War Machine is just one of the fighters in action this weekend
War Machine is just one of the fighters in action this weekend

Recap
Last weekend was a pretty solid effort on my part. I went 11-3 with 1 NC, which brings my overall record to 35-8 (6NC). For those keeping track at home that is an 81% picking rate. However, I failed to include the Ben Askren and Ricco Rodriguez fights from last weekend, so this week I hopefully got all the possible match ups covered. This week we take a look at Shine Fights, XFC, VFC, and some ShootBoxing. As always if you think you know better, let me know in the comments section.

XFC 9 – Evolution
War Machine (9-2) vs. Mikey Gomez (9-7)

Despite his reputation as a troublemaker and a general oddball, Mr. Machine does have some MMA skill. It would have been better to see him face off against Roger Bowling, but due to injury fans get Mikey Gomez instead. Machine should be able to take Gomez down from the clinch and punish him enough to earn a late round stoppage.
Pick = War Machine

Chris Barnett (1-0) vs. Daniel Perez
HDNet brought us Barnett’s very impressive kicking display that put away Johnathan Ivey. I’ll cop to not knowing much about Perez, but expect Barnett to come out throwing crazy kicks. Hopefully a few land, and we get another youtube sensation.
Pick = Chris Barnett

Bruce Connors (6-1) vs. Tim Snyder (8-3-1)
A lot of people were excited about Bruce Connors before his last loss to Jarrod Card. Even though he may have lost some of his shine as a prospect, he is still a quality talent. He should be able to win this fight by submission with relative ease.
Pick = Bruce Connors

VFC – A Night of Vengeance
Shonie Carter (47-18-7) vs. Derrick Noble (23-12-1)

A few years ago this would have been an easy win for Shonie Carter. With someone who fights as much as he does, age becomes a factor rather quickly. As he gets closer to 40 years of age his production has dropped significantly. Look for Noble to control the pace of the fight and bring home a decision.
Pick = Derrick Noble

Eight-Man Light Heavyweight Tournament
This card is also set to host an eight-man tournament. The promoter announced the participants and said the match up would be released via twitter, but they never were. For the record I am taking Antwain Britt to win the whole thing.

ShootBoxing
For those that don’t know, ShootBoxing is considered standing MMA. Everything is legal until a fight hits the ground. For an example of a ShootBoxing fight click here.
Mamoru Yamaguchi (20-5-3) vs. Masahiro Fujimoto
Since he can beat everyone but the champion in Shooto’s 123-pound division, Mamoru Yamaguchi has been forced to check out ShootBoxing for fights. He has gone 2-1 in the sport, and is in line for another win here. Let’s hope promoters start hosting more flyweight fights so the man can fight some MMA
Pick = Mamoru Yamaguchi

Shine Fights 2 – American Top Team vs. The World
Roan Carneiro (12-8) vs. Jorge “Macaco” Patino (21-11-1)

Macaco is one of the Vale Tudo legends that still fight today. Like most of them he really hasn’t evolved with the sport. Roan Carneiro has no business being 12-8. He is way more talented than his record shows, and he should be able to control positioning and bring home a decision victory.
Pick = Roan Carneiro

Ryan Healy (10-5-1) vs. Luiz Firmino (12-4)
Despite being mostly inactive recently, Luiz Firmino is still a very dynamic fighter. Look for Firmino to be aggressive from the opening bell and submit Ryan Healy in the first round.
Pick = Luiz Firmino

Jean Silva (17-8-3) vs. Flavio Alvaro (25-6)
Silva is clearly the more talented grappler, and should be able to win the fight. However, he has not competed at a high level in a very long time. Alvaro, the Rio Heroes veteran, will put pressure on Silva and attempt to grind out a victory. If Silva can withstand, he could find himself in the big show fairly soon.
Pick = Jean Silva

Yves Edwards (34-15-1) vs. James Warfield (15-3)
Warfield brings an impressive record, but it is filled with few recognizable names. Edwards should be able to win this fight on the feet, but he needs to be impressive for Strikeforce to bring him back.
Pick – Yves Edwards

Micah Miller (12-3) vs. Anthony Morrision (8-6)
After getting dropped by WEC and Dream, Micah Miller is tearing through the local scene. His technical grappling is far superior to the fighters on this level. This will be another first round submission victory for Micah Miller.
Pick = Micah Miller

Junior Assuncao (8-4) vs. Peter Grimes
Assuncao would have taken out Gideon Ray, but not he gets to beat Peter Grimes instead. If he wants to get back into the UFC, he will have to start taking on tougher competition.
Pick = Junior Assuncao

Jonatas Gurgel (3-0) vs. Danny Chavez
Gurgel is 3-0 with all of his wins coming by way of submission in less than 2 minutes. This fight will fit perfectly into that trend as he will submit Danny Chavez in less than 2 minutes.
Pick = Jonatas Gurgel

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