SMUGGLING DUDS UFC 222 GAMBLING GUIDE

Women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg steps back in to the octagon against Yana Kunitskaya. Will she be tested? Of course not, but a Holly Holm rematch is yet to be agreed and Germaine De Randamie doesn’t seem to want anything to do with the champ, so the UFC has to do what they can. A great card nevertheless with lots of money to be made!

MAIN CARD
Cris Cyborg (c) Vs Yana Kunitskaya (FW)
Possibly the easiest main card we’ve ever had to predict. This will be a massacre and Kunitskaya might go down as experiencing the most unpleasant debut in UFC history.
WINNER: Cyborg
METHOD: KO/TKO

Frankie Edgar Vs Brian Ortega (FW)
Brian Ortega is tearing through the featherweight division right now and it just seems everything is coming together for him. We’ve said many many times that Frankie Edgar tends to be victorious over any opponent that isn’t the champ, and we’ll stick by that. We might get this totally wrong as Ortega is a special talent but ‘The answer’ has been in the trenches many times before and that might be the winning factor on the night.
WINNER: Edgar
METHOD: Decision

Sean O’ Malley Vs Andre Soukhamthath (BW)
Star of Dana White’s Contender Series, big things are expected from O’ Malley and its clear his employers want him to progress. This will be another showcase in the development of of O’ Malley’s profile and a stoppage should take place in round 2 or 3.
WINNER: O’ Malley
METHOD: KO/TKO

Stefan Struve Vs Andrei Arlovski (HW)
Arlovski was on the verge of being cut from the UFC but saved his career with a decision win over a Junior Albini, who chose not to get out of first gear, in November last year. On paper, Struve should win but he’s just too unpredictable and always gets dragged in to a war. Neither fighter is scared of a dust up and this should be a mega entertaining scrap with Arlovski coming up short…literally.
WINNER: Struve
METHOD: KO/TKO

Cat Zingano Vs Ketlen Viera (BW)
Younger by almost 10 years, Ketlen Viera faces her toughest challenge yet in seasoned veteran and former title contender Cat Zingano. A tough one to call, but injury troubles and long lay offs from competition has meant Zingano’s career hasn’t picked up again as quickly as she’d liked. A great ambassador for women’s MMA we hope she gets one more UFC fight after this one but Viera should take this.
WINNER: Viera
METHOD: Submission

PRELIM CARD (Fox Sport 1)

Ashley Yoder Vs Mackenzie Dern (STRAW)
BJJ stand out Mackenzie Dern makes her UFC after only 5 professional fights. The lack of experience shouldn’t matter though and she’ll go home with an arm after or a neck after the first round.
WINNER: Dern
METHOD: Submission

Beneil Dariush Vs Alexander Hernandez (LW)
Making his UFC debut on a 6 fight winning streak, can Hernandez hang in the UFC against a battle ready veteran? Possibly, but we think Dariush scrapes a win here.
WINNER: Dariush
METHOD: Decision

John Dodson Vs Pedro Munhoz (BW)
Rescheduled with a quick turn around this one will either be fast paced or overall cautious. We expect the latter and a few boos from the crowd as Dodson chooses not to be as explosive as he was a few years ago. It’ll be his own fault when Munhoz steals a decision victory.
WINNER: Munhoz
METHOD: Decision

C.B. Dollaway Vs Hector Lombard (MW)
Not quite sure how Hector Lombard is still in UFC following 4 losses (3 being KO’s) but here he is again being offered another life line. Has he been given an easy opponent? Not really, C.B Dolloway certainly isn’t the fighter he once was but clearly neither is Lombard. Could be time for the 40 year old Cuban to call it a day after this.
WINNER: Dollaway
METHOD: KO/TKO

PRELIM CARD (UFC Fight Pass)

Mike Pyle Vs Zak Ottow (WW)
Mike Pyle has literally been in the UFC for ages. At 42 years of age he is another athlete that must surely be considering bringing the curtain down on a successful career. He’s as stubborn as they come though and would like nothing more than to prove doubters wrong. Ottow might have youth on his side but he’s actually not that much of a threat once the bell goes. He should have enough in his artillery to defeat Pyle but definitely leave this one off your accumulator.
WINNER: Ottow
METHOD: Decision

Bryan Caraway Vs Cody Stamann (BW)
When two high class wrestlers go head to head you often see someone get the stoppage via spectacular knockout but that might not be the case here. This one really could go either way but Stamann is the man who stopped the Tom Duquesnoy hype train with amazing grappling, so for that, we will be picking him to progress up the ranking.
WINNER: Stamann
METHOD: Decision

Jordan Johnson Vs Adam Milstead (LHW)
Great bout to open up the card as it has potential barn burner written all over it. Don’t blink.
WINNER: Milstead
METHOD: KO/TKO