John Dodson will face Pat Runez on Saturday
John Dodson will face Pat Runez on Saturday

Recap
Last weekend I righted the ship. The pressure was on, but I still went 11-2 (3NC). My overall record is now 90-24 (13NC). My picking rate is headed in the right direction again at 79%. This week we take a look at some great cards. In action are everyone’s favorite CageDiva Miesha Tate, top flyweight contenders and Butterbean. As always do not be afraid to voice your opinion in the comments section.

UWC 7 – Redemption
Mike Easton (7-1) vs. Chase Beebe (12-4)

A lot of people are excited about Mike Easton, because he has all the physical tools. He is also a very skilled grappler with dynamite knees in the clinch. However, he is not going to be able to deal with Chase Beebe’s wrestling game. Easton has ended up on the bottom in his last few fights, but against Beebe he will be stuck down there and punished. If Beebe avoided being caught by Rani Yahya, then he came avoid Easton’s ground game. Five-round bantamweight fights are always a good show.
Pick = Chase Beebe

John Dodson (8-4) vs. Pat Runez (2-0)
When it is picked up by the WEC, Flyweight is going to be a great division. These two guys are a big part of the reason why. Both of them always put on a great show for the fans. Dodson has a reputation of being a wrestler, but in his last fight for the UWC he out struck Jose Villarisco. According to Luke Thomas, Villarisco was the far superior striker. Runez trains with Arizona Combat Sports and was very impressive in the PFC. However, expect Dodson to control the distance and win a five-round decision.
Pick = John Dodson

Tommy Truex (6-2) vs. Kyle Baker (6-4)
Kyle Baker was on his way to the big show, but then Brian Foster knocked him out in his last fight. Baker should back on track her. Look for him to dominate the clinch and wear Truex down over the course of the fight.
Pick = Kyle Baker

Beau Baker (7-2) vs. Jacob McClintock (5-0)
A lot like his brother, Beau Baker is a serious brawler. However, Kyle is clearly the more talented of the two. Jacob McClintock is still young, 21, but he has a very well rounded game. Expect McClintock to find a submission in the later rounds.
Pick = Jacob McClintock

Kris McCray (3-0) vs. Igor Almeida (5-0)
I have been in the house for all three of Kris McCray’s professional fights. The fights have not even been close. He is an extremely physical fighter with a good grappling game. He will move to 4-0 here.
Pick = Kris McCray

Sumie Sakai (2-2-1) vs. Iman Achhal (1-0)
The local media love Achhal. The last time she fought there was a feature in the Washington Post. The UWC would not match her against someone dangerous. According to the promotion, Sakai is 2-2-1, but I have not been able to track any of her fights down.
Pick = Iman Achhal

Felipe Arantes (1-2) vs. Freddy Assuncao
This will be the MMA debut of Freddy Assuncao. Both of his brothers, Raphael and Junior, have both fought under the Zuffa banner. The word on Freddy is that he is cut from the same mold.
Pick = Freddy Assuncao

MFC 22 – Payoff
Antonio McKee (22-3-2) vs. Carlo Prater (24-6-1)

Antonio McKee has referred to himself as “the best wrestler in MMA” and I am not going to disagree with him. Sure, there are wrestlers with better credentials, but no one is able to use their skills like McKee for MMA. He is so effective at implementing his game, that many of his opponents are handcuffed on the ground. Of course, it isn’t always the most exciting style, but winning is what matters in this sport.
Pick = Antonio McKee

Travis Lutter (9-5) vs. Jason MacDonald (21-12)
Both of these fighters are pretty much even on the ground. Neither one really has enough of an advantage to finish via submission. Jason Macdonald has an advantage in every other aspect of the game. MacDonald will do some damage with his strikes and finish the fight with some ground and pound.
Pick = Jason MacDonald

Ryan Jimmo (10-1) vs. Marvin Eastman (16-10-1)
Marvin Eastman will be the toughest test of Ryan Jimmo’s career. Eastman seems to have advantages on paper, but he simply is not active enough to win decisions against dynamic fighters in MMA. To make matters worse, Eastman does not have a lot of ways to finish a fight. This fight will probably consist of a lot of clinch fighting. In the end Jimmo is going to take the decision.
Pick = Ryan Jimmo

David Heath (13-5) vs. Mike Nickels (7-2)
Back in May, David Heath put on a very impressive performance against Travis Galbraith and he was robbed. Since then he has gone 2-0 with a win against Elite XC veteran Wayne Cole. Nickels should have an advantage on the ground, but he has no way to get the fight there. Look for Heath to bully Nickels around the ring on the way to a stoppage victory.
Pick = Daivd Heath

Luigi Fioravanti (15-5) vs. John Alessio (25-13)
These two UFC castoffs are working to get back to the big show. Alessio is the cleaner striker. Look for him to avoid Fioravanti’s clinch and win a unanimous decision.
Pick = John Alessio

Pete Spratt (19-15) vs. Nathan Gunn (7-0)
A win could be in the cards for Pete Spratt here. Nathan Gunn is mostly a brawler, and if he comes out with that game plan his will lose to the superior striker. However, everyone knows Spratt is one dimensional, so expect Gunn to win the fight on the ground.
Pick = Nathan Gunn

Sportfight 26 – Domination
Enoch Wilson (12-4-1) vs. Chad Nelson (4-2-1)

Despite not being in the WEC, Enoch Wilson is still a quality featherweight. Three of his four losses have come to Urijah Faber, John Gunderson and Jorge Evangelista. Chad Nelson has been impressive in his career, but expect Wilson to take advantage in the later rounds and bring home the victory.
Pick = Enoch Wilson

Josh Queen (3-1) vs. Mike Hayes (7-3-1)
A few weeks ago I picked Brad Imes to beat Josh Queen. Queen went out there and disposed of “The Ultimate Fighter” product, and made a joke of my pick in the process. Queen has shown a very developed game for this stage in his career. He should be able to pick up a win here and keep improving.
Pick = Josh Queen

CageSport MMA
Miesha Tate (6-2) vs. Sarah Oriza (1-4)

Despite the loss to Sarah Kaufman, Miesha Tate impressed many pundits with her diverse MMA skills. Once considered a pure wrestler, Tate has worked extremely hard to add other elements to her game. Oriza is mostly a grappler, so look for Tate to show off a new and improve striking game en route to a first round stoppage.
Pick = Miesha Tate

Boxing
Eric “Butterbean” Esch (77-7-4)* vs. Harry Funmaker (17-17)*

I normally do not like to mix MMA and boxing. Despite their similarities, the two are different sports. However, in honor Butterbean’s announced fight with Tank Abbott I’m breaking down this weekend’s boxing match. Journeymen with even records are exactly what fuel Butterbean. Look for him to put on his trademark show and bring home another victory. On the other side, Butterbean is starting to get up there in age, so Funmaker might be able to make him work enough to upset the Alabama native.
Pick = Butterbean
* boxing records

Richard Anderson Mann is an MMA journalist who makes his home in Chicago. He is a member of the Journalism Master’s degree program at Roosevelt University. Currently, he is a columnist for PROMMA.info and a news writer for adcombat.com. Richard can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Facebook at Facebook.com/RichardAndersonMann.

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