Tag Archives: Ji Yeon Kim

Fight Predictions, MMA

UFC Vegas 68: Lewis vs Spivac – Early prelims predictions

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The UFC returns to the Apex in Las Vegas this weekend as heavyweights Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac headline another card.

After their initial fight back in November fell out on fight night when “The Black Beast” suffered illness and was forced to pull out, they’re now going back to the well to finally settle their score in the Octagon.

This card will also see the finale of the Road to UFC tournament too, so there are plenty of new faces to take notice of during the card too.

Last time out at UFC 283 it was a great night of fights, where we managed to go 10/15 with our picks with three perfect picks, moving us to 823/1277 (64.45%) with 336 perfect picks (40.83%). You can see our full pick history here.

We’ll look to improve on that here, starting with the early prelims on the card.

Tatsuro Taira (12-0) vs Jesus Aguilar (8-1) – (Flyweight/125lbs)

A banger at flyweight opens up the card. Taira is an undefeated fighter and one of the biggest prospects on the roster, having gone 2-0 in the UFC so far with a win over Carlos Candelario and a submission over CJ Vergara most recently. Aguilar makes his UFC debut after earning a contract on the Contender Series via submission win against Erisson Ferreira da Silva.

Taira is a very well-rounded fighter, with excellent striking on the feet and some brilliant grappling and submission skills too. He doesn’t have the greatest power in the world, but his solid ability to fight at range makes him hard to beat. It’s a big problem for Aguilar, who is decent at everything but considerably behind Taira in every facet of the game.

If Aguilar wins he will land a hail Mary strike out of nowhere or catch Taira in a guillotine on the way down from a takedown. Outside of that, Taira is likely to completely dominate this fight wherever it goes and he should be able to work enough damage to snatch a neck on the mat and claim another win.
PICK – Tatsuro Taira via Submission, Round 1

Junyong Park (15-5) vs Denis Tiuliulin (11-6) – (Middleweight/185lbs)

Middleweight scrap up next. Park is on a two-fight win streak after a decision over Eryk Anders before a submission win against Joseph Holmes most recently back in October. Tiuliulin is 2-2 in his last four, with a TKO win over Jamie Pickett most recently back at UFC 279.

Park is a fighter who relies heavily on his excellent cardio and his relentless takedown skills, and that will come in very handy here. Tiuliulin is a powerful striker with good kicks, but his grappling is relatively poor and he struggles to keep fighters off him or get back to his feet if he does get taken down. This seems like a pretty straight up match up for Park to navigate.

Expect him to use that pressure to force Tiuliulin backwards where he can’t use that striking, and eventually take him to the mat where he will overwhelm him with ground and pound before sinking in a choke and claiming the win.
PICK – Jun Yong Park via Submission, Round 2

Ji Yeon Kim (9-6-2) vs Mandy Bohm (7-2) – (Flyweight/125lbs)

A women’s flyweight scrap up next between two women without a win in a long time. Kim has lost her last four in a row, dropping decisions to all of Alexa Grasso, Molly McCann, Priscila Cachoeira and Joselyne Edwards. Her last win came back in 2019. Bohm on the other hand has lost her last two against Ariane Lipski and Victoria Leonardo, with her last win coming in Bellator in 2020.

Kim is a high volume fighter, constantly being busy in the cage even if she isn’t actually doing much damage to her opponent. Bohm on the other hand has all the tools to do lots of damage, but rarely uses them as she fights with such a slow output and still struggles with her cardio. The early exchanges could be close, but the more the fight goes on the more likely it is that Kim takes over with her work rate.

Expect “Fire Fist” to push forward, attack the body and mix in her wrestling with her striking to really make Bohm think, and do enough down the stretch to claim a relatively comfortable decision.
PICK – Ji Yeon Kim via Decision

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Fight Predictions, MMA

UFC 277: Pena vs Nunes 2 – Early prelims predictions

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The most anticipated women’s MMA rematch of all time as Julianna Pena defends her bantamweight title for the first time against Amanda Nunes at UFC 277 in the main event.

Pena completed one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport last time out, and now she looks to prove it wasn’t a fluke by beating her again.

In the co-main event we also have an interim flyweight title fight as former champion Brandon Moreno takes on Kai Kara-France in a rematch of their own, with the winner setting themselves up to take on injured champion Deiveson Figueiredo once he’s healthy.

Last time out at UFC London we had great fun live at the event, and we had a decent night with our picks too. We went 9/14 with five perfect picks to move to 673/1046 (64.34%) with 289 perfect picks (42.94%). You can check out our full picks history here.

We’ll look to improve on that record here, starting with the early prelims.

Orion Cosce (7-1) vs Blood Diamond (3-1) – (Welterweight/170lbs)

Fun welterweight scrap to open up the card in this one. Cosce came into the UFC as an undefeated fighter after a win on Dana White’s Contender Series, but was KO’d by Phil Hawes in his debut in July 2021. Blood Diamond came into the UFC highly rated for his kickboxing career, but his debut didn’t go to plan when he got choked out by Jeremiah Wells at UFC 271.

