UFC 269: Oliveira vs. Poirier Picks and Predictions
The last major UFC pay-per-view event of the year will be UFC 269. Two champions will be defending their titles as Amanda Nunes takes on Julianna Pena for the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship and Charles Oliveira squares off against Dustin Poirier for the UFC Lightweight Championship. Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt will also be in action, making this a star-studded affair. UFC 269 will take place on Saturday, December 11, 2021. This event will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada starting at 10 p.m. ET. Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier Current UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira hasn’t lost a fight in over four years. His last defeat was at the hands of Paul Felder, and he has been electric since moving up to lightweight from featherweight. Oliveira holds the UFC record for most submission wins and most finishes. He has submitted 14 opponents and has finished 17 of his foes since joining the UFC. His only decision win over the last seven years was a unanimous decision victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 256 last year. Dustin Poirier was the interim UFC Lightweight Champion a few years ago. Poirier won a unanimous decision over Max Holloway to claim the title, but he surrendered the belt to the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov five months later. He easily finished Conor McGregor twice this year, and he is now looking to retake the title with Nurmagomedov enjoying his retirement. Poirier is more of a proven commodity than Oliveira, so he has a good chance to take the strap from his opponent. Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena The Lioness is the Queen of the UFC. Amanda Nunes has surpassed Ronda Rousey as the greatest women’s MMA fighter of all-time, and she currently holds the UFC Women’s Bantamweight and UFC Women’s Featherweight Championships. Nunes has won 12 straight fights, and her last loss came in September 2014. She has defeated fellow champion Valentina Shevchenko twice in that stretch, and Nunes has great knockout power. Julianna Pena is going to have her hands full when she takes on Nunes for the title. Pena has lost two of her last four fights, and she was submitted by Germaine de Randamie last October. The challenger has nice wins over Jessica Eye, Cat Zingano, and Sara McMann, but Nunes is in a class of her own. Geoff Neal vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio The last two fights haven’t gone Geoff Neal’s way. After winning seven straight contests, he lost unanimous decisions to Stephen Thompson and Neil Magny within the last year. However, his impressive wins over Niko Price and Mike Perry have him ranked just ahead of Santiago Ponzinibbio ahead of this fight. Ponzinibbio also has a recent win over Perry, and he has a transitive win over Neal with his victory over Magny three years ago. We saw Ponzinibbio sidelined for over two years because of a staph infection, but he has now fought twice this calendar year. This figures to be a pretty even fight.
UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Aldo Preview
After taking Thanksgiving weekend off, the UFC is back in December with three promotions before going on sabbatical for the holidays. The week before the last big pay-per-view of 2021 we will see the legendary Jose Aldo take on Rob Font. Aldo is a two-time UFC Featherweight Champion, and he is hoping to receive another shot at the bantamweight title. UFC Fight Night: Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo will be held at the UFC Apex Training Center outside of Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, December 4, 2021. The action is slated to get underway at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN Plus with the main card kicking off at 10 p.m. ET. Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo Rob Font is now ranked in the top five in the bantamweight division after winning four consecutive fights. He earned a Fight of the Night bonus for his unanimous decision win over Ricky Simon, and his first-round knockout of Marlon Moraes led to a Performance of the Night bonus. Font is 19-4 with eight victories by knockout, and he is coming off an impressive win over former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt six months ago. Former UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo has been one of the promotion’s premier fighters since joining from the WEC in 2011. He was the initial UFC Featherweight title holder and held the belt for 1,848 days. Aldo defended his title seven times in that stretch before suffering a stunning loss to Conor McGregor at UFC 194. He claimed the title once more seven months later, but then he lost successive bouts to Max Holloway. The legend lost to Peter Yan for the vacant bantamweight championship last summer, and a win here could help set up another title shot. Brad Riddell vs. Rafael Fiziev It’s been a nice start to Brad Riddell’s UFC career. Riddell has won his first four fights in the promotion, and all four of those victories came by decision. He earned two Fight of the Night bonuses, including in June when he defeated Drew Dober at UFC 263. Riddell doesn’t have a knockout win since joining the UFC two and a half years ago. Rafael Fiziev has just one loss in his MMA career. That came against Magomed Mustafaev, a fighter that Riddell beat by split decision last February. Fiziev is a very exciting fighter with bonuses in his last three bouts, so this has a good chance to be the Fight of the Night. Jimmy Crute vs. Jamahal Hill Jamahal Hill suffered his first loss at UFC 263 in June. He was knocked out in the first round by Paul Craig, and it hurt his chances of getting an early crack at the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Hill showed that he has staying power with a convincing win over Ovince Saint Preux last December though. One of the fighters most in need of a win on Saturday night is Jimmy Crute. Crute has lost two of his last four fights. He earned Performance of the Night bonuses with first round finishes of two opponents in 2020, but he has not had a fight last longer than the first round since December 2018.
