After a night of hanging out with Nick Diaz, Uriah Faber, Michael Chiesa, Jordan McDonald, Rick Lee, LayzieThSavage, Rener Gracie, Chad Mendes, Tracy Lee, Luke Rockhold and Roy Jones Jr., I’m thoroughly convinced the ending to the last season of Boardwalk Empire essentially created television suicide by rendering so many of their main characters powerless. It was entirely too depressing of an end to a series, so much so that I’m not even certain that I will tune in for season five. What a bummer, HBO had something great going on with that show.
I’m sure you’re here for the UFC 170 MiddleEasy staff predictions, so behold and enjoy,
@JasonNawara
I just want this to be Thompson showing off some neat kicks and stuff. Hopefully there are no perfectly-timed checks and he walks away victorius. That’s the way I’m picking – Thompson.
@Dvewlsh
Thompson takes this, but at the same time, this is a UFC PPV?! Dear god
@Shamownage
Robert Whitaker is basically a guy that I’ve seen fight but no nothing about. Stephen Thompson is pretty legit and aside from his loss to Matt Brown he’s been smashing dudes in the division. I fully expect Thompson to walk right through Whitaker.
@GaryLaPlante
Pernell Whitaker is easily one of the greatest defensive minded boxers of all time. His instincts were impeccable, although at this point in his career you have to wonder what he’s thinking. He just turned fifty, one has to think he’s only in this for a payday, it’s never fun seeing guys like him hurting for cash. Wait… it’s not Pernell Whitaker? Well if that’s the case why is a fight between actor Forrest Whitaker and Stephen Thompson is being sanctioned? Oh wait… it’s not Forrest Whitaker either? Then I guess Stephen Thompson by some karate thing.
@MiddleEasy (Zeus)
Anyone that goes by Wonderboy deserves a wardrobe restricted to only pastel colors, regardless of the temporal proximity to Easter. Thompson will win, and I will bet all the money in my left pocket that he does so.
@JasonNawara
TWAS should be special guest refereeing this fight for no good reason. Pyle is on the last fight of his contract, he’s 38-years-old, and he rocks a mullet. Waldburger is not someone I like to watch fight. Thus, I hope Pyle wins and fights around the top 15 of the UFC welterweight division until he’s fifty. –Pyle
@Dvewlsh
Jesus Christ this is a UFC PPV?! No diss to either guy, as they are both fine fighters, but this is a PPV card?! Mike Pyle was in a Universal Soldier movie, which negates the fact that he’s 38. I think he’s [Pyle] just a better fighter, as well.
@Shamownage
Like Thompson, Pyle’s only recent setback is against Matt Brown, who has looked like an absolute killer lately. Waldburger is no push over, but I have a feeling Pyle is going to bounce back in this fight and do so in impressive fashion.
@GaryLaPlante
LOS ANGELES ANACONDAS REPRESENT! IFL NEVER DIE! Mike Pyle by submission.
@MiddleEasy (Zeus)
Mike Pyle may be a winner at UFC 170, but that thing on his head will always be a loser in what’s scientifically considered to be ‘hair.’ I should dial the Fashion Police to give Mike Pyle a new set of follicles, but even with the fashion industry, Public Enemy told us that 911 is a joke, and he’s right. Pyle wins via decision.
@JasonNawara
Oh **** I didn’t even realize this fight was happening? Why aren’t we hearing more about this? I think both men are spectacular fighters and that this is an interesting fight for both of them. Maia with his crawling on the beach and Playboy-level Jiu Jitsu, and Rory MacDonald with his bookcase that slides back to reveal his collection of jet packs and tuxedoes. I’m not sure what any of that means, but I think Rory will win. Maia had his last big run. –Rory
@Dvewlsh
See, this is a clear cut case of a guy I’m not a fan of vs. a guy I’m a fan of. Both men are coming off of losses and I’d love to see Maia take it, but because of my sheer disdain for MacDonald he’ll win and smarmy UFC fans will continue to be smarmy about him being the future of the sport, which says poor things for the future of the sport.
@Shamownage
As a BJ Penn fan there’s nothing I’d love to see more than Rory MacDonald lose. After his cocky performance against Penn I became a staunch MacDonald hater. I also really like Demian Maia and think he looks great at 170. Though my brain says MacDonald dominates Maia in this one, my heart says Maia will pull off the sub. So I guess I predict that Rory will take it, but I hope that Maia can manage to get this to the ground to pull off the finish.
@GaryLaPlante
Rory MacDonald has always somewhat terrified me. The way he talks and carries himself is so strange to me. He’s always so monotone and emotionless. I know someone like Fedor is also monotone and people always joke about how he is emotionless but that’s just not true. He has slight inflections in his voice and facial expressions that show his emotion. Rory on the other hand doesn’t, even when he pulled a Nick Diaz by shouting out Joe Rogan’s podcast it felt so… weird. I honestly think he might have bodies in his basement, dead bodies. Rory MacDonald by being a psycho.
