UFC 133 Fight Card: The B/R MMA Staff's Final Predictions for UFC 133

Dale De SouzaJun 7, 2018

It might be the most interesting card you never expected to happen.

Years after their first encounter which ended in an exciting yet anti-climatic draw, Tito Ortiz got the call to fill in for an injured Phil Davis against former foe Rashad Evans.

"Suga Rashad" is looking to prove that he deserves the winner of the Jon Jones-Quinton Jackson showdown scheduled for this upcoming September's UFC 135 card, but Tito Ortiz want to prove that Rashad may have been better off backing out rather than facing the clearly reborn Tito Ortiz.

Meanwhile, it's do or die for Vitor Belfort and Yoshihiro Akiyama in two truly different ways, as Belfort needs to win in order to retain his hopes of one day challenging for the UFC Middleweight title again, and Akiyama needs to win to prove he still has a place in the UFC Middleweight division.

All this and more is coming your way at UFC 133 live from Philadelphia, and it's my honor to bring you the roundtable predictions for this Satuday's epic card alongside John Heinis, Jordy McElroy, Jeffrey McKinney and Dwight Wakabayashi!

Welterweight Bout: Rory McDonald vs. Mike Pyle

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Dale De Souza: This is a classic case of "prospect vs. dark horse" if there ever was one.

Pyle has been the underdog in fights against John Hathaway and Ricardo Almeida, and in both cases, he walked out a clear-cut victor.

MacDonald, however, is no Hathaway or Almeida.

Prospects have fallen to Pyle, but Pyle has never fought anyone who could neutralize his takedowns and ground mastery the way MacDonald can...and yet, MacDonald is not even in the upper echelon!

The key here could be the strength of MacDonald as well as who does the better work if the fight hits the ground, and although the ground is Pyle's realm, MacDonald has done well enough to beat out some people at their own game, and fans should consider expecting the same here.

MacDonald will prove too much for even Pyle to handle, and if he's able to do something similar to what he did to Nate Diaz at UFC 129, Pyle could be able to get submitted by a very quick-acting MacDonald.

Winner: MacDonald by rear-naked choke late in Round 2

Jeffrey McKinney: This welterweight bout could be the fight that steals the show.
Mike Pyle has been in the game a long time. He made his debut back in 1999 again Quinton “Rampage" Jackson.

Pyle is one of only three guys to beat Jon Fitch and is currently riding a three-fight winning streak.
MacDonald on the other hand is young up-and-coming star who’s lone defeat came at the hands of Carlos Condit.

MacDonald has only gone to a decision once in his career and that was his last fight against Nate Diaz at UFC 129.

Although Pyle is a seasoned vet with great submissions, I believe MacDonald will get the better of him and win the fight by decision.

Jordy McElroy: Great matchmaking by Joe Silva pits highly-touted welterweight prospect Rory MacDonald against wily veteran Mike Pyle in the event opener.

Pyle is coming off two major victories over Ricardo Almeida and John Hathaway, and MacDonald is fresh off his curb stomping of Nate Diaz at UFC 129.

When it comes to welterweight prospects, MacDonald’s star shines brighter than any fighter on the UFC roster. His strong wrestling, ever-improving striking, and ability to do significant damage from guard makes him a threat to any fighter in the entire division.

This is a great fight to test MacDonald’s patience and perseverance. Pyle is as tough as they come, and he won’t go easy.

MacDonald should be able to use his superior wrestling to dictate the action and coast to a unanimous decision .

Winner: Rory MacDonald by Unanimous Decision

Dwight Wakabayashi: In another classic matchup of experience vs. youth, I see this one going one way based on skill level alone, with age and experience not being a factor at all.

Rory MacDonald is an up and coming lion who is training in one of the best camps in the
world at the Tristar gym in Montreal under the watchful eye of Firas Zahabi.

MacDonald has incredible skill for a fighter his age and I see him frustrating and dominating the more
experienced Pyle for the majority of the fight.

He will use his supreme all around, technical game to keep Pyle guessing and test him
like he has not been tested yet in the UFC.

MacDonald wins via unanimous decision

John Heinis: MacDonald is coming off an extremely convincing win over Nate Diaz at UFC 129, where he able to showcased superior takedowns and top control in front of his Canadian home town crowd.

Mike Pyle is actually an Xtreme Couture fighter, so needless to say he is a formidable grappler.

17 of his 21 wins have been by submission, which believe it or not, includes a rear naked choke finish over none other than Jon Fitch way back in 2002.

