Hello one and all and welcome back for another episode of Viperz Venom's breakdown and predictions! I've brought back Thoughts From The Hat as well for your reading pleasure. We've got one hell of a card tomorrow night and I personally can't wait! With that being said lets get underway!
Renato Moicano 9-0-1 vs Zubaira Tukhugov 18-3
An interesting fight to start us off here. Tukhugov is riding a 9 fight win streak and has been matched up against Moicano to see how he'll do if matched up against someone who is dangerous on the ground. Tukhugov wins this fight with relative ease as long as he doesn't give up his back. I don't think Tukhugov will give up his back in this one and will ride his way to a unanimous decision victory.
Pick: Zubaira Tukhugov via Unanimous Decision
Thoughts From The Hat: I'm having a hard time not looking at the fact that Moicano hasn't fought in 2 years and he's only successful with his takedowns 20% of the time, which is obviously lackluster at best. My guess is that Tukhugov finishes this fight before the end of the 2nd round.
Sergio Moraes 10-2 vs Luan Chagas 14-1
It's amazing to me that two guys who love to finish fights are stuck on fight pass. Both of these guys are ridiculously talented on the ground and I expect them to cancel each other out if the fight happens to get there. I really enjoy watching Moraes fight because he's always wearing a smile even while getting punched in the face. Chagas is debuting here so alot of people may write him off from the get go but I wouldn't be hasty with that, he is riding a 9 fight win streak and has some serious power. I see him making a statement and knocking out Moraes in the first round.
Pick: Luan Chagas via 1st Round KO/TKO
Thoughts From The Hat: It's so hard to call a fighter I've never actually seen fight before. With that being said I'm going to agree with Viperz Venom here and pick the unknown to win but I have it going down by submission instead of KO. 14-1 is hard to ignore and the fact that he didn't need an immediate drink after weigh ins tells me Moraes may gas much faster than Chagas does. Something to keep our eye on.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira 21-7 vs Patrick Cummins 8-3
Both men are coming off of losses and looking to keep their contracts with the UFC. Nogueira less so than Cummins because his name has some staying power behind it but nonetheless when your done your done. I see how talented Cummins is and i believe he grinds it out against Nogueira for the unanimous decision win.
Pick: Patrick Cummins via Unanimous Decision
Thoughts From The Hat: To be honest I have to take Nogueira here. His credentials are vast and he is a legend of the sport. The truth is the Nogueira brothers fight because they love to fight not because they need the paycheck. Cummins is a decorated wrestler no doubt but Nogueira's jiu jitsu isn't just legendary, its to the point now that when you hear that someone has a black belt under the Nogueira brothers you take notice of that guy. Nogueira by submission for sure.
John Lineker 26-7 vs Rob Font 12-1
Lineker's resurgence in MMA is nothing to be taken lightly. He's riding a 3 fight win streak that saw him win a relatively one sided decision against Ian McCall and also saw him make short work of Francisco Rivera. On the other hand Font is riding an 11 fight win streak and he's done nothing but finish so far in the UFC. Both guys have power, my only worry here is that Font isn't going to be able to handle the deep water Lineker is going to drag him into if he can't finish him quickly. If Lineker makes it past the middle of the second round he will win by decision, if the fight is finished before that Font will take it by TKO so flip a coin and place your bets.
Pick: Rob Font via 1st Round KO/TKO
Thoughts From The Hat: When you have 2 guys that are known for great striking and cardio you can always expect a straight up brawl, thats what i see happening here. I'm not sure if this is going to be over quickly or if these guys are going to reach sub human status and turn out a 3 round war that will bode for fight of the night but either way I'm excited to see it. In the end I'll give the slight edge to Font's footwork and reach. Rob Font by KO.
Francisco Trinaldo 19-4 vs Yancy Medeiros 12-3
Why does the UFC keep putting Medieros in fights where his opponent isn't going to "fight" him. Being a product of the Diaz brothers makes him need a certain type of opponent to both be successful and be entertaining. Trinaldo gets the job done here in a boring one sided hug fest.
