The Official Unofficial Bellator Rankings - December 17 2018

Bellator 212 wasn't the fastest paced broadcast, but the fights delivered for the most part. Juliana Velasquez secured her spot as the #1 contender at 125 with a win over Alejandra Lara. Sam Sicilia punched his way back to relevancy against brawler Derek Campos, improving to 2-1 in Bellator. AJ McKee scored an impressive submission over Daniel Crawford, though it is definitely time for a step up in competition. Javy Ayala became the first man to submit Frank Mir, forcing the aging legend to tap to strikes on the feet. And in the main event, Michael Chandler regained the title he controversially lost to Brent Primus, outclassing Primus for 5 rounds.

Bellator 213 also had it's share of meaningful fights. Liam McGeary picked up a much needed win against veteran King Mo, snapping a two-fight losing streak. Neiman Gracie proved the oddsmakers wrong, pulling the upset against heavy favorite Ed Ruth. His next bout will be a title fight against the winner of MacDonald-Fitch. Lyoto Machida won his Bellator debut, defeating former champion Rafael Carvalho in a very close match. He is expected to take on the winner of Mousasi-Lovato Jr. next. And last but not least, Ilima-Lei MacFarlane successfully defended her title at home against UFC veteran Valerie Letourneau, submitting her in the 3rd round by triangle choke.

HEAVYWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups

1/26/2019: (#1) Ryan Bader vs (#5) Fedor Emelianenko - For Vacant Bellator Heavyweight Title

2/15/2019: (#2) Matt Mitrione vs (#4) Sergei Kharitonov
2/16/2019: (#3) Cheick Kongo vs (NR) Vitaly Minakov 

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups  

None Reported

MIDDLEWEIGHT

DROPPED
(#5) Alexander Shlemenko - Last Fought in Russian Cagefighting Championship


Scheduled Match-Ups
1/26/2019: (C) Gegard Mousasi vs (#3) Rafael Lovato Jr. - For Bellator Middleweight Title

WELTERWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups
Date TBD: (C) Rory MacDonald vs (#2) Jon Fitch - For Bellator Welterweight Title
3/29/2019: (#3) Lorenz Larkin vs (#5) Andrey Koreshkov
2/16/2019: (#4) Paul Daley vs (NR) Michael Page

LIGHTWEIGHT

DROPPED
(#5) Derek Campos - Moved to Featherweight

Scheduled Match-Ups
2/19/2019: (#1) Patricky Pitbull vs (NR) Ryan Scope

FEATHERWEIGHT

DROPPED
(#5) Aaron Pico

Scheduled Match-Ups
3/22/2019: (#1) Emmanuel Sanchez vs (NR) Ashleigh Grimshaw
1/26/2019: (#5) Henry Corrales vs (NR) Aaron Pico

BANTAMWEIGHT

DROPPED
(#5) Ricky Bandejas

Scheduled Match-Ups
12/31/2018: (C) Darrion Caldwell vs (NR) Kyoji Horiguchi - Rizin Fighting Federation
1/26/2019: (#3) Juan Archuleta vs (NR) Ricky Bandejas

WOMEN'S FEATHERWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups
None Reported

WOMEN'S FLYWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups
None Reported




Fighter Thumbnails taken from Bellator website (http://www.bellator.com/). Rankings data taken from http://www.fightmatrix.com/. Font is Dream MMA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Official Unofficial Bellator Rankings - December 2 2018

Bellator 210 had one of the deepest preliminary cards of any Bellator event and it really showed in this weeks rankings. Featuring upsets over top fighters, and close decisions between hardened veterans, the prelim card really delivered. The main card was also pretty solid despite not having much of an effect on the rankings, although it did keep John Salter in the mix at 185.

Bellator 211 was kinda sad. Alessio Sakara suffered a harsh knockout at home. Again. The rest of the card consisted of regional talent and kickboxer Hesdy Gerges getting has ass kicked. If you saw it live, I'm sorry. If you didn't, you don't need to.

Anyway here are the Official Unofficial Bellator Rankings for  December 2 2018.

