UFC on ESPN+ 23: Edgar vs. The Korean Zombie (December 2019)

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

ESPN+ 5:00 am Et
Frankie Edgar vs Chan Sung Jubg
Volkan Oezdemir vs Aleksandar Rakic
Dooho Choi vs Charles Jourdain
Da Un Jung vs Mike Rodriguez
Marc-Andre Barriault vs Jun Yong Park
Kyung Ho Kanf vs Liu Pingyuan

ESPN, 2:00 am ET
Tanner Boser vs Ciryl Gane
Suman Mokhtarian vs Seungwoo Choi
Dong Hyun Ma vs Omar Morales
Alexandre Pantoja vs Matt Schnell
Raoni Barcelos vs Said Nurmagomedov
Miranda Granger vs Amanda Lemos
Heili Alateng vs Ryan Benoit

[Unwritten Law]

Korean Zombie all day! Also looking forward to seeing Doo Hoo Choi back in action.

[Demonata]

Omg it starts at 2 am? Wtfffff

[Unwritten Law]

The sacrifices we make. I'll be up for this! If you're just interested in the main event I'd recommend being up by 4am.

[Demonata]

The sacrifices we make. I'll be up for this! If you're just interested in the main event I'd recommend being up by 4am.

You going to sleep before or not risk it?

[Unwritten Law]

Lots of NFL action Saturday but sleep after last game for a few hours and be up midnight. Super excited for the Zombie and Korean Superboy!

[JIBBBY]

Asian fade.. In on Frankie. Hope he uses his wrestling in key moments..

Dogs are gonna bark in this event I think.. Volkan

[Demonata]

Asian fade.. In on Frankie. Hope he uses his wrestling in key moments..

Dogs are gonna bark in this event I think.. Volkan

You going to be awake during the fights? Lol

[Demonata]

Lots of NFL action Saturday but sleep after last game for a few hours and be up midnight. Super excited for the Zombie and Korean Superboy!

Wait so it on at like 12 am saturday or like right before sunday at 12 am?

[WolfTicketDealer]

Liking Rakic and Zombie quite a bit in this spot. I think Zombie's an awful style matchup for Edgar, and having this fight in South Korea doesn't hurt.

[JIBBBY]

You going to be awake during the fights? Lol

Looks like the event starts and goes thru the dead of night in my Pacific time zone. I'm be snoozing most likely.. Doesn't mean I won't bet on it though ..

[PaperTrail07]

gonna have to EARN this one lol whew....6 am wakeup and catch the last (3) for me...

[PaperTrail07]

Its a Friday night event

Wait so it on at like 12 am saturday or like right before sunday at 12 am?

[Demonata]

Its a Friday night event

Thanks man. Dang it lol. I was so confused figuring it out.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Liking Rakic and Zombie quite a bit in this spot. I think Zombie's an awful style matchup for Edgar, and having this fight in South Korea doesn't hurt.

Liking Rakic as well.

[JIBBBY]

^^Volkan can surprise.. He hits hard.. I've learned not to bet against him as a dog in the past..


He touches that chin you go out!!!

1105 Oezdemir wins inside distance

+260

[JAKEPEAVY21]

^^Volkan can surprise.. He hits hard.. I've learned not to bet against him as a dog in the past..


He touches that chin you go out!!!

1105 Oezdemir wins inside distance

+260

sadly for you, Rakic will ko him before he gets ko'd

[JIBBBY]

sadly for you, Rakic will ko him before he gets ko'd

Maybe Jakey we'll see???

1109 Rakic wins inside distance

+130

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Maybe Jakey we'll see???

1109 Rakic wins inside distance

+130

[JIBBBY]

^^^Like I said Jakey let's see what happens buddy???

I like the KO odds better for Volkan..

All I know is everytime I bet against the dude I lost and he KO's the opponent.. He's the X factor in MMA..

[JAKEPEAVY21]

^^^Like I said Jakey let's see what happens buddy???

I like the KO odds better for Volkan..

All I know is everytime I bet against the dude I lost and he KO's the opponent.. He's the X factor in MMA..

He is dangerous no doubt, can't blame you for the play. That said, I'm riding Rakic until he does me wrong.

[WolfTicketDealer]

Anyone else liking Barcelos over Said Nurmagomedov? Really like what Barcelos brings to the table in his wrestling/BJJ. Said's striking, while fun to watch and flashy, can be a bit wild and Barcelos has some good power in his hands.