Cosce is a solid striker who has great wrestling to back him up with relentless pressure and good cardio, although his submission skills aren’t the greatest. Diamond on the other hand is as pure a kickboxer as they come, with brilliant kicking technique and great power. But as a result of that, his ground game needs a lot of work and leaves him open to issues. Cosce will have watched Wells’ performance and know he can do the same thing.

Diamond’s kicking game will likely be neutralised by the takedown threat, and while he does have the advantage in the striking game by a distance Cosce will close the distance and shoot. If he gets him down then Diamond will struggle to get back to the feet, and expect Cosce to work for a choke or just bulldoze him into oblivion from top position until the referee steps in.
PICK – Orion Cosce via Knockout, Round 2

Nicolae Negumereanu (12-1) vs Ihor Potieria (19-2) – (Light Heavyweight/205lbs)

A banger at light heavyweight next between two guys on great runs. Negumereanu has won his last three in a row, KO’ing Ike Villanueva in the middle of two split decision wins over Aleksa Camur and Kennedy Nzechukwu. Potieria is on a 15-fight win streak stretching back to 2017 and gets his UFC shot after a win on Dana White’s Contender Series via a first-round knockout.

Negumereanu is a bit of a loose cannon, with big haymakers for strikes and decent wrestling and grappling too. Potieria is a complete wrecking machine who marches forward and looks to blast his opponents out of the cage, but he also has six submission wins in his career to show he’s skilled on the ground too. This is an interesting fight to try and predict.

On paper you’d go for the debutant. His record is excellent, he’s got power and grappling and he’s bigger. But his level of competition hasn’t been that great. Negumereanu on the other hand could easily have lost the two fights he won by decision in his last three. But stylistically this could suit Negumereanu. The wild exchanges will allow Negumereanu to step in for takedowns and even if he can’t get them, he can control Potieria against the cage. A KO could obviously occur at any moment, but I think Negumereanu’s experience and patience pays off here.
PICK – Nicolae Negumereanu via Decision

Joselyne Edwards (11-4) vs Ji Yeon Kim (9-5-2) – (Bantamweight/135lbs)

Fun women’s bantamweight scrap up next. Edwards snapped a two-fight losing streak last time out when she earned a decision win over Ramona Pasqual at UFC 275. Kim on the other hand is on a three-fight losing streak and has lost four of her last five, dropping decisions to Alexa Grasso, Molly McCann and Priscila Cachoeira.

Both of these women are volume strikers who can also hold their own on the ground if necessary, and usually make fights much harder than they actually need to. Kim has got a little bit more power in her hands and has held her own against top strikers before, but Edwards has got better movement and better technique.

It’s a case of who catches the judges’ eye more with strikes and with this fight being at bantamweight the bigger Edwards is likely to do that more regularly. Edwards will walk forward constantly, kick well and land good combinations to get the nod on the scorecards and likely end Kim’s UFC career for the time being.
PICK – Joselyne Edwards via Decision

Michael Morales (13-0) vs Adam Fugitt (8-2) – (Welterweight/170lbs)

Very one-sided scrap ends this portion of the card in what looks like a set up fight for the UFC. Morales is an undefeated 13-0 and KO’d Trevin Giles in his UFC debut at UFC 270 last time out, while Fugitt is on a four-fight win streak with all finishes and makes his UFC debut in this bout.

Morales is a super talented wrestler with incredible striking and power in his hands, earning 10 knockout wins in his career. Fugitt is a great wrestler whose biggest strength is his top control and ground and pound, but he’s not as good a wrestler as Morales and that means he needs to win this fight on the feet. The chances of that are about as high as Julianna Pena beating Amanda Nunes in the first fight between the two.

Fugitt has defensive lapses on the feet and has a tendency to shoot in with his chin high, which will leave a clean target for Morales to cave in. He’s got great speed and counters, and won’t be afraid of the takedowns because he’s comfortable there too. Expect a quick, statement finish from the undefeated prospect.
PICK – Michael Morales via Knockout, Round 1

Fight Predictions, MMA

UFC Vegas 36: Brunson vs Till – Prelims predictions

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The UFC middleweight division is back in the spotlight in the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday night, on a card that was supposed to take place in London initially.

The main event will see Derek Brunson take on the UK’s own Darren Till with the winner making a case to become the next fighter to challenge for a title shot after Robert Whittaker’s upcoming rematch with Israel Adesanya.

In the co-main event is the UK’s best chance at heavyweight gold as Tom Aspinall takes on short-notice opponent Sergei Spivac, while Paddy Pimblett makes his UFC debut in the main card opener when he takes on Luigi Vendramini.

Last week at UFC Vegas 35, we went 7/12 with three perfect picks on the night to move up to 396/624 (63.46%) with 174 perfect picks (43.94%). We’ll try to improve on that here, starting with the prelims.

