UFC 225 (Tonight) - CM Punk in opening match

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Main Card
Robert Whittaker vs. Yoel Romero
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Colby Covington
Alistair Overeem vs. Curtis Blaydes
Andrei Arlovski vs. Tai Tuivasa
CM Punk vs. Mike Jackson

Preliminary Card(s)

Holly Holm vs. Megan Anderson
Ricardo Lamas vs. Mirsad Bektic
Joseph Benavidez vs. Sergio Pettis
Clay Guida vs. Bobby Green
Claudia Gadelha vs. Carla Esparza
Rashad Evans vs. Anthony Smith
Rashad Coulter vs. Chris de la Rocha
Mike Santiago vs. Dan Ige

My main card predictions:

Whittaker by Unanimous Decision
Covington by Unaimous Decision
Blaydes by 3rd Round TKO
Tuivasa by 1st Round TKO
Punk by Split Decision

I know it's still a few weeks away, but I couldn't resist! Plus, the hype train for it has already started up and it's the UFC card I've been most excited for all year by far (at least after UFC 223 fell apart).

What I love about this card is how unpredictable all the main card fights are. I could see any of the fights going the other way, except for Arlovski/Tuivasa. I have a soft spot for some of the old Heavyweights, but Tuivasa has been absolutely ruthless with his first round wins. Add to that aside from his two most recent wins against Stefan Struve (awful for years now) and Junior Albini (a joke fighter), he lost five in a row, things don't look good for The Pitbull.

Despite everything I'm most excited for the Punk/Jackson fight. Against my better judgement I'm going to predict he barely squeaks out a victory. I'm really pulling for him, but none of his MMA career has made any sense so far. It is often said that an elite grappler will beat an elite striker. So it stands to reason that a shitty grappler will beat a shitty striker if their skills are both proportionately low. Punk has been training at an elite facility for over three years now so even if he is nowhere near elite, he should have picked up something. The problem he is going to have is getting Jackson on the ground and being able to weather any shots Jackson can get him with.

Blaydes/Overeem is another one that could really go either way. I see Overeem playing it cautious most of the fight (as he often does), but making a mistake just before the end of the fight allowing Blaydes to win by TKO.

Originally I was thinking RDA could submit Covington, but looking at how the two stack up against each other I just don't see it happening. Covington beat Maia by Unanimous Decision and he is arguably the best BJJ practitioner in all of MMA. RDA is amazing at BJJ too, but no one quite beats Maia in BJJ. Of course this is an MMA fight, not a BJJ competition. RDA is also younger than Maia, so has that going for him, but Covington has amassed a 13-1 record against some stiff competition. His detractors may want to say he's all talk, but he's not.

At first glance the main event looks like a given as the first Whittaker/Romero fight didn't happen too long ago and Whittaker got a solid win. However, it really is a standalone event in Romero's MMA career. I thought Romero would get creamed in the Rockhold and Weidman fights too and he murdered both of those guys. Still, Whittaker has the age and stamina advantage. Plus, this time he is going in with a healthy knee. The longer this fight goes on the more I like Whittaker's chances.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

A very mediocre ppv.

We'll only watch it to see if Punk improved in two years.

[salz4life]

I'm going to this, so I'm excited.

[Deleted]

May 15, 2018 9:07:09 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

A very mediocre ppv.

We'll only watch it to see if Punk improved in two years.

If Punk gets a punch off he’ll already be better than his debut.

Punk will probably win because the dude he’s fighting is a can, a real can’s can.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

May 15, 2018 14:23:30 GMT -5 @akeemresurrection said:

May 15, 2018 9:07:09 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

A very mediocre ppv.

We'll only watch it to see if Punk improved in two years.

If Punk gets a punch off he’ll already be better than his debut.

Punk will probably win because the dude he’s fighting is a can, a real can’s can.

He’s a can, such a caaaaan!
Such a can!
He’s a reeeeeeeeal!
Real can’s can!

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Overeem/Blaydes got bumped from the main card in favor of Holm/Anderson.

Source: www.google.com/amp/s/mmajunkie.com/2018/05/ufc-225-chicago-lineup-fight-card-finalized-holm-anderson-main-card-overeem-blaydes-prelims/amp

For that fight I’ll pick Holm to win. I may regret it, but though Holm has lost 4 of her last 5 fights, what may get overlooked is those losses were against some of the best female MMA talent ever. Although at 36 she is a bit older than Anderson (28), that is by no means a huge gap and plenty older fighters than that still deliver. Plus, UFC is big into Holm so she has the motivation to get back on track. Despite the Rousey win and her subsequent losses she never really fought like someone who has an ego or got a big head from that win. I’m not even a Holm fan too despite saying all this. By contrast Anderson is unproven against top opponents. Her streak of 4 TKO wins is something to take note of though.