[Thrilla]

Event Background

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_Fight_Night:_Edgar_vs._The_Korean_Zo mbie

UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. The Korean Zombie (also known as UFC Fight Night 165 and UFC on ESPN+ 23) is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that is planned to take place on December 21, 2019 at Sajik Arena in Busan, South Korea.^[1][2][3]

The event will mark the promotion's first visit to Busan and the second in South Korea, after UFC Fight Night 79 in November 2015.^[1]

A featherweight bout between former UFC Featherweight Championship challengers Brian Ortega and Chan Sung Jung was originally slated as the event headliner.^[4] However, Ortega pulled out of the fight in early December, citing a knee injury.^[5] He was replaced by former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar.^[6] The two were previously scheduled to meet on November 10, 2018 at UFC Fight Night 139.^[7] However, Edgar was forced to pull out of that bout after tearing his bicep.^[8]

A flyweight bout between Ji Yeon Kim and Sabina Mazo was scheduled for the event. However, it was reported on November 1, 2019 that Kim was forced to pull out of the fight due to an undisclosed injury.^[9]

A flyweight bout between Veronica Macedo and Amanda Lemos was scheduled for the event. However, Macedo was removed from the event in favor of a matchup with Ariane Lipski on November 16, 2019 at UFC Fight Night 164.^[10] Lemos is now expected to face Miranda Granger.^[11]

[JIBBBY]

Prelim predictions 1 and 2 mma mania -




125 lbs.: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Matt Schnell

An unsuccessful run on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 24 didn’t stop Alexandre Pantoja (21-4) from winning five of his first six Octagon bouts, the lone loss a competitive decision to Dustin Ortiz. This set up a clash against Deiveson Figueiredo, with whom Pantoja put together a brutal “Fight of the Night” that ended in a Figueiredo decision.
He’ll give up three inches of height and nearly as much reach to Matt Schnell (14-4).
Schnell struggled to an 0-2 Octagon start after his TUF 24 tenure, falling to Rob Font in a Bantamweight clash and Hector Sandoval upon his return to Flyweight. He has since racked up four consecutive victories, including upsets of Naoki Inoue and Jordan Espinoza.
“Danger” has dispatched eight opponents via submission.
I’ll readily admit to constantly underestimating Schnell, but putting faith in a guy is difficult when his recent wins generally come by either competitive decision or submission off of his back. Neither of those seem like wise courses of action against Pantoja, who figures to have a slight technical edge in most areas alongside the power to crack Schnell’s shaky chin.
Schnell will most likely need a finish, as I don’t see him mounting any sustained dominance in any area of the game. Considering that Jussier Formiga couldn’t submit “The Cannibal” and Figueiredo couldn’t knock him out, that doesn’t seem likely. Pantoja takes a comfortable decision.
Prediction: Pantoja via unanimous decision
Related
Edgar Won’t Stay At 145 Post-Zombie Fight

115 lbs.: Miranda Granger vs. Amanda Lemos

Miranda Granger (7-0) went 5-0 as an amateur before turning pro in 2017, ultimately claiming the Cage Fury Strawweight title with a 41-second guillotine choke of Heloisa Azevedo last May. Little more than two months later, she squared off with fellow unbeaten Hannah Goldy in her Octagon debut and swept her on the judges’ scorecards.
“Danger” has submitted five professional opponents and knocked out one, all of them in the first round.
Amanda Lemos (6-1-1) brought the Jungle Fight Bantamweight title into her Octagon debut, having knocked out Mayra Cantuaria in a rematch to claim it. Leslie Smith proved more than she could handle, however, putting “Amandinha” down with elbows midway through the second round.
This will be her first fight in two years due to a United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) suspension.
The annoying part about picking this fight is that if both women come in in peak condition, Lemos smokes Granger. The Brazilian is the more technical and powerful striker, but had a truly nightmarish style match up in the functionally indestructible Smith. Granger isn’t nearly as relentless or adept at draining opponents’ gas tanks, and she’s far less likely to just walk through the heat “Amandinha” can deliver.
Assuming that both will be in peak condition seems ill-advised, though. Lemos is coming off of a massive layoff and, even considering Smith’s debilitating attack, gassed worryingly early in that fight. Lemos dominates the first before losing steam and falling into an inescapable statistical hole.
Prediction: Granger via unanimous decision
Related
Up Next! UFC End-Of-Year Event In Busan!

