-Daniel Cormier: The vast majority of rematches that happen in MMA, whoever won the first fight, will win the rematch. There’s exceptions, but it’s rare. Most of the exceptions have been when the fighter who won the first fight, wins by flash knockout. Which is how Cormier beat Miocic. So that makes the fight slightly more interesting. Cormier is 40 years old. 11-1 UFC record. Plus plus striking. Plus plus wrestling. Miocic is 36 years old. 12-3 in the UFC. Plus plus striking. Above average wrestling. First fight lasted only 1 round, but I think Cormier would be able to take Miocic down if he wanted to. Or he could out strike him again. And Cormier has the confidence of winning the first fight. Because of all those factors, I’m comfortable in picking Cormier by 2nd round knockout.
-Anthony Pettis: I’ve never bought into this idea that Nate Diaz is some elite fighter. Despite the win over Conor McGregor, Diaz has a 14-9 UFC record. 34 years old. Hasn’t fought in 3 years. Above average striking with below average power. Plus cardio. Above average grappling. He’s durable. Meanwhile Pettis is coming off one of the biggest wins of his career where he’s maybe realizing that 170 lbs is the best weight class for him. 32 years old. The knockout over Stephen Thompson was no fluke. Pettis has plus striking and above average grappling. Easy fight to pick. Pettis has the better striking and because of how durable Diaz is, will win by decision.
-Yoel Romero: Paulo Costa might look like a guy who could be future champion. 28 years old. 12-0 pro record. 4-0 UFC record. Knockouts in all 4 UFC wins. But the reality is that he’s beat below average competition. 2 of the wins were against fighters the UFC released. 1 was over a since retired Johny Hendricks, who never looked the same since losing the 170 lb title to Robbie Lawler. The other win was over lower tier gate keeper Uriah Hall. I’d rate Costa’s striking as plus, so he’ll have a puncher’s chance. But he’s never fought anyone remotely close to Romero, who lost a close decision to champion Robert Whittaker. 42 years old, but somehow still in his prime. 13-3 pro record. 9-2 UFC record. Both loses came against Whittaker. Plus striking, plus plus power. Plus wrestling. This fight isn’t close. Romero could probably take Costa down if he wanted, but more than likely, they’ll trade on the feet and Romero will knock Costa out in the 2nd round.
-Sodiq Yusuff: How good Yusuff’s take down defense is will be answered in this fight. Gabriel Benitez is 31 years old. 5-2 in the UFC. Well rounded. Average striking, average wrestling, and an average submission game. None of his tools stand out as elite though. Yusuff is 26 years old. 3-0 UFC record. 9-1 pro record. Plus striking. And he does have a UFC win over an average submission specialist in Suman Mokhtarian. I don’t think the win will be pretty. Benitez will likely score some take downs. But I think Yusuff gets up enough and lands enough strikes to win by decision.
-Ian Heinisch: Heinisch’s last win over Antonio Carlos Jr. really made me a believer in his skills. Heinisch is 31 years old. 13-1 pro record. 3-0 in the UFC. Also has an impressive win over Cezar Ferreira. Heinisch has plus wrestling and above average striking. Derek Brunson can still be an effective mid tier gate keeper. He showed that beating Elias Theodorou last time out. Brunson is now 35 years old. Striking has maybe regressed to above average paired with plus power. And his wrestling has regressed to an average level. I see Heinisch being able to muscle Brunson around in the clinch. Might even take him down a couple times. And with Brunson’s chin not being what it used to be, I see Heinisch knocking him out by the 2nd round.
-Devonte Smith: It’s a shame John Makdessi got hurt and Smith is instead fighting Clay Collard on two weeks notice. But it’s not the worst thing to bring Smith along slowly. 26 years old. 10-1 pro record. 3-0 UFC record. His striking is at least plus. Upside for plus plus. But he does need to round out his game. But he won’t have any wrestling or grappling issues with Collard who’s also 26 years old and went 1-3 in the UFC before being resigned. 17-8 pro record. Average striking. This is going to be another 1st round knockout for Smith.
-Cory Sandhagen: Raphael Assuncao has long been the standard of upper tier gate keepers. 37 years old. Plus grappling. Above average striking. Sandhagen is 27 years old. 4-0 in the UFC including a split decision win over John Lineker. Sandhagen is very well rounded. Plus wrestling, plus striking, above average power, average submissions. He matches up real well with Assuncao. Sandhagen’s wrestling will keep the fight standing up where he will have an advantage in the striking. I’ll go with Sandhagen by decision.
-Manny Bermudez: Bermudez looks to have the makings of a potential title contender based on having a loud plus tool in his grappling that’s likely to eventually become plus plus. 25 years old. 14-0 pro record. 3-0 UFC record. Casey Kenney had a solid debut upsetting contender Ray Borg. But that had more to do with Borg being too small for 135 lbs and not fighting as well as he used to. Kenney is 28 years old. 12-1-1 pro record. Has average striking, average wrestling, average submissions. The reality is that Kenney has struggled against opponents with better grappling. He fought a well rounded 8-3 fighter to a draw and lost to a 12-3 grappler. Kenney has never fought a grappler like Bermudez and I see Bermudez taking Kenney down and submitting him in the 1st round.
-Drakkar Klose: Christos Giagos last win was impressive over Damir Hadzovic. He’s 29 years old. 3-3 in the UFC. Average striking. But the blue print to beating him hasn’t changed and that’s taking him down and putting him on the ground. And Klose is another guy that can do that. 31 years old. 4-1 UFC record. Klose has only lost to David Teymur when he couldn’t get the take downs and got lit up on the feet. Klose has above average wrestling and I’d say his striking is now at least average based on him being able to keep up with Bobby Green. Klose will probably test his striking with Giagos, but will eventually go for take downs and will do enough on the ground to win by decision.
-Hannah Cifers: Not too many fighters start their UFC career 0-3 and get another fight, but that’s exactly what Jodie Esquibel is getting. 33 years old. 6-5 pro record. She has good boxing, but it hasn’t translated to MMA. She has average MMA striking at best. Cifers is 27 years old. 1-1 in the UFC. Average striking. Cifers is going to out strike Esquibel and win by decision.
-Hyung Ho Kang: Brandon Davis is 29 years old. 3-3 UFC record. Has average striking with below average power. The big hole in his game is he lacks take down defense. He was taken down by Enrique Barzola and Kyle Bochniak and I don’t think there’s been enough developmental time for any of that to change against a wrestler in Ho Kang, who’s 31 years old and a solid mid tier gate keeper with a 4-2 UFC record. I expect Ho Kang to be able to take Davis down and will even submit him in the 2nd round.
-Sabina Mazo: Despite the loss to Maryna Moroz in her UFC debut, Mazo is still an elite prospect. 6-1 pro record. Only 22 years old. Plus striking paired with average power. Moroz was able to beat Mazo with her grappling and take downs. But Mazo won’t have to worry about that with opponent Shana Dobson. Dobson is 1-2 in the UFC. 3-2 pro record. 30 years old. Average striking. This is a favorable matchup for Mazo as this fight will play out on the feet where Mazo’s striking is superior and she’ll cruise to a decision win.