UFC on Fuel Results: Anderson Silva Is Keeping the Belt Warm for Chris Weidman

Anderson Silva has no chance of beating Chris Weidman. The current champ is simply keeping the belt warm for Weidman. Absurd?Think again. Chris Weidman just dismantled the highly touted Mark Munoz in a fight that didn’t come close to being co…

Anderson Silva has no chance of beating Chris Weidman. The current champ is simply keeping the belt warm for Weidman. 

Absurd?

Think again. 

Chris Weidman just dismantled the highly touted Mark Munoz in a fight that didn’t come close to being competitive. Weidman took Munoz—a highly skilled wrestler in his own right—down with ease and dominated him on the ground. 

However, this wasn’t all Weidman had to offer. He floored Munoz with a devastating elbow and then finished the fight with ground-and-pound. 

This is a man who is tailor-made to destroy Anderson Silva. 

Just look at what another talented wrestler—Chael Sonnen—did to Anderson Silva in the first round of their most recent fight. Sonnen took Silva down at will and even got mount. In their first fight, Sonnen took Silva down at will for the first four rounds!

Of course, Sonnen eventually lost in both fights—in the first by means of a Hail Mary triangle choke, and in the second due to, in large part, an ill-fated spinning back fist that caused him to lose his footing and get pummeled by Silva.

Weidman, a capable striker and literally a world-class submission grappler, wouldn’t make such grievous errors. 

A Silva-Weidman fight would go this way: Weidman would take Silva down (as fast as Sonnen took Silva down this past Saturday) and would use his superior wrestling and grappling abilities to control Silva from the top en route to either a unanimous decision victory (if Silva is lucky) or a submission. 

Silva has nothing for Weidman. Yes, his striking is better, but Weidman’s wrestling and grappling advantage is far greater than Silva’s striking advantage.

Silva can’t submit Weidman, nor is it likely that he could shrug off Weidman’s takedowns and (T)KO Weidman.

“But Silva has clowned impressive grapplers before! Just look at the Demian Maia fight,” you say?

Chris Weidman is no Demian Maia.

Maia is a phenomenal grappler but just a good—not great—mixed martial artist. Also, when Maia was fighting Silva, Maia’s striking game was deficient and anemic.

Weidman doesn’t have such a problem, as indicated by his impressive victory over Munoz and his training with the famed striking coach Ray Longo. Furthermore, Weidman’s wrestling base gives him takedown abilities that Maia lacked against Silva. 

Silva has no answer for Weidman’s overwhelming talents as a mixed martial artist.

The man is an amazing wrestler and grappler, and he’s a skilled enough striker to set up a takedown on Silva and avoid mistakes that would part him from consciousness. The aged Brazilian will not be able to compete with Weidman, who is a fighter from the next generation.

Thus, Silva’s middleweight title reign is at an end. The 37-year-old is now relegated to keeping Chris Weidman’s belt warm until Weidman meets him in the Octagon to claim what is his.

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on Fuel TV 4: What We Learned from Chris Weidman’s Victory over Mark Munoz

Chris Weidman is for real folks.The undefeated fighter put on a dominant showing against top contender Mark Munoz in the main event of the UFC on Fuel TV 4 card.Weidman used his wrestling to control Munoz in the first round that could’ve easily been sc…

Chris Weidman is for real folks.

The undefeated fighter put on a dominant showing against top contender Mark Munoz in the main event of the UFC on Fuel TV 4 card.

Weidman used his wrestling to control Munoz in the first round that could’ve easily been scored as a 10-8. It was much of the same in the second round as Weidman again secured a takedown. However, this time Munoz was able to work his way back to his feet, at which point he attempted to land one of his vaunted power punches.

Weidman caught Munoz coming in with a slicing right elbow that seemed straight out of Jon Jones’ playbook. In what was supposed to be a big comeback win for Munoz, Weidman instead stole the title opportunity out from under him in the main event.

 

What Fans Will Take Away from This Fight

Without a doubt this fight will be considered Weidman’s dominant performance.