135 lbs.: Alateng Heili vs. Ryan Benoit

Alateng Heili (13-7-1) joined UFC in the midst of an 8-1-1 run, the loss coming to future RIZIN standout and Horiguchi-Slayer Kai Asakura. His Octagon debut with Batgerel Danaa wound up being a bloody war, from which Alateng walked away with a victory and a “Fight of the Night” bonus.
He’ll give up two inches of reach.
Ryan Benoit (10-5) has alternated losses and wins in his Octagon career, starting with a “Fight of the Night” loss to Josh Sampo and a subsequent upset knockout of Sergio Pettis. In his last appearance, he knocked out Ashkan Mokhtarian with a third-round head kick back in Nov. 2017.
Eight of his nine professional stoppage wins have come courtesy of knockout.
Following Benoit has been an exercise in frustration. The man clearly has bonkers power for his size and has displayed some scrambling chops, but he failed to meaningfully improve his striking or wrestling technique during his Octagon tenure. While there’s every chance that he made some much-needed adjustments during his time on the sidelines, I can only analyze what I’ve seen.
And what I’ve seen will have some issues.
Alateng has the wrestling chops to exploit Benoit’s porous takedown defense and, though maddeningly inactive on the feet, is a sufficiently adept counter-puncher to find the mark with his piston right cross when Benoit overextends. There are three reasonably possible outcomes: Alateng catches Benoit cold with a counter right, Benoit knocks him out with a big swing, or Alateng uses his wrestling to cruise to victory. Two out of three ain’t bad.
Prediction: Alateng via unanimous decision



135 lbs.: Raoni Barcelos vs. Said Nurmagomedov

Raoni Barcelos (14-1) — a former RFA Featherweight champion — made his long-delayed Octagon debut in dramatic fashion last year with a “Fight of the Night” uppercut knockout of Kurt Holobaugh (see it). He’s yet to go the distance in the Octagon, dispatching Chris Gutierrez and Carlos Huachin inside the distance.
Eight of his 10 stoppage wins have come by form of knockout.
Said Nurmagomedov (13-1) — no relation to Khabib, as far as we know — won the Akhmat Bantamweight title on the way to the Octagon, where he opened his UFC career with a narrow split decision over Justin Scoggins. His second bout in the world’s largest MMA promotion saw him knock out Ricardo Ramos with a spinning back kick midway through the first round, though injuries have kept him out of action since that February victory.
He’ll have a three-inch reach advantage on Barcelos.
I both love and hate this match up. On one hand, it’s an evenly matched clash of explosive up-and-comers with serious finishing skills. On the other, it knocks one of them out of contention for awhile, and considering how insanely stacked the division is, the loser could find his title run set back by a year or two.
Bad news for the 34-year-old Barcelos.
He’s the better boxer of the two and has the stronger ground pedigree, but he’s going to have all kinds of trouble consistently getting his hands on the rangier Nurmagomedov. His counter-punching arsenal will likely struggle to find purchase against Nurmagomedov’s kicking onslaught and if Barcelos does manage to close the gap for a takedown attempt, Nurmagomedov ostensibly has strong enough hips and scrambling ability to stay out of danger. Barcelos makes it close, but Nurmagomedov’s takedown defense and long-range attack should get him the win.
Prediction: Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision
Related
Up Next! UFC End-Of-Year Event In Busan!

265 lbs.: Ciryl Gane vs. Tanner Boser

Ciryl Gane (5-0) — MMA’s hottest Heavyweight prospect — leaned on his grappling instead of his vaunted Muay Thai to secure a submission win in his August Octagon debut. He returned to action in October with another submission finish, securing a bonus-winning heel hook of Don’Tale Mayes in the waning seconds, and now prepares for his third fight in little more than four months.
He has knocked out two pro opponents and submitted three other.
Tanner Boser (17-5-1) missed out on a July Octagon debut when opponent Giacomo Lemos failed a drug test, leaving him to face Daniel Spitz in October. Though he didn’t delight the Boston crowd, he nonetheless extended his current run go 5-1-1 with a wide decision victory.
“The Bulldozer” gives up around a half-foot of reach to “Bon Gamin.”
Tanner Boser’s game revolves around having better movement and a better gas tank than the rest of the division. Gane has those, too, only with more technical striking and exponentially more stopping power. Boser isn’t dancing around the outside and pot-shotting his way to success against a rangier, more skillful striker with the cardio to match his pace all night.
“The Bulldozer” just seems out-classed in every conceivable category and doesn’t even have enough pop to offer the traditional Heavyweight puncher’s chance. Gane takes him apart en route to a late finish.
Prediction: Gane via second-round technical knockout
Related
Ortega Reveals Recovery Timeline Following ACL Tear

