The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 4 Finale: Machida vs. Romero will air on June 27, 2015 in Hollywood, Florida.
#4 LYOTO “THE DRAGON” MACHIDA (22-6-0) vs #6 YOEL “SOLDIER OF GOD” ROMERO (9-1-0)
This is a five round main event in the middleweight division. In this fight will be two fighters that hold a great style of martial arts that will finally be put to the test with possibility of making a big enough statement to earn a title shot against the winner of the Weidman vs. Rockhold match up. Machida brings a great style of Shotokan karate, Muay Thai, jiu-jitsu, wrestling and sumo, which have been proven to be a deadly combination of martial arts as he has defeated many great names in the sport and even held the UFC Light Heavyweight title. Romero brings wrestling and great takedown defense, which has helped him grow to great heights in the sport in just a short time to where he has defeated nine of ten opponents. Though Machida in this fight contains a much larger combination of martial arts, Romero has the ability to counter some of Machida’s skills that could give Romero the edge he needs to stay toe-to-toe with one of the top middleweights in the UFC. Though Machida will not be like any other opponent Romero has faced before, Machida always comes hard at his opponents even when the odds are against him completely. My prediction: Machida wins via submission in Round 2.
SANTIAGO “GENTE BOA” PONZINIBBIO (21-2-0) vs LORENZ “THE MONSOON” LARKIN (15-4-0, 1NC)
This is a three round fight in the welterweight division. In this fight are two welterweights that are at the bottom of the leader board in their division and plan to make a move up with another win under their belt and possibly begin facing upper welterweights in the process. Ponzinibbio brings jiu-jitsu and magnificent striking to this fight that have helped him become successful in victories by knockout and submission making him more equipped to finish his opponents. Larkin brings jiu-jitsu, powerful striking and great takedown defense that has made him very deadly on his feet making him that much more dangerous to go head to head with. With both fighters being almost identical in fighting style it seems that this fight will be pretty even, which it probably will, but what will set the pace of this fight is speed and durability. This makes me believe that Ponzinibbio will have the upper hand since he has finished many of his opponents in the first round. I believe he will be able to outlast Larkin with strikes and takedowns. However, if Larkin can use his striking power to the full he can sneak a victory in the fight and help secure him a spot amongst the other welterweights. My prediction: Ponzinibbio wins via knockout in Round 1.
THIAGO “MARRETA” SANTOS (10-3-0) vs STEVE “THE BOSS” BOSSE (10-1-0)
This is a three round fight in the middleweight division. In this fight are two fighters who are relatively new to the UFC and are planning to show the world why they deserve to be in the company. Bosse (former hokey player turned martial artist) brings basically striking and takedowns with not many other skills to the sport, which have some people wondering why he is even in the UFC. Santos brings Muay Thai, jiu-jitsu and capoeira, which makes his striking a deadly weapon as he is able to attack not only on his feet, but the ground as well. With Santos having a much greater style of martial arts gives me reason to believe that he will be able to take this fight. Santos already has a few fights in the UFC and he has an idea of what it takes to win in the sport. Though I will not leave Bosse out since there have been many fighters who have come into the UFC and have made an impressive debut that has caught the attention of their entire weight class. My prediction: Santos wins via knockout in Round 1.
