BY MARCEL MARIAK
Jones v. Reyes
UFC 247 (February 8th, 2020)
Expert prediction and odds: Jones (-450) is favourite over Reyes (+350).
Prediction – Jones wins by decision.
UFC light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, is set to defend his belt from the undefeated #4 contender Dominick Reyes in the UFC 247 main event. Jon Jones, who is at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings, has a nearly perfect record (22-1). His only loss was a disqualification in 2009 for illegal (twelve-to-six) elbows against Matt Hamill. Jones initially became the UFC light heavyweight champion in 2011 but had his title stripped for breaching the UFC code of conduct. He won the belt back in 2018 against Alexander Gustafsson and has defended the title twice since then.
Dominick Reyes is an undefeated American fighter, holding an impressive record (12-0). Starting his professional winning streak in late 2014, Reyes has shown no signs of stopping; winning the majority of his fights in the first round.
No matter which fighter reigns supreme, this will be a fight for the history books! Either Jones wins and defends his belt while ruining Reyes’ perfect record, or Reyes wins and a new light heavyweight king is crowned.
Shevchenko v. Chookagian
UFC 247 (February 8th, 2020)
Expert prediction and odds: Shevchenko (-1000) is a huge favourite over Chookagian (+600).
Prediction – Shevchenko wins by unanimous decision
The co-main event at UFC 247 will see women’s flyweight Valentina Shevchenko defend her title against Katlyn Chookagian. Former Thai kickboxing champion, Shevchenko has made a name for herself by dominating the flyweight division in recent times and holds an impressive 18-3 record. Also knows as the “Bullet”, Shevchenko crushes her adversaries in the cage with vicious striking combinations while her opponents flail their arms in hopes of defending against the onslaught (yes, it really is that intense).
Katlyn Chookagian is not an opponent to be taken lightly though, with a strong 13-2 record, Chookagian is the #1 contender in the flyweight division; making her the toughest matchup for Shevchenko.
Despite Chookagian (technically) being the best fighter to challenge Shevchenko for the title, there is a very slim chance that she’ll emerge victorious. As demonstrated by the huge (-1000) odds in favour of the Bullet. Shevchenko has proven herself in the cage too many times for anyone to reasonably consider her being defeated by Chookagian.
Zhang v. Jedrzejczyk
UFC 248 (March 7th, 2020)
Expert prediction and odds: Zhang (-175) is a slight favourite over Jedrzejczyk (+135).
Prediction – Zhang wins by KO
Women’s straw-weight champion Weili Zhang will defend her title for the first time against former UFC champion and feared Polish fighter, Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Zhang lost her professional MMA debut back in 2013. A debut loss often spells disaster and a swift retirement for a fighter, but not Zhang. Losing her first fight by unanimous decision lit a fire in Zhang. Since then, the Chinese mixed martial artist has become one of the most respected fighters in the MMA community and boasts a remarkable 20-1 record. She won the straw-weight title against Jessica Andrade.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk is also an extremely capable warrior. The smack-talking Polish kickboxer made a name for herself by defending her straw-weight belt a whopping five times before finally losing it to Rose Namajunas in 2018. Jedrzejczyk is known for her harsh, brawling fighting style. She’s not afraid to go to war! Joanna loves to fight until she’s the last one standing, seldom ever backing down an inch.
Although Zhang is a slight favourite to win over Jedrzejczyk, the fight can go either way. Both fighters have proven themselves in the cage and no matter who wins, the matchup will certainly be one to watch!
Nurmagomedov v. Ferguson
UFC 249 (April 18th, 2020)
Expert prediction and odds: Nurmagomedov (-225) is a favourite over Ferguson (+185).
Prediction – Khabib wins by KO or TKO
The month of April will be host to one of the most anticipated UFC fights of all time: Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov vs Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson.
Whether or not you’re a fight fanatic you recognize the name: Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Russian fighter from Dagestan can rightly be considered one of the most dangerous martial artists in the world. Everything from his intense training methods to his almost superhuman strength screams “Campion”! Khabib, who holds a legendary 28-0 record, has been decimating opponents since 2008; but his real shift to legendary fighter status was his win over Connor McGregor in 2018.
Khabib, the UFC Lightweight Champion has become famous for his intense lifestyle and fighting style. Born in the isolated mountainous region of Dagestan, Russia, Khabib was bred for war from a young age. He has a fighting style that is entertaining to watch no matter how knowledgeable someone is about martial arts. He uses his background in Sambo and wrestling to systemically take apart his opponents on the ground, and his strength to knock out and rag-doll opponents to the ground.
While Khabib has made almost all of the professional fighters he has faced thus far look like amateurs; his winning streak may come to an end against challenger, Tony Ferguson (25-3). Ferguson has one key skill that that very few of Khabib’s past opponents had: incredible wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu skills. What does this mean? No longer will Khabib be able to take down and maul his opponent on the ground. Instead, he’ll have to fight for every inch of ground and compete for even the slightest advantage.
Unfortunately, the fight is a pay-per-view event, but the price is well worth it to watch a piece of fighting history unfold!
Wilder v. Fury 2
Boxing: WBC Heavyweight Title (February 22nd, 2020)
Expert prediction and odds: Fury (-120) is a very slight favourite over Wilder (-110).
Prediction – Fury wins by decision.
Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder and Tyson “Gypsy King” Fury had their first fight in late 2018 end with a draw. Needless to say, this left fans desperate for more. Over a year later, we’re getting what we asked for!
Wilder (42-0-1), the current WBC Heavyweight champion has won all but one of his professional matches: the one against Tyson Fury. Wilder is known for his selective and powerful striking abilities, with him knocking out his last opponent with the first punch he threw.
Fury (29-0-1), on the other hand, has been referred to as an “ugly boxer”, with his brutal (and sometimes sloppy) fighting style. Despite his unorthodox methods, Tyson is the only boxer to interrupt Wilder’s winning streak.
Wilder v. Fury 2 will be a war. It won’t just be a fight for the heavyweight championship; it will be a fight for honour. Both boxers will enter the ring looking to prove they’re the better man, and amend their tainted records.