[clifford]

May 15, 2018 9:07:09 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

A very mediocre ppv.

We'll only watch it to see if Punk improved in two years.

I think it's one of the most stacked cards the UFC have put out this year but that probably says more about the level of talent in the UFC at the moment than how good of a card this is.

[Shark]

May 15, 2018 7:30:17 GMT -5 KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! said:

Originally I was thinking RDA could submit Covington, but looking at how the two stack up against each other I just don't see it happening. Covington beat Maia by Unanimous Decision and he is arguably the best BJJ practitioner in all of MMA. RDA is amazing at BJJ too, but no one quite beats Maia in BJJ. Of course this is an MMA fight, not a BJJ competition. RDA is also younger than Maia, so has that going for him, but Covington has amassed a 13-1 record against some stiff competition. His detractors may want to say he's all talk, but he's not.

RDA is not nearly as one dimensional as Maia though and can beat guys with his hands and feet. He's also a very strong wrestler with can either negate Covington's wrestling or help RDA get him down. It'll be a closer fight than the Maia fight was.

[fw91]

Isn't CM Punk worse than a tomato can? does he really have a chance?

[1 Free Moon-Down with Burger]

I expect Punk to squeak out a win against this can of cans and to get praise like he dominated Stipe.

[Deleted]

I'm rooting for Mike Jackson to dominate his match.

[Deleted]

May 24, 2018 19:44:31 GMT -5 fw91 said:

Isn't CM Punk worse than a tomato can? does he really have a chance?

Yes and yes. Jackson is a super can. This match is going to be like watching two old ladies slap each other.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

May 24, 2018 20:52:05 GMT -5 1 Free Moon-Down with Burger said:

I expect Punk to squeak out a win against this can of cans and to get praise like he dominated Stipe.

I don’t know, isn’t Joe Rogan commentating this event? He just shit on Punk during his podcast saying he should fighting on an amateur show somewhere.

[This Player Hating Mothman]

I can't believe you'd call Junior Albini, a man whose nickname is Baby and who fights in a diaper, a "joke fighter".

[1 Free Moon-Down with Burger]

May 25, 2018 9:16:45 GMT -5 KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! said:

May 24, 2018 20:52:05 GMT -5 1 Free Moon-Down with Burger said:

I expect Punk to squeak out a win against this can of cans and to get praise like he dominated Stipe.

I don’t know, isn’t Joe Rogan commentating this event? He just shit on Punk during his podcast saying he should fighting on an amateur show somewhere.

Oh not from the MMA set.

But like the die hard Punk fans.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

May 25, 2018 9:21:54 GMT -5 This Player Hating Mothman said:

I can't believe you'd call Junior Albini, a man whose nickname is Baby and who fights in a diaper, a "joke fighter".

Haha you should see the post I did on Sherdog about him that got immediately deleted

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

May 25, 2018 9:40:42 GMT -5 1 Free Moon-Down with Burger said:

May 25, 2018 9:16:45 GMT -5 KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!! said:

I don’t know, isn’t Joe Rogan commentating this event? He just shit on Punk during his podcast saying he should fighting on an amateur show somewhere.

Oh not from the MMA set.

But like the die hard Punk fans.

A girl with a reactions YouTube channel literally cried during the asskicking Punk got, if he loses again she's going insane

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

May 25, 2018 7:56:30 GMT -5 @akeemresurrection said:

May 24, 2018 19:44:31 GMT -5 fw91 said:

Isn't CM Punk worse than a tomato can? does he really have a chance?

Yes and yes. Jackson is a super can. This match is going to be like watching two old ladies slap each other.

Or

[Allie Kitsune]

May 25, 2018 7:53:39 GMT -5 @jdogindy said:

I'm rooting for Mike Jackson to dominate his match.

It's not going to happen, but it would be hilarious, just to see it blow up in Dana's face.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

Aside from playing the commercial ad nauseum on TV and a conference call I have not seen UFC so much to advertise this show.

So here’s a MiddleEasy Rumor Mill That speculates Punk’s court date being so close to UFC 225 is more than coincidence: middleeasy.com/mma-news/future-ufc-tournaments-cm-punk-trial-and-more-in-the-sunday-morning-rumor-mill/

If this was an actual fight between elite competition you’d think the fight would be rescheduled. However, it being in Chicago and this being a freak show is what this fight is all about. If they reschedule it they may have to wait another year until they come back to Chicago and Punk is officially in his 40s.