-What a fun card UFC 211 was, the UFC rightfully gets a lot of criticism from fans myself included when they make poor cards, but UFC 211 was fantastic.
-The only real negative takeaway from the card for me was the horrible officiating in the Eddie Alvarez vs Dustin Poirier bout. I think the illegal knee rule is stupid, but it ‘is’ the rule and the refs need to enforce it or the UFC needs to get rid of the rule entirely. By the letter of the law Alvarez illegally knee’d Poirier twice and deserved a disqualification. Herb Dean absolutely screwed up calling the bout a “no contest” but the lack of a clear understanding of the rules is on the UFC to figure out ASAP or risk more controversies like this.
-Frankie Edgar’s total destruction of Yair Rodriguez was the living embodiment of substance over hype. This is not a knock on Rodriguez’s ability or future chances to potentially fight for a title someday. However, it speaks more to how elite Frankie Edgar truly is, and how Rodriguez’s ambition got the better of him. Edgar’s masterful performance should get him #1 contender fight for a chance at a title shot. I’d love to see him fight Ricardo Lamas or Cub Swanson for chance to fight the winner of Holloway & Aldo.
-Some people will complain that Damian Maia is a boring fighter, and its hard to argue if you like striking that Maia is ‘fun’ to watch. However, you have to respect a man who has crafted a singular skill (jiu-jitsu) to such a high level that he can rightfully earn a title shot with it. In the era of well-rounded MMA fighters who are really good at everything, Maia is a throwback to a bygone era in the UFC. His opponents know exactly what he is trying to do and yet they are powerless to stop them. Fans and the UFC may cringe at the thought of a Welterweight Champion Damian Maia, but I for one love seeing a guy do things his way.
-Joanna ‘Violence’ ‘Champion’ Jedrzejczyk is must see television anytime she fights. For people who love striking and lament Maia’s style, Jedrzejczyk is absolutely the polar opposite. She comes to fight and systematically destroy her opponents overtime she enters the octagon. She fought an incredibly tough and game fighter in Andrade, who put a fist sized knot on the champ’s head early in the 1st round. Andrade did everything she could to make the champion uncomfortable but repeatedly found herself getting blasted by Jedrzejczyk’s lightning fast jab, chopping leg kicks, and occasional skull rattling head kicks. Jedrzejczyk took the best Andrade had to offer and gave it back to her over the course of a 5 round beat down.
-Some fans on social media were pointing out Rose Namanjunas’s blank or death stare when she was shown on camera sitting cage side for UFC 211 & Jedrzejczyk’s fight. Many believe she’ll be next in line for a shot at the Jedrzejczyk’s 115lbs title. I think her stare was less of a death stare, and more of a holy hell how am I supposed to beat that woman after seeing the champ up close. She’s a fighter so she likely think she has what it takes to dethrone the champ; I however think she’s in for a world-class whooping if that fight were to ever take place.
-Stipe Miocic is strongly making a case as the best UFC Heavyweight in the history of the organization. His total dismantling of Junior Dos Santos helped cement his legacy as an all-time heavyweight champ in the sport. He’s now avenged his only loss in his last 9 fights which include victories over the likes of Nelson, Hunt, Werdum, Overeem, and now Dos Santos. It’s essentially the whose who of the UFC heavyweight division. The only name not on that list and likely the only man who can now argue he’s the greatest heavyweight in UFC history is Cain Velasquez. Here is hoping Cain’s back surgery went well and fans get treated to two of the best heavyweights to ever put on gloves decide it in the ring who is the greatest of all-time.
-After a ‘horrendous’ start to my picks for 2017, I’ve managed to put two straight winning cards together & thanks to a horrible riffing error I was spared a loss allowing my straight up picks for UFC 211 to go undefeated. Thanks Herb Dean!
-I praised the UFC for making an amazing UFC 211 card and they deserve it. I’ll also rip them for this real stinker of a card that UFC 212 is shaping up to be at the moment. Aldo vs Holloway is a fantastic main event but the rest of the card is barely FS1 fight card worthy. If they do not make any additions to the card that is only 2 weeks away, you are asking fans to plunk down $64.99 for a pay-pre view with a completely over the hill Vitor Belfort fight a long in the tooth Nate Marquardt or do they think watching two 115lbs women (Gadelha vs Kowalkiwicz) whom Jedrzejczyk already beat up, fighting to see who’s the silver medalist in the division will get fans willing to part with their cash. This is where famed former match maker Joe Silva’s absence is felt. When he was in charge, the UFC could be counted on to not slap a pay-per-view on any ole card. The UFC has had great success as they’ve spurned the boxing ‘PPV’ model, where they focus on the main event and the rest of the card is mediocre or hastily thrown together. I hope we see a legit card put together for UFC 213 because right now 212 outside of the main event is insulting to ask fans to pay for it.
UFC 211 Picks Record Recap: 4-0-1 (bonus play: 0-1)
Straight up Picks
(Alvarez via TKO (+105)) (No contest)
(Edgar via submission (-129)) / (Bonus Play: Edgar via Submission +650)
(Maia via Submission (+109))
(Jedrzejczyk via bloody beat down decision (-175))
(Miocic via KO (-125))
Prediction Record since 2016 to Date (47-39-1) (+$135.50)
-Record & predictions based on Win vs Loss predictions only. Unless specified otherwise I use increments of $100 (for + odds predictions)& $110 (for – odds bets) as hypothetical wagers for each prediction.
-Predictions & Records are for entertainment value only
