Future Champs predictions

[Éire]

UFC Champs by January 2017:

HW - Cain Velasquez
LHW - Jon Jones
MW - Chris Weidman (Luke Rockhold if Weidman moves to LHW)
WW - Rory MacDonald
LW - Khabib Nurmagomedov
FW - Conor McGregor (Unless he moves up to LW)
BW - TJ Dillashaw
FLW - Mighty Mouse

WBW - Ronda Rousey
SW - Joanna Jedrzejczyk

[SPX]

UFC Champs by January 2017:

HW - Cain Velasquez
LHW - Jon Jones
MW - Chris Weidman (Luke Rockhold if Weidman moves to LHW)
WW - Rory MacDonald
LW - Khabib Nurmagomedov
FW - Conor McGregor (Unless he moves up to LW)
BW - TJ Dillashaw
FLW - Mighty Mouse

WBW - Ronda Rousey
SW - Joanna Jedrzejczyk

All sensible picks, I'd say. I can get on board with all of that, but I'm not sure Rory will ever beat Lawler and I have my doubts about Conor beating Aldo. Also, I'd just like to point out that I WANT to see something more like this (not necessarily by January, but sometime in 2017):


HW - JDS
LHW - Rumble
MW - Rockhold
WW - GSP
LW - Pettis
FW - Conor
BW - Cruz
FLW - Dodson

WBW - Ronda Rousey
SW - Joanna Jedrzejczyk

But yeah, there's a lot of wishful thinking there.

[Éire]

All sensible picks, I'd say. I can get on board with all of that, but I'm not sure Rory will ever beat Lawler and I have my doubts about Conor beating Aldo. Also, I'd just like to point out that I WANT to see something more like this (not necessarily by January, but sometime in 2017):


HW - JDS
LHW - Rumble
MW - Rockhold
WW - GSP
LW - Pettis
FW - Conor
BW - Cruz
FLW - Dodson

WBW - Ronda Rousey
SW - Joanna Jedrzejczyk

But yeah, there's a lot of wishful thinking there.

Haha, sure is.

Dodson, Cruz, Conor and Rockhold are all realistic. GSP is hopeful but if he does come back and take a title shot then I agree that he becomes champ. No way Rumble becomes champ unless Jones retires. JDS and Pettis are REALLY wishful.

As for Conor. Let me preface this with, I know I have a Conor AV and I know I'm very blatantly biased. But... I don't think Aldo has a chance. I think he gets knocked out within the first 3. I only see Conor having any trouble at LW.

[Luke]

UFC Champs by January 2017:

HW - Cain Velasquez
LHW - Jon Jones
MW - Chris Weidman (Luke Rockhold if Weidman moves to LHW)
WW - Rory MacDonald
LW - Khabib Nurmagomedov
FW - Conor McGregor (Unless he moves up to LW)
BW - TJ Dillashaw
FLW - Mighty Mouse

WBW - Ronda Rousey
SW - Joanna Jedrzejczyk

Welcome to the forum, man . I agree with every pick you have, even Rory. He can beat Lawler. That nose was fucked up early and really hurt his chances of winning.

[Éire]

Welcome to the forum, man . I agree with every pick you have, even Rory. He can beat Lawler. That nose was fucked up early and really hurt his chances of winning.

Something about geniuses and thinking alike comes to mind.

Good to be here, brother.

[Ludo]

I dunno. I just don't think Rory has the killer instinct he needs to be at the top of the heap. Also, who knows how he's going to come back after getting his nose exploded.

Picks:

HW:
LHW: Jon Jones, assuming he's not in jail. Otherwise I honestly think Glover makes a resurgence.
MW: Jacare
WW: Hendricks or Lawler. Nobody is beating them right now except each other.
LW: I'm going to go out on a limb and say Cowboy wins the belt and defends it twice next year.
FTW: Jose takes the fight with Conor, wins, and promptly wipes his ass with his contract, then retires.
BW: TJ is pretty much the big man on campus(no pun intended) here.
FW: I don't see anyone possibly taking that belt from Mouse other than Dodson.

[SPX]

JDS and Pettis are REALLY wishful.

I get the arguments for JDS, but why in the FUCK does everyone think Pettis will never be champ again? This is ANTHONY PETTIS we're talking about! The same Anthony Pettis who put Joe Lauzon on a stretcher, who destroyed Cerrone in less than 3 minutes, who subbed Ben Henderson in the first round, and only person EVER to finish Melendez in all of Melendez's 27 fights.

Anthony Pettis 4 Champ

[Éire]

I get the arguments for JDS, but why in the FUCK does everyone think Pettis will never be champ again? This is ANTHONY PETTIS we're talking about! The same Anthony Pettis who put Joe Lauzon on a stretcher, who destroyed Cerrone in less than 3 minutes, who subbed Ben Henderson in the first round, and only person EVER to finish Melendez in all of Melendez's 27 fights.

Anthony Pettis 4 Champ

Don't get me wrong, I think if you give him enough time, he could possibly beat RDA in a rematch and I think he's ahead of everyone else in the division.

His one problem:

Khabib.

BEARFUCKER.jpg

[Luke]

I get the arguments for JDS, but why in the FUCK does everyone think Pettis will never be champ again? This is ANTHONY PETTIS we're talking about! The same Anthony Pettis who put Joe Lauzon on a stretcher, who destroyed Cerrone in less than 3 minutes, who subbed Ben Henderson in the first round, and only person EVER to finish Melendez in all of Melendez's 27 fights.

Anthony Pettis 4 Champ

And the guy who lost to Clay Guida.....

He does not match up well vs grapplers and most think the top 2 in that divsion are RDA and Khabib, grapplers

[Luke]

Ludo, you forgot HW

[Luke]

I'd post my picks by 2017, but it would just mirror Erie's

[SPX]

He does not match up well vs grapplers and most think the top 2 in that divsion are RDA and Khabib, grapplers

Are Bendo and Melendez not grapplers?

[Luke]

Are Bendo and Melendez not grapplers?

Not really. Both of them rely on the striking first.

RDA and Khabib rely on there grappling first. The only other person Pettis has fought recently that is a grapple first fighter is Guida, and he lost to him too

[Éire]

Are Bendo and Melendez not grapplers?

They are but not even remotely near the skill level of Khabib. I actually had no idea how good RDA's grappling was until his last fight but I guess he's up there which is really saying something about Khabib since he literally threw him wherever he wanted to. That said, Pettis does have a shot of catching Khabib with a sub or a shot before Khabib grabs him. I just think it's extremely unlikely.

[Ludo]

They are but not even remotely near the skill level of Khabib. I actually had no idea how good RDA's grappling was until his last fight but I guess he's up there which is really saying something about Khabib since he literally threw him wherever he wanted to. That said, Pettis does have a shot of catching Khabib with a sub or a shot before Khabib grabs him. I just think it's extremely unlikely.

I wouldn't call Khabib elite, really. He has great strength and whatnot, and he closes the distance well enough. But his top game is shit.