After a two week hiatus, the world’s biggest MMA promotion is back.
Here’s what our MMA writers’ records for the year look like thus far.
Bourbon Ben Kiely: 24-13
Darragh The Quizmaster Murphy: 22-15
Mark Hunt (11-10-1) vs. Frank Mir (18-10)
BK: Jesus loves knockouts and I think one week from Good Friday, which if you think about it, wasn’t a particularly good Friday for anyone involved, the Christian saviour is going to get his blood thirst quenched courtesy of a patented Mark Hunt haymaker.
Mir’s boxing has improved, but this is an MMA fight. The Super Samoan is an expert at closing the distance with taller fighters and unless Mir can punch his way in, score the takedown and work for a submission, I feel like we may see his decapitated dome rolling around the canvas at the end of the fight.
Hunt via walk-off KO (round one)
DM: Put quite simply, if your chin is in any way questionable then Mark Hunt is going to ruin your night.
It takes a special kind of grittiness to take Hunt’s power and a Frank Mir in 2006 may have been able to do so but a Frank Mir in 2016… I’m not so sure.
Mir is a capable striker but let’s not get carried away with his knockout of Todd Duffee. Mir is a submission guy first and foremost and would be foolish to even entertain the idea of standing with Hunt.
‘The Super Samoan’ is truly amazing at judging any level changes of his opponent and I foresee him catching Mir when the American looks to drop down for a single leg.
Hunt via uppercut from hell (round one)
Neil Magny (17-4) vs. Hector Lombard (34-4-1-1NC)
BK: 18 months ago, I would have picked Lombard. However, 18 months ago I was still underestimating Magny and Lombard had not been stung for juicing yet.
Magny has really impressed me with not only his performances inside the Octagon, but also his commitment to improving his skill set between fights. The dude’s constantly evolving and his condor-like wingspan, stellar cardio and tricky ground game should give stumpy Lombard problems.
Magny via decision
DM: When the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s away, Hector Lombard will play.
In all seriousness, though, I’d be lying if I said I saw anything other than another Neil Magny win.
During his 2015 meeting with Kelvin Gastelum, many believed that Magny would struggle to keep the wrestler away from his hips but Magny did so with aplomb.
Magny is far more technical than Lombard and although his physique may not be as impressive as that of the Judo specialist, his fight IQ certainly is.
Magny will pepper Lombard away from the outside, keep him overly cautious when it comes to rushing in on takedown attempts and out-cardio him en route to a unanimous decision.
Magny by decision
Jake Matthews (9-1) vs. Johnny Case (22-4)
BK: Coin toss, but I’m going with Matthews to give his hometown crowd something to cheer about. Why not?
Matthews via decision
DM: Too soon for Jake Matthews, simple as that.
He’s a great grappler but still a little bit naive when it comes to his reliance on that department.
Case is a far superior striker and he’s absolutely no slouch on the ground so should be able to at least defend against Matthews’ gameplan.
As for Matthews’ ability to stand with Case, I’m not so sure.
Case by TKO (round two)
Dan Kelly (10-1) vs. Antonio Carlos Junior (5-1-1NC)
BK: Can’t see any area where Kelly has the advantage. ACJ is more athletic, more powerful and by far the better grappler. Kelly is likely to have the most success in the clinch, or staying conservative with the striking from the outside. He’d need a tactically perfect Miesha Tate-esque performance to win this one and I don’t think he has it in him.
ACJ via submission (round two)
DM: Kelly’s advantage? This fight is in Australia.
Carlos Junior’s advantage? Everything else.
This is a mismatch in every sense of the word and the Brazilian could well kill a man on Saturday night.
Carlos Junior via submission (round one)
James Te Huna (16-8) vs. Steve Bosse (10-2)
BK: If this is an MMA fight, Te Huna takes it easy. If the Kiwi thinks he can brawl with the former ice hockey enforcer, he could be in serious trouble. The one thing Bosse has going for him is his ability to stand and bang.
Te Huna via submission (round two)
DM: This is exactly the fight that James Te Huna needs to keep his job.
Steve Bosse is tough but that’s pretty much all he brings to the table and if Te Huna can keep this any way technical then he should romp to victory, his first since 2013.
Fans who think that Te Huna’s 0-3 recent record means that he’s done for should take a look at the level of competition that those losses came against – Glover Teixeira, ‘Shogun’ and Nate Marquardt.
Steve Bosse, meanwhile, has just been knocked out by Thiago Santos in 30 seconds.
Te Huna by TKO (round one)
Bec Rawlings (6-4) vs. Seohee Ham (16-6)
BK: There is a theory out there that physicality wins fights for low to mid-level female fighters. If that’s the case, then the much bigger Rawlings should be able to bully her way past natural atomweight Ham.
However, as a purist, I believe that Einstein trumps Darwin in this game. Rawlings is very hittable and Ham is the far more technical striker, albeit, her punches don’t pack that much power. Rawlings will have her moments, but ultimately, class should prevail.
Ham via decision
DM: I love Hamderlei and her fight against Cortney Casey was one of my favourite fights of last year, so much so that I made a mental note that I wouldn’t be picking against her any time soon.
Then I changed my mind. What you gonna do about it?
Seohee Ham puts herself in bad positions too often for my liking and I think that, after working at Alliance MMA, Bec Rawlings will be at the best we’ve ever seen her.
She is a huge strawweight and she should be able to assert her dominance in this one early on. I can see her hurting Ham on the feet before diving on a body-lock and getting a rear naked choke.
Rawlings via submission (round one)