Pick: Francisco Trinaldo via Unanimous Decision
Thoughts From The Hat: This is brutal, I really like both of these guys which makes it so much harder for me to be objective. My gut tells me Trinaldo because hes shown he has heavy hands and when Medeiros comes up against talented strikers its like his output stops. So I'm taking Trinaldo here by early stoppage.
Thiago Santos 12-3 vs Nate Marquardt 37-15-2
I'm not quite sure how Marquardt still has a contract with the UFC. He has won only 2 of his last 8 fights and the majority of his losses have come by stoppage. Is there a way to bet that Santos finishes him before they even step in the octagon?
Pick: Thiago Santos via 1st Round MURDER
Thoughts From The Hat: This fight is pretty clear cut to me. Santos is way to powerful and way to accurate for Marquradt's suspect chin and heart. Santos will be looking to duplicate his highlight reel knockout win over Steve Bosse here. Right head kick to the dome and lights out. In my opinion this is just a farewell party for Nate Marquardt.
Demian Maia 22-6 vs Matt Brown 22-13
Since dropping to Welterweight Maia has went 7-2 only losing to Jake Sheilds in a controversial split decision and Rory MacDonald. Brown as we all know always comes to fight. he's a fast starter with a weak body and has been known to get himself into submission trouble nearly every time he has went to the ground in his career. This time Brown faces off against argueably the best submission fighter in his division and he is going in the smaller man. Maia will suffocate and submit Brown by the end of the 2nd.
Pick: Demian Maia via 2nd Round Submission
Thoughts From The Hat: I really like this fight because the thing about fighting Maia is you can either make a name for yourself or drive your name into the dirt. Brown has developed his own name to have some staying power behind it and this is really make or break for him. Maia has improved his striking enough to be able to thwart Browns advances and Browns ground is just nowhere near Maia's. Short night for Brown, tune in if you wanna see a tough guy tap out like a sissy girl. Also can I just add that Maia looks great for 38 years old? Honestly was he frozen for a decade or what?
Warlley Alves 11-0 vs Bryan Barbarena 11-3
Whats funny about this fight is if you took a picture of both fighters and asked the average person to say who they would be more scared to get into a street fight against most of them would pick Alves but on paper he's the less dangerous on the feet. The truth is Alves came up in weight to compete in the ultimate fighter and then dropped back down once he gained the contract and has been able to keep his undefeated record while doing it. Barbarena has made himself famous by defeating the not even white belt Sage Northcutt by submission. Barbarena will not shock the world twice and will get smothered himself in this one by a far superior fighter. Can I just say how intense Alves looked at the weigh ins? Is he ready to take this guys head off or what?
Pick: Warlley Alves via 1st Round KO/TKO
Thoughts From The Hat: This seems to be a well matched fight. Both of these guys have obviously strong submission skills. If it does go to the mat I see it being a 3 round stalemate that sees Barbarena come out with the Unanimous Decision.
Mauricio Rua 23-10 vs Corey Anderson 9-1
Old dogs am I right? Why do we take the young blood and test them against the oldest guy we can find to see if they're for real or not? My guess is they want Anderson to make a name for himself and have a performance to remember against the aging brazilian. Cut & dry here guys.
Pick: Corey Anderson via 1st Round KO/TKO
Thoughts From The Hat: I like Shogun for this fight. I mean going up against seasoned vets like Shogun you know theres a huge challenge ahead of you. Anderson has great skills but nothing that meshes with what hes got. Wrestling but no jiu jitsu? Terrible "un-combo". For a guy who has not even a third the pro fights his opponent does this is definitely the fight Anderson needs to win to make a name for himself. Shogun 2nd Round KO.
Cristiane Justino 15-1 vs Leslie Smith 8-6-1
Finally the debut of Cyborg in the UFC. Honestly I'm not quite sure how she's able to fight women as I'm about 78% sure her dick is bigger than mine with all the steroids shes taken. They've even had to make her first fight in Brazil because their drug policies are so relaxed over there. Regardless of all that shes going to destroy Smith within a round.
