Friday's Final Word - #9
Joyce vs Zhang & Arnold Allen's Big Moment
Evening All!
Hope you are all enjoying Grand National week but we are here for the combat and we have a few decent fights to get stuck into this weekend.
For me, the biggest fight of the weekend is Joe Joyce vs Zhilei Zhang in London.
I have been singing the praises of Joe Joyce for a while now.
His win against Daniel Dubois was one of my favourite wins and predictions ever.
Relive The Joyce Dubois Prediction
In short, The Juggernaut is just guaranteed entertainment.
Yes, he is hittable but his chin is ridiculous.
Yes, it’s not always nice on the eye but he is probably the most effective heavyweight on the planet.
Whatever way you spin it, you can’t miss a Joe Joyce fight.
But this is no novelty act.
For me, he is the biggest danger to Tyson Fury & Oleksandr Usyk.
I think he beats this version of Anthony Joshua pretty comfortable and a fight between him and Deontay Wilder would be the most entertaining fight you will ever see.
Joe Joyce is a world class heavyweight and quickly becoming avoided, too.
He is a nightmare opponent and I think those at the top of the tree know it.
So he is going to have to bully his way to a world title shot.
Any Danger With Zhang?
I actually rate Zhang.
He beat Hrgovic last time out, in my opinion.
But he is 39 and as the old (and annoying) saying goes…
Father Time is undefeated.
When you look at what Joe Joyce brings, it’s just a nightmare for a 39-year-old heavyweight.
Joyce has the best gas tank in the division and as soon as this gets into the second half, Zhang will have no chance of keeping the pace up.
It takes Joyce a few rounds to actually get going and I expect him to nick a few rounds early on but once The Juggernaut gets rolling, the finish will present itself.
This is the next step towards a world title for Joyce and I expect him to put on yet another show.
Official Pick: Joe Joyce in rounds 7-12.
Another Dull Undercard
I have searched this undercard for anything remotely interesting and I just can’t find it.
At a push, Denzel Bentley vs Kieran Smith will be ‘ok’.
Sam Noakes will get yet another knockout to go 11-0 (11KO) but other than that, it’s dull.
If you have any plans tomorrow, don’t be cutting them short for this undercard.
In true Frank Warren style, it’s all about the main event.
Allen vs Holloway
It’s going to be hard for the UFC to top what they produced last weekend but they are giving it a good go with the headliner between Arnold Allen & Max Holloway in Vegas.
Allen is one of our brightest stars but he doesn’t play the game.
Softly spoken, respectful and with no interest in trash talking, he is what most people refer to as a throwback fighter.
It’s taken him a long time (eight years to be exact) to get an opportunity like this and because of how he handles himself, he has to win.
The UFC will not be in a rush to give him another big slot, should he lose.
I understand that isn’t right and probably doesn’t make sense but that is the game.
The UFC want and need athletes who sell the show.
There is a reason they are desperate for Colby Covington to be the welterweight champion.
This fight is so big for Arnold Allen and for us British MMA fans.
But in true UFC fashion, they have matched him with one of the greatest featherweights of all time.
Write off Max Holloway at your peril.
Remember the last time they did that after the second Volkanovski defeat?
He returned and put manners on Calvin Kattar in what is still one of the most impressive UFC performances in history.
You cannot ever write off Holloway.
He is too good.
He looked a faded force last time out against Volkanovski and he has got an incredible amount of miles on the clock but he is one of the greatest for a reason.
He is capable of bouncing back.
Experience vs Inexperience
We are seeing this play out so much now in the UFC.
As recently as last week with Adrian Yanez getting knocked out by Rob Font.
Young, up and coming fighters who are on a tear, beating everyone get matched with a more experienced fighter who may have lost a couple in a row.
All logic says the same thing, right?
Young fighter, got momentum, perfect time to fight a faded force.
And what happens?
They get knocked out.
They get exposed.
You cannot buy experience in MMA.
It has to be earned.
I am not saying Arnold Allen is being thrown to the wolves here, far from it.
But give this challenge the respect it deserves.
Max Holloway is better than anyone Arnold Allen has ever faced.
If the Brit gets this done, he will have to show us something we haven’t seen yet.
He will have to be 100% legit.
Official Pick: Fight to go the distance.
A Fight To Keep An Eye On
I could have picked a couple this week including;
Edson Barboza vs Billy Quarantillo
Brandon Royval vs Matheus Nicolau
Pedro Munhoz vs Chris Gutierrez
But the one I am going for is…
Dustin Jacoby vs Azamat Murzakanov
This looks like guaranteed fireworks and I am really keen to see Murzakanov here as the underdog.
He is a fighter thats flying under the radar but he fights out of the really underrated K-Dojo Warrior Tribe Gym in New Jersey and I think with a few wins, he can make a real splash at light heavyweight.
Jacoby is a good, accurate striker but I think his style will play into the hands of the underdog.
On the flip side, if Murzakanov isn’t as good as we think he is, Jacoby will expose it.
Really interesting fight and I think it can steal the show on Saturday.
Picks
Joe Joyce between rounds 7-12
Azamat Murzakanov to win
Allen vs Holloway to go the distance
Over & Out
Shorter Newsletter this week but things will go up a level next week as we have Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia to look forward to!
Thanks, as always, for all the positive feedback.
Enjoy your weekend!
No write ups for the ufc today Jord?