UFC Fight Night: Vieira vs. Tate Preview
There aren’t many more UFC events before the end of the year. We have just four promotions left before the books are closed on 2021. This weekend’s event will be the last time in 2021 that two women headline a card as former bantamweight champion Miesha Tate will face Ketlen Vieira. UFC Fight Night: Vieira vs. Tate will take place on Saturday, November 20, 2021, at UFC Apex in Enterprise, Nevada. The preliminary fights will start at 3 p.m. ET, and the main card will start at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN Plus. Ketlen Vieira vs. Miesha Tate Before joining the UFC, Ketlen Vieira was a bantamweight champion in the Mr. Cage and Big Way promotions. She won her first four bouts in the UFC to move to 10-0, but she wasn’t very dominant. Vieira won three of those four matches by decision, and two of those wins came by split decision. Since that point, Vieira has lost two of her last three fights, and she missed weight in her unanimous decision loss to Yana Kunitskaya. Miesha Tate has been a champion in multiple promotions too. The veteran won the FCF Women’s Bantamweight Championship and the Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Championship prior to signing with the UFC. Tate won the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship with a submission of Holly Holm at UFC 196, but she lost the title to Amanda Nunes four months later. Three of her losses have been to Ronda Rousey and Nunes, the two most famous female MMA fighters ever. Michael Chiesa vs. Sean Brady Since winning The Ultimate Fighter almost a decade ago, Michael Chiesa has been a mainstay in the UFC. Chiesa has never taken a part in a championship fight, but he has long been a highly ranked lightweight fighter. He moved up to welterweight three years ago, and Chiesa won his first four bouts before losing by submission to Vicente Luque at UFC 265. In his 13 years as a professional MMA fighter, Chiesa has yet to record a knockout since he is a submission specialist. Sean Brady is currently unbeaten as a professional fighter. He became the welterweight champion in Cage Fury FC before joining the UFC a little more than two years ago. Brady won decisions in his first two fights, and he has submitted his last two opponents. A win here would make him 15-0 and could lead to a place in the top ten in the next welterweight rankings. Joanne Calderwood vs. Taila Santos Joanne Calderwood was a very successful kickboxer before joining the UFC. She has been a marginal fighter in the promotion though with a 7-6 record over the last seven years. Calderwood is something of a gatekeeper as she has lost to standouts like Jessica Andrade, Cynthia Calvillo, and Katlyn Chookagian, while her wins were over outmatched competitors. A win for Taila Santos would be huge. Santos is 18-1 as a professional MMA fighter with 10 of her victories coming by knockout. Her only loss was a split decision defeat, but she doesn’t have the same knockout power she did in lower promotions.
UFC 267 Picks and Predictions
The UFC will return to the Middle East this weekend for UFC 267. Jan Blachowicz will defend his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship belt against Glover Teixeira in the headline fight, but there are solid matches up and down the card. Petr Yan will look to fight his way back to title contention against Cory Sandhagen after losing his belt at UFC 259, and Islam Makhachev will take on Dan Hooker in a bout between lightweight contenders. UFC 267 will be held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on Saturday, October 30, 2021. This promotion will be available on ESPN Plus with the prelims starting at 10:30 AM ET and the main card starting at 2 PM ET. Jan Blachowicz vs. Glover Teixeira UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz will be happy to return to Abu Dhabi. Blachowicz won his title here over Dominick Reyes at UFC 253 last September, and he has won nine of his last 10 fights. Overall, he is 28-8 as a professional MMA fighter with a solid overall style. He has won almost as many fights by knockout (eight) as submission (nine), and he is feeling confident after defending his belt against current UFC Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at UFC 259 in March. This will be the second time that Glover Teixeira has challenged for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Teixeira lost a unanimous decision to Jon Jones at UFC 172, and it took him some time to get back to the top. He has won five straight fights coming into this title challenge though, earning Performance of the Night bonuses twice. Teixeira isn’t likely to go the distance given just nine of his 39 fights have been decided by the judges, and he will need to finish early since he is 42 years old and no longer has the stamina he did in the past. Petr Yan vs. Cory Sandhagen This bout will be for the interim bantamweight title. Originally, current champion Aljamain Sterling was supposed to face Petr Yan as part of this promotion. However, Sterling had to pull out of the fight due to a neck injury, so Cory Sandhagen will step in for him. Yan became the first fighter in UFC history to lose a title due to disqualification. He beat Jose Aldo by TKO for the belt in UFC 251, but he was disqualified for hitting Sterling with an illegal knee at UFC 259. It was just the second loss of his MMA career. Cory Sandhagen was something of a surprising choice for this fight. He lost by first-round submission to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 250, and he lost a split decision to T.J. Dillashaw in late July. Sandhagen’s best wins have been over Marlon Moraes and Frankie Edgar, and Yan is a significant step up. Li Jingliang vs. Khamzat Chimaev At long last, Khamzat Chimaev will finally step into the Octagon again. Chimaev was one of the breakout UFC stars last summer, as he won his debut by second-round submission over John Phillips on July 16. He set a record with fastest turnaround between fights just 10 days later, and he knocked out Rhys McKee in the first round. Chimaev knocked out Gerald Meerschaert in 17 seconds in his most recent fight last September, but he hasn’t fought since that point after contracting a severe case of COVID. Li Jingliang is 18-6 and is seen as a sacrificial lamb in this fight. Jingliang will look to prove everyone wrong though, as he is a veteran that has been with UFC for the last seven years. He isn’t afraid to stand and trade so we could see some real fireworks here.
