Lots of MMA coming up this weekend! We've got 2 Bellators and a UFC on FOX [also a Cage Fury Fighting Championship and Invicta, but no one gives a shit about them LOL].

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First up is Bellator's Salute To The Troops on Friday night. There are only 2 fights
that I care about on this card:

Bellator 2011 Lightweight Tournament winner and 5-time Bellator Lightweight Champion
Michael Chandler [18-4 MMA, 15-4 BMMA] faces undefeated Bellator Lightweight
Champion Brent Primus [8-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA] for the title. This is a rematch of
their June 2017 bout, which saw Primus beat Chandler for the title. This will be
Primus' first fight since then, as he's been dealing with a bad knee injury. Chandler,
however, has racked up 2 victories in this interim.

I'm calling this victory for Chandler. He only lost their first fight because the doctors
stopped it due to his leg getting injured. If that hadn't have happened, he would have
most likely kept the belt.

MY PREDICTION: Michael Chandler wins via TKO in Round 1.



The other fight on the card that I want to see is the heavyweight bout between
Javy Ayala [10-7 MMA, 5-4 BMMA] and 2-time UFC Heavyweight Champion
Frank Mir [18-12 MMA, 0-1 BMMA]. Both fighters are on losing streaks. They
both REALLY need this win, but Ayala probably needs it more, as he doesn't
have the fame or drawing power that Mir has. Mir can afford a loss; Ayala really
can't. I've loved Frank Mir every since he spoiled that juice-head Brock Lesnar's
UFC debut. I'm rooting for Mir in this one. I would love to see him put a few wins
together and challenge for the Heavyweight Championship in 2019 or 2020.

MY PREDICTION: Frank Mir wins via Unanimous Decision.



Then we have Bellator 213 on Saturday. This card also has 2 bouts that are worth watching:

Former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion, Bellator 2013 Summer Series
Light Heavyweight Tournament winner and 2015 RIZIN Heavyweight Grand Prix
winner Muhammed Lawal [21-7-0-1 MMA, 10-5 BMMA] faces former ICO British
Light Heavyweight Champion, Bellator 2014 Summer Series Light Heavyweight
Tournament winner and 2-time Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Liam McGeary
[12-3 MMA, 9-3 BMMA].

Both fighters are coming off of losses. I would like to see King Mo win, but I
don't think it's gonna happen.

MY PREDICTION: Liam McGeary wins vis TKO in Round 2.



After that, we have 2-time UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and former Middleweight
Championship challenger Lyoto Machida [24-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA] making his
Bellator MMA debut against former Smash Fight Middleweight Champion and
4-time Bellator Middleweight Champion Rafael Carvalho [15-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA]
in a Middleweight bout.

Machida is on a 2-fight win streak, while Carvalho is coming off of a loss, which
cost him the Bellator Middleweight Championship. We'll have to see how Machida
fares in new waters. This one is almost too close to call.

MY PREDICTION: Rafael Carvalho wins via Unanimous Decision.

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Also on Saturday is UFC On FOX 31. This card has 3 fights on the main card that I care about and 1 on the
undercard that I think may be a dark horse.

The main event is a Lightweight bout between former TWC Lightweight Champion and former UFC Lightweight
Championship challenger Kevin Lee [17-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC] and former ROC Lightweight Champion Al Iaquinta
[13-4-1 MMA, 8-3 MMA].

Lee's last fight was a victory, while Iaquinta's was a loss. Both fighters are in their prime. This is gonna be a good fight!

MY PREDICTION: Kevin Lee wins via TKO in Round 2.



After that, we have a Lightweight bout between former SFC South Pacific Lightweight Champion and
3-time AFC Lightweight Champion Dan Hooker [17-7 MMA, 7-3 UFC] and 3-time Renaissance
MMA Lightweight Champion and ROC Lightweight Champion Edson Barboza [19-6 MMA, 13-6 UFC].

Hooker is on a 4-fight win streak, while Barboza is coming off of 2 losses. Barboza is a BEAST! He's
WAY better than his record reflects. This fight with Hooker isn't going to be a cake walk, but I think that
he can pull it off!

MY PREDICTION: Edson Barboza wins via submission in Round 2.



Then we have former RF Lightweight Champion, 2-time CF Lightweight Champion and former USKBA
Welterweight Champion Jim Miller [29-12-0-1, 18-11-0-1 UFC] taking on PFC 2008 Welterweight Grand Prix
winner Charles Oliveira [24-8-0-1 MMA, 12-8-0-1 UFC] in a Lightweight bout.

Miller broke a 4-fight losing streak with a submission victory in his last fight. Oliveira enters the bout on a
2-fight win streak, with both wins by way of submission.

Do you appreciate MMA? If you do, then you are going to want to watch this fight! Miller is a brawler-turned-gate-keeper
for the Lightweight division and Oliveira holds the UFC record for the most victories via submission [at 11]. It's gonna
be a barn burner!

MY PREDICTION: Charles Oliveira wins via submission in Round 1.



Then we have the undercard fight that I am interested in, a Welterweight bout between former MCC Middleweight Champion
and Light Heavyweight Championship challenger Zak Cummings [21-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC] and Trevor Smith [15-8 MMA, 5-5 UFC].

Both fighters are coming off of losses.

MY PREDICTION: Zak Cummings wins via TKO in Round 1.