Pick: Cristaine Justino via 1st Round KO/TKO
Thoughts From The Hat: I don't think much needs to be said about this fight. Cyborg Round 1 KO/TKO enough said.
Ronaldo Souza 22-4 vs Vitor Belfort 25-11
Belfort has been a staple of MMA for many years, unfortunately the end has come for this respected veteran. Before dropping a controversial decision to Yoel Romero Souza had quite the impressive win streak going with victories over some of the games biggest names in his weigh class. Belfort on the down spiral of his career, Souza in the middle of his prime. Need I say more?
Pick: Ronaldo Souza via 2nd Round KO/TKO
Thoughts From The Hat: This is a great fight for Brazil because we've got two great Brazilian fighters in it. The only problem is one of them is on the front 9 grabbing a birdie on the 8th hole and the others on the back nine grabbing double bogey on the 17th. I see Souza taking the submission victory here as Belfort really hasn't been the same fighter since the banning of TRT. Souza by Sub in the 2nd.
Fabricio Werdum 20-5-1 vs Stipe Miocic 14-2
We once again have heavyweights in the main event here but this one doesn't feel like the coin flip most of them do. Miocic was just the guy available here and anyone who believes otherwise is thinking with less brain cells than the rest of us. Werdum is going to go down as one of the greatest heavyweights in mma history and he cements that legacy with this win.
Pick Fabricio Werdum via 2nd Round KO/TKO
Thoughts From The Hat: Sometimes speculating fights is alot of fun and sometimes it makes you sit there for hours wondering why you even do it. This fight is one of those very tedious times because I can't for the life of me pick who I think is going to win. It's such a good match up because these guys are literally two of the best heavyweights the UFC has to offer. Both guys grab fight bonuses like theyre going out of style and theyre always in exciting fights. Miocic is insanely fast and can hop in and out like hes a welterweight, taking nothing away from Werdum I just don't feel like he's gonna get ahold of Miocic. Miocic late first round KO.
Thats that guys! I really hope you enjoyed another edition of ViperzVenom and I can't wait to do the next one for you. Please feel free to leave a like, a comment, some critisism, etc.... I love hearing from everyone and I answer every post.
Renato Moicano 9-0-1 vs Zubaira Tukhugov 18-3
An interesting fight to start us off here. Tukhugov is riding a 9 fight win streak and has been matched up against Moicano to see how he'll do if matched up against someone who is dangerous on the ground. Tukhugov wins this fight with relative ease as long as he doesn't give up his back. I don't think Tukhugov will give up his back in this one and will ride his way to a unanimous decision victory.
Pick: Zubaira Tukhugov via Unanimous Decision
Thoughts From The Hat: I'm having a hard time not looking at the fact that Moicano hasn't fought in 2 years and he's only successful with his takedowns 20% of the time, which is obviously lackluster at best. My guess is that Tukhugov finishes this fight before the end of the 2nd round.
Sergio Moraes 10-2 vs Luan Chagas 14-1
It's amazing to me that two guys who love to finish fights are stuck on fight pass. Both of these guys are ridiculously talented on the ground and I expect them to cancel each other out if the fight happens to get there. I really enjoy watching Moraes fight because he's always wearing a smile even while getting punched in the face. Chagas is debuting here so alot of people may write him off from the get go but I wouldn't be hasty with that, he is riding a 9 fight win streak and has some serious power. I see him making a statement and knocking out Moraes in the first round.
Pick: Luan Chagas via 1st Round KO/TKO
Thoughts From The Hat: It's so hard to call a fighter I've never actually seen fight before. With that being said I'm going to agree with Viperz Venom here and pick the unknown to win but I have it going down by submission instead of KO. 14-1 is hard to ignore and the fact that he didn't need an immediate drink after weigh ins tells me Moraes may gas much faster than Chagas does. Something to keep our eye on.
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira 21-7 vs Patrick Cummins 8-3
Both men are coming off of losses and looking to keep their contracts with the UFC. Nogueira less so than Cummins because his name has some staying power behind it but nonetheless when your done your done. I see how talented Cummins is and i believe he grinds it out against Nogueira for the unanimous decision win.