Munoz is a tough guy, and Weidman controlled him during every second of the fight. Weidman not only controlled Munoz through his wrestling but also with his jiu-jitsu.

It’s clear that training with the Serra-Longo camp is paying big dividends for Weidman; he puts on a better performance each time he steps into the Octagon.

 

What We Learned about Chris Weidman

What can you say about Weidman’s performance that hasn’t already been said by the MMA community?

The guy showcased all of his skills tonight against a very tough Munoz.

Fans were well aware of Weidman’s grappling skills with a strong wrestling background coupled with solid jiu-jitsu, but he showed some new wrinkles in his game tonight.

Weidman landed a picture perfect elbow to not only cut Munoz but also dropped “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” to the canvas. The stoppage capped an amazing performance by Weidman that could see him become next in line for a title shot.

 

What We Learned about Mark Munoz

I’m not sure if it was Weidman being on his A-game or if it’s a case of cage rust, but Munoz really didn’t look himself tonight.

An early takedown and a dominant round by Weidman looked to frustrate Munoz. He never really threatened Weidman throughout the contest, looking instead like he was in survival mode during the fight.

 

Where Do the Fighters Go from Here

For Weidman it may be Anderson Silva.

A lot of fans and analysts were already high on Weidman as a prospect coming into the bout, but after this performance he’s effectively jumped to “in-the-mix” status.

If it isn’t “The Spider,” then Weidman should be paired up against another top-level guy. Chael Sonnen and Alan Belcher are two names that are being floated around as great possibilities.

Munoz looked extremely depressed after the fight following his performance and will need to go back to the drawing board. Whether or not it was the lengthy layoff—or he simply came out flat against Weidman—Munoz was anything but a wrecking machine tonight.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on Fuel 4 Results: The Real Winners and Losers from Weidman Versus Munoz

At UFC 148, middleweight legend Anderson Silva defended his title for a second time against Chael Sonnen. It was one of the most amazing spectacles in UFC history.From the prefight trash talk, to the action-packed weigh-in, to the spectacular knee that…

At UFC 148, middleweight legend Anderson Silva defended his title for a second time against Chael Sonnen. It was one of the most amazing spectacles in UFC history.

From the prefight trash talk, to the action-packed weigh-in, to the spectacular knee that was the beginning of the end for Chael, it was a night to remember.

With Chael out of the picture, the UFC desperately needed a new contender to Silva’s crown. Tonight, they found one in Chris Weidman.

The prospect squared off with Mark Munoz in San Jose, a bout between two proud athletes with much more than pride on the line—a title shot was also up for grabs for whoever could reach out and grab it.

With his TKO win, Weidman snatched it.

As great as he was, Weidman wasn’t the only fighter on the card. There were other winners, and some checked the “loss” column.

Let’s run down the card and pick out the fighters who truly made their mark, for good or ill, on this free television broadcast.

Begin Slideshow

‘UFC on FUEL 4: Munoz vs. Weidman’ — Live Results & Commentary

Sure, UFC 148 had countless hours of commercials and press conferences, but did you get a look at this poster?!? (Photo: UFC.com)

It’s been four days and two hundred Chael posts since we last took you for a guided tour of the Octagon, but by god we’re ready to do it again, brother. At your service this eve is weekend foreman Chris Colemon. Treat him well, kids.

All ten fighters made weight last night, though three had to pull a Rousey just to hit the mark. In the evening’s main event, Mark Munoz will look to rebound from stomach-turning elbow surgery as he takes on Chris Weidman. Munoz has flirted with a title shot before, but can he get through the highly-regarded, undefeated Weidman to get back on track?

Riding shotgun on the card are Joey Beltran and James Te Huna. The Mexicutioner picked up a victory and a tapeworm while away from the UFC; he returns tonight as a light heavyweight to slug it out with the heavy-handed Kiwi. Someone’s getting concussed.

All of the cool kids are inside talking about the fights. If you’re cool, you’ll join us too.

Sure, UFC 148 had countless hours of commercials and press conferences, but did you get a look at this poster?!? (Photo: UFC.com)

It’s been four days and two hundred Chael posts since we last took you for a guided tour of the Octagon, but by god we’re ready to do it again, brother. At your service this eve is weekend foreman Chris Colemon. Treat him well, kids.

