Can Zingano complete her comeback from adversity and topple the undisputed Queen of MMA, Ronda Rousey? I certainly hope so, not just because I am a big Zingano fan, but it would be the icing on the cake for her recovery from a severe knee injury and the suicide of her husband. That being said, I've gained a lot of respect for Rousey, not least because she hasn't had a major drug scandal like her male counterpart, Jon Jones, and Jones' predecessor, Anderson Silva. That makes this match a win-win for me, so here are my predictions for the entire card.
Ferguson vs. Tibau: This will probably be a three-round war which ends with Ferguson taking the decision.
Winner: Ferguson by decision.
Jouban vs. Walsh: I don't know anything about either of these two fighters, so I'm going with my gut.
Winner: Walsh by KO.
Ellenberger vs. Koscheck: Despite a major upset to Kelvin Gastelum in his last fight, I see Ellenberger climbing back up the ranks of welterweight to take Koscheck's spot as a heavy-handed gatekeeper. I'm a big fan of Kos, but his chin is gone, so I see "The Juggernaut" knocking him out in the first round to regain his spot as a top-ten mainstay.
Winner: Ellenberger by KO.
Holm vs. Pennington: This is easy. Holm smashes Pennington in the first round in a fight designed to make her look unstoppable in her UFC debut a la "McMann vs. Gaff." Then, like McMann, Holm will probably be thrown to the wolves, getting fast-tracked to a title shot instead of getting a proper test against a top contender like Jessica Eye or Miesha Tate.
Winner: Holm by lopsided beatdown, er, I mean "KO."
Rousey vs. Zingano: Zingano is a gritty, tenacious fighter with a never-give-up attitude. Unfortunately, Rousey has perfected the art of making gritty, tenacious fighters give up, usually by breaking limbs. Zingano will heroically throw everything but the kitchen sink at Rousey. However, by Round 5 at the latest, I see Rousey keeping her belt by technical submission, breaking at least one limb of a contender who won't tap out in the process.
Winner: Rousey by technical submission, and a possible career-ending injury to Zingano if "Alpha" doesn't tap (and she probably won't).
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