Event primer - UFC on Fox 10

Welcome to Leg Kick TKO, a MMA blog that's suffered grievous bodily harm from Sweden's own IKEA meatballs.

Prelims (Fight Pass)

Heavyweight - Walt Harris vs Nikita "The Al Capone" Krylov

• Harris' Style - Basketball, Striking
• Krylov's Style - Grapping
• Prediction - Krylov by TKO

Prelims (Fox Sports 1)

Welterweight - George Sullivan vs Mike "Biggie" Rhodes

• Sullivan's Style - BJJ, striking
• Rhodes' Style - Kickboxing, basketball
• Prediction - Sullivan by KO

Lightweight - Daron "Detroit Superstar" Cruickshank vs Mike "The Wolverine" Rio

• Cruickshank's Style - Kickboxing
• Rio's Style - Grappling
• Prediction - Rio by submission

Bantamweight - Ramiro "Junior" Hernandez vs Hugo "Wolverine" Viana

• Hernandez's Style - Striking, Miletich Fighting Systems
• Viana's Style - Boxing
• Prediction - Viana by decision
• Thoughts - I know there's twenty pounds between them, but I still want to see Viana vs Rio in a nickname fight

Bantamweight - Chico "The King" Camus vs Yaotzin Meza

• Camus' Style - Kickboxing
• Meza's Style - Wrestling, boxing
• Prediction - Meza by submission

Bantamweight - Eddie Wineland vs Yves "Tiger" Jabouin

• Wineland's Style - Kickboxing, wrestling
• Jabouin's Style - Kickboxing
• Prediction - Wineland by TKO

Bantamweight - Alex "Bruce Leeroy" Caceres vs Sergio Pettis

• Caceres' Style - BJJ, the Glow
• Pettis' Style - Kickboxing
• Prediction - Pettis by decision

Main Card (Fox)

Featherweight - Darren "The Damage" Elkins vs Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens

• Elkins' Style - Wrestlin
• Stephens' Style - Kickboxing
• Prediction - Elkins by decision

Lightweight - Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone vs Adriano Martins

• Cerrone's Style - Kickboxing, BJJ, GETTING SOME, Boat rage
• Martins' Style - BJJ, Muay Thai
• Prediction - Cerrone by KO

Heavyweight - Stipe Miocic vs Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga

• Miocic's Style - Baseball
• Gonzaga's Style - BJJ, vlogging
• Predictions - Miocic by TKO

Lightweight - Benson "Smooth" Henderson vs Josh "The Punk" Thomson

• Henderson's Style - Grappling
• Thomson's Style - Kickboxing
• Prediction - Henderson by submission

Event primer - World Series of Fighting 8

Welcome to Leg Kick TKO, a MMA blog that's supporting Cat Zingano in her time of need. Please do the same!

Prelims (Sherdog.com)

Welterweight - Jose "The Fresh Prince" Caceres vs Anderson "Son" Melo

• Caceres' Style - Grappling
• Melo's Style - Striking, grappling
• Prediction - Caceres by submission
• Thoughts - Caceres ain't even from West Philadelphia, born and raised, illegal use of nickname!

Featherweight - Freddy Assuncao vs Brenson Hansen

• Assuncao's Style - Freestyle
• Hansen's Style - Freestyle
• Prediction - Hansen by decision

Bantamweight - Alexis "The Exorcist" Vila vs Sidemar "Sideco" Honorio

• Vila's Style - Wrestling, striking
• Honorio's Style - Grappling
• Prediction - Vila by decision

Heavyweight - Scott "The Bear" Barrett vs Derrick "Caveman" Mehmen

• Barrett's Style - Wrestling
• Mehmen's Style - PUNCH
• Prediction - Mehmen by KO
• Thoughts - Mehmen gets my vote for funniest and best knockout of 2013, maybe all-time. Also, this is a top-notch nickname fight

Welterweight - Valdir "BBMonster" Araujo vs Tyler "The Evolution" Stinson

• Araujo's Style - Freestyle
• Stinson's style - Striking
• Prediction - Stinson by TKO
• Thoughts - Is BBMonster better than BxB Hulk? Probably not. Also, Alabama thinks that Tyler Stinson is an unproven theory.