NBA East Preview
Milwaukee won the Eastern Conference on its way to winning the city its first NBA title in 50 years since last season. The Bucks have two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokuonmpo leading the way, but they aren’t the favorite to repeat as champions in the East. That distinction belongs to the Brooklyn Nets. Brooklyn probably has the most talented team in the league with Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving out to bring a title to the team. The Favorite The Nets are the envy of the league with their talent. Durant, Harden, and Irving are three of the best 12 players in the league, and multiple veterans have joined them with the hopes of winning a ring. LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Millsap, and Blake Griffin will give this team a trio of veteran big men, and Patty Mills can come off the bench to provide some help at guard. Of course, the big question is whether Irving will end up playing in most of Brooklyn’s games this season. Irving has resisted the COVID-19 vaccine, and he is currently unable to play in home games and select road games until he gets the jab. That could undermine this team’s chances, as Irving doesn’t seem likely to change his point of view. Top Contenders Milwaukee has the highest floor of any team in the East barring injury. Antetokuonmpo is the best player in the league when he is locked in, and he proved that by winning the NBA Finals MVP last year. The Bucks have all their starters from last year back too as Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are ready to provide a lot of ancillary support to the Greek Freak. Joel Embiid is one of the most dominant big men in the league. His presence alone makes Philadelphia a contender, but the Ben Simmons situation looms large for the Sixers. Simmons has yet to report for training camp, as the game of chicken between him and the team escalates. It seems unlikely he will ever suit up for the team again, and the question now revolves around what the Sixers can get for him in a trade. Atlanta was one of the most fun stories of last postseason. Trae Young became a household name by leading the Hawks past the Sixers in the conference semifinals, and they were able to challenge the Bucks until Young was injured. As with the other top teams from last year, they are running it back with essentially the same roster, so they have to be respected. This team has an enviable mix of size and perimeter shooting, and the Hawks go eight deep. Longshot to Watch Boston has the potential to make a lot of noise with Ime Udoka replacing Brad Stevens as head coach. Jayson Tatum is a popular dark horse pick to win the NBA MVP, and Jaylen Brown was having a great season before suffering a major injury just before the playoffs. Dennis Schroder could be one of the best signings of the offseason given he isn’t making a lot of money, and Josh Richardson should be an elite sixth man.
