UFC 235 will be held tomorrow, March 2nd, in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is without a doubt one of the most anticipated UFC events in recent memory. Two title fights involving the two most dominant champions in the UFC. A quick turnaround for the greatest of all time. The debut of Ben Askren. Zabit Magomedsharipov in general. What more can you ask for? These are my predictions.
[C] Jon Jones (23-1, 1NC) vs. #3 Anthony Smith (31-13)
Man, I don’t want to hear it anymore. No more picograms (even though they’re still there), no more cheating accusations. I just do not want to hear it. We need to appreciate the rest of Jon Jones’ career before its too late. This man is the greatest fighter to ever grace the octagon. He is dangerous on his feet off both stances. He has more submissions than anyone in the history of the light heavyweight division. His consummate wrestling pedigree speaks for itself (Daniel Cormier, Ryan Bader, etc.). His ground and pound is the most ruthless ground and pound there is in the UFC. His fight IQ is almost like a computer’s. This is Jon Jones. His opponent, Anthony “Lionheart” Smith, is a black belt in brazilian jiu-jitsu. He has as much heart as anyone in that division and you can bet that he is going to push the pace all night long. Sad to say, I don’t give a shit. He won’t have all night long, because he’s going to get his ass kicked. The dangerous variable to take into account here, is that all he needs is a brief moment to catch Jon and capitalize. I’m not betting on a brief moment though. I’m betting on greatness. Give me Jon in probably the first couple minutes of the fight.
Prediction: Jon Jones via 1st round KO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBtlraLsh_s[C] Tyron Woodley (19-3-1) vs. #2 Kamaru Usman (14-1)
This is my most anticipated fight of the night. Every time I’ve seen Tyron Woodley’s face on social media, I’ve felt chills running down my spine. I don’t care what anyone says, Kamaru Usman has gotten under Woodley’s skin. He is confident and brash in his approach towards the champion. Everyone is confident that Woodley will dominate this fight, but I do not see it being THAT one sided. Usman is a freestyle fighter who can handle himself in any area of the game. He’s a former NCAA Division II wrestler who constantly pushes the pace. Woodley, on the other hand, is a former NCAA Division I wrestler who trains with Ben Askren on a day to day basis. “The Chosen One” brings a special type of knockout power to the octagon that should make any challenger weary of engaging with him. He has been very vocal about the fact that Usman doesn’t have him beat in any specific category. While that may be true, Woodley isn’t recognizing that Usman brings more physicality and strength to the table than anyone the champion has faced before. Usman’s frame is stockier than any of Woodley’s previous contenders. My worry for this fight is that Woodley is underestimating Usman’s power. However, Usman’s striking is very unpolished and it would be smarter for him to go for the takedown. When he tries to close the distance and put Woodley on his back is when he will enter Woodley’s danger zone. It may be competitive for a while, but Usman might just get knocked.
Prediction: Tyron Woodley via 3rd round KO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ5S5fYS_cA#6 Robbie Lawler (28-12) vs. Ben Askren (18-0, 1NC)
Another stupendous fight that I’m anxious to see. This is probably my second most anticipated fight of the night only because of the matchup and implications involved. This isn’t just your classic striker vs. wrestler matchup. This is the debut of Ben Askren in the UFC. Askren is known as one of greatest wrestlers in MMA history. He is definitely a one-sided specialist but boy is he special. The tricky part is that Robbie has outstanding takedown defense. This isn’t going to be an easy fight for Ben. Robbie pours it on in the beginning of the fight so Ben is going to have put Robbie on his back fast. The truth of the matter is that Ben could get rocked very quickly if he stands with Robbie. Robbie brings more power and UFC experience to the table, but I just can’t pick against an undefeated fighter. And not just any undefeated fighter, but an undefeated fighter who was the former Bellator and ONE champion. In striker vs. wrestler matchups, the wrestler wins the majority of the time. I don’t know if this is going to be the most exciting fight, but I’m going to take “Funky” in this fight, simply due to the fact that he has an advantage in terms of controlling position in this fight. Not THAT confident about it though.