Main Card (NBC Sports Network)

Lightweight - Jorge "Macaco" Patino vs Luis "Baboon" Palomino

• Patino's Style - BJJ
• Palomino's Style - BJJ, capoeira
• Prediction - Palomino by TKO
• Thoughts - Monkey nickname fight! YEAH!

Bantamweight - Cody "Bam Bam" Bollinger vs Tyson Nam

• Bollinger's Style - Grappling
• Nam's Style - Striking
• Prediction - Nam by TKO

Women's Strawweight - Jessica "JAG" Aguilar vs Alida Gray

• Aguilar's Style - BJJ
• Gray's Style - Judo
• Prediction - Aguilar by submission
• Thoughts - Kinda lame of WSoF to not have this other title fight as the co-main event.

Light Heavyweight - Anthony "Rumble" Johnson vs Mike "MAK" Kyle

• Johnson's Style - Boxing, wrestling, buffet
• Kyle's Style - Striking
• Prediction - Johnson by KO
• Thoughts - Always and forever, FUCK MIKE KYLE (One of these days, I'll finish that Cage Justice: Mike Kyle edition and then everyone can echo my sentiments)

Lightweight - Justin "The Highlight" Gaethje vs Richard Patishnock

• Gaethje's Style - Striking
• Alternate Gaethje Nickname - Justin Gaethje "To a Nunnery"
• Patishnock's Style - Grappling
• Prediction - Gaethje by KO

Event primer - UFC Fight Night 35

Welcome to Leg Kick TKO, a MMA blog that thinks Nate Diaz shouldn't be scared, comrade, and just fight Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Prelims (Fight Pass)

Lightweight - Charlie "The Spaniard" Brenneman vs Beneil "Benny" Dariush

• Brenneman's Style - Wrestling
• Dariush's Style - Grappling
• Prediction - Brenneman by TKO
• Thoughts - Wait, so Beneil is from Iran and has "Darius" in his surname, but doesn't go by "Prince of Persia" or anything similar? He done goofed, big time.

Lightweight - Vinc "From Hell" Pichel vs Garett "Goodnight" Whitely

• Pichel's Style - Striking
• Whitely's Style - Striking
• Prediction - Pichel by KO
• Thoughts - Rumor is if you hum the Dagestan anthem (They do have an anthem, right?), near Pichel, he goes catatonic and gets a total deer-in-headlights look.

Prelims (Fox Sports 1)

Flyweight - Alptekin "Turkish Delight' Ozkilic vs Louis "Da Last Samurai" Smolka

• Ozkilic's Style - Wrestling, luring English schoolchildren into the clutches of the White Witch.
• Smolka's Style - Grappling, being Tom Cruise?
• Prediction - Ozkilic by decision

Middleweight - Trevor "Hot Sauce" Smith vs Brian "B-Hou" Houston

• Smith's Style - Grappling, AND1'ing
• Houston's Style - Striking
• Prediction - Houston by KO

Lightweight - Elias "Xuxu" Silveiro vs Isaac Vallie-Flagg

• Silveiro's Style - Striking
• Vallie-Flagg's Style - Striking and grappling
• Prediction - Vallie-Flagg by decision
• Thoughts - "Xuxu" apparently means both chayote and also cutie. Brazil is weird.

Lightweight - "Stripper" Ramsey Nijem vs Justin "Fast Eddie" Edwards

• Nijem's Style - Wrestling
• Edwards' Style - Grappling
• Prediction - Edwards by decision

Main Card (Fox Sports 1)

Lightweight - Cole "Magrinho" Miller vs Sam Sicilia

• Miller's Style - BJJ
• Sicila's Style - Boxing
• Prediction - Miller by submission
• Thoughts - American Top Team is a cult, right?

