By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch Senior Columnist
There were no big MMA events this past weekend because of the 4th of July (Happy birthday, USA!) and this awful heatwave sapped my energy and had me feeling terrible so I’m just going to preview UFC 329. My apologies but hopefully I begin feeling better soon.
Early Prelims
Alessandro Costa (16-5) vs. Cody Durden (18-10-1)
Duren has lost four of five so I’m going with Costa by decision.
Ryan Gandra (9-1) vs. Zachary Reese (10-3, 1 NC)
I’ll go with Reese by a close decision.
Damian Pinas (9-1) vs. Cesar Almeida (7-2)
Almeida is coming off a close loss but I’ll go with Pinas because of his reach advantage.
Tracy Cortez (12-3) vs. Wang Cong (9-1)
This one likely goes the distance (11 of Cortez’s 14 fights and 5 of Cong’s fights have gone the distance). I’ll go with Cortez by Split Decision.
Prelims
Luke Riley (13-0) vs. Kai Kamaka (18-7-1)
I think Riley remains undefeated with a second round TKO stoppage victory.
Cody Garbrandt (15-7) vs. Adrian Yanez (17-6-1)
Things haven’t gone as well as would be hoped for either fighter lately but I think No Love wins the decision.
Gable Steveson (3-0) vs. Elisha Ellison (5-2)
I think Steveson claims a thorough decision victory.
Nikita Krylov (31-11) vs. Robert Whittaker (27-9)
Whittaker is moving up to light heavyweight and I think it’ll be a successful one. Krylov has lost two of his last three fights by Knockout (with the third being a Knockout win) and I think that continues here. Maybe I’m placing too much on the past but Whittaker was one of the best in the UFC at one time and I think he can reclaim that. A Krylov win wouldn’t surprise me but I think Whittaker wins by third round TKO.
Main Card
King Green (35-17-1, 1 NC) vs. Terrance McKinney (18-8)
Green is a dangerous opponent but McKinney has only been to the third round once in his career, eight years ago. In fact, 21 of his 26 fights have ended in the first round, some by losses but most by victories. I think McKinney uses his reach and explosiveness to end the fight early. Probably in the second round, as Green is so dangerous and so tough that McKinney will be tentative early in the fight.
Brandon Royval (17-9) vs. Lone’er Kavanagh (10-1)
Another fight that likely goes the distance. In his only loss, Kavanagh was knocked out by Charles Johnson (19-9). That means that he’s on his way to being a title contender. Jokes aside, I do think Kavanagh wins the decision by using his wrestling to control the fight.
Cory Sandhagen (18-6) vs. Mario Bautista (17-3)
Still another fight that’s likely to go the distance. I’ll go with Bautista to win a close fight after nearly locking in some tight submissions and controlling the grappling.
Benoit Saint-Denis (17-3, 1 NC) vs. Paddy Pimblett (23-4)
This should be a heck of a fight. Pimblett stumbled against UFC Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje (28-5) but we just saw how good Gaethje looked as he thrashed Ilia Topuria (17-1) and Pimblett went five rounds with him so it’s not quite as as bad a loss as it might otherwise be. However, Saint-Denis has been on a tear, finishing his last four fights with two knockouts and two submissions against good opponents
I’ll go with Saint-Denis to win by decision. Pimblett is too tough to get knocked out.
Conor McGregor (22-6) vs. Max Holloway (27-9)
I know Holloway has a lot of miles on him but McGregor hasn’t fought in five years and hasn’t won since before Covid (so, six years ago lol). I’m going with Holloway to knock McGregor out, probably in the first round. I could see this going to the second or third round but that depends on how much punishment McGregor is able and willing to take.
I think Holloway wins decisively.
If you’re a collector (action figures, statues, comics, cards, and more), you should check out
Nibble on the Toyrat website!
It’s an amazing experience that allows you to catalog your own collection, search for items you want (across multiple storefronts!), and buy/sell items with other users! You can even create and order your own custom toys!
It’s an incredible tool that you can use and there’s so much more I haven’t even mentioned. I would highly recommend that anyone interested in collecting should join. Thank you.
My new epic fantasy book is out. It’s called Kingdom of Zarias: The End’s Beginning. The exciting epic fantasy series Kingdom of Zarias returns with the 4th book in the series. After the harrowing events of Book 3 the residents of the Kingdom of Zarias continue on their paths. Serena Summers continues to learn and grow as a fighter, desperately seeking to become stronger before she loses anyone else in her life. Daniel Summers discovers new parts of the world that open his eyes to just how little he truly knows. A new hero, Lamar Abeers, arrives to join the fight against evil. Plus, Zach Summers, Tiana Highsmith, and Xavien Ekens continue their journeys with their friends, and a new ruler of Vhaharen is crowned. The world has found a little peace. However, that peace is only temporary. In a shocking act of violence, the monstrous villain Galren strikes from the shadows and changes the world forever. This is Book 4 in the series. There’s lots of action, magic, and monsters in the Kingdom of Zarias. It’s like a tabletop game in novel form. It’s on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many other places. Also, my line of comic books are now available under the 3P Comics label. If you’re interested, I would greatly appreciate it if you would check it out and support me. Thank you very much, have a good day.
Comments and suggestions can be emailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com and you can follow me on Twitter at @hydenfrank. Thanks for reading and have a good day.
Leave a Reply