The main event at UFC Fight Night 60 sees a former champion move up a weight class to give a rising star the toughest test of his career to date
There is nothing separating our writers at this stage.
Darragh “The Quizmaster” Murphy: 30-18
“Bourbon” Ben Kiely: 30-18
Benson Henderson (21-5) v Brandon Thatch (11-1)
DM: I’m bloody torn. Neither fighter really drives me crazy with excitement right now. Henderson has looked a shadow of his former self in his last two outings and is coming in as a late replacement for his first fight at welterweight. While Brandon Thatch hasn’t fought anyone who would warrant a main-event bout this time around.
The result of this clash entirely depends on how the fight plays out. If Benson can drag the fight to the ground, which he undoubtedly can, then he has all the potential in the world of riding out a unanimous decision because Thatch doesn’t seem overly comfortable off his back.
But each round starts standing and I give Thatch the advantage on the feet. He’s a big welterweight and will have much more power than the former lightweight champion. I foresee Henderson getting sloppy with takedown attempts around round 3 and Thatch will land one of those devastating knees. Plus, hometown advantage can never be counted out. Brandon Thatch by TKO (round 3)
BK: Bendo comes into this one as a late replacement Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. So, instead of two exciting prospects battling it out we have two possibilities. Either the upstart defeats a veteran who’s desperate to break his losing streak or we’ll see a former champion completely overwhelm the less experienced fighter, pushing him back into obscurity.
Incredibly, all of Thatch’s 11 professional wins have been first round finishes. Whereas Henderson was stopped in the first round of three of his five losses. Another interesting statistic is that Henderson lost the only non-lightweight bout of his career, a 160 lb catchweight contest in the early days of his career back in 2007.
That being said, I have to go with the former lightweight champ for this one. His chin was called into question after the dos Anjos fight but he proved against Cerrone, a fight he unjustly lost, that it’s still made of granite. I’m backing the masterful tactician to hold his nerve and grind out a decision victory against the bigger, more powerful fighter. Benson Henderson by decision.
Max Holloway (11-3) v Cole Miller (21-8)
DM: Having Cole Miller in the co-main event of a 2015 fight card is sheer madness.
If you’re a fan of lanky legs flailing about then this is the bout for you. Miller’s obviously going to be itching to get this fight to the mat where he will look to add to the fifteen submission wins he already has to his name
But I think Holloway is scrappy enough to fight off the takedown attempts of the TUF 5 vet. The Hawaiian is a much smoother stand-up fighter than Miller and I see Holloway outstriking him en route to a decision victory. Max Holloway by decision.
BK: Oh dear, having a match-up like this second from the top of the bill illustrates why February is a notoriously poor month for MMA fans.
However, I’m really looking forward to seeing Holloway do his thing again. Blessed is one of the more underrated fighters in the division, consistently being written off after losses to Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor and Dennis Bermudez, who are all at the business end of the division. It’s easy to forget that a mere three months ago, Holloway was blowing out 23 candles on a birthday cake.
Since the McGregor loss, he’s scored four consecutive finishes and looks like he has the potential to be a future title contender. As McGregor says, Miller is nothing more than a jobber. Sure, he’s dangerous and can win a fight on his day but I get the feeling talent will prevail. Holloway via TKO (Round 2)
Neil Magny (13-3) v Kiichi Kunimoto (18-5-2, 1NC)
DM: The bookmakers have Magny a 2/11 favourite going into this welterweight match-up which I think is a little drastic considering how dangerous Kunimoto is on the ground.
I think this fight is going to be a lot closer than most expect but reckon that Magny might just be that little too big a step-up in competition for the Japanese fighter. Magny is riding a five-fight win streak and my picking of his is not to say that I believe he is going to make a title run any time soon but the TUF 16 product should have enough to get the decision here. Neil Magny by decision.
BK: The Magny train caught fire last year and I don’t think Kunimoto has the ability to put out the blaze. Magny tied the record for most wins in calender year in 2014 by winning all five of his bouts. Remarkably, three of those victories went to the judges’ scorecards which just goes to show the size of the New York native’s gas tank.
Kunimoto’s style should cause Magny some problems and make this fight interesting but the American should be able to utilise his reach advantage to stick and move from the outside and keep that hot streak going. Neil Magny by decision
Patrick Walsh (5-1) v Daniel Kelly (8-0)
DM: If this fight was opening up the prelims, I’d still be disappointed in it. Distinctly average fighters here but I think everything points towards a Dan Kelly win. He’s an elite-level grappler and looked an awful lot healthier than Walsh at the weigh-ins.
Walsh weighed in massively overweight and elected not to re-weigh which would suggest that he was absolutely drained. That clarifies Kelly’s chances and I see him finishing this off early. Kelly via submission (Round 1)
BK: 37-year-old Kelly is a four time Olympian. He’s got elite level judo skills and that could prove to be the difference against the former TUF competitor. Walsh was impressive in his UFC debut but he still looks like a limited fighter. He’s a straight-up brawler who relies on his natural power rather than proper technique. Kelly should have a relatively easy night’s work and keep his record spotless if he can stay away from the heavy hands of Walsh. Kelly via submission (Round 2)
Michel Prazeres (18-1) v Kevin Lee (9-1)
DM: Tricky one this as it all depends on where the fight plays out. If it turns into a kickboxing match, Lee wins all day long but, if Prazeres can get a hold of the up-and-coming Lee, I see a submission victory on the horizon for the Brazilian. Also Lee rubbed me up the wrong way at the weigh-ins so can’t be picking a ruffian like that. Michel Prazeres via submission (round 2)
BK: The Brazilian’s a better grappler but Lee has a stark advantage in the striking department. No, I’m not going to wheel out that hackneyed cliche Joe Rogan uses to describe every other match-up. However, I do think Lee’s stand-up will see him home to a close fought victory. Lee via decision
Chris Kelades (8-1) v Ray Borg (7-1)
DM: I’m stunned that Borg is the biggest favourite on this card at 1/6. I’m so stunned that I’ve been moved to change my fight pick for the underdog Kelades. The Canadian got the upset decision over our very own Paddy Holohan last time around and there’s nothing to suggest that he can’t do the same to Borg.
Sure Ray Borg has some nasty submissions but, so too did Holohan, and Kelades came out on top against the Irishman so I’m predicting something similar in this card’s opening bout. Kelades is gritty and scrappy, plus who doesn’t love an underdog? Kelades via decision.
BK: Borg is an overwhelming favourite for this one for no clear-cut reason. Kelades put in a Fight of the Night performance to defeat Ireland’s Patrick Holohan in his promotional debut. He may have looked a bit raw and Holohan was able to find holes in his game, but he still stepped in on short notice to walk away with the unanimous decision victory.
With a proper fight camp, we might see a more polished Kelades for this bout but I’m going to play the doubting Thomas role and judge him based on what we’ve already seen. If submission specialist Borg can get this game to the mat, it should be game over. Borg via submission (Round 3)