Pyle comes into UFC 133 with three consecutive wins, with two over known names in Ricardo Almeida and John Hathaway.

“Quicksand” is a great match up for MacDonald, but Rory is probably on par with Pyle’s grappling and is by far a better striker.

Love the match making here, but I see Rory walking away with a fairly comfortable decision.

Rory MacDonald via unanimous decision (30-27)

Middleweight Bout: Jorge Rivera vs. Constantinos Philippou

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Dale: What can we say about Constantinos Philippou other than "he's that guy Jorge Rivera's facing"?

There's not a whole lot to say because his fight with Nick Catone at UFC 128 was a preliminary bout, and the bout never aired on TV.

You had to order the unaired fights online via UFC TV in order to know who Philippou is.

Jorge Rivera, on the other hand, we all know about; we know he's all about the KO and he's all about letting his hands go.

It's rare that he ever tries to go for much else on his own accord, but Philippou says he expects Rivera to stand.

I actually believe it when I hear people saying Philippou has better striking than Rivera--he's probably the more well-rounded striker here, to be honest, but I don't believe he'll pull the trigger.

He might hurt Rivera, but he'll be unable to pull the trigger and get the win, which will open up an opportunity for Rivera to land a well-timed hook to the chin and likely send Philippou back to square one.

Winner: Rivera by late R1 KO

Dwight: Jorge Rivera was originally scheduled to take on Alessio Sakara on this weekend’s card
in Philly and talk was that it may be his swan song in the UFC and the cage in general.

He is a 35 year old fighter with a very solid list of opponents on his resume, although
most of his fights with the biggest names in the division have ended in losses.

He talked his way into his last big shot at contention against Michael Bisping but then
lost that fight via TKO in th second round.

Matt Serra-trained Constantinos Phillipou is getting his second replacement shot in the
UFC as he fought Nick Catone on one week’s notice in his debut in March. He lost to
Catone via unanimous decision.

I see the bigger, stronger and more experienced Rivera taking this one with his heavy
strikes dong cumulative damage on the smaller Phillipou.

Rivera wins via unanimous decision

Jordy: Fans may be in for fireworks when strikers Jorge Rivera and Constantinos Philippou step into the cage.

Both fighters are coming off tough losses in their last outings.

While Philippou was outworked in a lackluster effort against Nick Catone at UFC 128, Jorge Rivera paid for his pre-fight mockery of Michael Bisping by getting served up in the second round by TKO at UFC 127.

When it comes to facing strikers, it’s incredibly hard to predict a Rivera bout. Technically, he has sound boxing skills, but all of the abilities in the world can’t make up for a porcelain chin.

Philippou is even tougher to bank on as the favorite in this bout. His toughest opponents were Catone and Ricardo Romero, and he was defeated by both.

Rivera has more dimensions to his standup, and he should be able to get the best of the exchanges against Philippou, as long as he avoids getting cracked.

A slow start will eventually heat up into aggressive exchanges that leaves Philippou staring at the lights in the second round.

Jorge Rivera by Round 2 KO

John: So apparently Rivera’s going to have to sell his soul if he ever wants to fight Alessio Sakara.

Talk about bizarre.

According to Wikipedia, Philippou lost to Nick Catone via unanimous decision at UFC 128, his UFC debut. For the record, I don’t know who Catone is, either.

From what I’ve read, Philippou is a good striker (four KOs in seven wins) with respectable BJJ (a student under Matt Serra), but he is simply not ready for a well-rounded veteran like Jorge Rivera. Especially not on short notice.

Philippou will put up a fight for a bit, but El Conquistador will brawl his way to a finish.

Jorge Rivera via second round KO

Jeffrey: In another matchup between a veteran and a young fighter, Jorge Rivera will take on Costantinos Philippou.

Rivera was supposed to fight Alessio Sakara. But like the last two times this fight was scheduled, someone had to pull out of the fight.

Both Rivera and Philippou are coming off of losses and are looking to pick up an important win.

I believe Rivera will be too much for Philippou. If he’s not, then it could be time for the Boston native to hang up the gloves.

Rivera by TKO.

Welterweight Bout: Brian Ebersole vs. Dennis Hallman

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Jeffrey: Hallman and Ebersole have fought in a combined 129 fights. That’s got to be a record somewhere.

Hallman, once a guy known for beating Matt Hughes twice, is also known for his good grappling ability.

Ebersole on the other hand is one of the most unorthodox fighters in MMA. Ebersole has a solid chin and because of his fighting style is one of the toughest guys to beat.