HEAVYWEIGHT

 

Scheduled Match-Ups

1/26/2019: (#1) Ryan Bader vs (#5) Fedor Emelianenko - For Vacant Bellator Heavyweight Title

2/15/2019: (#2) Matt Mitrione vs (#4) Sergei Kharitonov
2/16/2019: (#3) Cheick Kongo vs (NR) Vitaly Minakov

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups  

12/15/2018: (#4) King Mo Lawal vs (#5) Liam McGeary

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups

1/26/2019: (C) Gegard Mousasi vs (#1) Rafael Lovato Jr. - For Bellator Middleweight Title
12/15/2018: (#2) Rafael Carvalho vs (NR) Lyoto Machida
12/15/2018: (#5) Alexander Shlemenko vs (NR) Jonas Billstein - Russian Cagefighting Championship

WELTERWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups
Date TBD: (C) Rory MacDonald vs (#2) Jon Fitch - For Bellator Welterweight Title
2/16/2019: (#4) Paul Daley vs (NR) Michael Page

LIGHTWEIGHT

DROPPED
(#5) Saad Awad

Scheduled Match-Ups
12/14/2018: (C) Brent Primus vs (#3) Michael Chandler - For Bellator Lightweight Title

FEATHERWEIGHT

DROPPED
(#3) Daniel Weichel - Moved to Lightweight
(#4) Darrion Caldwell - Moved to Bantamweight

Scheduled Match-Ups
3/22/2019: (#1) Emmanuel Sanchez vs (NR) Ashleigh Grimshaw
12/14/2018: (#3) AJ McKee vs (NR) Daniel Crawford
1/26/2019: (#4) Henry Corrales vs (#5) Aaron Pico
12/14/2018: (#5 LW) Derek Campos vs (NR) Sam Sicilia

  

BANTAMWEIGHT

DROPPED
(#5) Kester Mark

Scheduled Match-Ups
12/31/2018: (C) Darrion Caldwell vs (NR) Kyoji Horiguchi - Rizin Fighting Federation
  

WOMEN'S FEATHERWEIGHT

DROPPED
(#4) Janay Harding - No longer ranked by FightMatrix

Scheduled Match-Ups
None Reported

WOMEN'S FLYWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups
12/15/2018: (C) Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs (#2) Valerie Letourneau - For Bellator Women's Flyweight Title
12/14/2018: (#1) Juliana Velasquez vs (NR) Alejandra Lara 



Fighter Thumbnails taken from Bellator website (http://www.bellator.com/). Rankings data taken from http://www.fightmatrix.com/. Font is Dream MMA.

 

UFC Fight Night: Dos Santos vs Tuivasa Predictions

Yushin Okami vs Aleksei Kunchenko

I wasn't overly impressed with Kunchenko's UFC debut. A lackluster decision over what's left of Thiago Alves just didn't do it for me. As young and dangerous as Kunchenko supposedly is I still have faith in Okami's ability to wrestle-fuck the shit out of people. I'm taking 'Thunder' for the moderate upset.

Pick: Okami by Decision

 

Wilson Reis vs Ben Nguyen

I got a feeling.

Pick: Nguyen by R1 SUB

 

Jim Crute vs Paul Craig

No offense but Paul Craig was literally one second away from not being in the UFC anymore in his last fight. It was a great comeback win but I doubt it happens again. I haven't seen too much from Jim Crute but his striking is decent and that should be enough to take out the 'Bearjew'. Unless of course he gets caught in a flying gogoplata in the final second of the fight.

Pick: Jim Crute by R1 KO

 

Shogun Rua vs Tyson Pedro

This is more of a prayer than a prediction. Who thought this fight was a good idea? Either way #PRIDENEVERDIE

Pick: Shogun by Decision

 

Mark Hunt vs Justin Willis

Strange matchmaking. Why put Hunt against a wrestler at home? Again! Willis is inexperienced against high-level opposition so Mark can still win this on the feet. But if this one hits the mat it's going to be a rough night for the 'Super Samoan'. The lines are currently about even so 'Big Pretty' is definitely worth a wager with a favorable match-up on Saturday.

