UFC 186 emanates live on pay-per-view on Saturday night from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Last Word on Sports MMA crew – Trent Dozier, Moe Fuggahn, Michael Hutchinson, Stephen Rivers and Stephanie Schneider – bring you their picks and analysis for the main card fights.
UFC Flyweight Championship
Demetrious Johnson (c) vs Kyoji Horiguchi
Picking Johnson: Dozier, Fuggahn, Hutchinson, Rivers, Schneider
Picking Horiguchi: none
Fuggahn: “Based on past performances and current odds, it would seem absurd to go against Johnson. He is cleaning out the division and making it look easy. No disrespect to Horiguchi but I just don’t see any phase of his game that would signal any kind of advantage over Johnson. Horiguchi hasn’t beaten anyone that I would consider a title contender; he is just getting his chance because there is no one left. MMA is a wonderful sport because anything can happen, it’s just not very likely to happen this weekend. Got to go with Johnson, I don’t know if he gets a stoppage but I don’t expect this fight to be very close.”
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs Fabio Maldonado
Picking Rampage: Hutchinson, Rivers, Schneider
Picking Maldonado: Dozier, Fuggahn
Dozier: “From the moment this fight was announced, there were questions as to whether it would actually happen or not. After having the bout cancelled and Rampage being replaced by the retired Steve Bosse, it’s back on. Despite being over the hill, Rampage still has a ton of name value, and he should be a boost to this card that’s been ravaged by injuries. As for the fight itself, both Rampage and Maldonado will likely never be title contenders again (or in Maldonado’s case, ever) but it doesn’t mean this won’t be a fun scrap. Rampage has often complained about having to face wrestlers instead of someone willing to stand and trade with him, but with Maldonado, he’ll get his wish. In his prime, Rampage beats Maldonado easily, but Rampage just isn’t the same fighter he once was, and Maldonado has been much more active recently. I think Maldonado throws more strikes, beats Rampage to the punch, and takes home a decision win.”
Michael Bisping vs CB Dollaway
Picking Bisping: Dozier, Hutchinson, Rivers, Schneider
Picking Dollaway: Fuggahn
Schneider: “Both of these fighters are coming off of losses that they would rather forget happened. Bisping has lost 4 of his last 7 fights, most recently to Luke Rockhold. Dollaway has lost 3 of his last 7 fights, most recently to Lyoto Machida. These two have no problem brawling, however, with the recent ups and downs they have both experienced, they should approach this fight with a little more strategy. Dollaway the wrestler, Bisping the kickboxer, we no doubt will see an entertaining fight. I feel that Bisping has more to prove than Dollaway, and he’ll do it with a win.”
John Makdessi vs Shane Campbell
Picking Makdessi: Dozier, Rivers, Schneider
Picking Campbell: Fuggahn, Hutchinson
Rivers: “I think this is the closest fight on the card and most difficult to call. Both men should want to keep this on the feet and I expect it to be an entertaining fight. Makdessi is the more skilled, more technical striker. He’s coming off a big layoff though, and in Campbell, in a catchweight bout, he’s facing someone bigger, stronger and more powerful. I don’t know what Campbell’s preparation for the fight will have been like, coming in as a replacement, but he is the sort of fighter that has caused Makdessi problems in the past. I expect Makdessi to outlast him here, but it’s not a confident pick.”
Yves Jabouin vs Thomas Almeida
Picking Jabouin: Hutchinson
Picking Almeida: Dozier, Fuggahn, Rivers, Schneider
Hutchinson: “Last week we saw a UFC event where the new breed of MMA fighters came in and upset the favored, more veteran fighters. Almeida will have the chance to do the same thing as the 23-year-old faces veteran UFC and WEC fighter Yves Jabouin. Jabouin has yet to pull off an impressive string of victories in his UFC run, and has also been knocked out in two of his last four fights. Almeida will be looking to make a statement, but I believe his youth and lack of experience against top fighters will be a big disadvantage in this fight. I see Jabouin getting the better of Almeida on the feet, handing the Brazilian his first professional loss.”
Undercard Bout to Watch:
Dozier – Randa Markos vs Aisling Daly
Fuggahn – Patrick Cote vs Joe Riggs
Hutchinson – Alexis Davis vs Sarah Kaufman
Rivers – Alexis Davis vs Sarah Kaufman
Schneider – Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs David Michaud