Flyweight - John Moraga vs Dustin Ortiz

• Moraga's Style - Grappling
• Ortiz's Style - Striking
• Prediction - Moraga by KO

Middleweight - Derek Brunson vs Yoel "Soldier of God" Romero

• Brunson's Style - Poker
• Romero's Style - Wrestling
• Prediction - Romero by KO
• Thoughts - Romero's string of Cool Knockouts is slowly overwriting "did a FANTASTIC ankle pick" as my lasting memory of him.

Bantamweight - TJ Dillashaw vs Mike "The Hulk" Easton

• Dillashaw's Style - Grappling
• Easton's Style - BJJ
• Prediction - Dillashaw by submission
• Thoughts - Dillashaw is an Alpha Male, so he gets the Dougie Treatment. Also, I really hope Easton splits from Lloyd Irvin's creepy ass cult.

Middleweight - Lorenz "Monsoon" Larkin vs Brad Tavares

• Larkin's Style - Striking, shaving crazy stuff into his hair
• Tavares' Style - Striking
• Prediction - Larkin by decision

Middleweight - Luke Rockhold vs Constantino "Costa" Philippou

• Rockhold's Style - Kickboxing, surfing, skating
• Philippou's Style - Boxing
• Prediction - Rockhold by decision

Event primer - UFC Fight Night 34

Welcome to Leg Kick TKO, a MMA blog that's gonna watch every Olaf Alfonso fight on FIGHT PASS.

A brief note - This event is the UFC's first foray into their new Fight Pass system, which is good in theory, but in the reality of this card, is littered with fighters who I believe are entirely fictitious. As such, my notes on fighter styles and fight predictions will be even more slipshod than usual.

Prelims (Fight Pass)

Bantamweight - Leandro "Brodinho" Issa vs Russell Doane

• Issa's Style - Grappling
• Alternate Issa nickname - Leandro Issa "Me, Mario!"
• Doane's Style - Striking
• Prediction - Issa by decision

Bantamweight - Dustin "The Diamond" Kimura vs Jon "The Heat" Delos Reyes

• Kimura's Style - Grappling
• Reyes' Style - Freestyle
• Prediction - Kimura by submission (Not a kimura, though)

Lightweight - Mairbek "Beckan" Taisumov vs Tae Hyun "Supernatural" Bang

• Taisumov's Style - Probably sambo!
• Bang's Style - Standing
• Prediction - Taisumov by submission
• Thoughts - Though not as cool as Dagestanis, Chechens are pretty cool Russian-esque fighters. Also, I think there is an entire subgenre of romance novels about Supernatural Bangs.

Bantamweight - Royston Wee vs Dave "Scarecrow" Galera

• Wee's Style - Going home, grappling
• Fake Wee nickname - Royston "Vasey" Wee
• Galera's Style - Freestyle
• Prediction - Galera by submission

Lightweight - Quinn Mulhern vs Katsunori Kikuno

• Mulhern's Style - Sleaze-stache
• Kikuno's Style - Kick, you know?
• Prediction - Kikuno by KO
• Thoughts - I sometimes get Kikuno and Kitaoka confused, but then I remember Kikuno throws crescent KIKs so that helps.

Featherweight - Max "Blessed" Holloway vs Will "The Kill" Chope

• Holloway's Style - Kickboxing
• Chope's Style - Grappling
• Prediction - Holloway by KO

Main Card (FIGHT PASS)

Bantamweight - Kyung Ho "Mr. Perfect" Kang vs Shunichi "Rolling Star" Shimizu

• Kang's Style - Birthing McGillicutties, grappling
• Shimizu's Style - Grappling
• Prediction - Shimizu by decision

Welterweight - Kiichi "Strasser" Kunimoto vs Luiz "Besouro" Dutra, Jr

• Kunimot's Style - Grappling
• Dutra's Style - Freestyle
• Prediction - Kunimoto by submission

Featherweight - Tatsuya "Crusher" Kawajiri vs Sean Soriano

• Kawajiri's Style - Crushing
• Soriano's Style - Blogging (Oh, waith, I'm thinking of Shea Serrano, never mind)
• Prediction - Crusher gonna Crush

Welterweight - Tarec "The Sponge" Saffiedine vs Hyun Gyu "The Ace" Lim

• Saffiedine's Style - Kickboxing, grappling
• Lim's Style - Striking
• Prediction - Lim by KO

Event primer - UFC 168

Welcome to Leg Kick TKO, a MMA blog that's quicker with an excuse than a defeated Brazilian.

