FTI Combat Sports prophecy: UFC on Fox 25

Photo Credit: Dave Mandel – Sherdog.com

by Chris Asbrock

UFC on Fox 25: Weidman vs Gastelum
7/22/2017
4:00 P.M. EST (Main card starts at 8 P.M.)
UFC Fight Pass, Fox

The UFC has certainly seen an up and down go of things since the acquisition by WME/IMG. With the amount of money that it took to purchase the UFC, the group has to recoup their investment sooner rather than later. With that being the case, fight fans have seen more big fights and not ones that make the most sense, in terms of some fighters being skipped over in the championship picture.

With the legalization of mixed martial arts in the state of New York, the fight game has clearly seen the stakes being raised. The UFC got things going with a great UFC 205 card at Madison Square Garden. Bellator followed suit last month with their second ever pay-per-view event. This UFC on Fox card is another in a long line of fights that will take place in the state. Let’s take a look at this solid fight card on Fox.

Thomas Almeida (21-1) vs Jimmie Rivera (20-1)

This fight features two solid names in the bantamweight division. This incredible matchup is worthy of being higher on the card, at least as the co-main event. With this fight kicking off the main card portion, fans can expect a war. Both fighters come in with a combined 41-2 record which is staggering. Rivera hasn’t tasted defeat since 2011, when he lost to Dennis Bermudez on season 14 of the Ultimate Fighter. Almeida, lost just over a year ago to Cody Garbrandt, when he was knocked out in the first round. Almeida finishes his opponents, with a staggering 20 of his 21 wins coming before going to the judges scorecard. Rivera is just an overall solid fighter and will come away with the victory in this fight.

Chris’ Pick: Rivera

Patrick Cummins (9-4) vs Gian Villante (15-8)

This fight is the opposite of the one prior. This matchup will not deliver like the other one, simply due to the fact both fighters come into this fight not on the strongest terms. Both fighters are north of 30 and have taken a beating in their last few fights. This is a tough one to really hone in on because of the inconsistency from both. Both fighters are susceptible to taking a punch. However, with Villante being five years younger than his counterpart, Cummins, the youth will come away with the victory.

Chris’ Pick: Villante

Dennis Bermudez (16-6) vs Darren Elkins (22-5)

This is an intriguing fight with Elkins coming into this fight on a solid four-fight winning streak. On the other side, Bermudez is coming off a first-round knockout loss to the Korean Zombie in February. This fight is a big one for Bermudez as he needs to rebound from that tough loss. Elkins is an extremely tough opponent to rebound with. Elkins has the ability to ruin a fighters night with his dominant ground work. Look for that to be the case in this fight and expect Elkins to get the job done with his solid ground game.

Chris’ Pick: Elkins

Chris Weidman (13-3) vs Kelvin Gastelum (13-2)

This is an extremely crucial fight for the former middleweight champion, Weidman. He comes into this fight after losing his last three fights via TKO/KO. Facing a solid fighter in Gastelum could be exactly what Weidman needs. This is a very tough fight for both. Weidman, an All-American wrestler, will look to take down Gastelum early and work off the ground. If this fight stays up, then Gastelum has the potential to add a fourth straight TKO/KO to Weidman’s resume. To counter that, Weidman will have to get the job done early on the ground. Gastelum does not tire easily, while Weidman has gassed early, causing him to tire out and eventually get knocked out. With the pressure on him, Weidman will get the job done and pull off the upset.

Chris’ Pick: Weidman

Damian Grabowski (20-4) vs Chase Sherman (10-3)
Ryan LaFlare (13-1) vs Alex Oliveira (16-4-1)
Eryk Anders (7-0) vs Rafael Natal (21-8-1)
Lyman Good (19-3) vs Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (16-5)

Chris Asbrock is a staff writer and analyst for FTI Sports and can be followed on Twitter Follow @iamchrisasbrock and Follow @FTICombatSports