All ten fighters made weight last night, though three had to pull a Rousey just to hit the mark. In the evening’s main event, Mark Munoz will look to rebound from stomach-turning elbow surgery as he takes on Chris Weidman. Munoz has flirted with a title shot before, but can he get through the highly-regarded, undefeated Weidman to get back on track?

Riding shotgun on the card are Joey Beltran and James Te Huna. The Mexicutioner picked up a victory and a tapeworm while away from the UFC; he returns tonight as a light heavyweight to slug it out with the heavy-handed Kiwi. Someone’s getting concussed.

All of the cool kids are inside talking about the fights. If you’re cool, you’ll join us too.

And we…are…LIVE!!! They were billing the main event as a #1 Contender Bout in the pre-show, and since that designation is legally binding I guess we’ll be seeing the winner of the Munoz-Weidman bout facing Anderson Silva soon. Well, that’s settled.

Here we go!

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Anthony Njokuani

R1: Dos Anjos tries a Segal kick to the face, but whiffs. Nice inside leg kick by Dos Anjos and Njokuani fires back with a combo. BIG left floors Njokuani and Dos Anjos is all over him with a takedown, but it’s short lived and Njokuani is back to his feet. Another takedown by the Brazilian, but Njokuani is back up again. The Assassin pushes off and we’re back to a striking match. Both men are measuring their attacks and slow to commit. Dos Anjos has Njokuani backing up, but we’re still short on exchanges. Dos Anjos with another shot, but he’s stuffed and relegated to knee striking Njokuani against the cage.

R2: Dos Anjos returns to that heavy inside leg kick to open the second frame. The Nigerian responds with a body kick. We’re still in single-shot mode–very few combos getting launched. Njokuani is grunting like Monica Seles with each strike. Dos Anjos is working for the takedown again, but he can’t drag The Assassin to the ground. Dos Anjos wants this fight on the ground, and he finally hoists Njokuani up for the slam. Njokuani manages to work his way out of half guard and we’re back on our feet with Dos Anjos maintaining his body lock death grip, eager to return to the canvas. That was, what? Four missed takedowns? But lucky number five gets the job done and we’re back on the mat. Dos Anjos was looking for an arm in guillotine, but Njokuani stands up again and the horn sounds.

R3: Njokuani is down here, so he’ll likely need to put Dos Anjos away. Dos Anjos circling around while Njokuani is landing a punch here or there. Dos Anjos responds with a nice right hand. Dos Anjos is crowding Njokuani now, but still not letting go. Ok, now he fires off a combo then presses Njokuani up against the cage as he works for a takedown. Denied, but Dos Anjos is nothing if not diligent–he gets the The Assassin down on his second shot. The Brazilian has half mount and probably has his eye on a kimura, but he gives it up to drop some leather. He opened up a little too much and Njokuani is back to his feet as the fight comes to a close.  We’re headed to the scorecards.

And Rafael Dos Anjos takes the uanimous decision (30-27 x 2 and 29-28)

We’ve got a bantamweight battle up next.

T.J. Dillashaw vs. Vaughan Lee

R1: Dillashaw breaks the silence with a combo, and Lee returns fire with some heavy shots of his own. Dillashaw misses with a wild head kick. The former TUF’er ducks a head kick, scoops Lee’s leg, and dumps him to the mat, but the Brit is back to his feet. Dillashaw’s not giving up on that takedown, though, and he works his way to Lee’s back and sinks his hooks in while standing. Lee’s fighting off the rear naked choke attempt on his feet, but Dillashaw is cranking away. Aaaand the tapout! Dillashaw scores a first round submission victory.

T.J. Dillashaw wins via neck crank (2:33  R1)

And we take a break in tonight’s action to promote the Urijah FaberRenan Barao bout at UFC 149. Shockingly, no one was seriously injured in the production of the commercial.