145 lbs.: Seung Woo Choi vs. Suman Mokhtarian

Seung Woo Choi (7-3) ended a 17-month layoff in April when he stepped up on short notice to face prospect Movsar Evloev, who utilized repeated takedowns to win a decision over the Korean bruiser. Three months later, he was tasked with welcoming Gavin Tucker back to the Octagon, resulting in a third-round submission defeat.
Five of his professional wins, including his last three, have come by knockout.
Suman Mokhtarian (8-1), brother of UFC veteran Ashkan, impressed Stipe Miocic enough to become his second pick on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 27, only to lose in the opening round to Daniel Cormier’s final pick in Ricky Steele. He still managed to get a spot on the Finale, where he suffered a first-round stoppage loss to Sodiq Yusuff.
This will be his first fight in 12 months.
I have to admit to some personal bias here: In my opinion, the Mokhtarian brothers are running a grift. They fluffed up their records and those of their Australia Top Team “students” by putting together mismatches in promotions they themselves owned. You can see from Nadia Kassem and Alex Gorgees’ efforts that they were horribly unprepared for UFC, and Suman is no exception, having fought just one fighter with a victory on his record prior to his TUF run.
He scammed his way into the Octagon and is about to get his ass beat for it again.
Choi is a massively flawed fighter, a brawl-happy slugger whose ground game has proven inadequate for the world’s largest fight promotion. Luckily for him, Mokhtarian hasn’t shown the wrestling necessary to crack even Choi’s substandard takedown defense and has little to offer on the feet. They slug it out until Choi’s power brings a dramatic end to proceedings.
Prediction: Choi via second-round technical knockout
Related
Edgar Won’t Stay At 145 Post-Zombie Fight

155 lbs. Dong Hyun Ma vs. Omar Morales

Dong Hyun Ma (16-10-3) bounced back from knockout losses in his first two Octagon appearances to win three straight, among them a technical knockout of a faded Takanori Gomi. A knockout loss to Devonte Smith followed, though he was putting up a terrific fight in his subsequent bout with Scott Holtzman before the doctor stopped the fight.
“The Maestro” is the taller man by an inch but faces a three-inch reach disadvantage.
Despite a 58-second head kick knockout in his lone Bellator appearance, Venezuela’s Omar Morales (8-0) entered “Contender Series” a decent-sized underdog against LFA champ Harvey Park. Morales wound up defying the odds, compromising Park’s movement with low kicks before putting him away with a contract-winning one-two combination.
All but two of his professional wins have come inside the first round.
I don’t see the logic in pitting Ma against another heavy-hitting, technically superior striker when the last two he fought kicked the snot out of him. Ma’s upright, come-forward offense seems terribly vulnerable to Morales’ straight right and crushing low kicks, and considering the shots Morales shrugged off against Park, Ma is not outlasting him in a brawl.
Ma definitely has the goods on the mat and Morales’ ground game, outside of the solid defensive wrestling and clinchwork he showed last time out, is a question mark, but I don’t think he can withstand the beating he’ll take when/if he pursues the takedown. Morales tears up Ma’s lead leg before planting a shin or right hand on the Korean’s face.
Prediction: Morales via first-round technical knockout



Current UFC “Prelims” Prediction Record for 2019: 178-98-1

[Unwritten Law]

Thanks for pointing out it's Friday night!

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

[Demonata]

Still awake but it's not easy! Pouring ice water on my head lol

[jrgum3]

Since I'm going to be awake for this being on the West Coast not to mention a night owl I decided to throw a bet on the Dooho Choi fight to not go the distance and the Edgar/Zombie fight to go to decision. BOL gents with your action.

[UncleChael]

Anybody up or need a winner?

[Demonata]

Ryan Benoit you bum ass bitch!!! I'm going to bed. Just takes it in the ass last two rounds. Fuking bum!!!

[UncleChael]

This Matt Schnell guy better cash in at +215 in this up coming fight. 3 units.

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

This Matt Schnell guy better cash in at +215 in this up coming fight. 3 units.

[UncleChael]

Lets goooo Locky!!! Game time!!!!

[Shazzadude]

Must be the first time in years Hugo De Naranja hasn’t made an appearance in a UFC event thread

[kingdom]

first time i've seen pantoja fight. looks like a badass.