Round One Projection - July, 2017 MagWar Drafts
With drafts underway this month for the Aug 2017-July 2018 MagWar season, here’s a look at our round one draft projection.
Keep in mind that on MagWar rosters you have eight active spots and four bench spots. In the early rounds of the draft, you can take elite fighters even if they aren’t projected to fight until Q2 and beyond, as up to four of them can be benched. But in the later rounds, you should focus on fighters scheduled or projected to fight in Q1 (Aug-Oct), to make sure your team gets a full slate of Q1 fight scores.
And make sure to note that the season does not begin until the first day of the month following the draft. So any fights that take place this month are considered preseason fights and don’t count towards the upcoming season.
With drafts underway this month for the Aug 2017-July 2018 MagWar season, here’s a look at our round one draft projection.
Keep in mind that on MagWar rosters you have eight active spots and four bench spots. In the early rounds of the draft, you can take elite fighters even if they aren’t projected to fight until Q2 and beyond, as up to four of them can be benched. But in the later rounds, you should focus on fighters scheduled or projected to fight in Q1 (Aug-Oct), to make sure your team gets a full slate of Q1 fight scores.
And make sure to note that the season does not begin until the first day of the month following the draft. So any fights that take place this month are considered preseason fights and don’t count towards the upcoming season.
1. Demetrious Johnson - The only reason not to take Mighty Mouse first overall is because you dislike men’s flyweight fighting. Lil man prejudice aside, Johnson is the safest of the elite fighters, as he declined to fight T.J. Dillashaw, and is now left with a meager field of FLW challengers over the next year. Plus he’s been finishing fights lately, and he’s targeted to fight in Q1 at UFC 215 this September, so you get a championship fight right out of the gate in the first quarter of the season.
2. Jon Jones - I know, I know. Fool me thrice, and all that. Forget about it. Jones looks in better shape than ever in his most recent training pics and is facing and older and more depleted Cormier this preseason. While that bout won’t count towards your season, Bones is highly likely to fight twice more in the next 12 months, which is all you need to make him worthy of this slot. I don’t foresee his next two likely opponents - Gustafsson and the winner of Manuwa vs. Oezdemir - dethroning the LHW king.
3. Cris Cyborg - This is a brutal destroyer disguised as an MMA fighter. Similar to Jones, her fight this month won’t count as it’ll happen during preseason, but that leaves her the next 12 full months to get two or more additional fights in. Megan Anderson and Holly Holm are waiting in the wings, but do we really believe that either would beat the destroyer?
4. Conor McGregor - Walkin’ along, singin’ his song, walkin’ in a McGregor wonderland. The champ champ will be back in MMA, probably against Khabib Nurmagomedov by December and is one of the most active of all the elites. I see Tony Ferguson as his biggest threat, but expect Nurmagomedov and then potentially a superfight vs. Max Holloway during the next 12 months.
5. Stipe Miocic - The HW champ is currently in a contract dispute with the UFC, but that probably won’t last long. And aside from super prospect Francis Ngannou, none of the HW contenders look too daunting for Stipe over the next year. Cain Velasquez is up next, and even if Ngannou beats Junior Dos Santos in September to become the next title challenger, he’s still fairly green and developing his skills, so now is a good time to match up against him. Caveat with this division is that one punch can be lights out and no champ has ever defended the UFC HW belt more than twice, a stat Stipe has already tied.
6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk - The spunky SW-W champ has the takedown defense of an elephant, so it’s likely going to take an elite striker to end her reign. Next up is rumored to be Rose Namajunas who has a gifted all around game, but isn’t the same class of striker as the champ. Beyond Namajunas, a trilogy fight with Claudia Gadelha or maybe even a challenge from surging prospect Cynthia Calvillo await later in the season, but neither has a remarkable striking game. One downside is that Joanna Champion has not been finishing fights of late - her last four title defenses were all by decision.
7. Tyron Woodley - TWood was always a physical specimen, but he has grown into a well-rounded and skilled fighter as well. The main knock against him is schedule. He faces Demian Maia this month in a very scary matchup that won’t count towards the season points, but still poses a legit threat of swooping his belt. And then assuming he gets past Maia, he has to deal with a returning GSP for his first fight in the regular season. Yikes.
8. Robert Whittaker - I could see an argument for taking him as high as #2 overall. Dude has unreal takedown defense and his overall game has been getting better every fight. He smoked Jacare and beat Yoel Romero despite a badly hobbled knee. That injury and the minefield of middleweights are primarily why I let Rob fall this far. Otherwise, he is young, athletic, skilled and hungry. And he already has UFC gold, even if lineal champ Michael Bisping doesn’t think it’s legit. FYI, interim title fights count the same as regular title fights for MagWar scoring.
