Rose Namajunas vs Amanda Ribas
- Rose Namajunas
- Age: 31
- UFC Record: 11-5
- Key Wins: Knocked out Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Submitted Joanne Calderwood and Michelle Waterson. Beat Tecia Torres. Split decision over Jessica Andrade.
- Striking: near plus plus (75)
- Power: near plus plus (75)
- Grappling: plus (70)
- Amanda Ribas
- Age: 30
- UFC Record: 7-3
- Key Losses: Knocked out by Polyana Viana. Beat Viviane Araujo. Split decision loss to Katlyn Chookagian.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Luana Pinheiro. Submitted Paige VanZant and Emily Whitmire. Beat Virna Jandiroba, Randa Markos, and MacKenzie Dern.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: above average (70)
- Grappling: plus (70)
It was easy to write Namajunas off after her loss to Carla Esparza. Ex champion. Moving up to a heavier weight class. Market closed with Fiorot as a -200 favorite. But amazingly, the old Namajunas showed up. Tools translated at 125 lbs just fine. Only question I have is if she carries the same power at the heavier weight and I’m not sure.
Chris’ Pick: Namajunas by 2nd round knockout.
What I think the odds should be: Namajunas -200
Karl Williams vs Justin Tafa
- Karl Williams
- Age: 34
- Pro Record: 9-1
- UFC Record: 3-0
- Key Wins: Beat Chase Sherman, Lukasz Brzeski, a 4-1 striker, and a 5-2 wrestler.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Justin Tafa
- Age: 30
- UFC Record: 4-3
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Carlos Felipe.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Austen Lane, Parker Porter, and Juan Adams.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: a little above average (55)
Chris’ Pick: Williams by 2nd round submission.
What I think the odds should be: Williams -175
Edmen Shahbazyan vs AJ Dobson
- Edmen Shahbazyan
- Age: 26
- UFC Record: 6-4
- Key Wins: Knocked out Dalcha Lungiambula, Brad Tavares, and Charles Byrd.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- AJ Dobson
- Age: 31
- Pro Record: 7-2
- UFC Record: 2-2
- Key Wins: Submitted a well rounded 6-0 fighter. Knocked out a 4-1 striker. Beat Tafon Nchukwi.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Grappling: a little above average (55)
Chris’ Pick: Shahbazyan by 1st round knockout.
What I think the odds should be: Shahbazyan -300
Payton Talbott vs Cameron Saaiman
- Payton Talbott
- Age: 25
- Pro Record: 7-0
- UFC Record: 2-0
- Key Wins: Submitted Nick Aguirre. Knocked out an 8-1 striker. Beat Reyes Cortez Jr.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Cameron Saaiman
- Age: 23
- UFC Record: 4-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out Terrence Mitchell, a 6-0 grappler, and well rounded 5-1 fighter. Majority decision over Mana Martinez.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: Talbott by split decision.
What I think the odds should be: Talbott -135
Billy Quarantillo vs Youssef Zalal
- Billy Quarantillo
- Age: 35
- UFC Record: 7-3
- Key Losses: Knocked out by Michel Quinones.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Alexander Hernandez, Gabriel Benitez, Kyle Nelson, a well rounded 8-2 fighter, a 5-1 wrestler, and a well rounded 6-2 fighter. Beat Damon Jackson and Spike Carlyle.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
- Youssef Zalal
- Age: 27
- UFC Record: 3-3-1
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Sean Woodson.
- Key Draws: Fought Da’Mon Blackshear to a majority draw.
- Key Wins: Submitted a well rounded 6-2 fighter. Beat Jordan Griffin and a 7-0 fighter.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Quarantillo by decision.
What I think the odds should be: Quarantillo -350
Fernando Padilla vs Luis Pajuelo
- Fernando Padilla
- Age: 27
- Pro Record: 15-5
- UFC Record: 1-1
- Key Losses: Lost to Spike Carlyle.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Julian Erosa. Submitted Darrick Minner. Knocked out a 6-2 wrestler and a 9-3 striker. Beat a well rounded 6-0 fighter. Split decision over a well rounded 8-2 fighter.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Grappling: above average (60)
- Luis Pajuelo
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 8-1
- UFC Record: 1-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 6-0 striker, a well rounded 12-2 fighter, and a well rounded 3-0 fighter.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: a little above average (55)
Chris’ Pick: Padilla by decision.
What I think the odds should be: Padilla -175
Trey Ogden vs Kurt Holobaugh
- Trey Ogden
- Age: 34
- Pro Record: 16-6
- UFC Record: 1-2
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Jordan Leavitt.