NBA West Preview
The 2021-22 NBA season will get started on October 19. We are coming off one of the wildest years in recent memory, as no one had the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks pegged to meet in the NBA Finals this past summer. Once again, the Western Conference is expected to be tougher than the Eastern Conference, and the Los Angeles Lakers are seen as the team to beat despite their first-round loss to Phoenix in last year’s playoffs. The Favorite Injuries played a huge factor in last year’s playoffs, and the Los Angeles Lakers dealt with more injuries than most teams. Anthony Davis was injured in Game 4 of the Lakers’ first round series against the Phoenix Suns, and LeBron James wasn’t at 100% either. If the Lakers can stay healthy, they are seen as the frontrunner in the West this season. However, that’s a big “if” considering this team is easily the oldest in the NBA. Davis is still in his prime, but James is at the tail end of his career, and new addition Russell Westbrook will turn 33 in November. The Lakers also have Rajon Rondo, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwight Howard, so there’s a lot of well-known names on this roster. The lack of youth has a real chance of hurting this team as the season goes on though. Top Contenders Phoenix brought back Chris Paul and will essentially run it back with the same roster we saw win the West last summer. Paul was able to stay healthy and play at a high level, while Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges took their games to the next level. This team has a strong rotation with Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet coming off the bench, and they have a good chance to win 50 games if Paul is still playing at a high level alongside Devin Booker. The Golden State Warriors are ready to contend once again. The franchise that won five straight Western Conference titles from 2015 to 2019 had their last two seasons sunk by injuries to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, but they should have both guards back and at full strength. They have a few wild cards though in James Wiseman, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green. Wiseman could be a star in this system given his physical gifts. Utah is seen as one of the other contenders in the West. The Jazz have been a good regular season team for each of the last five seasons, but they have yet to make it past the conference semifinals. Rudy Gobert’s game just hasn’t translated to postseason success, and Mike Conley isn’t getting any younger at 34. This team hasn’t had what it takes to win in the playoffs, and it’s hard to believe it will change this year. Longshot to Watch Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic is the type of big man that thrives in today’s league. Denver’s postseason hopes were submarined when Jamal Murray suffered a torn ACL in April, but the Nuggets could be this year’s Suns. Michael Porter Jr. is a real difference maker, and Aaron Gordon could thrive in his first full season with the team.
Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder III Fight Background
For the third time in three years, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder will enter the ring with multiple heavyweight titles on the line. Fury will defend the WBC and The Ring heavyweight belts he won off Wilder last February, and a win would establish himself as the premier boxer in his weight class. The Gypsy King is a sizable favorite over Wilder, but The Bronze Bomber is out to prove he can be a world champion once again. Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder III will take place on Saturday, October 9, 2021, at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. The main event is expected to get underway between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET, and the PPV will be available on both ESPN and FOX. Tale of the Tape Fury has the size advantage over Wilder. He is 6’9 with an 85-inch reach, and he weighed in at 273 pounds for their last fight on February 22, 2020, at Madison Square Garden. Wilder will check in at 6’7 with an 83-inch reach, but the question is where his weight will be on Saturday. He weighed in at 231 pounds (the most of his career) for the last fight, yet he looked lethargic and slow. Prior Meetings The first fight between these two titans was on December 1, 2018. Wilder was able to knock down Fury twice in that bout, but it ended in a split decision draw as Fury controlled much of the action. Fury landed more punches and was more accurate than Wilder throughout the fight, and the knockdowns kept him from taking the titles. There was no doubt that Fury was the better fighter last February. He dominated from the opening bell, setting the pace and knocking down Wilder twice before the champion’s corner stopped the fight in the middle of the seventh round. History Deontay Wilder was a favorite heading into the first two fights. He is 42-0 with 41 knockouts against all fighters not named Tyson Fury, but his inability to beat Fury has cast doubt on his potential to consider himself an elite heavyweight. Although Wilder won the WBC heavyweight title in January 2015 and defended it for five years, his best wins were against Bermane Stiverne and Luis Ortiz. The pedigree is more prestigious for Tyson Fury. Fury is 30-0-1 with 21 knockouts to his name. He made a name for himself with knockouts of Derek Chisora and Christian Hammer, but he really came into his own with a unanimous decision victory over Wladimir Klitschko on November 2015. Klitschko had been the fully unified, undisputed heavyweight champion before his shocking defeat at the hands of Fury. Prediction It’s tempting to want to take Wilder. He gave the excuse that he looked slow in the last fight because of the ornate costume he was wearing, but he just doesn’t have the same physical gifts as Fury. As long as Fury remains composed, he should be able to take down Wilder.
