UFC 224 takes place on the 12th May at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event is headlined by a UFC women’s bantamweight championship fight, as champion Amanda Nunes takes on challenger Raquel Pennington.
This event marks the second round of our MMANews Fantasy League which gives our fans the chance to go head to head and predict the outcome of UFC bouts. In this events addition of MMANews’ Fantasy League tips, I will look into the two main fights of UFC 224 and give my breakdown and predictions to help any unsure fans.
The biggest favourite on the card is UFC bantamweight champion, Amanda Nunes. Nunes is currently a -1000 favourite on most online sports books, and she is a sure pick in most expert’s predictions. She comes into this fight after winning a hard-fought bout against Valentina Shevchenko via split decision. Nunes has been incredibly dominant during her UFC career, losing only 1 of her 9 previous bouts in the promotion. Going into this main event at UFC 224, Nunes is seen as the most skilled fighter by some distance.
For Pennington, this fight comes after an 18-month layoff after suffering a broken leg. This may be too much, too soon after such a long gap between fights. Pennington is known for her amazing jab and this will give her the ability to move forward and create opportunities on the feet, setting up combinations in the process.
Amanda Nunes holds an impressive record of 10 KO finishes, and she is most certainly the most powerful women in the 135lb division. She has improved massively recently in her MMA career, improving areas such as her footwork and her gas tank.
For me, Nunes is a straightforward pick in this main event and I wouldn’t be surprised if she is able to finish this bout inside 5 rounds. My prediction for this bout is Amanda Nunes via TKO in Round 3.
Perhaps the most difficult prediction to make is predicting the victor of a hugely important fight in the middleweight division. In this bout, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza takes on Kelvin Gastelum.
Seen as the next big thing in the UFC, Gastelum has looked incredibly impressive since his move up to 185lb, holding knockout wins over former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping and Tim Kennedy, but “Jacare” Souza is another level of competitor. Although Souza is now 38 years old, he proved many doubters wrong after he despatched of Derek Brunson in the first round via TKO. Souza is seen by many as the most accomplished Brazilian Ju-Jitsu practitioner ever to compete in the UFC, and this may be his last chance of securing a shot at UFC gold.
Although Souza is known for his masterful ground game, he does not shy away from trading shots and he has finished many fights on the feet in his 15 year MMA career. Kelvin Gastelum comes from a wrestling background, but he has set the MMA world alight with his slick striking ability. Gastelum’s accuracy and use of angles make him an incredibly dangerous fighter to get into a striking battle with.
For me, this fight is a changing of the guard. I believe that Gastelum will be able to keep the fight standing and he will have the ability and skill set to put Souza away. My prediction for this bout is Kelvin Gastelum via TKO in Round 2.
UFC 224 is a great fight card that has some difficult fights to predict. Just remember, do some research before you make your picks.
Top Tip: This will be an event where the favourites will come out on top.
Don’t forget to make your picks, and good luck!
If you need to know any details about the league, check out our sign up article here: http://www.mmanews.com/mmanews-fantasy-league/
