
-Dustin Poirier: I think a lot of people underestimate the toll that a really difficult fight can take on a fighter. Eddie Alvarez took tons and tons of damage from Justin Gaethje in his last fight and with Alvarez being 34 years old, I think a fight like that can shorten a career a little bit. I see Poirier being faster and having better striking. Most importantly better cardio. This is going to be a 5 round fight and I don’t see Alvarez being able to hang in there. Like Alvarez probably wins the 1st round. Maybe the 2nd. But Poirier will pour on the volume and pressure in the 2nd half of the fight and will finish Alvarez with a 4th round knockout.
-Jeremy Stephens: UPSET SPECIAL 1: The vast majority of champions, when they’re champion for a long time and then they lose the belt, they’re never the same. And I doubt Aldo is an exception to that. In fact, Aldo’s going to have a much better chance of reviving his career at 155 lbs because I think the 145 lb cut is too tough on his older body. Stephens is on a roll. Probably has never had as much confidence as he does now. And he can smell a title shot right around the corner. Confidence is going to be the difference in this fight where I think Stephens knocks Aldo out in the 2nd round.
-Joanna Jedrzejczyk: Tecia Torres and Joanna are almost identical fighters except Joanna’s skills are on a higher level. What Torres usually does, which is stick and move, is going to be neutralized when Joanna does the sticking and moving better than Torres. But I think Joanna is really hungry in this fight and knocks Torres out in the 2nd round.
-Oliver Aubin-Mercier: I’m pretty skeptical that Alexander Hernandez is this elite prospect. His resume and profile says average prospect. I think his big knockout win in his debut had more to do with Beniel Dariush underestimating Hernandez, especially in that Hernandez took the fight on really short notice. And even though Aubin-Mercier is coming off his very first career knockout, I see him going to old reliable to test how well rounded Hernandez is. I see Aubin-Mercier taking him down and submitting him in the 1st round.
-Alex Morono: Jordan Mein has always had potential, but 42 pro fights at 28 years old? That’s a crazy amount of fight mileage on the body, thus why Mein has already retired once, before coming back. Despite his age, the human body can only take so much damage over a career. Morono is more fresh. Has more confidence. I think he’ll be able to utilize his grappling enough to win by decision.
-Hakeem Dawodu: I don’t see anyway Justin Arnett wins this fight. He’s well rounded, but doesn’t have any plus tools. Lost 2 fights in a row. And I don’t think he’s going to be able to take Dawodu down which would be the only place he’d have an advantage. I think Dawodu keeps the fight on the feet, has way superior striking and knocks Arnett out in the 1st round.
-Islam Makhachev: The UFC’s quest to get rid of the outspoken Kajan Johnson continues and this time, the UFC is going to succeed. Makhachev is being groomed to fight for the title in the next couple years and Johnson will pose no threat to him. Makhachev’s wrestling is almost as good as Khabib Nurmagomedov’s. But recently, he’s tapped in to his knockout power as well. But I think Makhachev goes for the path of least resistance here which is taking Johnson down and will knock him out via ground and pound in the 1st round.
-Ghadzhimurad Antigulov: Marcos Pezao is really similar to Ion Cutelaba. Both are aggressive and will knockout a lot of average to below average fighters. But Antigulov is an elite prospect. I’d tag him as a possible title contender. He’s a submission specialist. Has won 15 of his 20 wins by submission. But has really been improving his striking with the last 3 of 8 wins coming by knockout. Antigulov doesn’t have better stand up than Cutelaba. But Antigulov will be competent enough to not get knocked out and will weather the first round storm to take Cutelaba down and submit him in the 2nd round.
-Ross Pearson: UPSET SPECIAL 2: I really thought Pearson was done going into his last fight with Mizuto Hirota. He’d lost 4 in a row, but he looked great. Fought a smart fight. Striking was crisp. Kept the fight on the feet against a wrestler. And I’m assuming that Pearson is going to be taking on John Makdessi, who I really don’t see anyway he wins this fight. Pearson has better boxing. Is more technical. Smarter. Pearson’s going to win via decision.
-Katlyn Chookagian: Not the MMA math pick. MMA math would say, Alexis Davis just beat Liz Carmouche and Chookagian’s only career loss was to Carmouche. But Chookagian’s loss to Carmouche was a couple years ago and she’s developed a lot since then. She’s well rounded. Under rated grappling. Volume striking from a distance. Probably stronger than Davis. Faster than Davis. I think Chookagian will keep the fight from the outside and prevent Davis from taking the fight to the ground and I see Chookagian out pointing Davis to win by decision.
-Dustin Ortiz: UPSET SPECIAL 3: Ortiz has quietly been getting better and better and there’s proof of that in his latest win over a possible title contender in Alexandre Pantoja. Which might make Ortiz a…. title contender? Maybe. His striking and knockout power has really emerged. His wrestling is his bread and butter. And Matheus Nicolau and Pantoja are very, very similar. So I see this fight being very similar to Ortiz vs Pantoja where Ortiz will mix and match wrestling and striking to keep Nicolau off balance and will get the decision win.
-Randa Markos: UPSET SPECIAL 4: This fight is right up Markos’ alley. Nina Ansaroff is primarily a striker. And has looked better in her last couple fights. But she can be out wrestled. And that’s exactly what Markos will utilize to win via decision.
-Alvaro Herrera: UPSET SPECIAL 5: I’m not high on either of these guys. But needing to pick between the two, I don’t see any evidence that leads me to believe Devin Powell can beat a legit opponent. He’s never done it. Powell has only beaten tomato cans. He’s well rounded. No standout tools anywhere. Tries to beat his opponents by exploiting their weakness. Herrera is somewhat well rounded, but not quite at the wrestling and grappling level as Powell. It’s close. But out of all the tools both fighters have, Herrera has the best one and it’s his striking. So I think Herrera will use that to take the decision win.