This fight could go either way, but I’m leaning more towards Ebersole to edge out a decision.

Winner: Ebersole by Split Decision

Dale: How's this for a bout you thought you'd never have to pay for? Both guys are notably experienced veterans with very unique styles. Both guys are noted for their submissions, but Ebersole is more the wrestler here while Hallman is more of the grappler.

Hallman knocked Karo Parisyan out of the UFC about as quickly as Parisyan re-entered the UFC, and Ebersole made Joe Silva feel good about putting him in the cage against Chris Lytle, resulting in a shocking unanimous decision win for Ebersole.

It's not going to be an easy fight to call, but one man will have to be crafty enough to throw his opponent off-guard and put him in critically risky situations for the duration of the fight.

This man will have to be good enough to escape from his foe's best attempts at a finish and he will have to create serious doubts about his opponent actually winning the fight.

This one will be too close to call, but I believe that man will be Ebersole.

He's got a very weird style that not even Hallman has seen before, and the Capoeira-style cartwheel kicks are something that could spell KO if they land on Hallman.

Still, it will be Hallman's ability to just barely edge past his style, but I don't believe he'll do enough to edge out the decision.

Winner: Brian Ebersole by a close unanimous decision

Jordy: Casual fans will probably take this bout as a cue for a snack or bathroom break, but there is tremendous fight of the night potential in this welterweight scrap between MMA journeymen Dennis Hallman and Brian Ebersole.

Known for holding two submission victories over UFC Hall-of-Famer Matt Hughes, Hallman has resurrected his career in the UFC with wins over Karo Parisyan and Ben Saunders.

Ebersole is fresh off an upset win over Chris Lytle and riding an eight fight win streak.

Despite earning a TKO over a mental question mark in Parisyan, Hallman probably wants to take this fight to the ground. Ebersole’s propensity for attacking at weird angles and utilizing unorthodox striking should convince Hallman to stay in grapple-first mode.

Securing takedowns won’t be easy against Ebersole, who is a former collegiate wrestler that put in work with Hughes at Eastern Illinois University. Fans should expect a grueling three round battle, where Ebersole shrugs off enough takedowns to put in convincing work on the feet.

The up arrow shaved into Ebersole’s chest hair serves as a visual foreboding for his MMA future.

(Brian Ebersole by Unanimous Decision)

John: Hallman’s had 66 professional fights, while Ebersole has had 63…considering they are 35 and 30 years old respectively, that’s simply incredible.

Even more impressive is the fact that Ebersole had never been knocked out. Honestly, I don’t know if either guy deserves to be in the UFC, but this has the look of an incredibly fun fight to me regardless.

Hallman, known as Superman no doubt due to how insanely active he’s been in the cage over his 13 plus year career, is a grappling expert. In 50 career wins, 38 have come by way of submission.

Ebersole is more of a wrestler, but still has 20 submissions in 47 career wins so his submission game should not be overlooked.

Additionally, Ebersole is riding an eight fight win streak, although the only name you’d recognize is his most recent win over Chris Lytle at UFC 127.

However, the tide turns in favor of Hallman when you see that nine of Ebersole’s 14 defeats have come via submission.

I expect an entertaining, competitive fight, but I like Hallman to finish late in the fight.

Dennis Hallman via third round submission (rear naked choke)

Dwight: Both of these fighters have loads of cage experience as they have 129 professional fights combined with both having the equal number.

This fight could very well be a chess match in the cage on Saturday as Ebersole is known for being able to stay in the pocket and take a good punch, while Hallman is a submission specialist.

The contrast in styles should make for an intriguing war of attrition between two cagey veterans and who will be able to take it to where they want it to go?

I believe Ebersole will look to wear down Hallman on the feet and win a decision while Hallman will be looking to take this one down to his world where he could dominate all night. In landing shots and wearing Hallman down, Ebersole will find his mark and end it

Ebersole wins via 2nd round KO

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Middleweight Bout: Vitor Belfort vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

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Dwight: The styles of these two great fighters is sure to provide the fans with something explosive come Saturday night, but I don’t think the outcome of this fight will ever be in doubt.

Vitor Belfort possesses blinding speed in his hands and there is power in there to go along with it. He is looking to bounce back from a knockout loss to Anderson Silva, and I’m sure intends to impose his striking on Akiyama.

Akiyama himself is a crafty striker who has shown an ability to take a lot of punishment and keep going. He will be looking to test Vitor’s chin and see if his will to win is as great as his own.

