-Derek Brunson: UPSET SPECIAL: Brunson’s career changed back in January 2015 with his fight with Ed Herman. Brunson made a decision to stop playing it safe, trust his power, and be more aggressive in trying to knock his opponents out. Since then, Brunson has won via 1st round knockout in 6 of his last 8 fights. Only losing to current champion Robert Whittaker and a controversial loss against Anderson Silva, where a lot of people thought Brunson won. Jacare Souza is now 38 years old. It’s not his time anymore. A lot of fighters lose the fire and motivation after getting a title fight and losing. Especially when they get close to 40 years old. Jacare’s last fight, getting knocked out by Whittaker, wasn’t a title fight, but Whittaker is now the champ. I just don’t see Jacare believing he can still become champion and being hungry to chase that. But I think Brunson is at his peak. He’s at the apex, the highest point of his career right now. And at 34 years of age, still has time to become champion. Because of that, I like Brunson by another 1st round knockout.
-Dennis Bermudez: Pretty cut and dry in picking this fight. Bermudez is near elite. 9-5 UFC record. Still in his prime at 31 years old. He takes on 27 year Andre Fili, whi has alternated wins and losses in the UFC so far with a 5-4 record. I see this fight playing out similar to Fili’s loss to Calvin Kattar. Bermudez is going to be able to mix his wrestling and grappling with stand up. Keeping Fili guessing. And Bermudez is going to cruise to a ho-hum decision win.
-Gregor Gillespie: This fight is on the FOX main card to be a coming out party for Gillespie. He’s looked good in the octagon so far with a 3-0 UFC record, albeit against poor competition. But Jordan Rinaldi is not much of an upgrade in opponent. Yeah, Rinaldi looked good in his last UFC fight, but that’s because his opponent Alvaro Herrera is pretty bad. Gillespie and Rinaldi’s wrestling will cancel each other out. The fight will stay on the feet where Gillespie will have a big advantage and win via decision.
-Drew Dober: I think Dober is another one of these fighters that was cutting too much weight and is going to have a lot more success at a heavier weight class, at 170 lbs. Last fight out, Dober was the best I’ve ever seen him. Granted against retiring Josh Burkman, but still impressive. Dober’s opponent Frank Camacho is a stand up fighter. So I don’t think Dober will have any problems here with better striking and way more power. I see a 1st round knockout for Drew Dober.
-Bobby Green: This is Green all day. Opponent Erik Koch is just not the same anymore, for whatever reason. He hasn’t been the same since losing to Ricardo Lamas and Dustin Poirier, back to back. Green has 3 losses and 1 draw in his last 4 fights, but it’s been against pretty good competition in Lando Vannetta, Rashid Magomedov, Poirier, and Edson Barboza. And Green looked really good against Vannetta. I think Green is more mentally tough to come back from a slump than Koch is and am pretty confident Green takes the decision win.
-Mirsad Bektic: Bektic is extremely similar to rising contender Shane Burgos, who Godofredo Pepey fought last. And I expect the fight to go very similarly. Bektic is going to keep the fight on the feet and outclass Pepey in striking exchanges. Pepey is no slouch and has experience some success in the past couple years, but this is a horrible style matchup for him and I’m expecting a 2nd round knockout for Bektic.
-Katlyn Chookagian: If you add in Chookagian’s amateur record, she’s 16-1. And she hasn’t been beating tomato cans either. She’s actually already beaten a few big names including Sijara Eubanks, Lauren Murphy, Andrea Lee, and others. She has a very strong resume, but for her to have a shot at becoming champion, she needs to sharpen her tools to the point where she can dominate fights. So far, she hasn’t been able to do that with a 2-1 UFC record and eking out a split decision win over Irene Aldana. For Chookagian, she’s going to get that shot to look good, matched up very well against Mara Borello. Borello is a below average prospect in that she has a lot of holes in her game and is very beatable. Also, Borello looked really good upsetting Kalindra Faria, thus a Chookagian win will look better than it actually is. Borello isn’t consistent. Chookagian is a much bigger fighter. She’ll be able to keep distance if she wants. Dominate the grappling if she wants. The only question is if Chookagian finishes the fight. I think she will. Chookagian by 2nd round knockout.
-Randa Markos: Basic MMA math says Markos wins. The equation says Julianna Lima lost to Carla Esparza and Tecia Torres. And Markos beat Esparza and Torres. So Markos > Lima. So there’s that. But I think Markos wins because of her giant wrestling advantage. Like Markos might be a one dimensional fighter, but she’s really good at that one dimension. And I don’t think Lima is going to have an answer and I see Markos cruising to a decision win.
-Justine Kish: Good bounce back matchup for Kish. She’s an elite prospect. Only 7 pro fights. 6-1. In the UFC 2-1. Nearly beat upper tier gate keeper Felice Herrig. Lost close decision. Kish is in her prime at 29 years old, but should still develop a little more with only the 7 pro fights. I didn’t think that highly of Ji Yeon Kim going into her UFC debut against Lucie Pudilova. But I picked Kim to win due to how little I think of Pudilova. And then Kim lost to Pudilova. So I think the UFC wants to get Kish back on track by booking this fight. Kim is going to have no answer for Kish’s wrestling and will cruise to a decision win.
-Joaquim Silva: Silva isn’t an elite prospect. He’s a good prospect, but has too many weaknesses to be elite at this point. He’s very good in the stand up and showed that by starching Andrew Holbrook. But struggles when taking on quality grapplers and wrestlers. Luckily for Silva, Vinc Pichel is neither of those types of fighters. Silva is 28 years old. Undefeated. 10-0. 3-0 in the UFC. And has potential to be really good if he can shore up his all around game. Not a guarantee, but could happen. Pichel is 3-1 in the UFC, but is 35 years old, so time is running out for him. He had the best fight in his career last time out against Damien Brown, knocking him out, but Brown has proved to be an average at best UFC fighter. This fight is going to stay on the feet and I just like Silva better at that. Younger, faster. More durable. This won’t last long. Silva by 1st round knockout.
-Niko Price: Clearly, by the UFC booking George Sullivan to fight Price, the UFC brass is big on Price and want to give him an easy bounce back fight after his first loss. Sullivan is 3-2 in the UFC, but he’s 36 years old and has only fought twice in the past 2 and a half years. Sullivan isn’t going to bring anything to the table in this fight and Price will pick up an easy 1st round knockout.
-Cory Sandhagen: I really don’t like Austin Arnett’s plan for his career. He started his career 2-2. And the 2 losses were against poor competition. Since then, for the last 4 years, he’s only fought below average fighters. Reeled off 13 wins in a row, but against tomato cans. Hadn’t fought a single solid prospect. Until he fought Brandon Davis. And lost. But the UFC still offers him a contract. All my years studying mma prospects, a fighter is not done any favors by fighting easy opponents and padding their record. Now Arnett is going to take on Sandhagen, who is better than Brandon Davis, and Arnett, just does not have much experience against tougher opponents. Meanwhile Sandhagen, most of his wins have come against decent fighters to very good fighters. Thus I see Sandhagen winning a clear cut decision win.