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Bconcrete's Casual Picks to get you $$$!



One thing I love most about Mania is just how many hardcore MMA fans are on the site. From writers to mods to commenters, there is a VAST knowledge of MMA in our little community. Every week we see tons of articles about the upcoming fights, incredibly comprehensive breakdowns of the fighters, and informed predictions from the writers. There is a wealth of knowledge freely given out every week to help even the most incompetent bettor make competent picks. It's quite amazing. But there is an area of our fanbase that is underserved. Where does the person who doesn't want to read articles, do research, or make picks based on informed reasoning? Where does the person go who likes to put a couple bucks on some fights just for fun, and doesn't really care about the reasoning behind it? Where can a casual go to get casual picks? Right here y'all.

Quick disclaimer: these are tongue in cheek and just for fun, if you're seriously taking gambling advice from me that's your own fault. I'm an idiot, as you will soon see. None of this is researched and I will frequently contradict myself.

Rules: I will make picks like we do in the Mania Pool, predicting winner, round, and method. I will use no resources other than the mmaplayground website and will explain my justification for each fight. The fighter I pick will be bolded, you count a win if you pick the winner.

Current Record This Season (after 8 events): 51-26

UFC Fight Night: Felder vs Dos Anjos Picks:

Starting from the bottom:

Don'Tale Mayes vs Roque Martinez: Martinez has a lot working against him. His picture is the dreaded boobs-and-above that doesn't typically go well for heavyweights, and he is saddled with the +2 Underdog tag. Add in the fact that Don'Tale has a sweet chain in his pic, I'm taking Don'Tale by KO in Rd1. Underdog tags+ Overboob picture=stay away

Tony Gravely vs Geraldo de Freitas: There are a SHITLOAD of +2 Underdog tags on this card. Geraldo is one of them. The big reason I'm picking Gravely? Geraldo's picture has him wearing a shirt and it isn't a post fight pic. I don't trust that. Gravely by UD

Randa Markos vs Kanako Murata: There is a dirty little secret about WMMA. Particularly on the undercards, WMMA is a machine for decisions. These two have combined for a total of 18 decisions in their 32 fights, so I'm picking the one with the sweet bowl cut and the winning streak. Murata by UD

Louis Smolka vs Jose Alberto Quinonez: Jose has the dreaded +2 tag, and his record isn't super impressive. Plus Smolka has a way sweeter nickname, and more finishes. I'm taking Smolka by KO in Rd2

Alex Morono vs Rhys McKee: Last time I remember seeing McKee, Borz was simultaneously trying to beat his head through the canvas and ram his head up his ass. It was quite the display to witness. Also weighing heavily in this decision: I hate McKee's chest tat so much I'm willing to pick someone calling themselves 'The Great White'. I can't decide how I think this fight will end, so we're going Morono by UD

Ashley Yoder vs Miranda Granger: Man this is a TOUGH fight to pick! We have competing signs. First, Granger has no pic listed. Usually that's an automatic pick for the other fighter. No faceless Twitter eggs in my picks! BUT, Yoder has lost 6 of the 9 decisions she has had, while Granger's only loss came via submission. Essentially Yoder only wins 1/3 of her decisions, and that is not a good ratio for me to bet on. I'm biting the bullet, going UD Yoder, and I will spend the entire 15 minutes of the fight mad at myself for doing so.

Brendan Allen vs Sean Strickland: There are no indicators either way on this one. No underdog tags, no Tinder-angled pics, nothing leaning me one way or the other. The way it looks, this is my low-key dark horse for FOTN. I'm picking Brendan Allen because he has a better haircut and cooler tattoos. Allen by TKO in Rd 3

Antonio Arroyo vs Eryk Anders: Arroyo has the underdog tag and Anders' pic is his hand being raised in victory? Easy peasy, don't overthink this shit. Anders by KO in Rd 2

Kay Hansen vs Cory McKenna: Look, my gut is telling me to take McKenna by UD here. It really is. But her nickname is The Hobbit. And hobbits have hairy feet, which leads me down a whole mental rabbit hole (hobbit hole?) I don't need to go down. Plus, I like the look of Hansen, she has a nice smile. Fuck it, I can't go against my gut. McKenna by UD, idk why just a feeling.

Julian Marquez vs Saparbek Safarov: Full disclosure, if I can't pronounce a fighter's name without help, and I can pronounce his opponent's, I pick the guy whose name I can't pronounce. Thank you early-UFC Khabib for teaching me that lesson. I don't think this rule applies here though. Safarov is a green label underdog, his pic is not inspiring confidence, and I'm pretty sure I can sort of pronounce his name. At least get it in the ballpark. Marquez wins by KO in Rd 2. His nickname is the Cuban Missile Crisis, that's awesome, what more do you need?

Abdul Razak Alhassan vs Kalinn Williams: Dude. Judo Thunder vs Khaos the Ox Fighter. Two A+ nicknames. Love it. Hassan has 5 more wins by KO and 1 more name than Kalinn so I am picking him. Alhassan by UD, all streaks gotta stop sometime.

Paul Felder vs Rafael Dos Anjos: This fight, the story is important. Felder steps up on 5 days notice to fight RDA, badass moves only from the Irish Dragon. Since this is a main event, it is more subject to the whims of The Fight Gods and The Fight Gods are pleased with Felder stepping up and stepping in, and will reward him as such. Felder by UD, it is fate.

I'll see y'all in the live thread tomorrow night!

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