The road to UFC 189 has certainly had its share of twists and turns, particularly in the main event, due to Jose Aldo having to pull out of his title fight. But as the old saying goes "The show must go on," and us fans still have a pretty decent card to look forward to.
Let's take a look...
Let's take a look...
Brad "One Punch" Pickett (24-10-0) vs. Thomas "Thominhas" Almeida (18-0-0)
Since his UFC debut in 2011, Pickett has been more or less like a yo-yo, meaning that he's been up and down more times than an elevator, but never seems to stay in one place. He is coming off two disappointing losses in a row now, and really needs an impressive win here, but he's facing a man who's undefeated in his MMA career, including two wins in the UFC, with most of those victories being knockouts. Overall, Pickett may be more well-rounded and certainly has the experience edge, but if you also take into consideration that Almeida is 13 years younger than his opponent and will probably have more confidence than Pickett, since he has yet to taste defeat, it makes for a very interesting fight. I'm going to have to call the upset here and pick Almeida to get the Unanimous Decision.
Gunnar "Gunni" Nelson (13-1-1) vs. Brandon "Rukus" Thatch (11-2-0)
This is going to be a great fight, as these two have almost identical records. In fact, they both lost their previous fights, but I'm sure most would agree that there wasn't anything to be ashamed about in either case. Nelson lost a decision to Rick Story, which really could have gone either way, while Thatch was submitted by Ben Henderson, who held the Lightweight Title for a year and a half. These guys both like to throw hands, so I can picture a lot of flying fists in this one. They're also so evenly matched, that it's almost impossible to pick a winner. I think this will end up going the distance, and if that's the case, I'd have to say that Nelson has the slight advantage, since Thatch has never won a decision. I'll go with Nelson by Split Decision.
Dennis "The Menace" Bermudez (14-4-0) vs. Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens (23-11-0)
Stephens hasn't had a whole lot of luck lately, and he really needs a convincing win here to inch his way closer to the title picture. But against a guy like Bermudez, it's easier said than done. Bermudez has come a long way since losing in the Ultimate Fighter finals in 2011. Actually, his only loss since then was in his latest fight, where he was submitted by former Featherweight contender Ricardo Lamas. But before then, Bermudez chalked up quite a few impressive wins, including a submission victory over Clay Guida. The Lamas fight might have been a setback, but Stephens has had his own share of devastating losses in the UFC, so I don't think it'll affect Bermudez's performance in this one. I'll take Bermudez to win by TKO.
"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (25-10-0) vs. Rory "Red King" MacDonald (18-2-0) for the UFC Welterweight Championship
Things are really starting to heat up in this division, and I am very excited about this fight in particular. The last time MacDonald lost a fight, it was against none other than Robbie Lawler. But much like Lawler was able to bounce back from a devastating loss and eventually claim the gold, MacDonald has been on an impressive winning streak himself, leading up to this point. Even though Lawler has the championship advantage, I think MacDonald will be bringing everything he's got here, particularly because he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Both guys will definitely be going for the knockout, but I don't think either of them will get it. This fight will likely go the distance and as hard as it is to call, I think MacDonald will win the Split Decision this time, and take the title.
Conor "Notorious" McGregor (17-2-0) vs. Chad "Money" Mendes (17-2-0) for the Interim UFC Featherweight Championship
Needless to say, these two have identical records, but the main difference is that Mendes has already had his share of title opportunities, while this is McGregor's maiden voyage to the promised land, so to speak. McGregor hasn't tasted defeat since 2010, and his last three wins were all knockouts. The guy can sell tickets; that's for sure. No disrespect to any of McGregor's opponents, but I just don't think McGregor has faced the caliber of fighter that Mendes has, considering that there were a couple of instances in Mendes' last fight with Jose Aldo, where I thought he was about to win the title. Honestly though, I don't think either one of these guys should have been given this opportunity ahead of Frankie Edgar, but that's just my opinion. As much as I want to see McGregor win, because I want to see him eventually fight Aldo, I don't think it's happening here. I'm going with Mendes to win the title by Unanimous Decision.
