In MMA there are just some crazy weeks. First off, as far as my picking record goes, Mike Easton’s win over Chase Beebe has been changed to a No Contest. I was tempted to give myself the win since that decision was so ridiculous.
Other crazy stuff happened last week too. Butterbean lost to Harry Funmaker. Minowa submitted Hong Man Choi. These travesties led to my 17-8 (1NC) record last week. Overall I am now 107-32 (14NC). For those that care, my picking rate is now 77 percent.
This weekend there is WEC 43, but so much more. Yves Edwards is in action. Carlos Newton is fighting Shonie Carter for some reason, and Yusuke Kawaguchi puts his Megaton strap on the line in DEEP.
WEC 43
Donald Cerrone (10-1) vs. Benson Henderson (9-1)
Pretty much everyone is expecting Donald Cerrone to take out Benson Henderson, and set up the grudge match with Jamie Varner. However, Henderson posseses a skill set that is problematic for Cerrone. “Cowboy” still needs to work on his takedown defense. With that being said, he is still in line for a win. At some point in the five-round fight, he is going to be able to put hands on Henderson. The end will come soon after.
Pick = Donald Cerrone
Rich Crunkilton (16-2) vs. Dave Jansen (12-0)
Both of these fighters like to push the action with their action. Dave Jensen is the better wrestler. On top of that, Rich Crunkilton has had bad luck in the injury department recently. Look for Jensen, the former University of Oregon wrestler, to stay undefeated with a decision victory.
Pick = Dave Jensen
Damacio Page (11-4) vs. Will Campuzano (6-0)
It is nice to see fighters finally getting a chance to fight at their natural weight. Damacio Page spent most of his career at lightweight, because there were not chances at bantamweight. Will Campuzano is not ready for this level and he is a late replacement. Look for Page to land heavy strikes on the feet and finish up on the ground.
Pick = Damacio Page
Raphael Assuncao (13-1) vs. Yves Jabouin (14-4)
Yves Jabouin has an impressive record. Raphael Assuncao is the impressive prospect. He has already beaten Joe Lauzon, Jorge Masvidal and he should have gotten the nod against Jeff Curran. Assuncao will have an advantage on the ground. A submission is very likely here.
Pick = Raphael Assuncao
Anthony Njokuani (10-2) vs. Muhsin Corbbrey (7-3)
This is an extremely close fight. Anthony Njokuani has a slight edge. Both fighters like to strike, but Njokuani has the advantage there. If Corbbrey makes a concerted effort to get the fight to the floor he has a chance. However, the smart pick is Njokuani.
Pick = Anthony Njokuani
Noah Thomas (13-5) vs. Scott Jorgensen (6-3)
Although he lost, Scott Jorgensen showed in his last fight that he is ready for the best at Bantamweight. Noah Thomas did the opposite. After putting together an impressive string of victories, he whiffed in his WEC debut. Jorgensen will win here by implementing his wrestling and physical game. Let’s hope the WEC keeps giving Thomas fights, because he really is a quality prospect at 135 pounds
Pick = Scott Jorgensen
Wagnney Fabiano (12-1) vs. Mackens Semerzier (3-0)
The good news for Mackens Semerzier is that he is in the WEC. The bad news is that he is fighting Wagney Fabiano. This should be an easy win for Fabiano. Where will he go next? If his teammate Jose Aldo beats Mike Brown, can he make bantamweight?
Pick = Wagney Fabiano
Eddie Wineland (14-6-1) vs. Manny Tapia (10-2-1)
Manny Tapia has gone from undefeated to 0-2 in his last two fights. Eddie Wineland will forever be known for his classic battle with Chase Beebe. Tapia will be a little too much for Wineland in this fight. He is a much more technical striker and will have a serious advantage on the ground.
Pick = Manny Tapia
Charlie Valencia (10-5) vs. Coty Wheeler (10-1)
Coty Wheeler has been impressive in his run in the WEC. Both fighters have quality submission games. However, Charlie Valencia has more experienced and has faced some of the greatest lighter weight fighters. His losses have come against Urijah Faber, Brian Bowles and Domick Cruz. Valencia should bring home the decision here.