Prelims (Facebook, YouTube)

Featherweight - Robbie "Problems" Peralta vs Estevan "El Terible" Payan

• Peralta's Style - Striking
• Payan's Style - Boxing
• Prediction - Payan by KO

Welterweight - William "Patolino" Macario vs Bobby "Vicious" Voelker

• Macario's Style - Striking
• Voelker's Style - Striking
• Prediction - Voelker by TKO
• Thoughts - Macario has a bit of a Doug Yuma thing going on, which usually never works out in MMA.

Prelims (Fox Sports 1)

Welterweight - John "Doomsday" Howard vs. Siyar "The Great" Bahadurzada

• Howard's Style - Muay Thai
• Bahaduzada's Style - Kickboxing
• Prediction - Bahadurzada by TKO

Featherweight - Dennis "The Menace" Siver vs Manvel "The Anvil" Gamburyan

• Siver's Style - Kickboxing
• Gamburyan's Style - Judo
• Prediction - Siver by TKO

Lightweight - Gleison Tibau vs Michael "The Menace" Johnson

• Tibau's Style - Wrestling, cutting weight
• Johnson's Style - Wrestling, sprinting
• Prediction - Tibau by decision
• Thoughts - Glacier Tebow will weigh 500 pounds on fight day. Also, Johnson is probably the only non-Dennis to have the nickname "The Menace"

Middleweight - Chris "The Crippler" Leben vs Uriah "Prime Time" Hall

• Leben's Style - Boxing, Zombie boxing, smashing cats
• Hall's Style - Kickboxing, malapropisms
• Prediction - Hall by TKO

Main Card (PPV)

Featherweight - Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier vs Diego "DB" Brandao

• Poirier's Style - Grappling
• Brandao's Style - Muay Thai, BJJ
• Prediction - Poirier by decision

Lightweight - Jim Miller vs Fabricios "Morango" Camoes

• Miller's Style - Grappling
• Camoes' Style - Grappling
• Prediction - Miller by decision

Heavyweight - Josh "The Warmaster" Barnett vs Travis "Hapa" Browne

• Barnett's Style - Catch wrestling, anime, tabletop role playing games
• Browne's Style - Kickboxing
• Prediction - Barnett by submission
• Thoughts - I think Browne might be too big, but I really want to see Barnett break out the Torture Rack.

Women's Bantamweight - "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey vs Miesha "Cupcake" Tate

• Rousey's Style - Judo
• Tate's Style - Wrestling
• Prediction - Rousey by submission
• Thoughts - I would not be surprised if Ronda goes full Toquinho and keeps cranking the armbar until she has actually removed the limb from Tate's body.

Middleweight - Chris "The All-American" Weidman vs Anderson "The Spider" Silva

• Weidman's Style - Wrestling, boxing
• Silva's Style - Muay Thai, BJJ
• Prediction - Weidman by KO
• Thoughts - Last time, I said anyone that picked Weidman to win was pretty dumb. This is why I will never be a respected blogger.

Event Primer - UFC on Fox 9

Welcome to Leg Kick TKO, a MMA blog that's hoping Pat Barry can assistant coach on Thug Rose's team on TUF.

