UFC Fight Night 148: Thompson vs. Pettis - Predictions and Picks

#3 John Makdessi vs. Jesus Pinedo

John Makdessi has quietly been in the UFC for almost a decade, going 9-6

It probably speaks a little to the lack of depth in this card that John Makdessi – who would probably be best described as a journeyman at this stage – features on the main card against a relative UFC rookie in Pinedo. To be fair, Makdessi was initially pegged to face solid prospect Nasrat Haqparast while Pinedo would’ve faced Chris Gruetzemacher on the prelims, but injuries to Haqparast and Gruetzemacher left us with this fight instead.

Pinedo debuted back in November with a win over Devin Powell at the UFC’s first show in Argentina, largely using his wrestling skill to ground Powell, although he also outstruck his opponent for the most part. Judging on his highlight reel, he’s got skills in all areas and is aggressive to a fault. His best area appears to be his ground-and-pound – and worryingly for Makdessi, he appears to be excellent at catching kicks and turning them into takedowns.

Where Makdessi holds the big advantage here is in experience. ‘The Bull’ has been in the UFC since 2010 and has quietly put together 15 fights, going 9-6 overall, and he’s currently on a two-fight winning streak. An unorthodox kickboxer who loves spinning attacks – witness his famous spinning backfist KO of Kyle Watson in 2011 – Makdessi is at his best as a counter-striker.

Most notably, the Canadian simply eats any sloppy-but-aggressive foes alive with his striking. His 2013 knockout of Renee Forte, for instance, saw him fight like a matador, catching the Brazilian rushing in and landing clean shots on him until he put him away just 2 minutes into the first round. Makdessi can be beaten on the feet, largely by foes who stay at distance and pick at him from the outside, and his grappling has traditionally been weaker than his striking although it’s been a while since we’ve seen it.

This one feels tricky to pick for me; Pinedo is definitely wild in terms of his striking style and that could definitely play into Makdessi’s hands, but there’s also the chance that he simply overwhelms the Canadian by getting him to the ground and taking him out there. But what makes me lean away from picking the Peruvian fighter is that most of his previous victims were massively overmatched; even Powell hadn’t really proven himself at the elite level.

In the end, I think Pinedo’s aggression is going to cost him in this fight. He’s a young fighter who will probably learn from the experience but I think the way he fights plays directly into Makdessi’s hands, and should give ‘The Bull’ another highlight reel knockout – and put him on a surprising 3-fight win streak.

The Pick: Makdessi via first round KO