Each event, there will be a “guest predictor” who will offer their insight into the event and provide their predictions for each MMA bout.
For BFL 64, Tylor Nicholson has stepped in to provide his predictions and analysis for the 12 MMA bouts on the card.
Nicholson holds a professional record of 1-4, with his win coming at BFL 60 in highlight reel fashion, a spinning back kick knockout of Louie Grover. All five of Nicholson’s professional bouts have taken place inside the BFL cage, so expect to see him back in there again soon.
Here are Nicholson’s predictions for BFL 64:
Caio Machado (2-1-1) vs Justin Doege (2-1): PRO Heavyweight Title Bout** FIGHT PREVIEW
“I don’t expect this fight to go very long. Both guys will most likely look to land hard shots fast. Machado’s only loss was to then champion Dustin Joynson by unanimous decision, whereas Doege was knocked out in his only loss to a smaller heavyweight. I think Machado is just a little too big for Doege, who has competed at middleweight in the past.”
Prediction: Machado wins by knockout in the second round.
Marlan Hall (0-0) vs Jesus Garcia (1-0): PRO Featherweight
“Garcia seems to have pretty good wrestling and can throw bombs. Hall likes to utilize a wider stance to cover distance, he’s light on his feet, and has good jiu-jitsu. I think Hall can control the pace of the fight by using his reach, cutting angles and constant movement.”
Prediction: Hall wins by unanimous decision.
Taylor Christopher (0-0) vs Cedric Lochard (0-0): PRO Featherweight
“Christopher’s been sidelined with an injury for quite some time now and finally makes his pro debut, and I’m excited to see the improvements made during his time away from the cage. I don’t know much of Lochard, but if this fight goes like any of Christopher’s last few fights, you can expect a hard-hitting war or a quick finish.”
Prediction: Christopher wins by knockout in the first round.
Dario Sinagoga (1-0) vs Aaron Bowles (0-0): PRO Lightweight
“Sinagoga seems to be able to do everything very well. I feel he’s been a bit of a dark horse in BFL since he arrived. His last fight with Daniel Richards was insane. My educated guess on this one, as I’m not familiar with his opponent, would be Dario.”
Prediction: Sinagoga wins by TKO in the second round.
Indroop Virk (6-0) vs Mitch Strazzella (3-2): AMATEUR Bantamweight Title Bout** FIGHT PREVIEW
“Virk is a very technical fighter, moving up to bantamweight as the reigning flyweight champion to try and become the double champ. This will be the third time Strazzella has attempted to win BFL gold after two previous attempts proved too much. Virk controls this fight using superior grappling, en-route to a dominant unanimous decision.”
Prediction: Virk wins by unanimous decision.
Nicolas Ouellet (2-0) vs Kolton Higginbottom (8-5): AMATEUR Lightweight Title Bout** FIGHT PREVIEW
“This is is a cool matchup. Higginbottom has been fighting for quite some time, has some big wins and comes in the experienced veteran. Ouellet, however, has been tearing through every high-level opponent they’ve put in front of him, en-route to capturing BFL’s 155-pound title in only his second fight. Higginbottom has the tools to make it competitive, but I think Ouellet’s time as champion continues.”
Prediction: Ouellet wins by submission in the first round.
Phil Lauzon (3-1) vs Mike Brackett (2-0): AMATEUR 175-pound Title Bout** FIGHT PREVIEW
“I’m not too familiar with either fighter, but based on the very little bit of footage I have seen, I’m going to lean towards Brackett.”
Prediction: Brackett wins by TKO in the second round.
Oguzhan Yalćin (2-1) vs Mani El-Hefnawy (3-1): AMATEUR Featherweight Title Bout** FIGHT PREVIEW
“I think the wrestling of Yalcin will be too much for the striker, El-Hefnawy. Yalcin has been tested against higher-level grapplers in MMA competition, and came out on top.”
Prediction: Yalcin wins by unanimous decision.
Glen Cuevas (2-3) vs Scott Erikson (1-1): AMATEUR Bantamweight
“I think Cuevas is the most talented and technical amateur fighter on this entire card. Another teammate of mine who has fought up in weight many times due to bantamweights refusing to fight him. Cuevas gets stronger as the fight goes on and looks to finish the entire time. Erikson is coming off an impressive win, but I believe Cuevas’ experience and tenacity will earn him a victory Saturday night.”
Prediction: Cuevas wins by TKO in the first round.
Aaron Holmes (3-2) vs Sina Maani (1-0): AMATEUR Bantamweight
“I don’t know much about either of these fighters, however, I have fought Holmes’ teammate and know their gym is known for their strong grappling and submissions. Maani is fighting out of Lions MMA, known for their good wrestlers and crisp stand up. I think Maani will try to keep the fight standing, hurt Holmes and look for the TKO finish, while Holmes is going to try and grind out a hard-fought decision while looking for the submission.”
Prediction: Maani wins by split decision.
Maria Demers (1-0) vs Jackie Maclean (1-0): AMATEUR Women’s Bantamweight
“Both fighters are undefeated and come from great camps with lots of high-level training partners. I’ve seen Demers fight/compete a few times now, and I think she will look to use striking to close the distance, utilize her strong grappling to secure takedowns and work for submissions on the ground.”
Prediction: Demers wins by submission in the second round.
Varun Sunder Rajan (0-1) vs Niko Chan (2-1): AMATEUR Bantamweight
“Chan comes in on a two-fight win streak against bigger opponents, while Sunder Rajan has one fight and very little tape to watch. I’ve seen Chan’s improvements over the last few years training at Titan MMA together, and believe he will have the edge everywhere the fight goes.”
Prediction: Chan wins by submission in the second round.