I see Belfort getting off first and landing more effective shots in the exchanges, and I don’t see Akiyama being able to last this time

Belfort wins via second-round KO

Dale: How do you look at this fight and not think that this is going to be one of the most exciting bouts of the evening?

Vitor Belfort's legendary hand speed and lightning-fast boxing go against Yoshihiro Akiyama's world-class Judo and equally aggressive striking.

Some people, Dana White included, have us believing that Akiyama really is going to do what many believe he shouldn't do and stand with Belfort, but many (myself included) thought Anderson Silva shouldn't have stood with Vitor Belfort at UFC 126.

Last I checked on that fight, it wasn't Anderson that got front-kicked in the jaw.

Now Belfort doesn't have to worry about getting kicked in the jaw by Akiyama, but he might have to worry about a guy that won't be afraid to trade with him, and a guy who won't have second thoughts about submitting him on the ground.

I like Belfort, and I don't think he'll run that much of a risk of getting cut if he loses this one, but Akiyama knows he needs the win, and that extra fire will cause Akiyama to pack some extra power in his shots as he TKOs Belfort in a convincing, much-needed win.

Winner: Akiyama by R3 TKO

Jeffrey: In a fight that could win Fight of the Night or Knockout of the Night honors, Vitor Belfort will meet Yoshihiro Akiyama.

Belfort is coming off of a lost to Anderson Silva while Akiyama is coming off of two losses to Chris Leben and Michael Bisping. Belfort will test his striking against a guy with a hell of a chin in Akiyama.

Akiyama’s fights have all earned him fight of the night honors. But despite putting on exciting fights, he has only won once. I would not be shocked if he somehow pulled off a win against Belfort, but my money’s on Belfort and his hands.

Belfort by TKO or Decision.

John: Quite an ugly co-main event in my opinion, as this features two of the most overrated guys in the middleweight division.

Akiyama is another case of a guy building his name and Japan and looking completely average in the states, while Belfort has been hyped since beating Randy Couture for the light heavyweight title in 2004.

That was a cut TKO victory though, and Randy destroyed Belfort the other two times they met in the cage.

Belfort is the fifth best middleweight in the world after beating Rich Franklin almost two years ago?

I think not. There’s no shame in getting embarrassed by Anderson Silva these days…unless it’s the way Belfort lost.

Ok, so as my ranting and raving probably tells you, I really am not all that excited for this one.

However, I think Belfort gets a TKO win and everyone can finally agree that the Akiyama hype was all smoke and mirrors.

Vitor Belfort via first round TKO

Jordy: Coming off consecutive losses, Judo legend Yoshihiro Akiyama faces his toughest challenge in the UFC against former light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort.

"Sexyama" faces an uphill battle against Belfort, who is arguably the best striker in the entire middleweight division outside of Anderson Silva. Belfort’s rare combination of speed and power has left a long list of MMA legends plastered on the canvas.

What about Akiyama’s utilizing his Judo to secure takedowns from the clinch? Against Belfort, the Asian Games gold medalist faces a solid and very underrated grappler.

If Akiyama somehow manages to close the distance on Belfort, he’s going to have a tough time dragging the fight to the ground.

A major problem for Akiyama in the UFC has been his limited cardio. In later rounds, he tends to fade and leave his hands at his sides. The sturdiest of beards can’t withstand open shots from Belfort without getting folded like a lawn chair.

This bout won’t end pretty for Akiyama. He won’t look too sexy after Belfort explodes in and lights him up with a flurry in the first round. Give Akiyama a few weeks to heal up, and he’ll bring sexy back.

Winner: Vitor Belfort by Round 1 TKO

Light Heavyweight Main Event: Rashad Evans vs. Tito Ortiz

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Jeffrey: Ortiz seemed to be all but done with his career. Then when nobody expects him to win, he picked up his first win in five years, defeating Ryan Bader.

Ortiz then chose to step in for Phil Davis on short notice to take on Rashad Evans.

If Ortiz beats Evans, he has to be in the mix for a title shot. Unfortunately, I can’t see that happening.

The last time these two met, they fought to a draw. The difference between then and now is Evans is a more complete fighter.

Although he’s coming off of a long layoff, I still see Evans taking this fight. Tito has never been knocked out cold, and I don’t think this fight will be any different.

Evans by decision.

Dwight: These two men have been here before under much different circumstances, and this time I see it going down slightly different when the dust settles after the final bell.