9. Max Holloway - How can you not appreciate Holloway and his ascent to the FW belt? After entering the UFC at age 20 in 2012, Mad Max started his UFC career going 3-3, with losses to top FWs Dustin Poirier, Dennis Bermudez and McGregor. But since the McGregor fight he’s gone 11-0, including finishes over Cub Swanson, Charles Oliveira, Anthony Pettis and Jose Aldo. Next up is Frankie Edgar, according to Dana White. And if he gets past Edgar, potential later season fights include Aldo, Korean Zombie or Cub Swanson, or even a rematch against McGregor in a FW vs LW superfight. Schedule is looking fairly tough, which is the main reason to be cautious about taking Holloway in round 1.
10. T.J. Dillashaw - Can’t have a mock draft without a curveball right? No disrespect to BW champ Cody Garbrandt, as this matchup is super close. I just see Dillashaw’s style posing more problems for Garbrandt despite the champ’s success against similar styled Dominick Cruz. T.J. is younger and healthier than Cruz and the difference will show on fight night. I also favor Dillashaw in a subsequent rematch versus Cruz later on in the season.
2. Jon Jones - I know, I know. Fool me thrice, and all that. Forget about it. Jones looks in better shape than ever in his most recent training pics and is facing and older and more depleted Cormier this preseason. While that bout won’t count towards your season, Bones is highly likely to fight twice more in the next 12 months, which is all you need to make him worthy of this slot. I don’t foresee his next two likely opponents - Gustafsson and the winner of Manuwa vs. Oezdemir - dethroning the LHW king.
3. Cris Cyborg - This is a brutal destroyer disguised as an MMA fighter. Similar to Jones, her fight this month won’t count as it’ll happen during preseason, but that leaves her the next 12 full months to get two or more additional fights in. Megan Anderson and Holly Holm are waiting in the wings, but do we really believe that either would beat the destroyer?
4. Conor McGregor - Walkin’ along, singin’ his song, walkin’ in a McGregor wonderland. The champ champ will be back in MMA, probably against Khabib Nurmagomedov by December and is one of the most active of all the elites. I see Tony Ferguson as his biggest threat, but expect Nurmagomedov and then potentially a superfight vs. Max Holloway during the next 12 months.
5. Stipe Miocic - The HW champ is currently in a contract dispute with the UFC, but that probably won’t last long. And aside from super prospect Francis Ngannou, none of the HW contenders look too daunting for Stipe over the next year. Cain Velasquez is up next, and even if Ngannou beats Junior Dos Santos in September to become the next title challenger, he’s still fairly green and developing his skills, so now is a good time to match up against him. Caveat with this division is that one punch can be lights out and no champ has ever defended the UFC HW belt more than twice, a stat Stipe has already tied.
6. Joanna Jedrzejczyk - The spunky SW-W champ has the takedown defense of an elephant, so it’s likely going to take an elite striker to end her reign. Next up is rumored to be Rose Namajunas who has a gifted all around game, but isn’t the same class of striker as the champ. Beyond Namajunas, a trilogy fight with Claudia Gadelha or maybe even a challenge from surging prospect Cynthia Calvillo await later in the season, but neither has a remarkable striking game. One downside is that Joanna Champion has not been finishing fights of late - her last four title defenses were all by decision.
7. Tyron Woodley - TWood was always a physical specimen, but he has grown into a well-rounded and skilled fighter as well. The main knock against him is schedule. He faces Demian Maia this month in a very scary matchup that won’t count towards the season points, but still poses a legit threat of swooping his belt. And then assuming he gets past Maia, he has to deal with a returning GSP for his first fight in the regular season. Yikes.
8. Robert Whittaker - I could see an argument for taking him as high as #2 overall. Dude has unreal takedown defense and his overall game has been getting better every fight. He smoked Jacare and beat Yoel Romero despite a badly hobbled knee. That injury and the minefield of middleweights are primarily why I let Rob fall this far. Otherwise, he is young, athletic, skilled and hungry. And he already has UFC gold, even if lineal champ Michael Bisping doesn’t think it’s legit. FYI, interim title fights count the same as regular title fights for MagWar scoring.
9. Max Holloway - How can you not appreciate Holloway and his ascent to the FW belt? After entering the UFC at age 20 in 2012, Mad Max started his UFC career going 3-3, with losses to top FWs Dustin Poirier, Dennis Bermudez and McGregor. But since the McGregor fight he’s gone 11-0, including finishes over Cub Swanson, Charles Oliveira, Anthony Pettis and Jose Aldo. Next up is Frankie Edgar, according to Dana White. And if he gets past Edgar, potential later season fights include Aldo, Korean Zombie or Cub Swanson, or even a rematch against McGregor in a FW vs LW superfight. Schedule is looking fairly tough, which is the main reason to be cautious about taking Holloway in round 1.
10. T.J. Dillashaw - Can’t have a mock draft without a curveball right? No disrespect to BW champ Cody Garbrandt, as this matchup is super close. I just see Dillashaw’s style posing more problems for Garbrandt despite the champ’s success against similar styled Dominick Cruz. T.J. is younger and healthier than Cruz and the difference will show on fight night. I also favor Dillashaw in a subsequent rematch versus Cruz later on in the season.