Ben Simmons Trade Rumors and Speculation
The Ben Simmons saga is heating up. Simmons stated that he will not report to training camp with the Philadelphia 76ers, reiterating his demand that he wants to be traded before the start of the season. However, Simmons does not have the same leverage that other stars have had when trying to force their way out of a situation. The All-Star has four years left on his current contract, and general manager Daryl Morey is not known for making bad trades. It will be tough for Simmons to leave $33 million on the table if he decides to sit out the season, so it’s likely there will be some sort of détente while potential trades are bandied about over the coming weeks and months. These are some of the teams that could end up dealing for the former No. 1 overall pick. Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers are the team most commonly linked to the 76ers. Philadelphia would be thrilled to land Damian Lillard in return for Simmons and some draft picks, but Portland seems unlikely to make the move. Although Simmons is younger and has the allure of potential, Lillard is a proven playoff performer and is beloved in the Rose City. Lillard also has four years left on his contract after signing a supermax extension two years ago, so he doesn’t have a lot of leverage either. Washington Wizards Another potential trade that has made the rounds involves Simmons being dealt to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Bradley Beal. This makes more sense than the Lillard trade as Beal is an unrestricted free agent in two years, and Washington might decide to move on considering the Wizards aren’t going to be very competitive in the Eastern Conference this year. Cleveland Cavaliers If Philadelphia wants to go the other way and receive a package with young players and draft picks in exchange for Simmons, the Cleveland Cavaliers have some interesting options. Cleveland has plenty of future draft picks that they can send to Philly in exchange for Simmons, and the Cavaliers also have two potential backcourt starts in Darius Garland and Collin Sexton. The rub here would be Simmons’ contract, so Kevin Love would almost have to be included in the deal. Oklahoma City Thunder No team could offer more draft picks to the Sixers than the Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC has an incredible 36 draft picks over the next seven years with an equal number of first-round and second-round selections. The Thunder have plenty of cap space and draft capital, but Sam Presti seems unwilling to part with too much for a talented, but flawed star. Los Angeles Clippers Bill Simmons floated this on a recent podcast, and it makes some sense. While most trade articles have zeroed in on the Sacramento Kings as a potential trade partner in Simmons’ preferred destination of California, the Los Angeles Clippers might be able to land Ben Simmons. The deal would involve Paul George as the main piece that Philadelphia would receive, and it has the potential to improve both teams.
UFC 266 Picks and Predictions
There will be two championship belts on the line at UFC 266. Alexander Volkanovski will defend his featherweight title against Brian Ortega, and Valentina Shevchenko will defend her women’s flyweight title for the sixth time against Lauren Murphy. Other big names will be in action at this PPV event too as Nick Diaz faces Robbie Lawler, Curtis Blaydes takes on Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Jessica Andrade squares off against Cynthia Calvillo. UFC 266 will take place on Saturday, September 25, 2021, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The prelims will start at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN News and ESPN+, while the main card will kick off at 10 p.m. ET and will only be available via PPV. Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega It’s been more than eight years since Alexander Volkanovski last lost a fight. Volkanovski lost the fourth professional MMA fight of his career back in May 2013, but he has won 19 straight bouts since that point. Most of those wins have come by knockout, but he has had to settle for decision wins in the majority of his UFC fights. He has been the UFC Featherweight Champion since beating Max Holloway by unanimous decision at UFC 245, and he successfully defended the belt with a split decision win over Holloway at UFC 251. Brian Ortega is 15-1 in his MMA career. He is a submission specialist with seven of his wins coming via that method. However, his lone loss came to someone that Volkanovski beat twice in Holloway. Ortega was impressive in his win over The Korean Zombie last December, but this is going to be a tough test for him. Valentina Shevchenko vs. Lauren Murphy She doesn’t get the same plaudits as Amanda Nunes, but Valentina Shevchenko is the second-best female MMA fighter in the sport today. Shevchenko’s only defeats over the last decade have been at the hands of The Lioness, and she has been the best flyweight in the UFC for the last four years. Shevchenko won the UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship over Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 231, and she has since successfully defended the belt against Jessica Eye, Liz Carmouche, Katlyn Chookagian, Jennifer Maia, and Jessica Andrade. Lauren Murphy is seen as a massive underdog coming into this fight. She lost four of her first six UFC fights before finding her footing and winning five straight bouts ahead of her first title shot. However, her only win over a name opponent came three months ago at UFC 263 when she won a split decision victory over Joanne Calderwood. A win over Shevchenko would rank among the biggest upsets in UFC history. Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler For the first time in almost seven years, Nick Diaz will return to the Octagon. Diaz hasn’t participated in an MMA fight since facing Anderson Silva at UFC 183 in January 2015. He hasn’t won an MMA bout in almost a decade, as his last victory was against B.J. Penn at UFC 137 in October 2011, but Diaz is a fan favorite and will have a lot of people cheering him on against Robbie Lawler. The second loss of Lawler’s career was against Nick Diaz at UFC 47 in April 2004. Lawler has had a checkered MMA career, holding the UFC Welterweight Championship for 19 months from 2014 to 2016, but he has lost four straight fights. He hasn’t won a bout since a unanimous decision win over Cowboy Cerrone at UFC 214 in July 2017. This is a fight for older UFC fans that remember both Diaz and Lawler in their heyday. They are both past their prime, and they likely won’t be involved in the UFC much longer.