Pick: Patrick Cummins via Unanimous Decision
Thoughts From The Hat: To be honest I have to take Nogueira here. His credentials are vast and he is a legend of the sport. The truth is the Nogueira brothers fight because they love to fight not because they need the paycheck. Cummins is a decorated wrestler no doubt but Nogueira's jiu jitsu isn't just legendary, its to the point now that when you hear that someone has a black belt under the Nogueira brothers you take notice of that guy. Nogueira by submission for sure.
John Lineker 26-7 vs Rob Font 12-1
Lineker's resurgence in MMA is nothing to be taken lightly. He's riding a 3 fight win streak that saw him win a relatively one sided decision against Ian McCall and also saw him make short work of Francisco Rivera. On the other hand Font is riding an 11 fight win streak and he's done nothing but finish so far in the UFC. Both guys have power, my only worry here is that Font isn't going to be able to handle the deep water Lineker is going to drag him into if he can't finish him quickly. If Lineker makes it past the middle of the second round he will win by decision, if the fight is finished before that Font will take it by TKO so flip a coin and place your bets.
Pick: Rob Font via 1st Round KO/TKO
Thoughts From The Hat: When you have 2 guys that are known for great striking and cardio you can always expect a straight up brawl, thats what i see happening here. I'm not sure if this is going to be over quickly or if these guys are going to reach sub human status and turn out a 3 round war that will bode for fight of the night but either way I'm excited to see it. In the end I'll give the slight edge to Font's footwork and reach. Rob Font by KO.
Francisco Trinaldo 19-4 vs Yancy Medeiros 12-3
Why does the UFC keep putting Medieros in fights where his opponent isn't going to "fight" him. Being a product of the Diaz brothers makes him need a certain type of opponent to both be successful and be entertaining. Trinaldo gets the job done here in a boring one sided hug fest.
Pick: Francisco Trinaldo via Unanimous Decision
Thoughts From The Hat: This is brutal, I really like both of these guys which makes it so much harder for me to be objective. My gut tells me Trinaldo because hes shown he has heavy hands and when Medeiros comes up against talented strikers its like his output stops. So I'm taking Trinaldo here by early stoppage.
Thiago Santos 12-3 vs Nate Marquardt 37-15-2
I'm not quite sure how Marquardt still has a contract with the UFC. He has won only 2 of his last 8 fights and the majority of his losses have come by stoppage. Is there a way to bet that Santos finishes him before they even step in the octagon?
Pick: Thiago Santos via 1st Round MURDER
Thoughts From The Hat: This fight is pretty clear cut to me. Santos is way to powerful and way to accurate for Marquradt's suspect chin and heart. Santos will be looking to duplicate his highlight reel knockout win over Steve Bosse here. Right head kick to the dome and lights out. In my opinion this is just a farewell party for Nate Marquardt.
Demian Maia 22-6 vs Matt Brown 22-13
Since dropping to Welterweight Maia has went 7-2 only losing to Jake Sheilds in a controversial split decision and Rory MacDonald. Brown as we all know always comes to fight. he's a fast starter with a weak body and has been known to get himself into submission trouble nearly every time he has went to the ground in his career. This time Brown faces off against argueably the best submission fighter in his division and he is going in the smaller man. Maia will suffocate and submit Brown by the end of the 2nd.
Pick: Demian Maia via 2nd Round Submission
Thoughts From The Hat: I really like this fight because the thing about fighting Maia is you can either make a name for yourself or drive your name into the dirt. Brown has developed his own name to have some staying power behind it and this is really make or break for him. Maia has improved his striking enough to be able to thwart Browns advances and Browns ground is just nowhere near Maia's. Short night for Brown, tune in if you wanna see a tough guy tap out like a sissy girl. Also can I just add that Maia looks great for 38 years old? Honestly was he frozen for a decade or what?