- Key Wins: Submitted a well rounded 8-2 fighter and an 8-2 grappler. Beat Daniel Zellhuber and a 4-0 wrestler.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Grappling: above average (60)
- Kurt Holobaugh
- Age: 37
- UFC Record: 1-4
- Key Wins: Submitted Austin Hubbard.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Grappling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: Holobaugh by decision.
What I think the odds should be: Holobaugh -175
Ricardo Ramos vs Julian Erosa
- Ricardo Ramos
- Age: 28
- UFC Record: 7-4
- Key Wins: Submitted Luiz Garagorri. Beat Bill Algeo and Journey Newsom. Knocked out Danny Chavez. Split decision win over Kyung Ho Kang.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Grappling: plus (70)
- Julian Erosa
- Age: 34
- UFC Record: 10-8
- Key Losses: Knocked out by Artem Lobov and Teruto Ishihara.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Nate Landwehr and Jamall Emmers. Submitted Charles Jourdain and Sean Woodson. Beat Hakeem Dawodu. Split decision over Steven Peterson.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Grappling: above average (60)
Erosa has been knocked out 2 fights in a row and I don’t trust his chin anymore.
Chris’ Pick: Ramos by 1st round knockout.
What I think the odds should be: Ramos -500
Miles Johns vs Cody Gibson
- Miles Johns
- Age: 29
- UFC Record: 5-2
- Key Wins: Submitted a 5-0 striker. Beat Vince Morales, a 7-1 grappler, a well rounded 11-3 fighter, and a well rounded 6-2 fighter. Knocked out Kevin Natividad. Split decision over Cole Smith and a 7-2 striker.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Cody Gibson
- Age: 36
- Pro Record: 19-9
- UFC Record: 1-4
- Key Wins: Submitted Francisco Rivera. Knocked out a 9-1 wrestler. Beat John Dodson and a 19-3 striker.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Johns by 2nd round knockout.
What I think the odds should be: Johns -175
Jarno Errens vs Steve Nguyen
- Jarno Errens
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 13-5
- UFC Record: 0-2
- Key Losses: Majority decision loss to William Gomis.
- Key Wins: Knocked out a well rounded 23-7 fighter. Beat a 9-2 grappler and an 8-2 grappler.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Grappling: a little above average (55)
- Steve Nguyen
- Age: 30
- Pro Record: 9-1
- UFC Record: 2-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out a well rounded 11-2 fighter and a 5-2 grappler. Beat a 5-0 striker.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Grappling: a little above average (55)
Chris’ Pick: Nguyen by split decision.
What I think the odds should be: Nguyen -125
Montserrat Rendon vs Dariya Zheleznyakova
- Montserrat Rendon
- Age: 34
- Pro Record: 6-0
- UFC Record: 1-0
- Key Wins: Split decision over Tamires Vidal.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Dariya Zheleznyakova
- Age: 28
- Pro Record: 8-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 9-0 striker and a well rounded 3-0 fighter.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: Zheleznyakova by 1st round knockout.
What I think the odds should be: Zheleznyakova -250
Igor Severino vs Andre Lima
- Igor Severino
- Age: 20
- Pro Record: 8-0
- UFC Record: 1-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out an 8-1 striker, a well rounded 9-1 fighter, a well rounded 3-0 fighter, and a 5-0 striker.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Grappling: a little above average (55)
- Andre Lima
- Age: 25
- Pro Record: 7-0
- UFC Record: 1-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out a well rounded 3-0 fighter and a well rounded 7-2 fighter. Beat a 14-1 grappler.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: a little above average (55)
Chris’ Pick: Severino by decision.
What I think the odds should be: Severino -175
Mohammed Usman vs Mick Parkin
- Mohammed Usman
- Age: 34
- Pro Record: 10-2
- UFC Record: 3-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out Zac Pauga and a well rounded 5-1 fighter. Submitted a 4-1 striker. Beat Jake Collier, Junior Tafa, and a 5-2 striker.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Grappling: average (50)
- Mick Parkin
- Age: 28
- Pro Record: 8-0
- UFC Record: 3-0
- Key Wins: Submitted Eduardo Neves. Beat Caio Machado and Jamal Pogues.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
I really thought Parkin had 65 striking after his win over Pogues. The market agreed with me as Parkin closed as a -395 favorite over Machado. But amazingly, Machado out struck Parkin 68 to 34. Wow. Probably a blend of Parkin’s striking not being as good as we thought and Machado being much, much better than we thought. But Parkin’s wrestling is a legit 65 though.
Chris’ Pick: Parkin by decision.
What I think the odds should be: Parkin -175