The Octagon travels to Chicago, Illinois this weekend, as UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero II goes down live on Saturday night, June 9th, from the United Center, airing live on pay-per-view. As is always the case before a big MMA event, our MMA affiliate website, MMANews.com has you covered from multiple angles with pre-fight analysis and insight from multiple veteran MMA writers.
MMANews.com staff writers Matt Boone, Andrew Ravens and Ian Carey will break down the fights scheduled for the main pay-per-view card, which includes a star-studded lineup and two championship fights. In the main card opener, former WWE Superstar Phil “CM Punk” Brooks returns to the Octagon to fight fellow 0-1 rookie Mike “The Truth” Jackson.
With that said, let’s take a look at what Boone, Ravens and Carey think about tonight’s Punk vs. Jackson fight.
CM PUNK VS. MIKE JACKSON PREDICTIONS
Featured below is the pre-fight analysis and predictions for tonight’s CM Punk vs. Mike Jackson main card opening bout at the UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero II pay-per-view.
Matt Boone: So, you want a tough assignment? Break down CM Punk vs. Mike Jackson from an “expert” standpoint. And … GO! Good luck! This is as big a question mark as any fight you’ll get, as it is essentially two guys that have fought once, against the same guy, and lost in one-sided fashion. We’ve seen neither man do anything inside the Octagon yet, other than take punishment and get finished in the first round. Having said that, “The Truth” is supposed to be some kind of standup artist and Punk likes jiu-jitsu a lot. Who knows. I’ll go with Jackson. (Prediction: Mike Jackson)
Andrew Ravens: There is not a ton of footage to go off of the previous fights that both fighters have had. It’s a real pick em here. It could go either way. Although you could make the argument that Jackson should win this fight, this is Punk’s best chance of winning a pro-MMA fight. I see Punk dominating with his jiu-jitsu because that is what he has been training for over the last several years now and ultimately getting a TKO win in the first round. (Prediction: CM Punk)
Ian Carey: With all do respect to CM Punk, he’s going to get embarrassed again. Is Mike Jackson a great MMA fighter? Absolutely not. Is he an actual MMA fighter tho? Yes, yes he is. CM Punk is not. Jackson had his first amateur fight over 9 years ago. Punk started training a few years ago. At some point in Jackson’s training coaches would have told him he’s skilled enough to compete. Punk signed a UFC contract before he started training. The UFC is supposed to be for the top fighters in the world, not just the ones who draw the most money. You could put a Kardashian in the octagon and it would draw money, it doesn’t mean you should do it. Let’s call it for what it is, Punk’s fame bought him a paid trip to MMA fantasy camp. The fantasy ends on Saturday. (Prediction: Mike Jackson)
CONSENSUS: Mike Jackson (2-1)
For analysis and predictions for all fights on tonight’s UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero II pay-per-view card, check out the full article at MMANews.com by clicking the appropriate link. The same can be said for live round-by-round results coverage of tonight’s show.
- UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero II Staff Predictions
- UFC 225 Results: Whittaker vs. Romero II
- UFC 225 Results On Twitter (@mmanews_com)
What do you expect to happen when CM Punk fights Mike Jackson at UFC 225 this evening? Sound off in the Comments section below.