Pick: Willis by Decision

 

Junior Dos Santos vs Tai Tuivasa

I'm staying the hell away from this one. There's a chance Junior kick-boxes the brakes off this kid for 25 minutes. There's also a chance Tuivasa wallops him in the opening minute while Junior is backing up. There are no safe bets here. Currently Tuivasa sits as the underdog at about +125, but at that line it's just not worth it. If I had to make a predicition I would probably lean toward Tuivasa just because of Junior's age and bad habits, but it's just too close to call.

Pick: Tuivasa by R1 KO

TUF 28 Finale: Dos Anjos vs Usman Predictions

Roosevelt Roberts vs Darrell Horcher

Contender Series guys tend to be a bit overrated, but I haven't seen anything out of Horcher that says he should beat Roberts. I think Roberts gets the finish, but Horcher makes him work for it.

Pick: Roberts by R2 KO

 

Joseph Benavidez vs Alex Perez

Alex Perez has looked impressive as of recently, and Joe B has definitely lost a few steps. But it's going to take more than one bad performance before I start picking against Joseph Benavidez. Even with Slim Shady hair.

Pick: Benavidez by Decision

Ji Yeon Kim vs Antonina Shevchenko

I'm sensing an upset. Shevchenko had a decent Contender Series performance against a short notice opponent. I would've liked to have seen her against better opposition before throwing her into the octagon. Kim may not be the most polished fighter in the world but she's tough as hell and can take a shot. Should be a close one, but I'll take Kim.

Pick: Kim by Decision

 

Pedro Munhoz vs Bryan Caraway

Munhoz's last fight was a treat to watch, but I was more impressed by the toughness of Brett Johns than the skill of Munhoz. I wouldn't consider myself a huge Bryan Caraway fan, but not long ago he was a legit contender and he's still a solid fighter. This could be a close one but at around +200, Caraway is worth a bet.

Pick: Caraway by Decision

 

Rafael Dos Anjos vs Kamaru Usman

This will most likely suck. I honestly can't remember the last entertaining fight Usman has been a part of, and Dos Anjos just lost to an opponent with a similar style to Usman's. I guess rankings-wise the fight makes sense, but I just don't see it going any differently than the Dos Anjos-Covington fight. Usman's size and strength should be enough to boringly pummel RDA for 25 minutes. Maybe less. Probably not.

Pick: Usman by Decision

The Official Unofficial Bellator Rankings - November 25 2018

Bellator doesn't have any official rankings so I decided to change that. Basically I just took data from FightMatrix and put it into MS Paint. Anyone could have done it. But they didn't. I did. I have too much time on my hands...

Anyway here's the Official Unofficial Bellator Rankings for November 25 2018.

HEAVYWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups
1/26/2019: (#1) Ryan Bader vs (#5) Fedor Emelianenko - For Vacant Bellator Heavyweight Title
 

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups
12/15/2018: (#4) King Mo Lawal vs (#5) Liam McGeary

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups
1/26/2019: (C) Gegard Mousasi vs (#2) Rafael Lovato Jr. - For Bellator Middleweight Title
12/15/2018: (#1) Rafael Carvalho vs (NR) Lyoto Machida
12/15/2018: (#4) Alexander Shlemenko vs (NR) Jonas Billstein - Russian Cagefighting Championship
11/30/2018: (#5) John Salter vs (NR) Chidi Njokuani

WELTERWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups
Date TBD: (C) Rory MacDonald vs (#2) Jon Fitch - For Bellator Welterweight Title
Date TBD: (#4) Paul Daley vs (NR) Michael Page

LIGHTWEIGHT

 

Scheduled Match-Ups
12/14/2018: (C) Brent Primus vs (#3) Michael Chandler - For Bellator Lightweight Title
11/30/2018: (#3 FW) Daniel Weichel vs (NR) Goiti Yamauchi

FEATHERWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups
12/14/2018: (#4 LW) Derek Campos vs (NR) Sam Sicilia

BANTAMWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups
11/30/2018: (#2) Joe Warren vs (NR) Shawn Bunch
11/30/2018: (#3) Dominic Mazzotta vs (NR) Brandon Phillips (CANCELLED - Mazzotta Concussion)

WOMEN'S FEATHERWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups
None Reported

WOMEN'S FLYWEIGHT

Scheduled Match-Ups
12/15/2018: (C) Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs (#2) Valerie Letourneau - For Bellator Women's Flyweight Title
12/14/2018: (#1) Juliana Velasquez vs (NR) Alejandra Lara

Fighter Thumbnails taken from Bellator website (http://www.bellator.com/). Rankings data taken from http://www.fightmatrix.com/. Font is Dream MMA.

