C DEMETRIOUS “MIGHTY MOUSE” JOHNSON (21-2-1) vs #1 JOHN “THE MAGICIAN” DODSON (18-6-0)
This is a five round fight for the UFC Flyweight Championship. This fight will be a rematch between the current champion and the number one contender from their first fight which took place in January 2013 on UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Dodson in which Johnson won via unanimous decision. Johnson brings pankration and wrestling that has helped him hold a great MMA record, but also made him such a dominate athlete that has brought him to the number three spot on the pound-for-pound rankings. Dodson brings kickboxing, boxing, wrestling and Gaidojutsu that has also given him a great MMA record in which he proved to be a deadly striker and ground gamer. Now if both these fighters continue their game from their first epic fight then this fight will most likely be no different, but what could set the score this time is that with Johnson’s striking and wrestling mixed together he could really lay some damage on Dodson and possibly put him away in this fight. Though Dodson has those two combinations as well and if he used them more to his advantage he could surprise Johnson with a few strikes and takedowns with the possibility of finishing Johnson and becoming the new UFC Flyweight Champion. But this fight is pretty close so anything can happen and fans are sure to see another epic battle. My prediction: Johnson wins via TKO in Round 2.
#4 ANDREI “PIT BULL” ARLOVSKI (24-10-0, 1NC) vs #10 FRANK MIR (18-9-0)
This is a three round fight in the heavyweight division. In this fight are two fighters that are former UFC Heavyweight Champions that have begun to make a comeback in their careers and now on the verge of earning a possible title shot with hopes to hold UFC gold once again. Arlovski brings sambo, jiu-jitsu and kickboxing that has made him not only a great ground fighter, but also one of the deadliest strikers in the UFC and MMA altogether as he became the first man to ever knockout out Roy Nelson and the second to ever knockout over 300 fight veteran Travis Fulton. Mir brings kenpo, Muay Thai, jiu-jitsu, wrestling and boxing that have shown to be a great combination in his fights that has lead him to win the most fights and submissions in the heavyweight division of the UFC. With what each fighter brings and the great accomplishments they hold, the fight looks to be like an epic one. Arlovski’s knockout power will surely be his biggest weapon of choice in this fight and if he can get Mir up against the cage and keep him there, he will be able to cause serious damage to Mir and put him away with a devastating knockout. Though Mir’s wrestling could prove to be much more than Arlovski can handle and if Mir turned the fight into a ground game then he could receive the edge he needs to put Arlovski away with a submission attempt. With all that could go down in this fight it will be a matter of who is faster and who has the better game to see who walks away one step closer of having a shot at the gold once again. My prediction: Arlovski wins via knockout in Round 1.
#1 ANTHONY “RUMBLE” JOHNSON (19-4-0) vs #7 JIMI “POSTER BOY” MANUWA (15-1-0)
This is a three round fight in the light heavyweight division. In this fight are two fighters that have climbed up the leader board very quickly in their careers and are now looking for a chance to prove that they have what it takes to compete for the UFC Light Heavyweight title. Johnson brings powerful striking and wrestling that has helped him win many of his fights by knockout within the first round. Manuwa brings striking power and jiu-jitsu that has helped him win thirteen of his fifteen wins by knockout. When looking at all the aspects of this fight it looks as if the fight is very even as both fighters have striking power and wonderful ground game. Though Johnson’s speed and striking will prove to be devastating and maybe more than Manuwa can handle as he has never faced someone with great power in his strikes than Johnson. Though Manuwa has great striking power as well and actually paces himself a little better than Johnson, which could be used to his advantage as Johnson always tries to end his fights as early as he can by rushing them. If Manuwa were to let Johnson rush the fight, but stay ahead of him, he could let Johnson wear himself down enough to where Manuwa can sneak a knockout punch in there and thus placing a huge win under his belt. When it all comes down the fight will be really about who has the better striking and cardio. My prediction: Manuwa wins via knockout in Round 1.
#7 PAIGE “12 GAUGE” VANZANT (5-1-0) vs ALEX “ASTRO GIRL” CHAMBERS (4-2-0)
This is a three round fight in the women’s strawweight division. In this fight are two fighters that are planning to make a big statement and prove to everyone why they deserve to compete inside the octagon of the UFC. VanZant brings jiu-jitsu along with great athleticism that has helped her rise to fame both in and outside of the cage, but also given her a well balanced skill set of submissions, strikes and takedowns. Chambers brings karate and jiu-jitsu that have given her great submission techniques and striking power making her deadly on both feet and ground. Both fighters seem to have a well balanced skill set though VanZant seems to have more athleticism, which could give her the hand in the fight as she could wear down Chambers to where she could put her in a submission attempt or strike her repeatedly until she falls or is unable to defend herself. However, Chambers could use her combination or striking at takedowns to possibly place VanZant in serious trouble by pulling a few submission attempts on her with the possibility of putting VanZant away and adding a major victory to her career, but she will have to keep up with VanZant’s speed and athleticism in order to stay toe-to-toe with her. My prediction: VanZant wins via knockout in Round 3.
