2014 UFC PREDICTION RECORD: 104-59
PREDICTING FIGHTS CORRECTLY: 64%
PREDICTING FIGHTS WRONG: 36%
UFC 173: BARAO VS. DILLASHAW PREDICTIONS
BW: #1 Renan Barao (9-0) vs. #6 TJ Dillashaw (5-2)
Pick: Renan Barao – The only reason Dillashaw got this fight is because Raphael Assuncao is hurt and Dillashaw has the bigger name amongst the other mostly unknown bantamweight contenders. Barao will dominate and finish this fight.
LHW: #4 Dan Henderson (14-9) vs. #5 Daniel Cormier (1-0)
Pick: Daniel Cormier – Henderson is too old, too slow and too past-his-prime for the in-his-prime Dan Cormier.
WW: #4 Robbie Lawler (7-3) vs. #6 Jake Ellenberger (8-3)
Pick: Robbie Lawler – Tough fight to pick, but Lawler’s win against Rory MacDonald and close loss to champ johnny Hendricks has made me a believer.
BW: #5 Francisco Rivera (3-1) vs. #12 Takeya Mizugaki (8-5)
Pick: Francisco Rivera – This is going to be a coming out party for fellow Buena Park High School alumni (where I went to high school too) Francisco Rivera. Ever since cutting from featherweight to bantamweight, Cisco has been dominant.
LW: #56 James Krause (1-1) vs. #60 Jamie Varner (7-7)
Pick: James Krause – I have no clue why this fight is opening the pay per view when it should be on the UFC Fight Pass prelims.
LW: #35 Mike Chiesa (3-1) vs. #37 Francisco Trinaldo (4-2)
Pick: Mike Chiesa – Chiesa has a lot of talent and is part of the massive new wave of talent at lightweight: Nurmagomedov, Grant, Jury, Green, Khabilov, Ferguson, Iaqunita. I think Chiesa grows into a title contender in the next couple years.
LW: #21 Tony Ferguson (4-1) vs. #49 Katsunori Kikuno (1-0)
Pick: Tony Ferguson – Ferguson is only getting better and better each time he fights.
BW: #19 Chris Holdsworth (1-0) vs. #23 Chico Camus (3-1)
Pick: Chris Holdsworth – Holdsworth is my #1 bantamweight UFC prospect. He will fight for the title in 2-3 years.
LW: #23 Al Iaquinta (3-1) vs. #78 Mitch Clarke (1-2)
Pick: Al Iaquinta – In case you haven’t noticed, these UFC 173 prelims are being used to showcase future, potential title contenders.
LW: #38 Anthony Njokuani (7-6) vs. #65 Vinc Pichel (1-1)
Pick: Anthony Njokuani – On a fight card that’s a lot easier to pick than most UFC cards, this is one of the toughest fights to call. But Pichel is the type of fighter that Njokuani looks good against.
FW: #37 Sam Sicillia (2-3) vs. Aaron Phillips (0-0, #63 FW Prospect)
Pick: Sam Sicillia – Too much, too soon for Phillips. Phillips struggled and squeaked out a win over Tyler Shinn. Phillips will be too green against Sicillia.
WW: Jingliang Li (0-0, #91 WW Prospect) vs. David Michaud (0-0, #274 WW Prospect)
Pick: Jingliang Li – Despite Asian fighters not having a successful track record in the UFC, Li has beat pretty good mma prospects on his way to signing with the UFC and could do well. And Michaud is the type of opponent Li can beat. If the UFC plays it’s cards right, Jingliang Li could be the face of Chineese MMA.