Jonathan Martinez (13-4) vs Marcelo Rojo (16-8) – (Bantamweight/135lbs)

An absolute banger to start the night in the bantamweight division. Martinez’s record in the UFC currently stands at 4-3, with a KO defeat to Davey Grant last time out at UFC Vegas 21 while Rojo lost an incredibly exciting debut against Charles Jourdain in his last fight on the same card.

Martinez is a very technical boxer with genuine knockout power and some crisp striking combinations and he’s also nice and comfortable on the ground. Rojo is aggressive too and has some great strikes of his own but he’s not quite as tidy technically. Martinez for me is the more powerful and we’ve seen him take the action to strong fighters in the past and if he’s likely to continue that way then he’s got the edge here.

Rojo is more than capable of stepping forward with pressure and landing heavy blows of his own, but with the more comfortable striking and good footwork I think Martinez will be able to get a stoppage in a brilliant fight.
PICK – Jonathan Martinez via Knockout, Round 2

Dalcha Lungiambula (11-2) vs Marc-Andre Barriault (12-4) – (Middleweight/185lbs)

A very exciting middleweight fight up next. Lungiambula earned a decision win last time out against Markus Perez at UFC Fight Island 8 in January, while Barriault earned his first UFC win against Abu Azaitar at UFC 260.

Lungiambula is a grappler who uses big bursts of energy to land some strikes and then go in for the takedown, while Barriault is a considerably better striker than him with constantly improving scrambles off his back. Lungiambula is shorter with a longer reach, but his cardio issues make him struggle as the fight goes on. His striking is pretty poor and while Barriault isn’t stunning in any department, his cardio keeps him going later and gives him a chance here.

On the feet Barriault has a clear edge and while Lungiambula will likely score a takedown or two, Barriault is able to get back to his feet and with the cardio issues visible for all to see he could secure a sneaky decision win.
PICK – Marc-Andre Barriault via Decision

Julian Erosa (23-10) vs Charles Jourdain (11-3-1) – (Catchweight/150lbs)

Yet another banger of a fight at the halfway point of the prelims in a short-notice catchweight bout. Erosa had won three in a row before his most recent fight, which saw him knocked out by Seung Woo Choi at UFC Vegas 29. Charles Jourdain is 1-1-1 in his last three, with a win over Marcelo Rojo last time out at UFC Vegas 21.

Erosa is a slick striker who is always looking for an exciting war with his opponent, marching forward to slug it out with whoever is standing across the cage from him. Jourdain is a fantastic boxer himself with a great jab and plenty of punching power in his bank and good durability. Erosa has a wrestling edge over Jourdain, but ‘Air’ has a fantastic gas tank and great scrambles so even that is a tough run to victory.

Overall, Erosa will land powerful strikes but leave himself open to eating some of his own from the more powerful fighter and Jourdain should be able to score the victory in a fun fight.
PICK – Charles Jourdain via Knockout, Round 2

Jack Shore (14-0) vs Liudvik Sholinian (9-2-1) – (Bantamweight/135lbs)

The undefeated against the unknown in this one. Jack Shore is 14-0 including 3-0 in the UFC, with a split decision win over Hunter Azure last time out at UFC Vegas 23, while Sholinian makes his promotional debut on a four-fight win streak.

Shore is a slick submission grappler with eight wins via tap-out in his career, but he’s also shown improved striking in recent performances too. Sholinian was part of the most recent TUF season on Team Ortega and takes the fight on short notice. He is a brilliant wrestler with some decent submission skills of his own but some brilliant top control to round off his skills.

The Welshman is the overwhelming favourite but this fight is a bit closer than that. Shore has the edge on the feet, has more experience on the big stage and is a good wrestler in his own right. If Sholinian gets top position, Shore is good enough to submit him from his back but the likelihood is he controls the fight and earns a finish as the fight goes on either late in the second or in the third.
PICK – Jack Shore via Submission, Round 2

Molly McCann (10-4) vs Ji Yeon Kim (9-3-2) – (Flyweight/125lbs)

Featured prelim bout is a women’s flyweight clash coming off defeats. McCann has lost her last two, getting dominated by Taila Santos and most recently Lara Procopio at UFC Vegas 18 while Kim was beaten by Alexa Grasso at UFC Vegas 8 last year in her last fight.

McCann is a straight up brawler who walks forward with pressure and looks to outland her opponent as much as possible using her kicks and cardio as a weapon. Kim is a technical striker with a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, using her counter-attacking skills as much as she can. It’s almost to her detriment in that sense, because she never kicks due to how good her boxing is and she is often left waiting for a long time.

McCann is well out-matched in terms of height and reach but she’s a much improved wrestler and has the edge there over Kim. Kim doesn’t really use her reach as much as she should and her defence isn’t the best which means she will leave herself open and that tells me McCann has a path to victory, which I think she’ll take – just.
PICK – Molly McCann via Decision

paddy pimblett ready to take the ufc by storm in his debut at ufc vegas 36