@MiddleEasy (Zeus)
If you want to be able to pay your March rent, drop all the money you have in your bank account that Demian Maia will pull off the upset. Actually go beyond just your bank account. Sell your possessions. You don’t need them anyway. Get rid of everything you own and put it on Demian Maia — even that silly monitor you’re using to read this.
@JasonNawara
See, unlike Dave I think that Cummins basically saved this fight from complete obscurity? What do you want, another guy talking about how he’s never felt so good and how he’s ready? At least it’s something different. That said, the only way Cummins has a chance in hell of winning this fight is if he perfectly checks a leg kick from Cormier, thus shattering Cormier’s leg on his knee. –Cormier
@Dvewlsh
This fight is stupid and I can’t believe that more people aren’t calling it that. Cummins is 4-0 against people you’ve never heard of and it would feel rushed to see him on some Fight Pass prelims, yet here he is, stepping up to the plate for a co-main event. This is how the UFC operates. The whole narrative about Cormier “crying” is so stupid and the fact that it has so much traction just proves that MMA fans and media are some of the worst people who care about stupid things. Cormier takes this and we’ll have to deal with Joe Rogan looking bug-eyed in future previews talking about how much of a monster Cormier is for what he did to Patrick Cummins.
@Shamownage
Cormier bro. C’mon.
@GaryLaPlante
I hate this fight, I hate everything about this fight. The build up to it has been comically bad, Cummings has tried to make it interesting with some trash talk, but the way it’s been delivers is awful. He has no conviction with his words, when you listen to him you don’t believe a word he says and neither does he. I’ve been an advocate of MMA going the boxing/WWE route by building guys up by facing jobbers. This is neither the time or place for that, I understand Cormier isn’t the biggest star or most well known fighter but he’s 35 next month. History says he won’t be Bernard Hopkins, he won’t be Jaromír Jágr, he’s on the tail end of his physical prime. He should be fighting meaningful fights at this point in his career and if that means taking him off the card so be it. Cormier by decision.
@MiddleEasy (Zeus)
There’s been no empirical evidence supporting that any of you should take this fight seriously. Daniel Cormier vs. a dude on Twitter that made Cormier cry in college. The only hope for Cummins is that Cormier gets in the cage, the chick from Out of this World uses her fingers to stop time, talks to her alien dad through a cosmic cube, and then takes that same cube and breaks it over Cormier’s head. With the current conditions and limitations in our universe, that seems virtually impossible, so Cormier by whatever he decides a minute before the fight starts.
@JasonNawara
I have no reason to believe Ronda won’t win this fight, but in saying that, if Ronda finally gets put into a bad position, it will be fascinating to see her reach down into the depths of her being to claw back for the win. Because that’s what is going to happen – Ronda will win, but it will either be by a quick armbar or this will see her go to the judges for the first time in her career. – Ronda
@Dvewlsh
I think that this is a very interesting fight on many levels. This is Ronda’s toughest fight ever, even if a lot of people are just kind of brushing it off, it is also a fight that will tell us a lot about Ronda Rousey. How does Ronda Rousey stack up against real competition? How does she handle being in a bad position? Can Judo nullify wrestling? This fight is really pretty fascinating and will showcase grappling that is probably actually interesting to watch, go figure! I think that Ronda will take it, but we’ll see her in some deeper waters than ever before and learn a lot of things about her.
@Shamownage
Unless McMann can somehow ankle pick Ronda, hold her on the ground, and smash her for 5 rounds without getting armbarred I just don’t see how she can win this fight. If she pursues the takedown with anything but attacks below Ronda’s hips I think she’s going to get countered on almost every attempt. Once she’s on the ground she has to remain extremely active and have an airtight defense or Ronda is going home with her arm. I just don’t see that happening. I’m guessing Ronda takes it with an early armbar and makes it look easy.
@GaryLaPlante
To this point in Ronda’s career, she hasn’t exactly faced anyone that’s near her level of skill. Sure Tate, Kaufman and Carmouche are all good fighters, but none of them are even close to Ronda. Ronda’s judo game is elite, an 80 on the 20-80 scale but I see her as having holes on the ground. All I could think vs. Carmouche when she had her in a headlock in side control was a more skilled fighter would’ve popped out and taken her back. I’ve felt for a while that Sara McMann was on the short list of fighters who could beat Ronda, so it’s time to put my d**k on the table. Sara McMann by submission.
@MiddleEasy (Zeus)
Betting against Ronda Rousey is synonymous to betting against Fedor in Pride FC. Sure you can do it, but only if you love donating your money to people that love taking your money. McMann is the toughest competition Ronda has ever faced, but the same can be applied to McMann. Ronda is two fights away from retiring as the Female GOAT, after she dominates Sara, she will vanquish Cris Cyborg at 135 lbs, and then star as Boomer in an Marvel film about X-Force. Ronda wins, in more ways than one.
