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By Matt Pelkey Two free events in four days? This must be what heaven is like. No time to babble though. I have a graduation party to attend, so let's get to some picks!
George Roop vs. Shane Nelson
Both guys are scrappers and I don't see either being able to finish the fight, so I'm going with the guy who has the bigger heart. That's my man Roop.
Prediction: Roop by decision
Eliot Marshall vs. Jules Bruchez
I know Bruchez's victory to get into the house came by submission, but his opponent's ground game knowledge must've been somewhere in the negatives. Easiest fight to call of the night.
Predicion: Marshall by submission in round 1
John Polakowski vs. Roli Delgado
Both guys should be fighting at 145. This should be the ugliest slugfest you've ever seen. Imagine if Thomas Denny were to fight Tim Credeur. Something like that.
Prediction: Delgado by decision
Kyle Kingsbury vs. Tom Lawlor
Should be a better slugfest than the fight before it. Kingsbury is a little better on the feet and we've seen that Lawlor can have his lights turned out with one good shot.
Prediction: Kingsbury by TKO in round 1
Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Shane Primm
You know the story. One fighter is better on the feet. One is better on the ground. Krzysztof's edge on the feet is bigger than Primm's on the ground. The experience factor puts this one over the top.
Prediction: Soszynski by TKO in round 1
Junie Browning vs. Dave Kaplan
I'm angry that this fight is on the main card. If you wanted to give Junie a fight on the card that's fine, all the fighters from the show are on it, but relegate him to the undercard. This pick is coming from the heart.
Prediction: Kaplan by TKO in round 3
Kevin Burns vs. Anthony Johnson
Hopefully Burns' hand is healed so we can be spared from the "eye pokes of death". Johnson is a freakish athlete with crazy power in his hands. Look for Johnson to put Burns on his back and fend off submissions until he finally pounds Burns out.
Prediction: Johnson by TKO in round 2
Jason MacDonald vs. Wilson Gouveia
Both fighter's strengths are on the ground, which is precisely why I think this fight will stay on the feet. Gouveia loves to bang it out, while MacDonald despises getting punched in the face. Eventually MacDonald will have to result to pulling guard, but he's not good enough to submit Gouveia. You know I gotta pick my boy.
Prediction: Gouveia by TKO in round 2
Phillipe Nover vs. Efrain Escudero
Nover is better everywhere but in the wrestling department, and that could be his downfall here. He'll be put on his back over and over and I don't know if he's good enough to submit Escudero from there. Efrain's only shot is to grind out a decision, but I'm guessing he won't be able to hold Nover down forever.
Prediction: Nover by TKO in round 3
Ryan Bader vs. Vinicius Magalhaes
The second easiest fight to call and for the same reason as the first. Bader only knows one gameplan: takedown, top control, lay-n-pray decision victory. That won't work against Vinny. Magalhaes wins by whatever submission he feels like and immediately becomes a force to be reckoned with at 205 because he'll have the best ground game in the division.
Prediction: Magalhaes by submission in round 1
There it is folks. The night in writing. Should be a good night of fights. Let's just hope everyone's bones and joints come out of this intact.
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