Karlos Vemola vs. Francis Carmont

R1: Vemola circles away and bull rushes in for the takedown, but Carmont stuffs the shot. Temporarily, that is–Vemola drags him down with a body lock. Carmont works his way free and stands up directly into a standing guillotine. The French Canadian takes Vemola down, but is still in the choke. Let’s hope his air is “Limitless”. (See what I did there? It’s because of his nickname. That’s why it’s hilarious.) Carmont pulls his head free and has Vemola pinned against the cage in side-mount. Now Carmont is slapping on a painful looking key lock, which he uses to take mount. Vemola frees his arm and works back to his feet, almost finding himself in a guillotine as well. Oh, now Carmont wants the takedown and Vemola has him in an arm-in guillotine. Carmont escapes and probably would have gone for a guillotine had time not expired.

R2: Big front kick to the grill of Vemola, but he’s still breathing long enough to charge in for a stuffed takedown. Carmont drops down for a…wait for it…guillotine, but Vemola rolls free. Vemola working hard for the takedown, but Carmont drops to his own back with Vemola’s arms trapped in a crucifix. Limitless switches it up to a rear naked, squeezes the hell out of it, and draws the tap.

Francis Carmont wins via rear naked choke (1:39 R2)

Up next we’re taking a trip to the welterweight division.

Aaron Simpson vs. Kenny Robertson

R1: Robertson fires off a huge head kick that catches nada but air, then rushes in and presses Simpson against the cage with a body lock. Simpson pushes him off and scores a knee to the body. They are throwing!  Both men land hands before Robertson delivers a few knees to the gut six pack. Simpson is hte first to secure a takedown but it’s short lived. Robertson gets back to his feet and a wild tumult of reversals ends with Robertson landing a big right hand that splits Simpson’s wig open along the hairline. Simpson forces action up against the cage, but Roberston spins around and presses Simpson to the fence. Both men are fighting to gain the wrestling advantage, which Simpson gains momentarily as he gets behind Robertson and takes him down. Robertson is quickly back up. Damn, we’ve got a fight on our hands.

R2: Robertson responds to a punch with an attempted judo toss, but is denied and Simpson takes his back standing once again. Knees to the ass from Simpson and after more jockeying for grappling control he puts Robertson on his back. Robertson is struggling to get up which allows A Train to take his back. Back up, back down, back up. There’s a lot of positional control and reversing going on here between these two capable wrestlers. Simpson had a bizarre rear facing mount for a moment, but he’s able to get behind Robertson once more and deliver some hard shots on the ground for the last minute of the frame.

R3: Robertson is looking a little fatigued as we enter the final round. Spinning back kick from Simpson misses its mark. More clinchwork against the cage ends with Simpson taking Roberson’s back and dragging him to the canvas once more. A Train nearly locks up a reverse triangle choke, but Robertson escapes and gets back to his feet. Simpson, clearly the fresher of the two, slams him back to the ground. Simpson is standing over Robertson in guard dropping down some heavy fists to the head and body. Simpson moves to side mount with thirty seconds left. He’s trying to grab an arm, but chooses to wail on Robertson to close the fight.

Aaron Simpson wins via unanimous decision (30-27 & 29-28 x 2)

Like Babe Ruth promising that sick kid a homerun, I’m going to guarantee you kids a knock out in this one. Unfortunately, if I’m wrong you all die of cancer. It’s a gamble, but one that I’m willing to make.

James Te Huna vs. Joey Beltran

R1: No time wasted between these two. They’re both throwing, but Te Huna is reaching Beltran first. Te Huna looks mighty relaxed out there, though Beltran isn’t shy to throw. It’s a measured pace, but both men are uncorking their hands. Te Huna went for a reverse elbow like Silva-Frykland but missed. Te Huna scores with a combo and has Beltran backing up. Te Huna is letting the hands go now. Big right. He looks very confident and is mixing up his strikes. Beltran counters and clips Te Huna before spinning and pressing him against the  cage. Te Huna get free from the cage and is connecting with big shots. He knocks Beltran down with a huge left hook and follows him to the ground. Te Huna working hard from mount with ground and pound, but Beltran somehow gets back up and eats plenty of more haymakers as the bell sounds.

