and bloody early in this fight. Whether by decision or inside the distance with strikes, Benavidez should be one of the best bets on the card at -210.

 

Yves Jabouin – Mike Hammersmith +190 on Bodog)

A potential stand-up bout for the ages, Hawaiian slugger Brandon Visher will take on Canadian Whirlwind Yves Jabouin in a real test of power vs. speed.  Both men are coming off losses, with Visher being dominated by the razor-sharp striking of Tyler Toner, while Jabouin was on the losing end of a spectacular bout with Mark Hominick.

This is a very close fight, as Visher’s power and boxing skills will make him dangerous inside the pocket, while Jabouin will need to stick and move to out-point Visher.  While I’d lean towards Visher in this one due to his take down ability, I’d call this nearly even due to Jabouin’s ability to work an evasive game plan and take a decision.  At +190, Jabouin makes for a great value bet in this closely-contested bout.

 

Javier Vazquez – Mike Hammersmith (-250 on SportBet)

A highly-underrated veteran of the fight game, Javier Vazquez will test his mat work against Team Alpha Males rookie prospect in Chad Mendes.  Both men are amazing grapplers in their own right, with Mendes having the kind of wrestling to shut down just about anyone at this weight, while Vazquez brings one of the most well-rounded grappling games on the planet.

While Mendes will need to land heavy punches and work a suffocating top game to take this one, he’ll need to work a perfect fight to avoid the tremendous sweeps and submissions of Vazquez here.  In a tight match-up, I’m surprised to see Vazquez come in at such a large underdog at +250.  Look for Vazquez to lock up a late submission and win us all some cash as a strong value bet.

 

Mike McDonald – MMAMoneyLine (-115 on BetUS/Bodog)

As per MMAJunkie:  “the 19-year-old McDonald is riding a streak of three-straight knockout stoppages of Cole Escovedo, Manny Tapia and Carlos Garces. In his most recent outing, the Modesto, Calif., native claimed the Tachi Palace Fights bantamweight title in July while avenging his lone career defeat with a brutal win over Escovedo.”

Both Mike McDonald and Clint Godfrey are solid prospects with a future in the UFC’s Bantamweight division.  However, in this fight I like McDonald.  Godfrey showed a few things in the Wagnney Fabiano fight:  he is willing to shoot on anyone, he has a good sprawl, and he has good BJJ.  With that being said, he did not look good on the feet.  If McDonald can keep this standing, he has the striking power to end this fight with one punch.  If Godfrey takes McDonald down, he has the submission chops to deal with him there as well.

I expect this fight to be close, as the odds suggest.  In the end, I expect McDonald to live up to his hype.  Although Godfrey does have the ability to wrestle a decision here, I’m going with the WEC newcomer.

 

MMAMoneyLine Official Picks:

Faber/UD

Mendes/UD

Koch/UD

Benavidez/TKO/3

Page/KO/2

Davis/SD

McDonald/TKO/2

Swanson/UD

Micklewright/UD

Njokuani/TKO/2

Jabouin/KO/1

 

MMAMoneyLine Official Wagers (1 unit = 2% of bankroll):

Jabouin – .5 u. at +190 on Bodog

McDonald – 1 u. at -125 on Sportsbook