Evans is near the top of the food chain right now and comes into this fight a favorite. He will not be a victim to the wonder and awe that saw him show so much respect for Tito in their first match. He will look to come out hard and fast this time and overwhelm the older Ortiz.

Ortiz likes to warm himself up in the fight and Rashad will look to catch Tito a bit cold, at the same time ridding himself of any ring rust early.

Although the analysis of the skills of these two may show a lopsided advantage for the younger, quicker Evans, Tito Ortiz is riding a high right now, and should not be completely counted out.

Evans via unanimous decision

John: Coming off the biggest upset of his career, Tito Ortiz magically remains relevant in the light heavyweight division after a win over Ryan Bader.

Meanwhile, Rashad Evans has been on the shelf for just over 14 months after defeating Quinton “Rampage” Jackson last May.

The first time these two met, Ortiz was on his way to winning a close unanimous decision before “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” was deducted a point for holding onto the cage.

Therefore, their 2007 encounter ended in a draw. I think it’s an overstatement to say Ortiz “looked good” when he fought Bader.

He landed a nice punch (a cross if I recall) that wobbled Bader and he locked in an arm in guillotine on his dazed adversary.

So the killer instinct is still there for Tito, as for anything else….all bets are off.

Meanwhile, Rashad has realized he is not an elite striker and is willing to just lay and pray his way to victory if necessary.

While he was willing to stand and trade a bit with Rampage, his fight with Thiago Silva was a textbook definition of lay and pray.

I really think Evans is hungry and wants the title shot at this point, so I’m going to say he grinds out a close decision.

It would be hilarious to me if Tito won, given Rashad’s shortcomings in the past year, but I just believe that Evans is a class above Ortiz right now.

Rashad Evans via unanimous decision (29-28)

Jordy: Expect the unexpected?

Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans didn’t expect their 2007 rivalry to be renewed at UFC 133. Ortiz didn’t expect to be fighting, period. In an ideal world, "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" would be kicking back on the beach enjoying his first-round submission victory over top-10 light heavyweight Ryan Bader.

Instead, he’ll face Evans in bout that should settle a draw at UFC 73 and decide the next No. 1 contender for the UFC title. Like Bader, Evans should enter this bout an overwhelming favorite, but Ortiz still has plenty of firepower to ensure that lightning strikes once more.

The speed and power advantage on the feet may belong to Evans, but Ortiz is the more technical striker of two.

Like the first bout, this fight will come down to the wrestling. Who can secure and stuff the most takedowns?

Another deciding factor in this bout could be cardio. Ortiz and Evans have been known to slow down in later rounds. While Ortiz has a plethora of questions that need to be answered, there are even more when deciding to bank on Evans.

What will a Greg Jackson-less Evans look like? How will he perform after a 12-month layoff? Will there be ring rust?

Ortiz is in a great position to pull off another upset. He’s riding a wave of momentum heading into a bout with a favorable style match-up.

Despite the losses, Ortiz has fought tough against upper-echelon opposition on a consistent basis, and you shouldn’t expect any different in this bout.

The Cinderella story will continue as Ortiz does just enough to convince the extra judge that he is worthy of the split decision.

Winner: Tito Ortiz by Split Decision

Dale: Let me first state for the record: my prediction is not a result of the recent Tito Ortiz bandwagon.

Yes, I picked Ryan Bader for the win at UFC 132 last month, and yes, Tito Ortiz shocked us all by dropping and then submitting Bader.

There's no excuses that you can make for Bader..I mean, if a win over Bader is not enough to prove that someone is back, then there's no such thing as "being back" in MMA.

As if beating Bader wasn't enough, now Ortiz has filled in for an injured Phil Davis to avenge what many feel should've been a unanimous decision in favor of Ortiz, but went down as a draw.

Rashad still has KO power in his hands, some noticeably-superb wrestling, and he's a much different fighter from the man who drew with Ortiz.

The problem for him, besides the 14-month layoff and being without Greg Jackson?

Ortiz is not the same guy, either.

Whatever KO power and skill Rashad has, whatever magic tricks came out of Tyrone Spong's hat, Rashad better hope he can put them to good use.

He's clearly going to have to deal with the prospect of Ortiz either TKOing him or submitting him.

Oh, and if it was Phil Davis that was still in this bout...I still would not side with Evans.

Not out of dislike, but because I truly think it's his opponent that has a cleared head, a deeper focus than just Jon Jones or Quinton Jackson, and all-around just wants it more than Rashad.

Winner: Tito Ortiz by R1 TKO