Aldo/Mendes (Aldo -250)

Really good main event featuring what I think are clearly the top two FWs in the world. No clue what happens after this one, don't think Hioki has a chance vs either. If Aldo wins, I think you have to start looking @ catchweight fights or a LW fight, and maybe the loser gets Nunes or Hioki. Big dropoff in talent after Aldo/Mendes right now.

Regardless, this should be a good fight. Aldo has dealt with great wrestlers before, but I think Mendes is the best wrestler in the division and has nasty takedowns. We've all seen Aldo shrug off takedowns though, and we know the ending if Mendes can't get it on the mat.

I like Aldo -250 but wouldn't bet it. This is Aldo's toughest fight to date. He'll prob jus smash and make me feel stupid for thinking it.

Belfort/Johnson (Belfort -135)

Who knows? If AJ goes full ****** AJ and stands, he prob gets flash KOd or beaten against the fence. If he keeps his weight down and has good conditioning and works a wrestling gameplan, he has a good chance. I don't think a head kick KO of Breenanman should have him thinking he should stand and trade with Vitor though, who is the second best striker in the division.

Palhares/Massenzio

Palhares is compelling. He has vicious submissions and a really checkered history with questionable ethics in fights. His only UFC losses are to Hendo and Marquardt, and the Nate fight had some weird circumstances. Massenzio is a good grappler, but he's just being fed to Palhares here, who should jump up in competition after breaking one of Massenzio's limbs.

Barboza/Etim

Has FOTN or KOTN all over it. I thought Barboza was the next great thing after seeing his leg kick demolitions, but he looked very 'meh' vs Pearson. Either way, this is a huge right for the future of the LW division. Both are at the very top of the LW division as far as striking goes. Barboza should win this this with muay thai and leg crippling kicks, but Etim is tough and a good striker.

One day the UFC is going to have to make Barboza face a half-way decent wrestler to see what his prospects at the top of the division really are.

Silva/Prater

Moved to main as UFC expects Silva to be a future WW contendor as is Brazilian. Him losing to Prater would be shocking.

I like Aldo at current odds. The way he shutdown the takedowns and offense of Faber, Brown, and Florian makes me think he'll do the same to Mendes. 5 rounds is a long time to be locked in a cage with Aldo.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the AJ/Vitor fight and I'd be interested in seeing the winner and loser of that fight matching up with the winner and loser of the Bisping/Maia fight given that none of those four will likely be able to get a title shot before the end of the year at the earliest.

Haven't really seen much of Mendes so don't know how this fight's going to go. I hadn't seen much of Aldo before he came into the UFC (WEC was never shown on TV in the UK) and he came in with huge fanfare and being hailed as one of the best p4p, but I haven't been impressed with his two UFC fights. Not to say he isn't top of the division, but he isn't untouchable like some of the other champs.

Belfort vs Johnson could go either way, could be a dull wrestlefest or a crazy stand-up war. Will be interesting to see how Johnson performs at a more natural weight class.

Etim vs Barboza is the fight I'm most looking forward to though. It's got my interest first of all because I really want to see some more UK fighters get back into title contention, but irrespective of that it should be an awesome battle. They're both very similar fighters so I think the winner will be the one with the best game-plan.

Yeah this makes sense. I don't really get what the UFC are saying about Bisping/Maia being next in line for the title after Sonnen/Munoz take on Silva. That fight is going to be in June at the earliest, so you're probably looking at an eight month lay-off at least for Bisping/Maia after their fight this month, which seems a bit weird, especially if it's a quick and easy fight for the winner.

Things to consider
fight is in rio
mendes has to finish the fight because winning a decision in brazil vs a brazillian champ is going to be pretty impossible

Aldo makes his living smashing wrestlers. I haven't seen many of mendes's fights but he's going to have to be able to finish/ severely damage aldo on the ground. Idk what his ground and pound is like but it better be the best because out pointing aldo for 5 rounds with ground and pound and not getting knocked out would have to be a total wrestling domination...

a lucky knockout is pretty unlikely because aldo has proven to have a granite chin.

aldo better be workin on his gas tank

lol @ this guy. Aldo only fight 5 rounders, you try to get to the minute 20++ and after tells me about gas tanks.

he dominates but people likes you will alway find excuses. so what if he tires a bit after creation of a new homenik head. it is tirin work.

cant wait til he gets domin8ed

now i know you're trolling

aldo's cardio in his last two fights did not look amazing. especially vs hominick. that was the point being made. nobody is saying he dost dominate.

he dost dominate

Wow AJ missed weight by ELEVEN pounds! He has to weigh in on fight day and Belfort has stated that he will only take the fight if AJ weighs 205 or under. That's the 3rd time Rumble has missed weight in the UFC and this is after moving up a weight class to avoid these sort of issues, what a tool.

And he only fought at 170 in October

Looks like he enjoyed Xmas a bit too much

Win, lose or draw he deserves to get cut for being so consistently unprofessional.

Pretty sure there's a big chance he'll get cut if he loses.

That's just ridiculous.

After listening to Dana's comments I get the impression that this fight needs to be close to GOAT for rumble to keep his job.

The one positive about all of this is that it should be a better fight because of this. The only way I saw AJ winning was to take it to the ground and grind it out but in light of Dana's comments I don't think he can afford to do that as scraping a win or winning in a boring way will most likely still cost him his job. It has the potential to be a stand-up war and both fighters are known for fading after the first round so I don't see it going 15 minutes, I see Vitor winning by brutal knockout early in the 2nd.

Holy **** wheel kick ktfo.

Somebody post a gif of that KO, stat.

Ask and you shall recieve



There are no words to describe how awesome that KO is

jesus the guy went limp while the soles of his feet were still on the canvas. out standing.

I guess we'll be seeing some of the undercard after all these quick finishes.

That was amazing! Etim got ktfo with a look of disbelief on his face, so f'ing sick!

Glad to see Vitor pull out the win, I think it's pretty fair to assume that Rumble's next fight won't be in the UFC.

Haven't been a UFC fan long, but after that wheel kick I'm hooked for life. WOW! Looking forward to the main event.