Pick = Charlie Valencia
Deividas Taurosevicius (10-3) vs. Javier Vazquez (13-3)
Javier Vazquez showed in his last fight that he still has the skills to be a factor in the featherweight division. It is too bad that the judges screwed him out of a win. Taurosevicius is a game fighter, but his strengths are also Vazquez’s strengths. Look for Vazquez to win the grappling match and the fight.
Pick = Javier Vazquez
Warrior-1 High Voltage
Carlos Newton (14-13) vs. Shonie Carter (48-19-7)
Ten years ago, this was a serious welterweight contest. Carlos Newton used to get by with his athleticism. Shonie Carter is a versatile fighter, but Newton will be more physical. Expect Newton to win a decision, but this could be a train wreck of a fight.
Pick = Carlos Newton
Remi Morvan (6-0) vs. Adrian Wooley (5-1)
The winner of this fight will probably be on the way towards a shot in the WEC bantamweight division. Adrian Wooley is a former Canadian collegiate wrestling champion. He would be undefeated if he had not caught a spectacular head kick from Noah Thomas. Remi Morvan is undefeated and has looked impressive. Wooley will be able to control pace and positioning with his wrestling and win a decision.
Pick = Adrian Wooley
Raging Wolf 5 – Mayhem in the Mist
Yves Edwards (35-15-1) vs. Kyle Jensen (39-10-2)
Kyle Jensen is a jack-of-all-trades but master of none kind of guy. He is probably best in the submission game, and even there Yves Edwards will have an advantage. Expect Edwards to catch Jensen late in the fight and win by knockout.
Pick = Yves Edwards
RIE Philly Biker Brawl
Tim Boetsch (9-3) vs. Lorenzo Hood (0-1)
First off I want to say, what a great name for an MMA event. Philly Biker Brawl is quality stuff. What will be next Drunken Phillies Fan Riot? Tim Boetsch is an extremely physical fighter who should dominate on the local scene. Lorenzo Hood has yet to win in his MMA career. This is an easy one to pick.
Pick = Tim Boetsch
DEEP 44 Impact
Yusuke Kawaguchi (9-1) vs. Seigo Mizuguchi (6-4)
My favorite fighter is back in action, and he is defending my favorite title. Yusuke Kawaguchi puts his DEEP Meganton title on the line here. Kawaguchi should win since he is more athletic than most Japanese heavyweights. However, Seigo Mizuguchi will present an interesting challenge. He has won his last two fights by scarf hold, which is always impressive when you’re not wearing a gi.
Pick = Yusuke Kawaguchi
Miku Matsumoto (21-4) vs. Tomomi Sunaba (12-10-1)
Megumi Fujii, Yuka Tsuji and Miku Matsumoto are all on their own level in women’s MMA. Miku Matsumoto will win here. The question is, when will Matsumoto move up to 115-pounds to challenge either Fujii or Tsuji.
Pick = Miku Matsumoto
Hidehiko Hasegawa (17-12-6) vs. Ryuki Ueyama (10-11-4)
Ryki Ueyama has lost to fighters who compete at bantamweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweight. These are not just nobodies. He has lost to some of the best including Rani Yahya, Sean Sherk, Hayato Sakurai and Kazuo Misaki. Hidehiko Hasegawa is not a bad fighter, but he is a pretty boring wrestler. He holds a draw, which probably should have been a win, against the UFC’s Dong Hyun Kim. Hasegawa will take this fight to the ground and control it there for a decision victory.
Pick = Hidehiko Hasegawa
MMA Xplosion
John Gunderson (22-6) vs. Steve Sharp (24-10)
Steve Sharp has piled up some wins in his career. John Gunderson has faced the much tougher competition, and is in line for a win here. Gunderson should be able to put hands on Sharp and finish the fight.
Pick = John Gunderson
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.
Lorenzo Hood vs Tim Boetsch would have been a great main event for the RIE show, but four hours before weigh-ins Hood decided he couldn’t be bothered to show up. RIE wasn’t able to get a replacement in time. So the main event ended up being Aaron Meisner (TUF season 7) vs Leo Pecanha. Pecanha swarmed Meisner, and after putting on a ground game clinic, finally took the back and cinched in the RNC at about 4:30 of the first.
Damn. Thanks for the update Paul. How was the event overall? RIE usually puts on a good show.
13-4 (1NC)