Prelims (Facebook, YouTube)

Flyweight - Darren "BC" Uyenoyama vs Alp "Turkish Delight" Ozkilic

• Uyenoyama's Style - BJJ
• Ozkilic's Style - Grappling
• Prediction - Ozkilic by TKO
• Thoughts - Ozkilic has my new favorite nickname

Prelims (Fox Sports 1)

Lightweight - "Relentless" Roger Bowling vs Abel "Killa" Trujillo

• Bowling's Style - Boxing
• Trujillo's Style - Wrestling
• Prediction - Trujillo by KO

Lightweight - Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout vs Cody "AK Kid" McKenzie

• Stout's Style - Kickboxing
• McKenzie's Style - McKenzietine
• Prediction - Stout by decision
• Thoughts - On paper, this looks like a terrible mauling will happen to McKenzie. Then again, he famously decreed his opponent on TUF had better striking, wrestling, cardio and strength, but that he'd still win, and he did.

Flyweight - Zach "Fun Size" Makovsky vs Scott "Young Guns" Jorgensen

• Makovsky's Style - Wrestling
• Jorgensen's Style - Wrestling
• Prediction - Makovsky by decision

Lightweight - Pat "Bam Bam" Healy vs Bobby "King" Green

• Healy's Style - Grappling
• Green's Style - Grappling
• Prediction - Green by decision

Lightweight - Danny "Last Call" Castillo vs Edson "Junior" Barboza

• Castillo's Style - Wrestling
• Barboza's Style - Muay Thai, SONIC BOOMS
• Prediction - Barboza by TKO (Hopefully of the leg kick variety)

Welterweight - Ryan LaFlare vs Court "Crusher" McGee

• LaFlare's Style - Wrestling, omoplata sweeps
• McGee's Style - Wrestling, boxing, surviving heroin overdoses
• Prediction - LaFlare by decision

Main Card (Fox)

Lightweight - Joe "J-Lau" Lauzon vs Mac Danzig

• Lauzon's Style - BJJ, COBOL
• Danzig's Style - Grappling, photography, veganism
• Prediction - Lauzon by submission
• Thoughts - Look at what a dorkus malorkus baby Mac Danzig was

Featherweight - Chad "$Money$" Mendes vs Nik "The Carny" Lentz

• Mendes' Style - Wrestling, boxing
• Lentz's Style - Wrestling
• Prediction - Mendes by KO
• Thoughts - The first of three Team Alpha Male fights on the main card means it is Dougie Time!

Bantamweight - Urijah "California Kid" Faber vs Michael "Mayday" McDonald

• Faber's Style - Wrestling
• McDonald's Style - Striking, BJJ
• Prediction - Faber by decision
• Thoughts - Team Alpha Male wants to wish you a Merry Christmas.

Flyweight - Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson vs Joseph "Joe-B Won Kenobi" Benavidez

• Johnson's Style - Wrestling, grappling, super-duper speed
• Benavidez's Style - Grappling, TRAPS
• Prediction - Johnson by decision
• Thoughts - This fight is going to be forty-eight different kinds of super-rad!

Fighter primer - Dagestan

Welcome to Leg Kick TKO, a MMA blog that's all kinds of hype for the strawweight season of TUF!

Typical Dagestani attire

Fighters come from all over the world, and if they end up being moderately non-terrible, they will probably end up fighting for a major American-based promotion. In recent years, fighters from the Russian republic of Dagestan have emerged as top fighters, generally with a strong sambo background. So now I'm going to run through some top-level Dagestani fighters, going from smallest to largest, even though that means I'll end up talking about the most notable guys right in the middle of this post.

UFC Flyweight - Ali "Puncher King" Bagautinov

Ali Bagautinov had a pretty good UFC debut, showcasing his nickname of "Puncher King" with a third round knockout, and followed that up with another impressive performance against Daniel Bryan/Mose Schrute-hybrid lookalike, Tim Elliott. He is unbeaten in three years and ten fights, with five TKO and two submission victories during that span.

Bellator Featherweight - Magomedrasul "Frodo" Khasbulaev

The Hobbit-named fighter has been putting on impressive performances in Bellator, showcasing the kind of grit and scrappiness only found in a halfling tasked with transporting the One Ring to Mount Doom (Facing Daniel Straus for the Featherweight title), as he's undefeated in the past three years and nine fights.

Check out more rad Dagestanis after the jump!