Warlley Alves 11-0 vs Bryan Barbarena 11-3
Whats funny about this fight is if you took a picture of both fighters and asked the average person to say who they would be more scared to get into a street fight against most of them would pick Alves but on paper he's the less dangerous on the feet. The truth is Alves came up in weight to compete in the ultimate fighter and then dropped back down once he gained the contract and has been able to keep his undefeated record while doing it. Barbarena has made himself famous by defeating the not even white belt Sage Northcutt by submission. Barbarena will not shock the world twice and will get smothered himself in this one by a far superior fighter. Can I just say how intense Alves looked at the weigh ins? Is he ready to take this guys head off or what?
Pick: Warlley Alves via 1st Round KO/TKO
Thoughts From The Hat: This seems to be a well matched fight. Both of these guys have obviously strong submission skills. If it does go to the mat I see it being a 3 round stalemate that sees Barbarena come out with the Unanimous Decision.
Mauricio Rua 23-10 vs Corey Anderson 9-1
Old dogs am I right? Why do we take the young blood and test them against the oldest guy we can find to see if they're for real or not? My guess is they want Anderson to make a name for himself and have a performance to remember against the aging brazilian. Cut & dry here guys.
Pick: Corey Anderson via 1st Round KO/TKO
Thoughts From The Hat: I like Shogun for this fight. I mean going up against seasoned vets like Shogun you know theres a huge challenge ahead of you. Anderson has great skills but nothing that meshes with what hes got. Wrestling but no jiu jitsu? Terrible "un-combo". For a guy who has not even a third the pro fights his opponent does this is definitely the fight Anderson needs to win to make a name for himself. Shogun 2nd Round KO.
Cristiane Justino 15-1 vs Leslie Smith 8-6-1
Finally the debut of Cyborg in the UFC. Honestly I'm not quite sure how she's able to fight women as I'm about 78% sure her dick is bigger than mine with all the steroids shes taken. They've even had to make her first fight in Brazil because their drug policies are so relaxed over there. Regardless of all that shes going to destroy Smith within a round.
Pick: Cristaine Justino via 1st Round KO/TKO
Thoughts From The Hat: I don't think much needs to be said about this fight. Cyborg Round 1 KO/TKO enough said.
Ronaldo Souza 22-4 vs Vitor Belfort 25-11
Belfort has been a staple of MMA for many years, unfortunately the end has come for this respected veteran. Before dropping a controversial decision to Yoel Romero Souza had quite the impressive win streak going with victories over some of the games biggest names in his weigh class. Belfort on the down spiral of his career, Souza in the middle of his prime. Need I say more?
Pick: Ronaldo Souza via 2nd Round KO/TKO
Thoughts From The Hat: This is a great fight for Brazil because we've got two great Brazilian fighters in it. The only problem is one of them is on the front 9 grabbing a birdie on the 8th hole and the others on the back nine grabbing double bogey on the 17th. I see Souza taking the submission victory here as Belfort really hasn't been the same fighter since the banning of TRT. Souza by Sub in the 2nd.
Fabricio Werdum 20-5-1 vs Stipe Miocic 14-2
We once again have heavyweights in the main event here but this one doesn't feel like the coin flip most of them do. Miocic was just the guy available here and anyone who believes otherwise is thinking with less brain cells than the rest of us. Werdum is going to go down as one of the greatest heavyweights in mma history and he cements that legacy with this win.
Pick Fabricio Werdum via 2nd Round KO/TKO
Thoughts From The Hat: Sometimes speculating fights is alot of fun and sometimes it makes you sit there for hours wondering why you even do it. This fight is one of those very tedious times because I can't for the life of me pick who I think is going to win. It's such a good match up because these guys are literally two of the best heavyweights the UFC has to offer. Both guys grab fight bonuses like theyre going out of style and theyre always in exciting fights. Miocic is insanely fast and can hop in and out like hes a welterweight, taking nothing away from Werdum I just don't feel like he's gonna get ahold of Miocic. Miocic late first round KO.
Thats that guys! I really hope you enjoyed another edition of ViperzVenom and I can't wait to do the next one for you. Please feel free to leave a like, a comment, some critisism, etc.... I love hearing from everyone and I answer every post.
