UFC 184 Predictions: Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort – Ronda Rousey vs. Cat Zingano Picks to Win

UFC 184 Predictions to Win
When: Saturday, February 28, 2015
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
TV: PPV
by Scott of Predictem.com

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Fight Analysis:

UFC 184 features fights involving two of the finest fighters in the organization, as Chris Weidman and Ronda Rousey face stiff challenges from worthy contenders. UFC middleweight champion Weidman will need to repel the challenge of longtime standout, the lethal Vitor Belfort. And UFC Womens bantamweight Champion Rowdy Ronda Rousey will defend her title against undefeated challenger Cat Zingano. It should be an interesting night of fights. But will either title fight be competitive? Both champions are robust favorites.

Chris Weidman, 12-0 (5 KOs, 3 Submissions, (-425) vs. Vitor Belfort, 24-10 (17 KOs, 3 Submissions), (+340)
Chris Weidman will make the third defense of his UFC Middleweight title, as he takes on Vitor Belfort. The 30-year old Weidman has a resume that only spans 12 fights. but with two wins over Anderson Silva and a successful defense against Lyoto Machida already under his belt, he has packed a lot into a short career. Belfort, meanwhile, is a longtime MMA force and after 3 straight knockouts, looks to do the same to the unbeaten Weidman.

Belfort, 37, has looked fairly dominant in his last three wins, stoppage victories over Dan Henderson, Luke Rockhold, and Michael Bisping. His last loss was a submission defeat to 205-pound champion Jon Jones. He is a force reborn at 185 pounds. This will be his first fight without using testosterone-replacement therapy. Weve seen a few high-profile fighters like Dan Henderson and Antonio Silva appear deflated after stopping TRT, so well see if a similar thing happens to Belfort. A wiser course of action may be to anticipate a good version of Belfort surfacing. It was more than TRT that made him a force over the course of the last 15+ years.

Belforts M.O. is no secret. He looks to land his incredibly-hard strikes right away. Most of his wins have come in the first round. He appreciably deteriorates the longer a fight lasts. In fights that get out of the first round, Belfort is just 5-5 and he has never won a fight that got out of the third round. And were talking about a guy whose UFC career goes back to the dark ages of 1997. Look for Belfort to do more of the same, with a big assault in the first round or two.

It wont be easy against the rugged Weidman. Some still seem begrudging in their adulation of Weidman. Perhaps they think his two wins over Silva were both flukey or that Machidas best days were behind him. But underestimating Weidman has already led to a lot of lost wagers and those who continue to overlook him will continue to suffer the same fate.

Weidman is pretty solid all-around. His wrestling is above reproach and he can land concussive punches, as well. He is supremely confident with an abundance of self-belief and is simply a winner. He is a difficult man to fight. Even when Silva snapped his leg, not many gave Weidman credit for a perfectly placed knee that led to the break. He does a lot of little things and while not the flashiest fighter, hes right up there when it simply comes to being the most effective. Hes unbeaten and cruised right to the top of the sport without much resistance. Thats not easy to do.

Belfort has been in more difficult fights. He is more battle-tempered than his opponent, though he knows what its like to lose, having dropped 10 fights. But hes the more explosive fighter in this scenario. His hands and kicks land with an undeniable authority. Belfort is the better fighter with his hands, both in giving and receiving.

Weidman, however, is the more versatile force overall. He has more roads to a victory. He can score takedowns more readily. But he also doesnt fall for his opponents tricks. He can think in the ring. And despite far fewer fights, he is the more-proven commodity in the late rounds. Still, this is fight where anything can happen, especially with Belfort being so adept at finishing top-caliber opponents. I see Weidman avoiding the initial bombardment and grinding Belfort down en route to a late stoppage win.

My Pick to Win: Im betting on Chris Weidman. He is the more complete fighter and has shown an ability to win at this level. But when looking for good underdogs, its nice when that underdog has one great quality. And with Belforts lethal strikes, one can only be so sure. Did you know that you can wager on UFC fights at discounted odds? Imagine the money you’d have saved over the years if you were risking less to win more! Find this huge money saving offer at the web’s best bookmaker: 5Dimes!

Ronda Rousey, 10-0 (2 KOs, 8 Submissions), (-1200) vs. Cat Zingano, 9-0 (5 KOs, 1 Submission), (+775)
In the co-feature, Womens Bantamweight Champion Rowdy Ronda Rousey defends her title against unbeaten top contender Cat Zingano. Rouseys exploits are well-known. She has 10 wins in 10 fights with only one opponent managing to so much as get out of the first round. Zingano has a tough task ahead of her, with Rousey being so far ahead of her peers by whats been witnessed so far.

This fight was supposed to happen a while back, but Zingano suffered a bad knee injury that kept her out of action for a prolonged period. Her husband, who helped her in her training, committed suicide a year ago. Its been a tough road for Zingano. In September, she scored a nice comeback win over Amanda Nunes by 3rd round TKO. With 8 finishes in 9 fights, she has shown an ability to finish fights. Its not easy to beat a fighter who doesnt know what its like to lose. With wins over Miesha Tate and Raquel Pennington, she has shown that maybe she is something other than someone who is in the pack of the best of the rest.

Rousey has been working on her boxing and has scored two straight wins with her fists, after opening her career with 8 straight submissions. Her growing versatility is bad news for the rest of the 135-pound women in the sport. The bottom line is that until we see different, there appears to be a Grand Canyon-sized gap between Rousey and the balance of women in this division. There are a few interesting options out there, but its not apparent that Zingano is of the caliber needed to create an upset of this magnitude.

Then again, Zingano is a capable and dangerous opponent. If someone were to score a monstrous upset, why not her? All fighters look unbeatable until they get beaten and it has happened to each and every last one of them. No champion in this sport has retired unbeaten. But I dont see this being the spot. Rousey wins easy.

My Pick to Win: Im betting on Ronda Rousey. Shes too dominant and it may take a few years before the rest of the division catches up enough to give her a true challenge. Zingano could give her some anxious moments, but doesnt do anything quite well enough to actually win. Did you know that you can bet on fights WHILE THEY HAPPEN!? Find this great opportunity at BetOnline!