 

UFC 227 Predictions

Wow. This card looked a lot better a few weeks ago. Now that it's finally here it's just underwhelming. The main event between TJ and Cody is a banger but aside from that there's just not a lot going on. Gustafsson-Volkan definitely would have helped but even then it's still on the weaker side. UFC 226 is a tough act to follow, let's hope this card is even half as good as that one. Anyway, enough bitching and moaning from me, here are my picks for UFC 227.

Thiago Santos vs Kevin Holland

Big respect to Kevin Holland. It takes some serious stones to take a fight with Thiago Santos on short notice. Most fighters wouldn't. Unfortunately for Kevin, there's a reason why most fighters wouldn't. Thiago Santos is a SAVAGE. Santos is a vicious striker with incredible knockout power. Sure he some problems. His submission defence is questionable and his chin is a bit suspect (hell, David Branch knocked him out). Still, I don't think Holland is ready for this level of competition just yet. Expect an early finish, a brutal one.

Pick: Thiago Santos by Round 1 KO

Polyana Viana vs JJ Aldrich

Who? Well after a quick google search I found that Viana is the girl who choked out Mrs. Joe Daddy, and Aldrich has had 3 fights in the UFC, most recently defeating Danielle Taylor. Since I don't remember much about either fighter I'm going completely off records. Viana has beaten a bunch of Brazilians I've never heard of, while Aldrich has racked up multiple wins in both the UFC and Invicta (over fighters I've never heard of). I'll take Aldrich just based on experience, but I really couldn't care less about this fight.

Pick: JJ Aldrich by Decision

Cub Swanson vs Renato Moicano

Featherweight is quickly becoming one of the more exciting divisions in the UFC, and this fight is a great opportunity to see who belongs in the 145 title picture. It was fun seeing Cub claw his way back to the top of the division, but after dropping 2 straight to the divisions elite it's hard to see Cub making another run. Renato however is proving to be a solid contender, posting a win over Jeremy Stephens and giving Ortega one of his toughest bouts. I think Cub is a live dog in this fight but Moicano seems to be hitting his stride, and I think he takes the win on Saturday. Don't expect a short one though. Moicano's only scored one finish in his UFC tenure and Cub's last finish was back in 2013.

Pick: Renato Moicano by Decision

 Demetrious Johnson vs Henry Cejudo 2

Why does this need to happen? We saw this fight 2 years ago and it wasn't even close. I'll admit Henry has certainly improved since then, but so has Demetrious. It's still waaaay too soon for this rematch. Unfortunately, due to the lack of real competition at 125 it's happening again. Yippie. I do believe Cejudo has improved to the point where instead of being humiliated in the first round, he'll take a controlled beating for 25 minutes. Still won't be close though. Mighty Mouse is just miles ahead of the rest of the division. If only there was someone from a higher weight class that was willing to come down and challenge him... maybe even a champion...

Pick: Demetrious Johnson by Decision

TJ Dillashaw vs Cody Garbrandt 2

 Finally, a rematch that makes sense. The first fight between these two could have gone either way, and I have no reason to believe this one couldn't either. Both men are powerful, fast, athletic, and best of all, they HATE eachother. Sometimes emotions can make or break a fighter, and TJ seems to be the calmer of the two. Cody is somewhat of a hothead and could cost himself the fight if his emotions get the better of him. TJ also has the confidence of winning the first meeting, which is a huge mental advantage. This fight is still razor-close, but all the signs point to a Dillashaw victory. I think he gets it done early. Real early.

Pick: TJ Dillashaw by Round 1 KO