Fathead Blog

My wires must have been crossed last week. I said I needed my UFC 146 picks to be 4-1 last week to get to .500 in my predictions. However, I went 1-4 and am now a lowly 12-18. Maybe I was getting too cocky with the previous winning streak I went on.  have had a bad record before, though, and my UFC predictions will continue with Friday’s UFC on FX.

Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall

This is the kind of main event I love to write about. Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson would seem to be a lock for me to pick with such a great nickname. Unfortunately for him, he has run into Ian “Uncle Creepy” McCall. There may not be a better nickname in sports. Add on top of that the handlebar mustache McCall is sporting and I think I have my new favorite UFC fighter. Without looking at any fighting style information, I am taking McCall. Uncle Creepy can’t lose!

Erick Silva vs. Charlie Brenneman

There is a big drop off with my excitement from the main event to this fight. Neither fighter sticks out to me in their descriptions, with Silva having no nickname and Brenneman using “The Spaniard”, which is a little dated. Silva is a pure striker, with dangerous kicking ability. Brenneman will look to bring this fight to the ground and wear out Silva with his wrestling. I am looking for Silva to catch Brenneman with a solid kick and take care of business.

Mike Pyle vs. Josh Neer

This fight has regained my interest. Mike “Quicksand” Pyle and Josh “The Dentist” Neer have brought some creativity with their nicknames, although I am confused a little by Neer’s. They are very similar fighters in the ring, with Pyle being a slightly more well-rounded. Neither fighter is afraid to take the fight to the mat, so this fight has equal chances of ending via knockout or submission. Either way, I think The Dentist will be the one celebrating when the fight is over.

Eddie Wineland vs. Scott Jorgensen

Wineland doesn’t have a nickname, but does has a 3 inch size advantage over Jorgensen. Scott “Young Guns” Jorgensen is a well-rounded fighter who can beat you in a myriad of ways. Jorgensen can be aggressive, which could get him in trouble with a dangerous striker like Wineland. Jorgensen could have a hard time getting inside the reach of Wineland, but I like his fighting style and I am taking Young Guns in this fight.

Mike Pierce vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha

These two guys look like they were born to fight. Pierce is 13-5 and the more experienced fighter. Rocha, while not experienced, is 9-1 in his fights and also 2 inches taller than Pierce. Combine those stats with his “Ta Danado” nickname and he is leading in my book. Pierce is a takedown, ground and pound style of fighter, while Rocha is looking for submissions. I like the brute force Pierce fights with, but I am taking Rocha in this fight.

After starting out with a miserable record in picking UFC fights, I went 4-1 in my last picks and am 8-12 to date. That means I can get my record above .500 for the first time since I started writing UFC predictions with a perfect card this time. So with UFC on Fox happening this Saturday, I have to take a shot.

With his win over "Rampage" Jackson, Jon Jones got me closer to a winning record.

Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller

This is a tricky fight to pick. Miller has a great record (21-3), but is 2 inches shorter than his opponent and his reach is 5 inches shorter. That could be dangerous against a boxer like Diaz. Miller wants to make this a ground fight, but will he be able to get takedowns without taking significant shots? I have a lot of questions about it, but I think Miller finds a way to catch Diaz off guard and get the submission.

Josh Koscheck vs. Johny Hendricks

Let the nickname fun begin! Josh “Kos” Koscheck’s nickname isn’t quite as catchy as Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks. Add to that Bigg Rigg’s record of 12-1, and Kos isn’t stacking up in my book. The fighting styles are nearly identical and both will try to score multiple takedowns. I like Bigg Rigg to bring home another win at the end of this fight.

Rousimar Palhares vs. Alan Belcher

Rousimar “Toquinho” Palhares is a very difficult name to pronounce. Alan “The Talent” Belcher makes me think of an old school WWE heel. The Talent is 4 inches taller than his opponent, but it only give him 4 inches more on his reach. Look for him to use that to his advantage as a striker, keeping Toquinho at bay as he tries to get takedowns. The Talent needs to keep this fight off the mat, or it could get ugly. You knew I wasn’t going to pick against a guy with a nickname like The Talent, right?

