Here’s what our MMA writers’ records for the year look like thus far.
Bourbon Ben Kiely: 22-10
Darragh The Quizmaster Murphy: 20-12
Conor McGregor (19-2) vs. Nate Diaz (18-10)
BK: I don’t care how many triathlons he was training for, 12 days isn’t enough to prepare for a fighter as talented as Conor McGregor. For that reason, a little part of me wants Diaz to win this fight. How can you not root for the less marketable, foul-mouthed underdog who nobody’s giving a hope in hell to upset the odds and beat the charismatic, seemingly invincible, self-professed business man?
In the grand scheme of things, a loss here for McGregor wouldn’t be the end of the world. It would mean he won’t get a welterweight title shot at UFC 200 and he’d be on the receiving end of a slew of online abuse for a few months. Big whoop, he’s still got the featherweight belt and a lightweight title shot to go for.
However, barring some sort of Rocky II type performance from the Stockton native, I believe McGregor will be able to toy with him as he’s already predicted. McGregor via KO (round two)
DM: Diaz may not have taken the bait as previous opponents have in terms of the mindgames but there should still be no way that he wins this fight.
Even taking away the fact that he’s taking it on eleven days’ notice against someone who had been preparing day-in, day-out for a world title fight over the past 12 weeks, the skillsets alone point towards a routine McGregor victory.
Just look at Diaz’s fight with Josh Thompson for the template that McGregor is likely going to follow on Saturday night.
If you can prevent Nate from finding his distance early then there’s literally no way back for him.
McGregor will be too fast, too strong and too athletic for Diaz to drag this into a Jiu-Jitsu contest. McGregor’s hands are realistically better than Diaz’s and the disparity between their kicking games isn’t even worth discussing.
I can see Conor peppering away at the body in the first round, going low with a few kicks before going high, rocking Diaz and finishing with strikes against the cage in the second. McGregor via TKO (round two)
Holly Holm (10-0) vs. Miesha Tate (17-5)
BK: From a purely fighting perspective, this should really be the main event. We know that Holm matches up well against Ronda Rousey, and you would also fancy her against pretty much all of the strikers in the women’s bantamweight division, but Tate presents a very different challenge.
Tate’s biggest strengths are her experience and her durability. She’s extremely well-rounded in every aspect of the game, but she’s truly elite in terms of fight IQ and her ability to take damage. The question is will that help her against a monstrous knockout artist like Holm? I don’t think so, but I’m hoping for a competitive war. Holm via TKO (round three)
DM: I’m torn here because these are my two favourite fighters at 135 lbs.
In fact, I had started writing this as a pick for Tate because I just had a feeling that she would be able to grind her way to a victory.
Then I rewatched Holm’s dismantling of Rousey for the 23rd time.
On the feet, Holm has an advantage over pretty much everyone so Tate will be relying on clinching, dirty boxing and wrestling.
I just feel that Holm is too athletic to be bullied by Tate and with the takedown defence that she possesses, it’s hard to see how Holm doesn’t keep this one standing. Holm by decision
Gian Villante (14-6) vs. Ilir Latifi (11-4-1NC)
BK: When Super Swede Latifi hits things, they generally break, and he has a propensity for causing havoc pretty quickly. All four of his UFC wins have been first round finishes meaning he presents an early storm that’s exceptionally difficult to weather.
Villante can throw down, but he tends to leave his chin wide open. Can’t see this one lasting too long. Latifi via KO (round one)
DM: Latifi’s right hand should be an illegal blow. That’s how powerful it is.
But for all his knockout ability, he’s not a tremendously technical fighter. He telegraphs absolutely everything and rushes in far too often for my liking.
I think that Villante has the wrestling pedigree to take Latifi down and if he does that, he should eke out a decision in my opinion.
Plus, Chris Weidman told me to pick Villante and I’m not going to go against what Chris Weidman says now, am I? Villante by decision
Corey Anderson (7-1) vs. Tom Lawlor (10-5-1NC)
BK: Anderson’s the better wrestler and he’s a competent striker. All he has to do is play to his strengths and it will be his fight to lose.
Anderson by decision
DM: This one could get boring.
I think Lawlor has the striking tools to complicate things for Corey Anderson but when a wrestler starts getting hit, it doesn’t usually take long for them to shoot in on a double.
Anderson is a much better wrestler but I don’t think he has the ground skills to finish Lawlor. I’m predicting a very lay-and-pray kind of fifteen minutes. Anderson by decision
Amanda Nunes (11-4) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (12-1)
BK: Shevchenko is an absolutely lethal striker. Although Nunes has more experience inside the Octagon, Shevchenko is a very decorated Muay Thai practitioner.
If Nunes gets her on her back though, she may be toast as the Brazilian can rain down with devastating ground and pound from the top position which might overwhelm a natural stand-up fighter like Shevchenko.
A dominant win from either fighter here might just earn them a shot at the winner of the co-main event. Stranger things have happened – McGregor and Diaz are fighting at 170, for example. Shevchenko by decision
DM: I’m just not ready to buy Valentina Shevchenko, I’m afraid.
Her striking skills are pretty good but Amanda Nunes has proven comprehensively that she can deal with talented strikers, see Germaine de Randamie fight.
I was asked before UFC 193 was announced who I thought should get the next shot at Ronda Rousey and I listed Miesha Tate, followed by Amanda Nunes, then Holm.
I really believe that Nunes is the real deal and I’m backing her to the hilt. Nunes by TKO (round two)
