Michael Bisping — UFC Freedom 250 predictions
Picks scorecard
5 of 5 decided picks correct
- Michael Bisping: Called 19 of 33 resolved picks
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Pick Ciryl Gane · Decision
Result Ciryl Gane by KO/TKO, R2 Hit
All analysts: 39 picks — 20 Pereira · 19 Gane
Bisping favoured Gane on points the moment the fight was made — a Pereira win would be an upset. Gane's speed, lateral movement, angles and natural heavyweight size are a problematic stylistic matchup for a Pereira who walks straight forward, and the mass that lets Pereira hit hard also slows him down.
- Picked Gane on points the minute the fight was made
- Pereira has to cut the cage off perfectly to land — Gane isn't fazed by size or power
- Thinks the odds should be wider in Gane's favour
“The minute this fight was made, I favoured Ciryl on points. If Alex Pereira pulls it off, in my opinion, it's an upset.”
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Pick Mauricio Ruffy · KO/TKO
Result Mauricio Ruffy by KO/TKO, R1 Perfect call
All analysts: 32 picks — 31 Ruffy · 1 Chandler
All signs point toward Ruffy getting a spectacular knockout. He's precise, taller and longer with spinning kicks and flying knees and now trains with Volkanovski, while Chandler has lost five of his last six and taken a lot of damage.
- Ruffy: precise, taller, longer, spinning and flying weapons, now at Volkanovski's camp
- Chandler 5 losses in his last 6 — invokes the Tony Ferguson decline comparison
“All signs pointing towards Mauricio Ruffy getting a spectacular knockout.”
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Pick Diego Lopes · to win
Result Diego Lopes by KO/TKO, R2 Hit
All analysts: 38 picks — 22 Lopes · 16 Garcia
Lopes is probably going to beat Garcia despite Bisping loving Garcia. He expects Lopes — who did much of his camp at Oklahoma State — to shoot takedowns and use his jiu-jitsu rather than bang with Garcia, whose finishing power is most dangerous on the feet.
- Expects Lopes to wrestle (Oklahoma State camp) and win on the ground
- May rob fans of the striking battle, since Garcia's edge is on the feet
“Diego Lopes is probably going to beat Steve Garcia. I love Steve Garcia.”
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Pick Sean O'Malley · to win
Result Sean O'Malley by KO/TKO, R2 Hit
All analysts: 36 picks — 34 O'Malley · 2 Zahabi
O'Malley is taller with better boxing and a longer reach, and Bisping leans on the Chito Vera common opponent — what O'Malley did to Vera versus how close Zahabi's own fight with Vera was — while admitting MMA math doesn't really stack up.
- Taller, better boxing, longer reach
- Uses the Chito Vera common opponent as a loose read
“Sugar Sean O'Malley is probably going to beat Aiemann Zahabi.”
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Pick Bo Nickal · to win
Result Bo Nickal by KO/TKO, R1 Hit
All analysts: 39 picks — 22 Nickal · 17 Daukaus
Picks Nickal but with real hesitation — the spot on the card where he can most see an upset. Daukaus has surged with two first-round finishes since returning, while Nickal is still proving he's a complete mixed martial artist.
- Picks Nickal but flags it as the most likely upset on the card
- Daukaus riding two first-round finishes; Nickal still establishing himself
“Bo Nickal probably… but I think that could be the one where the upset is.”