UFC On FOX 8 takes place tomorrow night in Seattle, and we’ve got our predictions for all the night’s fights for you below.
—
Main Card:
Demetrious Johnson vs. John Moraga
In a division known for it’s speed, Johnson still manages to be quicker than the vast majority of his opponents which is no mean feat. Being fleet of foot as he darts in and out with strikes while also being quick and agile in scrambles on the ground have been the keys to his success thus far, along with his seemingly limitless cardio.
Moraga’s title shot has come a little early, a sign of the lack of strength and depth in the fledgling flyweight class, but he’s certainly a capable fighter with a good record. That being said there’s no area of the game where he really stands out compared to the other talented fighters like John Dodson, Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall who’ve previously gone up against Johnson and come away empty-handed.
I could see Moraga staying fairly competitive in the first couple of rounds, but ‘Mighty Mouse’ gradually moving further ahead on points in the later rounds en-route to a comfortable decision victory.
Demetrious Johnson to win by decision.
—
Rory MacDonald vs. Jake Ellenberger
This certainly looks like an intriguing bout on paper between two of the welterweight division’s leading fighters. MacDonald came into the UFC already looking like a well-rounded fighter, but with each fight he’s continued to improve and in his last Octagon outing opposite BJ Penn he was in formidable form and demonstrated notably improved technique and level of comfort in the striking department.
We’re not seeing that same fight-on-fight improvement from Ellenberger, but the tools he does already possess – very heavy hands and good wrestling – make him a real handful for anyone at 170lbs. If there’s a notable weakness it’s that he’s not always consistent over three rounds, tending to fade in the later stages.
I see this turning into a largely stand-up based fight and while Ellenberger will be particularly dangerous early, MacDonald should offer more versatility in his striking and finish the stronger of the two to seal a close victory via the judges scorecards.
Rory MacDonald to win by decision.
—
Robbie Lawler vs. Bobby Voelker
This one could turn into a bit of a slug-fest with both fighters more than happy to trade leather at close range and discover who’s chin holds out the longest.
Credit to Voelker for his swashbuckling, gritty, durable style, but in all honesty doing so tomorrow night sounds like a recipe for disaster against Lawler who’s one of the first names that pops into my head when I think of fighters with raw, natural, devastating punching power.
With that in mind this one could end quickly…I’m tempted to hedge my bets a little and say that Voelker makes it out of the first round due to his toughness, but what the hell, let’s throw caution to the wind…
Robbie Lawler to win by KO in Rd1.
—
Liz Carmouche vs. Jessica Andrade
Female fight action rounds off the main card with Andrade making her debut against Carmouche who gained respect for her performance against Ronda Rousey last time out.
Carmouche should have the striking advantage here, but like Rousey, Andrade does offer up a submission threat, particularly via the guillotine choke in her case, and will be relentless in her pursuit of it. I don’t think that’ll put Carmouche off going to the mat with her though and she’ll be the bigger and stronger of the two in the grappling exchanges.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we see another decision here, with Carmouche getting the better of it, but both ladies do have a good finishing record so I’ll take her to claim a late ground and pound stoppage against the Brazilian.
Liz Carmouche to win by TKO in Rd3.
—
Prelims: (Predicted winners in bold)
Michael Chiesa vs. Jorge Masvidal
Danny Castillo vs. Tim Means
Mac Danzig vs. Melvin Guillard
Yves Edwards vs. Daron Cruickshank
Ed Herman vs. Trevor Smith
Julie Kedzie vs. Germaine de Randamie
Aaron Riley vs. Justin Salas
John Albert vs. Yaotzin Meza