Pat Barry vs. Lavar Johnson

Lavar “Big” Johnson brings much more experience to the octagon with a 16-5 record. Pat “HD” Barry is only 7-4 and at 5’11” gives up a lot of height to his opponent. This is my kind of fight, as both fighters have one thing on their mind: standing and throwing. Both fighters are powerful strikers who are looking for a knockout blow. Big has dangerous feet and knees, and I think he will add to his already impressive resume.

Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson gets a big push in my book for the nickname “The Menace”, while Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson is just ok. Both bring pretty solid records to the ring, with El Cucuy (14-2) having a slight edge on The Menace (11-6). This should be another fight where both guys look to make it more of a boxing match. Both can wrestle if the situation calls for it, but I think they would prefer to stay on their feet. I am taking Feguson and his record, even though I hate to go against The Menace.

Regardless of my 2-8 record picking UFC fights, I refuse to give up on my goal of havinga successful UFC predictions blog post. So after a month off, I am back to tackle yet another UFC card.  You may be thinking I waited for a card where I was more familiar with the fighters to give myself an edge. Quite the contrary, this isn’t even a PPV event, so the likely hood of my knowing these fighters is actually slimmer. I relish the challenge. Here is my 3^rd installment of uneducated UFC predictions.  

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Thiago Silva

As always, we start with the main event. Thiago Silva (14-2) and Alexander Gustafsson (13-1) both come into this fight with solid records. Gustafsson has a major size advantage, standing at 6’5” to Silva’s 6’1”, each weighing 205. I usually prefer to go with submission fighters like Gustafsson, but my gut is telling me to take Silva. He has a solid striking and submission combination and I think that will be the trick to take down Gustafsson.

Brian Stann vs. Alessio Sakara

I have never watched either of these fighters, but I am pretty sure this is going to be my type of fight. First, and quite possibly foremost, they have solid nicknames. Brian “All American” Stann is a bit used, but when you think of how it would be announced, it would sound pretty cool. Then you have Alessio “Legionarius” Sakara, which is simply great. The real reason I think it will be a great fight is these two are simply strikers. At 185 pounds each, fatigue shouldn’t be a factor, leaving us with a wild slugfest. I like Stann in this fight, because I think he packs a little more in his punches.

Paulo Thiago vs. Siyar Bahadurzada

This seems like the hardest fight to predict on this card. (Who am I kidding, I’m 2-8, there is no easy pick for me.) Looking at the statistics and information at hand, I don’t see anything that really sets either apart. Siyar “The Great” Bahadurzada has more fights under his belt, but he doesn’t excel in any one area. Paulo Thiago is a pretty good submission fighter, who can take punches, which he will need to be able to do against The Great. I am going with the more experienced fighter here and taking Bahadurzada to test Thiago’s chin early and often.

Dennis Siver vs. Diego Nunes

If this were a movie, Dennis Siver looks like he was cast to play the villain, and Diego Nunes looks like the young hero. Nunes is the greener opponent, having fought in 8 less fights than Siver, but he has only 2 less wins. Both fighters are around 145 pounds, but Siver just looks bigger. Siver will look to use that size and his striking ability to wear down Nunes, especially if he can take him to the ground. Nunes needs to keep this fight off the mat if he wants to win and make Siver move. I think Nunes finds a way to get the win.

Demarques Johnson vs. John Maguire

Demarques “Darkness” Johnson just looks like a fighter. John Maguire, not so much. Regardless of looks, Maguire is 17-3 and is dangerous when he takes you to the ground. Johnson wants to keep this fight upright, where he can use his length to his advantage. If it goes to the ground, however, it won’t be a lost cause for Johnson, who can hold his own in the submission category. I think Johnson takes this fight because I think he is more of a complete fighter and can win this fight no matter how it is fought.