-Jimmie Rivera: People forget that it was just last year, Marlon Moraes debuted in the UFC and lost to Raphael Assuncao. Moraes had no answer to Assuncao’s grappling, take downs and keeping Moraes uncomfortable. Well, Rivera has by far the best wrestling in the division. In his prime at 28 years old. And the wrestling will be the difference maker in the fight. No secret Moraes will want to keep the fight on the feet. But he won’t be able to. Rivera is going to do enough on the ground and with the take downs to win via a somewhat boring decision.
-Gregor Gillespie: I got to give Vinc Pichel credit. I didn’t expect him to beat Joaquim Silva. Pichel had a long 3 year lay off due to injuries and has won 2 in a row since. But I have to pick Gillespie because he has a big advantage on the ground over Pichel and I think he uses it. I think Gillespie has better wrestling, will secure takedowns and will be able to finish with a 2nd round submission.
-Daniel Spitz: UPSET SPECIAL: Walt Harris still being in the UFC with a 10-7 pro record shows how thin the heavyweight division is. Spitz is a promising prospect. 1-1 in the UFC so far. 27 years old. Spitz’s best skill is his submission game. Just needs to work on his wrestling for it to be more effective. Fortunately for Spitz, Harris has almost no take down defense, so I see Spitz having no problem taking Harris down and submitting him in the 1st round.
-Jake Ellenberger: Interesting matchup in the sense that normally I wouldn’t pick Ellenberger or Ben Saunders to win a fight with where both are at in their careers. Losing streaks. Lots of fight mileage. And the potential that their chins are gone. But they’re fighting each other and I have to pick one. I’ll go with Ellenberger since I think he has better striking and has been losing to the elite in the division. I’ll go with Ellenberger by 2nd round knockout.
-Julio Arce: 2 pretty good prospects in Arce and Daniel Teymur. Teymur is pretty green in MMA. Only 7 pro fights. Even though he’s 30 years old, he has some development to go. Striking is his calling card. His submission game is sound. But wrestling is not his strongest area. And unfortunately for Teymur, wrestling is Arce’s best tool. That’s going to decide the fight and give Arce the decision win.
-Sam Alvey: Gian Villante being ranked illustrates how paper thin the 205 lb division is in the UFC. Villante has gone 6-6 in the UFC. He loses to the elite of the division. He beats guys that don’t belong in the UFC, except for his marquee win over Corey Anderson in 2015. Alvey at 205 lbs instead of 185 lbs is interesting. The weight cuts for Alvey at 185 lbs didn’t seem to go to well and with Alvey getting older at 32 years, I think he’s going to perform better at 205. Alvey is actually one of the more under rated fighters in the UFC at 9-5. I think the fight stays on the feet and Alvey knocks Villante out in the 1st round.
-Sijara Eubanks: Eubanks might have a 2-2 pro record, but if you count her 1 amateur bout and 3 TUF fights, she’s 6-2, only losing to rising title contenders Aspen Ladd and Katlyn Chookagian. Eubanks is 33 years old, got into MMA a bit late, but she is developing and looked like she was really improving on TUF. Lauren Murphy I think will be a decent gate keeper at 125 lbs, but Eubanks has knockout power which is rare for the 125 lb weight class. Murphy will wilt under which paves the way for Eubanks to take an impressive decision win.
-David Teymur: Mark my words, Teymur will fight for the 155 lb title sometime in the next 2-3 years. He’s a world class striker with outstanding take down defense. A lethal combination. I became a believer in Teymur after seeing him stuff Drakkar Klose’s wrestling and then pick him apart on the feet. Nik Lentz is super under rated, but he’s small for 155 lbs and if Klose couldn’t take Teymur down, I don’t think Lentz can either. So with the fight staying on the feet and Teymur still developing, being that he’s only had 8 pro fights, I think Teymur starts to tap into his knockout power and we get a 2nd round KO.
-Belal Muhammad: Standard Belal fight here. Chance Rencountre is an average prospect who’s getting his chance in the UFC because Muhammad needs a short notice replacement. Rencountre is 31 years old. Close to being a finished product. Rencountre is well rounded, but his best skill is his striking. Muhammad will have a big wrestling advantage and will use it to take Rencountre down at will. Then ground and pound enough to pick up an easy decision win.
-Desmond Green: Gleison Tibau is at the end of his career. I don’t think his wrestling is as suffocating as it used to be. Green’s wrestling is good enough to where I think they cancel each other out. Fight stays on the feet. Green’s faster, got better striking and he’s going to cruise to pick up the decision win.
-Jessica Aguilar: Even though Aguilar is in the twilight of her career, past her prime, she’s still going to have enough wrestling in her to be able to take down Jodie Esquibel. Esquibel is well rounded. Decent wrestling. Decent grappling. Average striking. No elite tools. But her wrestling is nowhere near Aguilar’s which will allow Aguilar to score frequent take downs and win via decision.
-Nathaniel Wood: Very good matchup for Wood to make his UFC debut. He’s a top notch striker who’s really improved the past few years. His weakness is the ground game, but lately, his take down defense has gotten better. Wood will definitely get tested down the road against fighters with great wrestling and a decent submission game, but Eduardo is mostly a striker who will stand up and trade with Wood. And with Eduardo being 37 years old and his chin not what it used to be, Wood is going to knock him out in the 1st round.
-Jose Torres: Torres is possibly the #1 prospect at 125 lbs and I doubt he takes this fight on short notice against top wrestler Jared Brooks unless Torres was confident he could stuff the take downs. Based off of that, I’m confident Torres keeps the fight on the feet and knocks Brooks out in the 2nd round.