UFC 247 Predictions

Can Dominick Reyes shock the world and dethrone long-time light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones?

UFC 247
UFC

UFC light-heavyweight champion and pound-for-pound king Jon Jones will look to defend his 205lb strap and improve upon his ten title defenses when he takes on undefeated power-puncher, Dominick Reyes. We last saw Bones win a tough split decision over Thiago Santos at UFC 239 in July 2019. While Santos was touted as having a chance simply due to his unpredictability, Reyes is a far more interesting problem for Jones to solve than the Brazilian.

As an undefeated prospect, Reyes has improved significantly whenever we've seen him enter the Octagon. However, his wins have now put him directly in the firing line of arguably the greatest fighter of all time. Will he be the first man to truly defeat Bones?

There's also a very interesting women's flyweight title fight between the current champ, Valentina Shevchenko, and talented grappler Katlyn Chookagian. Shevchenko's devastating run at 125lb has convinced many fans that she'll be holding the title for a long time. However, will Chookagian be able to spoil the champ's night and walk away with the belt? We'll take a look at those fights along with the rest on the UFC's next big card.

Let's begin with a preview of the prelims...

6. Preliminary Card Preview

When you compare the undercard for UFC 247 to the one for UFC 246, we'd understand if you weren't completely enthused. While UFC 246 was full of exciting prospects, there are very few names on the preliminary card that stand out. However, there are a couple of fights that you should keep your eye on.

Violent knockout artist, Lauren Murphy, was a mainstay in the women's bantamweight division before dropping down a weight class to flyweight. Her last fight inside the Octagon was a reminder to fans that she's still as violent as ever, brutally knocking out Mara Romero Borella with a devastating knee and crushing elbows on the ground.

While she's fought against fighters who have been able to stifle her power strikes, her next opponent, Andrea Lee, should be an interesting match-up for her. Lee isn't afraid to let her hands go either, which should open up opportunities for both to land a fight-finishing shot.

There's also an intriguing battle between two top-25 middleweights in Trevin Giles and Antonio Arroyo. Both men have proven throughout their MMA careers that they're well-rounded enough to beat opponents on the ground and on the feet.

Despite being on a two-fight skid, Giles has also shown that he's got devastating power in his hands, knocking out Antonio Braga Neto in his second fight in the UFC. While Arroyo's debut for the promotion didn't go quite as planned, losing a decision to Andre Muniz at UFC Fight Night 164, he did show some crafty skills during his submission win on Dana White's Contender Series. Whether or not he'll be able to use his grappling game against Giles remains to be seen.

Now for the main card...

In this post: 
UFC 247
 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Co-host of The Ill-Informed Podcast, jiu-jitsu fiend, MMA lover, movie fan, anime nerd, music snob.