R2: Mexicutioner gutted out that last round, let’s see what he’s got. Te Huna is very confident out there, mixing it up with body shots, upper cuts, etc. Beltran isn’t reaching him, but he’s standing tall. Te Huna with a single leg plants Beltran on his back…interesting choice considering he was owning the striking, but Beltran has power. Te Huna is working from guard, but the Mexicutioner nullifies his attack and they get stood up. Te Huna launches his hands before failing on another takedown. Beltran just isn’t reaching the New Zealander with his hands. Or feet. Te Huna’s slowed his attack as the clock ticked away and got tagged with a short shot that dropped him to his knees as the bell rang.

R3: Beltran is eager to throw, as he can’t take the decision at this point. Beltran forces Te Huna against the cage and lands a few elbows as they separate. Te Huna dumps him to the mat momentarily, but they’re back on their feet. There’s going to be a lot of cancer in Potatoland if no one finds the off-switch. Te Hun brings the action to the mat, but Beltran is back up. Big body shots by Te Huna, but Beltran don’t care. Two minutes left. Te Huna dumps Beltran to the canvas but lets him back up; the Kiwi’s looking tired now as Beltran takes him down. One minute. They’re standing again as Beltran scores a tight elbow against the cage. Beltran is going for it as the clock ticks down. And they slug away until the end. They’re headed to the scorecards. You’re headed to the oncologist.

James Te Huna takes the unanimous decision (30-26 & 30-27 x 2)

Time for our main event. We’re scheduled for five rounds of action; let’s see if it takes that long to find a winner.

Mark Munoz vs. Chris Weidman

R1: Wiedman opens with a couple of high kicks before ducking down and shooting in. All American off to a good start in control on the ground in side mount. Weidman works his way to Munoz’s back, but the Filipino Wrecking Machine stands up before eating two knees and returning to safer territory on the ground. Weidman maintains top control and nearly sinks in a guillotine before opting to drop some ‘bows. Weidman is calm and an in control as he drops elbows and tries to  isolate an arm. The crowd boos–they didn’t pay for high level grappling and momentary lapses in action! Weidman pounces on another guillotine from mount. Munoz scrambles free, but Weidman is all over him. They’re up on their feet and Weidman lands another knee before taking Munoz’s back. The round is over. That was all Weidman. Every second over it.

R2: Weidman takes him down again as soon as they’re within feet of each other. More control on the ground from Weidman, but Munoz wrangles free and we’re back to a standup battle. Munoz lunges in with a punch and Weidman connects with a hard elbow. Munoz drops forward, out cold, and the ref doesn’t notice for a good twenty to thirty seconds as Weidman pounds away. Munoz is bleeding like a stuck pig all over the canvas. Horribly late stoppage.

My god, that whole fight was Weidman’s, bell to bell. He extends his record to a perfect 9-0.

Chris Weidman scores the TKO victory (1:37 R2)

Well, that’s a wrap on tonight’s action. In the words of Seth Falvo, I need a Mr. Pibb and a blowjob, and not necessarily in that order. Take it easy, Nation.

[VIDEOS] UFC on FUEL 4: Munoz vs. Weidman Weigh-Ins and an Interview with Chael Sonnen


(TICKLE FIGHT!! Photo via MMAMania.)

Though it lacked the shoulder-checking excitement of the UFC 148 weigh-ins, last night’s UFC on FUEL 4 weigh-ins were not without their fair share of close calls. Mainly, that of Rafael Natal, Francis Carmont, and Alex Caceres, who all had to drop trou in order to make weight for their scheduled contests with Andrew Craig, Karlos Vemola, and Damacio Page, respectively. Caceres went au naturale right off the get-go to make 136, whereas Natal and Carmont managed to shed a pound following the aforementioned removal of their trousers, which must have been lined with a paper thin piece of iron or had a ham sandwich in the back pocket. Mark Munoz, on the other hand, squeaked in at the 186 pound limit for his main event matchup with fellow wrestling standout Chris Wediman.

