This week the end of possibly the most entertaining TUF ever will be upon us! We’ll be breaking down the event for you Friday after we find out who is in the Finale which will be determined Wednesday. Meanwhile check out our picks here before the show airs!
Bernard Oliver: The Five Star General
Johnny Bedford vs. Louis Gaudinot
If you’ve watched TUF 14 lately you noticed Bedford having trouble with shorter fighters. I really haven’t ever seen being short in a sport I participated in as advantageous except for offensive line in football and power lifting. Now I see that as an advantage in some MMA match-ups, being tall and lanky is not always the best thing. That being said If Beford uses his range EARLY and pushes the fight as he did with Dodson late I see this fight going his way.
Prediction: Bedford Round 2 Submission
Tony Ferguson vs. Yves Edwards
If you watched the show this week you know that we are unanimous on Edwards here, when we are unanimous on a fight it rarely goes the other way. Yves Edwards is not your average opponent and Tony may not be ready for someone with such superior striking yet. Ferguson likes to walk forward with his devastating hand-to-hand combat skills but against Edwards hand-to-hand-to-foot-to-knee-to-elbow skills I think he’ll have to show he has it in more than one place. Let’s not forget that Edwards’ submission game is just as devastating as his striking. Tony is a great fighter we’ll get a better gauge of his skills here for sure.
Prediction: Edwards Round 2 KO
TJ Dillashaw vs. John Dodson
I like TJ he is No. 3 in my Top 5 TUF Fighters. I do not like Dodson but it’s a good thing I don’t go off of who I like in a fight pick because Dodson is hands down my No. 2 from this season. Dodson showed ZERO loyalty to his team during the show snitching about everything from injuries to planned match-ups as Team Miller went absolutely spider monkey on Team Bisping. That being said I think Dodson will see the most success in the UFC from the show. Brandao is my number one but he’s high risk high reward for now. Dodson is crisp and compact with power and speed to boot. I would have liked to see more of Dillashaw before this fight but he is very capable of taking Dodson out of his comfort zone if he can take him down his training on the ground will suffice. But can he get Dodson down?
Prediction: Dodson Round 2 KO
Dennis Bermudez vs. Diego Brandao
The bad blood that Brandao seems to bring out in everyone is about at its peak. I can’t say that I liked him after the scuffle and words with Marcus Brimmage, but to be in the situation he is he has to be a killer in and out of the ring. Doesn’t excuse his behavior but he is not No. 1 on our all of our lists for nothing. His explosive, violent striking will prove to be too much for Bermudez. Bermudez definitely is no slouch on his feet and this could be Fight of the Night hands down…IF it goes the distance. We have not seen Brandao’s ground game because of the speed at which he dismantles his opponents but you can bet he’s got a great ground game to show off with that black belt in BJJ. If Bermudez has it in him to slow down Brandao I think he has what it takes for the upset March Madness style. Plus he’s a big ol dude.
Prediction: Brandao 1st round KO
Michael Bisping vs. Jason Miller
TUF 14 has made me so excited for this fight! Bisping who is pretty good on his feet, as most Brits are, has virtually no other advantage over Miller. I absolutely could not stand Miller before this fight was announced and that was the novice journalist in me. I also am a HUGE Diaz Bros fan so there. I see now that Miller is more than capable for the UFC. I would love to see him and Sonnen face off but first he must get passed Bisping. I feel that “Mayhem” Miller will come out on all cylinders against the front that Bisping puts on that he is “elite”. Miller’s stand up is good enough to take on Bisping but his wrestling will be key. I think he will set up “The Count” and then take this fight to the ground where he’ll finish it. Lot of talk from Bisping and we’ll see if he can back it up. Nothing against Bisping I like him as a person, I just think the days of one specialty in the UFC have been long over.
Prediction: Mayhem round 2 submission.
Fight of the Night: Brandao vs Bermudez
Submission of the Night: Jason Miller
Knockout of the Night: Yves Edwards
Brett Rorie : The Charismatic Youngblood
Johnny Bedford vs. Louis Gaudinot
Action in this bantamweight fight will be at a premium. The key in this fight will be that Bedford is a natural bantamweight, while Louis is really a flyweight fighting a weight class to high. Bedford needs to use his wrestling to slow down the speedy and agile Gaudinot.
Prediction: Bedford via, unanimous decision
Tony Ferguson vs. Yves Edwards
This is a perfect example of the UFC testing a young up-and-comer against a savvy vet who has been through everything. Throughout Edwards’s career he has done extremely well against the mid-level competition in MMA, but once he reached into the above average fighters he has always struggled. If Ferguson plays this fight smart he will go out and out-wrestle Edwards, but as Ferguson showed in his fight against Aaron Riley, he has great standup. Regardless of where the fight goes, expect “El Cucuy” to have the advantage.
Prediction: Tony Ferguson via, 2nd round TKO
T.J. Dillashaw vs. John Dodson
A fast, non-stop, exhausting pace will be set in the bantamweight TUF finale fight. Dodson, much like Gaudinot, made his name in the flyweight division, and has moved up to the bantamweight division to be in the UFC has looked extremely well-rounded and talented. Dillashaw, a product of Uriah Faber’s Team Alpha Male has shown that Team Alpha Male skill set, with great All-American Wrestling and great striking. Really tough to see who has the advantage where, but if I had to choose, I give Dodson the advantage standing, and Dillashaw the wrestling advantage. Regardless of who wins or loses these two will both make an impact in the UFC.
Prediction: Dodson via, Unanimous Decision
Dennis Bermudez vs. Diego Brandao
In this featherweight finale fight you have a MONSTER in Diego Brandao, going up against a great wrestler in Dennis Bermudez. Brandao has looked unstoppable in his fight on TUF, but somehow he has amassed seven losses in his MMA career. Bermudez before coming into the TUF competition had lost his past two fights, but has shown great wrestling ability. Expect Brandao’s speed and power to really cause Bermudez to be gun shy.
Prediction: Brandao via, 1st round KO
Michael Bisping vs. Jason Miller
As weird as it may sound, this is a huge fight in the Middleweight Division title picture. Forever and ever I have always seen Michael Bisping as an average, but not great fighter who has had numerous tomato cans thrown at him to get him an easy victory, and I probably will never change on that feeling. However, I believe Miller is one of the most underrated fighters in MMA today. Miller has a great well-rounded skill set that it takes to definitely beat someone of Bisping’s standing. If this fight stays standing “The Count” has a chance, but Mayhem is too smart for that.
Prediction: Mayhem via, 2nd round submission.
Fight of the Night: Dillashaw vs. Dodson
Submission of the Night: Jason Miller
Knockout of the Night: Diego Brando