So there you have it.
Who are you picking?
Since his UFC debut in 2011, Pickett has been more or less like a yo-yo, meaning that he's been up and down more times than an elevator, but never seems to stay in one place. He is coming off two disappointing losses in a row now, and really needs an impressive win here, but he's facing a man who's undefeated in his MMA career, including two wins in the UFC, with most of those victories being knockouts. Overall, Pickett may be more well-rounded and certainly has the experience edge, but if you also take into consideration that Almeida is 13 years younger than his opponent and will probably have more confidence than Pickett, since he has yet to taste defeat, it makes for a very interesting fight. I'm going to have to call the upset here and pick Almeida to get the Unanimous Decision.
Gunnar "Gunni" Nelson (13-1-1) vs. Brandon "Rukus" Thatch (11-2-0)
This is going to be a great fight, as these two have almost identical records. In fact, they both lost their previous fights, but I'm sure most would agree that there wasn't anything to be ashamed about in either case. Nelson lost a decision to Rick Story, which really could have gone either way, while Thatch was submitted by Ben Henderson, who held the Lightweight Title for a year and a half. These guys both like to throw hands, so I can picture a lot of flying fists in this one. They're also so evenly matched, that it's almost impossible to pick a winner. I think this will end up going the distance, and if that's the case, I'd have to say that Nelson has the slight advantage, since Thatch has never won a decision. I'll go with Nelson by Split Decision.
Dennis "The Menace" Bermudez (14-4-0) vs. Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens (23-11-0)
Stephens hasn't had a whole lot of luck lately, and he really needs a convincing win here to inch his way closer to the title picture. But against a guy like Bermudez, it's easier said than done. Bermudez has come a long way since losing in the Ultimate Fighter finals in 2011. Actually, his only loss since then was in his latest fight, where he was submitted by former Featherweight contender Ricardo Lamas. But before then, Bermudez chalked up quite a few impressive wins, including a submission victory over Clay Guida. The Lamas fight might have been a setback, but Stephens has had his own share of devastating losses in the UFC, so I don't think it'll affect Bermudez's performance in this one. I'll take Bermudez to win by TKO.
"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler (25-10-0) vs. Rory "Red King" MacDonald (18-2-0) for the UFC Welterweight Championship
Things are really starting to heat up in this division, and I am very excited about this fight in particular. The last time MacDonald lost a fight, it was against none other than Robbie Lawler. But much like Lawler was able to bounce back from a devastating loss and eventually claim the gold, MacDonald has been on an impressive winning streak himself, leading up to this point. Even though Lawler has the championship advantage, I think MacDonald will be bringing everything he's got here, particularly because he has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Both guys will definitely be going for the knockout, but I don't think either of them will get it. This fight will likely go the distance and as hard as it is to call, I think MacDonald will win the Split Decision this time, and take the title.
Conor "Notorious" McGregor (17-2-0) vs. Chad "Money" Mendes (17-2-0) for the Interim UFC Featherweight Championship
Needless to say, these two have identical records, but the main difference is that Mendes has already had his share of title opportunities, while this is McGregor's maiden voyage to the promised land, so to speak. McGregor hasn't tasted defeat since 2010, and his last three wins were all knockouts. The guy can sell tickets; that's for sure. No disrespect to any of McGregor's opponents, but I just don't think McGregor has faced the caliber of fighter that Mendes has, considering that there were a couple of instances in Mendes' last fight with Jose Aldo, where I thought he was about to win the title. Honestly though, I don't think either one of these guys should have been given this opportunity ahead of Frankie Edgar, but that's just my opinion. As much as I want to see McGregor win, because I want to see him eventually fight Aldo, I don't think it's happening here. I'm going with Mendes to win the title by Unanimous Decision.
So there you have it.
Who are you picking?
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