And speaking of ham sandwiches/UFC 148, Subway aficionado Jay Glazer sat down alongside Ariel Helwani and recently dispatched middleweight contender Chael Sonnen to break down tonight’s main event, as well as discuss Sonnen’s UFC 148 loss and his future in the sport after the weigh-ins had concluded. We gotta give props to Glazer, who came right out and asked Sonnen, “What the hell were you thinking with that spinning elbow?” to which Sonnen responded in good humor, “I wish I could tell you…but I fell down like a doofus and I gotta live with it.” That you do, Chael. That you do.

Check out both of those videos and the full weigh-in results after the jump, and make sure to swing by CagePotato at 7 p.m. EST, where we will be liveblogging all the action in between heated games of Battleshots.


(TICKLE FIGHT!! Photo via MMAMania.)

Though it lacked the shoulder-checking excitement of the UFC 148 weigh-ins, last night’s UFC on FUEL 4 weigh-ins were not without their fair share of close calls. Mainly, that of Rafael Natal, Francis Carmont, and Alex Caceres, who all had to drop trou in order to make weight for their scheduled contests with Andrew Craig, Karlos Vemola, and Damacio Page, respectively. Caceres went au naturale right off the get-go to make 136, whereas Natal and Carmont managed to shed a pound following the aforementioned removal of their trousers, which must have been lined with a paper thin piece of iron or had a ham sandwich in the back pocket. Mark Munoz, on the other hand, squeaked in at the 186 pound limit for his main event matchup with fellow wrestling standout Chris Wediman.

And speaking of ham sandwiches/UFC 148, Subway aficionado Jay Glazer sat down alongside Ariel Helwani and recently dispatched middleweight contender Chael Sonnen to break down tonight’s main event, as well as discuss Sonnen’s UFC 148 loss and his future in the sport after the weigh-ins had concluded. We gotta give props to Glazer, who came right out and asked Sonnen, “What the hell were you thinking with that spinning elbow?” to which Sonnen responded in good humor, “I wish I could tell you…but I fell down like a doofus and I gotta live with it.” That you do, Chael. That you do.

Check out both of those videos and the full weigh-in results after the jump, and make sure to swing by CagePotato at 7 p.m. EST, where we will be liveblogging all the action in between heated games of Battleshots.

Weigh-in Video (starts at the 10 minute mark)

Interview with Chael Sonnen

When asked on the perceived illegality of the knee in question, Sonnen stated that:

Here’s the reality. We don’t do instant replay in this sport and we shouldn’t. It comes down to a judgement call and wherever the referee says the knee landed, officially, that’s where the knee landed. That’s an excellent official as they all are; he made his call and that’s the way it goes, and I will never complain or look back.

Helwani immediately brought up the recent decision by Sonnen’s camp to appeal the fight verdict, as it seemed somewhat contradictory to what Sonnen had just said, to which Sonnen replied that “We would never appeal a decision.” If that is truly the case, then I have just gained back a ton of respect for Sonnen. Now if only I could hold onto it for more than a week at a time. Sonnen also said that he would not even begin to consider retirement for at least a few more weeks, referring to but not mentioning the hasty, emotion-based retirements of guys like BJ Penn.

Weigh-in Results

Main Card (FUEL TV)
Mark Munoz (186 lbs.) vs. Chris Weidman (186 lbs.)
James Te Huna (205 lbs.) vs. Joey Beltran (205 lbs.)
Aaron Simpson (171 lbs.) vs. Kenny Robertson (170 lbs.)
Karlos Vemola (186 lbs.) vs. Francis Carmont (186 lbs.)
T.J. Dillashaw (136 lbs.) vs. Vaughan Lee (135 lbs.)

Preliminary Card (Facebook)
Damacio Page (136 lbs.) vs. Alex Caceres (136 lbs.)
Chris Cariaso (125 lbs.) vs. Josh Ferguson (125 lbs.)
Rafael Natal (186 lbs.) vs. Andrew Craig (185 lbs.)
Marcelo Guimaraes (171 lbs.) vs. Dan Stittgen (170 lbs.)
Raphael Assuncao (136 lbs.) vs. Issei Tamura (135 lbs.)

