UFC Fight Night 222 “Pavlovich Vs Blaydes” + Bellator 294 / 295 + Weekly MMA Report
UFC on ESPN 44 brought many amazing match-ups, but the judges were not on point last weekend. Lucia Pudilova won two rounds against Joselyne Edwards, but Edwards somehow scored a split decision nod. In the main event of the evening, Max Holloway outworked Arnold Allen for a decision win. Also, there were two knee knockouts on the card, which happens very rarely.
Edson Barboza cashed his 11th bonus of the career for a highlight first-round knockout. He stopped Billy Quarantillo with a massive knee counter.
Edson Barboza hit that KNEE and that's all she wrote! 🦵 💥#UFCKansasCity pic.twitter.com/kj7gnF0x3k
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) April 16, 2023
Brandon Royval was victorious against Matheus Nicolau. The FactoryX fighter destroyed the Brazilian with a vicious knee. The third POTN bonus went into the hands of Gillian Robertson, who submitted Piera Rodriguez via armbar.
An electric KO from Brandon Royval at #UFCKansasCity has Raw Dog in contention. pic.twitter.com/u4An3jKMDw
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) April 16, 2023
The armbar gets it done for Gillian Robertson in round two 🔒 #UFCKansasCity pic.twitter.com/dfmPVXkeNP
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 15, 2023
The Fight of the Night award was given to Bill Algeo and TJ Brown. Despite Algeo winning via second-round rear-naked choke, the UFC head honcho was very impressed with their bout. Dana White also awarded Zack Cummings and Ed Herman with an extra 50k, as both UFC vets retired on Saturday following Cummings’ unanimous decision win.
UFC Fight Night 222 Announcement
UFC returns to “Sin City”, Nevada, for another high-level event, headlined by the combat between one of the greatest punchers in the game, Sergei Pavlovich, and arguably the best wrestler in the UFC 265-pound division, Curtis Blaydes.
Image source: UFC Brasil Twitter
Pavlovich lost his UFC debut against Alistair Overeem, but he’s been on a roll since then, with 5 back-to-back wins over some of the greatest 265-pound division names. Pavlovich likes to spend hours in the gym, his right hand is especially dangerous. Sergei’s takedown defense is very good, so Blaydes might have a hard time winning this fight.
Curtis Blaydes is a wrestler with an excellent clinch game and superb fence control. Blaydes is a pressure fighter who tries to drag the fight to the ground right off the bat. He was winning some of the best names in the division, but this match could be too difficult for him.
Prediction: the fight will not go the distance or Pavlovich KO/TKO
In the co-main, top-notch 135-pound wrestler Ricky Simon meets one of the toughest bantamweight fighters, a cardio machine from China, Song Yadong. This bout could last for three rounds, as both Octagon warriors are ready to battle until the last dying breath.
Prediction: over 2.5 rounds
UFC Fight Night 222 Full Fight Card
Here is a brief look at the upcoming UFC full-fight card in Las Vegas.
Main Card (ESPN+, UFC on Fight Pass, 7 PM ET, midnight UK time)
Heavyweight: Sergei Pavlovich (17 -1-0) vs. Curtis Blaydes (17-3-0)
Bantamweight: Ricky Simon (20-3-0) vs. Song Yadong (19-7-1)
Middleweight: Bruno Silva (22-8-0) vs. Brad Tavares (19-7-0)
Lightweight: Jared Gordon (19-6-0) vs.Bobby Green (29-14 -1)
Strawweight: Iasmin Lucindo (13-5-0) vs. Brogan Walker (7-3-0)
Welterweight: Matthew Semelsberger (11-4-0) vs. Jeremiah Wells (11-2-1)
Preliminary Card (ESPN+, UFC on Fight Pass, 4 PM ET, 9 PM ET)
Lightweight: Christos Giagos (19-10-0) vs. Ricky Glenn (22-6-2)
Bantamweight: Montel Jackson (12-2-0) vs. Rani Yahya (28-10-1)
Featherweight: Norma Dumont (8-2-0) vs. Karol Rosa (16-4-0)
Heavyweight: Junior Tafa (4-0-0) vs. Mohammed Usman (8-2-0)
Featherweight: William Gomis (8-2-0) vs. Francis Marshall (7-0-0)
Flyweight: Priscila Cachoeira (12-4-0) vs. Karine Silva (14-4-0)
Bantamweight: Danaa Batgerel (10-4-0) vs. Brady Hiestand (6-2-0)
UFC Fight Night 222 Full Card Predictions
Have a look at my full fight card predictions in the playlist below.
Bellator 294 Annoucement
This MMA weekend is very stacked. Bellator 294 will air on Friday. It takes place in Neal S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, Hawaii. The prelims are free on YouTube, while the main card airs on Showtime and will get underway at 10 PM ET.
Image source: @BellatorMMA Twitter
The main event brings the rematch between Liz Carmouche and DeAnna Bennett. Liz was victorious last time, so I expect the same outcome again. Her grappling skills are way better, if the bout gets dragged to the floor, she could win via rear-naked choke again.
Prediction: Carmouche to win
The co-main is fun too – heavy-handed hillbilly Tim Johnson squares off against very unpredictable Said Sowma. A powerful hitter meets a very technical fighter. One way or another, this will hardly go to judges’ scorecards.
Prediction: the fight will not go the distance
Here are my Bellator 294 main card predictions.
Bellator 295 Announcement
There is another event in the capital of Hawaii on Saturday. Bellator rarely airs two events in the same week, so this is a very special opportunity. You can also watch it on YouTube (prelims) and Showtime (main card).
The main event of the evening brings the clash between the two most dangerous 135ers – Raufeon Stots and Patchy Mix. Both fighters have one loss in their careers, so this is the real clash of titans. Stots’ cardio is a bit better, so he’s my favorite for the victory.
Prediction: Stots to win
The former Bellator 115-pound champion Ilima Lei-Macfarlane meets Japanese Judoka Kana Watanabe in the co-main event of the evening. Macfarlane is a better stand-up fighter, but if Kana drags the combat to the ground, she could finish the fight inside the distance.
Prediction: Kana Watanabe to win
What a lovely weekend for the fans of the fastest-growing sport in the world. Don’t miss the action on Friday and Saturday fellas!
[…] The last MMA weekend was stacked with high-level bouts. UFC Vegas 71 didn’t look too promising, but the main event of the evening turned into a one-sided beatdown. […]