UGP 58: FIGHT FORECASTER
MAIN EVENT
UNION GP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
© DONNIE CALABRESE vs #1 VIKTOR VOLKOV
FAN POLL: 71% Calabrese
ISAAC’S PREDICTION: Donnie Calabrese by Decision — Without a doubt, these are the two best Heavyweights in the world. Barring any controversy, this will be the final chapter of a storied rivalry. Historically, the fighter with the most recent win tends to have the edge, and in this case, that’s Dog Face Donnie. Despite Calabrese being the younger fighter, he has a lot of mileage on him. Both fighters have unfinished business as they vie for the title of Heavyweight King, but only one will continue that journey. Gotta “trust your gut” on this one.
KAYLA’S PREDICTION: Viktor Volkov by TKO, Round 4 — I’m not sure why, exactly, I think this fight’s going to go any differently a couple months later than it did a couple months ago, but there’s something about it that just feels like we see the title change hands again. I don’t think I need to break down the X’s and O’s of this fight, we all kinda know what this is going to be, so this one…I just can’t shake my gut feeling that Volkov finds a way to get the belt back.
CO-MAIN EVENT
UNION GP MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
© DERRIUS WEBB vs #1 VENUS SAGAPOLUTELE
FAN POLL: 88% Webb
ISAAC’S PREDICTION: Derrius Webb by T/KO, Round 3 — Venus Sagapolutele has unquestionably earned this rematch, entering the contest on an impressive four-fight win streak. In her last two bouts, she defeated Eagle Mondalvi and avenged her previous loss to former Everest MMA Welterweight Champion Kian De Beer. This rematch promises to be far more competitive than their initial encounter. While Sagapolutele has shown significant improvement, so has Derrius Webb. I believe Spyda will secure the victory before the fight reaches the championship rounds.
KAYLA’S PREDICTION: Derrius Webb by Decision — I’ll admit here, I’ve underestimated Venus…basically her entire career. And yet, she’s found herself up in the number one contender spot, so more fool me for thinking as much. But now, she comes up against a buzzsaw. Derrius is not subtle about what he thinks is going to happen, and considering he’s on a record run of 13 straight wins, I’m not inclined to doubt him. 18 or so months ago, we saw this fight happen, and it ended in a first round TKO; I think it’s demonstrable that Venus has improved as a fighter in those 18 months, but I don’t think she’s improved enough to take the title. Derrius retains in a hard-fought, but what I think will be a relatively clear-cut decision win.
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION
#2 DEEBO BRIGGS vs #6 ALEXANDER SOKOLOV
FAN POLL: 56% Briggs
ISAAC’S PREDICTION: Deebo Briggs by T/KO, Round 3 — In my opinion, this bout has the potential to be the dark horse for Fight of the Night. Both Deebo Briggs and Alexander Sokolov are renowned for their striking power, making this matchup a surefire fan favorite. It could also serve as a potential title eliminator bout. With the intense back-and-forth banter between these two fighters, fans can expect a fast-paced, high-volume striking showdown. Despite Sokolov coming into this fight on a five-fight win streak and having handed Jack Foster his first loss in his last outing, I have to favor experience. Deebo Briggs has been in high-pressure situations before and doesn’t buckle under the spotlight.
KAYLA’S PREDICTION: Alexander Sokolov by Decision — The X’s and O’s of this fight basically line up perfectly. Tall, long, heavy-handed strikers with decent skills on the ground and, roughly speaking, the same winning percentage. Deebo’s had a much longer career, but under the Union umbrella, it’s actually Sokolov who has more experience. So it’s hard for me to point to either one and say THIS obviously makes them a favorite. Do you lean on youth or experience? Does Sokolov’s one inch reach advantage mean anything in this fight, with how both will just be throwing bombs? For me, I have to just trust my gut, and say Sokolov eeks out a close decision win, but don’t be shocked if Deebo finds a way to win either.
BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION
#2 ISABEL AZEVEDO vs #4 EUGENIE BOMBELLES
FAN POLL: 60% Azevedo
ISAAC’S PREDICTION: Isabel Azevedo by Submission, Round 2 — This high-stakes rematch takes center stage in a fiercely competitive Bantamweight Division. In their first encounter, Izzi Azevedo stunned the world with a 56-second submission victory, setting a new record at the time. Eugenie Bombelles is gonna be determined not to let history repeat itself, and will likely be looking for an early knockout. However, if Bombelles fails to secure an early finish, I anticipate Azevedo will employ her strategy to drag the fight into deep waters, wear Bombelles down, and secure another submission victory. Such a win would solidify Azevedo’s position at the top of the division.
KAYLA’S PREDICTION: Eugenie Bombelles by TKO, Round 3 — Last time we saw this fight, Izzi set a record (however brief she held that spot) for fastest submission–a 56 second kneebar. And when this fight was announced, all I could think was…Eugenie barely handled losing a round well, back when Victoria Marshall took a round from her in Everest–go back and watch that fight, watch how different round 1 Eugenie is from round 2; here, we have a rematch of a fight she lost, and I just can’t imagine she’s coming in looking to play nice. Izzi’s traded hands with strikers in the past, but I don’t think she’s going to want to play that game with Eugenie this time. Gut feeling, Eugenie keeps the fight standing and ends it in the third.
LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION
#6 MADDOX MOON vs #7 JORDAN PARKER
FAN POLL: 67% Moon
ISAAC’S PREDICTION: Maddox Moon by Submission, Round 3 — The main card opener promises to be a grappling masterclass, a true delight for Jiu-Jitsu enthusiasts. This bout is set to unfold as a tactical chess match, where a single mistake could prove disastrous for either fighter. Jordan Parker has shown impressive form recently, but this bout represents a significant step up in competition. He faces an opponent who can match his grappling prowess, undoubtedly his strongest asset. Maddox Moon, on the other hand, is under immense pressure, having lost two consecutive high-stakes matches. A victory over the two-time champion, Jordan Parker, could propel him back into title contention.
KAYLA’S PREDICTION: Maddox Moon by Decision — I pretty much agree with everything Isaac said, except that I don’t see a finish coming. Jordan’s strongest asset has been his grappling, but when he was on top at 155, the division was kinda bereft of grapplers. Now, there’s a whole division full of them, not to mention the woman on top, who Maddox has shown he can go flow-for-flow with. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles Maddox’s version of BJJ. And for Maddox, while he mostly seems like a laid back kind of guy, he’ll be aware that a third straight loss probably could take him all the way out of the rankings, and if he intends to get back to the title any time soon, I don’t think he can afford to let this fight go.
HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION
#3 MAURO SANTOS DE LIMA vs #4 BENJAMIN CLARKE
FAN POLL: 60% Santos de Lima
ISAAC’S PREDICTION: Mauro Santos de Lima by Submission, Round 2
KAYLA’S PREDICTION: Mauro Santos de Lima by Submission, Round 1
BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION
#8 MANDEM vs JALEN BRIGGS
FAN POLL: 67% Briggs
ISAAC’S PREDICTION: MANDEM by Decision
KAYLA’S PREDICTION: Jalen Briggs by Decision
BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION
#9 RACHEL PARSONS vs AMMAR ELAMIN
FAN POLL: 60% Elamin
ISAAC’S PREDICTION: Ammar Elamin by Decision
KAYLA’S PREDICTION: Rachel Parsons by Decision
BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION
#10 CIARAN CALLAHAN vs ITO YOSHITO
FAN POLL: 67% Callahan
ISAAC’S PREDICTION: Ciaran Callahan by Decision
KAYLA’S PREDICTION: Ciaran Callahan by TKO, Round 3
BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION
TATIANA RUIZ vs SKY SAKARYA
FAN POLL: 50% Tie
ISAAC’S PREDICTION: Tatiana Ruiz by Decision
KAYLA’S PREDICTION: Tatiana Ruiz by Decision
2024 PREDICTION RECORD
Kayla Chapman (29-14) | Isaac Cohen (21-22)