Will Munoz follow through on his promise to throw some bombs? Will Beltran’s glorious return to the UFC at 205 lbs against the hard hitting Te Huna be all for naught? Will “The Angel of Death” fall prey to a submission yet again? Tune in tonight and find out.

J. Jones

UFC on Fuel TV 4 – MMAFix Staff Picks

Most of the staff is still recovering from UFC 148 so for UFC on Fuel TV 4, only Ryan and I will bringing you picks. But after his 6-0 performance on Saturday, who else’s picks.

Most of the staff is still recovering from UFC 148 so for UFC on Fuel TV 4, only Ryan and I will bringing you picks. But after his 6-0 performance on Saturday, who else’s picks do you really need?


Chris Weidman (-145) vs. Mark Munoz (+115)
Ryan: No clue why Weidman is the favorite to win. Munoz has faced higher level opponents and he looked more impressive than Weidman when you compare both their fights against Demian Maia. Munoz will shrug off Weidman’s submission attempts and control him on the ground. Munoz by TKO via GNP. Winner: Munoz

Alan: I’m with Ryan here. I don’t expect a finish but I don’t see why Weidman is the favorite. And not only is he the favorite, but the line has moved more in his favor since the end of last week, which means people are betting Weidman. I don’t understand it. Two great wrestlers usually equals a striking match and Munoz has a pretty clear advantage there. What am I missing? Winner: Munoz


James Te Huna vs. Joey Beltran
Ryan: Te-Huna is coming off 2 impressive knockout wins, while Beltran lost his last 2 fights in the octagon. Te-Huna is better than Beltran in every aspect of the game. Te-Huna by KO. Winner: Te Huna

Alan: This is going to be a slugfest and I’m taking Te Huna as well. Beltran has a brick chin but Te Huna has a brick fist so as long as he lands first, he should get a quick TKO victory. Winner: Te Huna


Aaron Simpson vs. Kenny Robertson
Ryan: As long as Simpson isn’t drained by his first weight cut to 170lbs (which he shouldn’t because he his a veteran wrestler), he should have no problem beating Robertson. Simpson is a better wrestler and a more powerful striker. Simpson by TKO. Winner: Simpson

Alan: What we have here is a great minds think alike type situation. The biggest challenge for Simpson in this fight will be the weight cut. As long as he doesn’t gas, he should win this one easily. No disrespect to Robertson but Simpson went from a huge underdog to a huge favorite when Robertson was announced to replace Jon Fitch. Winner: Simpson


Karlos Vemola vs. Francis Carmont
Ryan: Vemola is a beast at 185lbs. He will have no problem out wrestling Carmont and look to take his back. If Vemola can’t sink in the RNC he will finish the fight by GNP. Winner: Vemola

Alan: We agree again. I don’t think the gap is as big between these two and Vemola could be in trouble if he decides to stand and trade but as long as he looks to get the takedown and control Carmont on the mat, he should be able to earn the victory. Winner: Vemola


T.J. Dillashaw vs. Vaughan Lee
Ryan: Lee is a well rounded fighter, but Dillashaw will sooner or later take Lee down and submit him (most likely with a RNC). Winner: Dillashaw

Alan: I don’t think this one will be close. Dillashaw is constantly improving training at Team Alpha Male and Lee was supposed to be a feeder for Kid Yamamoto. Dillashaw did everything but finish Walel Watson in his last fight and hopefully he can take that next step against Lee. Winner: Dillashaw


Anthony Njokuani vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
Ryan: Njokuani has trouble with good ground fighters. On top of that, Rafael dos Anjos has developed some excellent striking. Rafael dos Anjos by submission. Winner: Dos Anjos

Alan: We finally disagree! But after Ryan’s perfect night, I don’t feel great about it. I don’t think Dos Anjos has the wrestling to get Njokuani down and keep him down. Danny Castillo struggled to keep him down and I don’t think Dos Anjos has that kind of wrestling. I expect Njokuani to keep this fight mostly on the feet and strike his way to victory. Winner: Njokuani