Money Making Armando’s look at TUF22 Finale: Frankie Edgar vs. Chad Mendes

With the Ultimate Fighting Championship closing out the year in style as thy hold the Las Vegas fight scene hostage for 3 straight nights of live MMA madness, there is money to be made in order to start paying off some of those Black Friday and Christmas shopping-influenced credit card statements. In order to get a jump on those atrocious bills, here are some well-calculated picks for the main card along with the most current odds for some of the exciting action on the TUF 22 Finale live from The Cosmopolitan Casino. Everyone is welcomed to their own opinion of course from novice to seasoned bettor, but what better way to end the year than with some bragging rights amongst friends and family this holiday season?

Frankie Edgar (19-4-1) vs. Chad Mendes (17-3)

(5-Round Featherweight Bout)

Former UFC 155-pound champion, Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (-150) takes on Chad “Money” Mendes (+130) in a bout where the winner likely challenges for the 145lb strap in 2016 against the Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor winner. Neither unfamiliar to 25-minute wars, both Edgar and Mendes lurk in the top 5 when it comes to the featherweight division thanks to their solid records and accomplishments. Mendes has challenged for UFC gold on 3 separate occasions since 2012, unfortunately coming up short on each bid. His most recent outing saw him stopped only for the second time in his career via TKO at the hands of Interim UFC Champion, Conor McGregor. A victory over Frankie would be money in the bank for the Team Alpha Male member to earn another title shot but it seems unlikely against a warrior the caliber of Edgar. The few losses on the Jersey Boy’s ledger have been to bigger men that have either out struck or out wrestled him or both as seen in his defeats to Gray Maynard, Jose Aldo and twice to Benson Henderson. Henderson now fights at 170lbs, Aldo will outpoint anyone on the feet and Maynard’s wrestling and strength at 155lbs was otherworldly. In contrast, Chad Mendes is undersized for a 145er usually giving up height and reach to most of his foes, with the Ultimate Fighter Season 22 headliner being no exception.

For years the Californian’s bread and butter has been his outstanding wrestling but that will be negated by his NCAA Divison 1 All-American counterpart who will time him beat him to the punch. Cancelling out Mendes’ Plan A of taking a foe to the mat and maintaining top control will resort him to Plan B; circling in and out of the pocket looking to land his powerful overhand right as he jabs to the body. This would normally work on a stationary target but Edgar’s footwork, angles and lateral movement flow fast and heavy like he is Toms River. The New Jersey native darts in and out of the pocket snapping his crisp jab, working leg kicks and setting up 2-punch combinations before ripping a left hook at his man’s body. Mendes tends to get overhand right happy as the battle wears on and if it doesn’t land, he doubles it up or leads with it, this will leave him wide open for a left-hook from Edgar who will slip the punch countering effortlessly. Whatever Mendes does, Edgar can do better and his 4-fight winning streak is just the momentum needed for the east coast native to trump his fierce foe.

Prediction: Normally in any main event not for a UFC title the answer would be: money on Mendes. But, Edgar is just too skilled, seasoned, and experienced in 5-round matches to fall for anything his adversary brings. This one goes the distance and yes , one judge will give it to the aggressor but the other two will turn in a Split Decision in favor of the more technically sound, former lightweight champion of the world, Frankie Edgar.

Edson Barboza (16-3) vs. Tony Ferguson (20-3)

(3-Round Lightweight Bout)

In a very fitting return to the TUF platform that propelled his MMA career, TUF 13 winner Tony “El Cu Cuy” Ferguson (-175), takes on replacement fighter Edson Barboza (+155) in what could very well be a #1 contender spot to challenge for Rafael Dos Anjos’ lightweight title in 2016. Barboza steps in for the injured and unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov changing the entire dynamic of the original battle which would have been the classic Octagon feature of “striker versus wrestler”. Now with Khabib on the shelf, this becomes more of a “striker vs. striker” flavored fight which favors Ferguson not only because of the mechanics but for the simple fact that he had a full camp in order to train for the fight.

If there is a knock on the brilliant Brazilian it’s that he tends to fade as the match wears on, a factor to be exposed due to the shortened preparation time for Friday’s battle. This observation is further highlighted thanks to Barboza’s dazzling array of leg kicks and jab-left hook combinations which are all thrown with pure power. He packs so much pop into the shots and tends to stand in a very upright guard that it leaves him open to a counter by overcommitting to the strike, something a technician like Ferguson will jump on early. Ferguson’s reach of 76 inches to Barboza’s 75 inches will likewise play a role because the Brazilian loves to bring his fists back directly in front of him, just below his chin for a clearer view of the plain, low enough for Ferguson to tag him with his jab and straight punches. Furthermore, the Brazilian’s lack of holding back on a punch or kick makes him a certified fan-friendly fighter but it doesn’t do any favors for his gas tank. While on the other hand, the Californian is known to grow stronger as the fight progresses and he is getting more adept at finishing them too. The Mexican-American has lost just 1 out of his last 10 matches, winning 6 of them by finish, since winning TUF Season 13 back in 2011. The one loss was to TUF 12 finalist, Michael Johnson; a Blackzilian Team standout that blends his wrestling and striking almost flawlessly, a quality that Barboza will lack in keeping his talented foe at bay. If anything, “El Cu Cuy” will be the one cutting off the cage, limiting Barboza’s movement disabling him from setting up his strikes. The Rio De Janeiro native loves to glide around the ring like a pendulum before rattling off a few jabs or low leg kicks. His movement will be restricted by Ferguson’s often underrated wrestling and if Barboza gets too heavy on his back foot launching kicks it may make him more susceptible to trips, sweeps and takedowns from his foe as the 15 minutes tick away.

Prediction: In what should undoubtedly be a fun fight to watch that goes 3 rounds, but still technical enough to draw some boos from the crowd, Tony Ferguson takes this one on the scorecards via Unanimous Decision with scores of 29-28 x 3.

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By: arm romo jr