Prediction: Ben Askren via unanimous decision
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIWlkngsbY8&t=245s#7 Tecia Torres (10-3) vs. #15 Weili Zhang (18-1)
This fight is a very tough fight to call. Torres is a lot stockier than Zhang and has a lot of faith in her standup. Torres’ last fight was a loss, however she went the distance against Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Zhang is as ruthless as any female is on the planet. She has finished people on the ground with her submissions, including most recently, Jessica Aguilar. She pours it on her opponents on the feet as well, possessing some of the most fierce combinations we’ve seen out of a female in MMA. This silent killer is not to be underestimated. Torres is the more recognizable name here, but I feel like Zhang is the more recognizable talent. She has a future here in the UFC and a great future at that. I’m going to go ahead and say that Zhang will knock out Torres in the third round.
Prediction: Weili Zhang via 3rd round TKO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDt6hCeexXA#2 Cody Garbrandt (11-2) vs. #9 Pedro Munhoz (17-3, 1NC)
The return of Cody Garbrandt is finally here. And it’s not easy one by any means. He’s fighting a guy who can put him away in many areas of the game. Munhoz is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu who’s tapped out some formidable opponents. He always throws wild shots that could seriously hurt Garbrandt. He comes to fight, so we can almost bank on this fight being an entertaining one (my fight of the night prediction). Munhoz utilizes his leg kicks quite frequently to establish his range of motion and get in his comfort zone. His boxing leaves a lot to be desired however. He comes to fight, but he is very flat-footed at times. I don’t know how that’s going to play out against the best boxer in the division in Garbrandt. Garbandt’s standup is one of my favorite standups to watch in the UFC. He’s so fast and fluid with his approach. This fight could be an all out war in the time that it goes on, but I see more the technical fighter coming out with a win. I just hope Garbrandt has transformed into a much smarter fighter and a less reckless one.
Prediction: Cody Garbrandt via 2nd round KO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVbfcG3ZESM…we’re not done yet
#6 Jeremy Stephens (28-15) vs. #13 Zabit Magomedsharipov (16-1)
I’m going to start this section in a very unusual way. I really hope ZaBEAST wins. Is it biast? Sure, but I don’t give a fuck. Zabit Magomedsharipov has quickly made a name for himself in the UFC with his unusual style of fighting. He is as creative as it gets with his strikes in the cage. He will throw whatever comes to his mind at you. His sanshou/wrestling background is absolutely lethal and it shows in his performances. His submissions might just be crazier than his strikes. He is one of the most unpredictable fighters in the UFC which is why Dana White and company called him one of the most talented prospects on the roster. Jeremy Stephens is a ruthless power puncher who might just hit harder than anybody in that division. He has been one of the top guys in the division for quite some time and his resume includes a plethora of contenders. The key to this fight will be if and how Stephens can close the distance against Zabit’s long limbs and unpredictable strikes. For Zabit, this is his toughest test to date and a win here would put him alongside the best fighters in the division. I think Zabit may take some damage in this fight, but I’ll take him in this one. Stephens isn’t the safest fighter and puts himself in harm’s way quite often. I don’t think thats the smartest idea against ZaBEAST.
Prediction: Zabit Magomedsharipov via 2nd round TKO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKxGMuH04uE#14 Misha Cirkunov (14-4) vs. #15 Johnny Walker (16-3)
Another crazy prospect the UFC threw on this card. Johnny Walker. This guy is charming and jovial in his pre-fight approach but once that cage door locks, we’re looking at a different animal. Walker is one of the most talked about prospects on the UFC roster right now, simply due to his excellent finishing ability. 14 out of his 19 professional fights have ended in the first round. Why? Because the kid loves to knock people out. Cirkunov has a lot more UFC experience than Walker does and has fought tougher guys. He’s coming off a win against Patrick Cummins, before dropping two to Glover Teixeira and Volkan Oezdemir. Cirkunov was a highly recognized judoka before starting his MMA career, so it will be interesting to see if he can somehow put Walker on his back and control the fight. To be honest, I really like Johnny Walker right now and I see him contending for Jon Jones’ title later this year. I think his knockout power is just ferocious and I don’t see this fight making it out the first round.
Prediction: Johnny Walker via 1st round KO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-j6-2Xd0aEComments
Join the discussion below. Keep it civil and focused on the content.
Loading comments...