By Lance LeVan
UFC 179 is being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Oct. 25. In my opinion, this is a very “top heavy” fight card. The top three fights have five fighters in the Top 20. Four of the fighters are in the Top 10. It looks to be a very exciting, action-packed night of fights. And the Brazilian fans always are very vocal and loud for these fights. The arena will DEFINITELY be rocking.
(C) Jose “Junior” Aldo (24-1-0) vs. (No. 1) Chad “Money” Mendes (16-1-0)
This is going to be a five-round featherweight (145 pounds) title fight. This definitely is one of those fights that you have got to watch. I have been waiting for this rematch since January 2012 when Mendes lost to Aldo for the title. This has been Mendes’ only loss in his career and in my opinion, this is going to be a slugfest! Obviously, Aldo is awesome. HE’S THE CHAMPION! Both of these fighters like to throw punches and both like the ground-and-pound aspect of the fight. Mendes is a wrestler and Aldo is a world-class black belt in BJJ. I don’t think they are going to be on the ground very much…but if they are, expect a lot of speed and movement. I think Mendes is looking to avenge his only professional loss. I think Aldo knows this and has been training extra hard for this fight. This is an especially tough match to try and predict. But I think, in this instance, I am going to side with the champ. He has more experience and has successfully defended his title nine times. Clearly this is not his first rodeo. However, I believe that Mendes is one of the only people who can honestly challenge Aldo. My prediction: Aldo wins by split decision.
(No. 4) Glover Teixeira (22-3-0) vs. (No. 6) Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (12-2-0, 1 NC)
This is a three-round, light-heavyweight (205 pounds) fight. Teixeira is going to be a crowd favorite since he is Brazilian. He also is a second degree black belt in BJJ…not to mention, he loves to strike. Davis was a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 wrestler and has his purple belt in BJJ. This is another fight that I don’t think is going to go to the ground very often. I think these guys are going to be throwing LOTS of punches, kicks and elbows. Both of these guys have fought very highlevel opponents. Teixeira has won 20 of his last 21 fights. His most recent loss was to Jon Jones (for the title). Davis has won three of his last four fights…but almost all have been a “who’s-who” of the light heavyweight division. If either fighter decisively wins this fight, he may move further up the rankings ladder…closer to a title shot. I think this is going to be a good test for both fighters. However, once again, I have to go with the experience and the higher level of BJJ. My prediction: Teixeira wins via submission in the third.
(No. 15) Scott “Young Guns” Jorgensen (15-9-0) vs. Wilson Reis (18-5-0)
This is a flyweight (125 pounds) fight that should be action-packed. Historically, the lighter division fighters usually are much more active and faster than their heavier counterparts. These guys are extremely fast and very technical… which makes for some very fast action in the Octagon. Jorgensen was an NCAA Division 1 wrestler and is a purple belt in BJJ. Reis is a black belt in BJJ and has won several high-level BJJ world titles. Reis has won six of his last seven fights as a professional fighter. Jorgensen has dropped five of his last seven fights in the UFC. I know that he is ranked No. 15 (which I am not sure why), but he could be on the proverbial “chopping block” if he doesn’t win this match in the eyes of Dana White and the UFC. An impressive win here could get him back on track in the rankings. A decisive win for Reis could propel him into the Top 20 and get him on track to move up the ladder closer to a title shot, somewhere in the future. Either way, this is going to be a fast-paced fight and it will be very entertaining to watch. We’ll see what they bring to the cage that night. Will they try to win by “not losing” or will they leave everything they have in the ring for 15 minutes. My prediction: Reis wins via TKO in the third round.
Disagree with me? Let me know via twitter @BlitzWeekly and we’ll see who has better picks the night of the fights.
