
Israel Adesanya vs Nassourdine Imavov
- Israel Adesanya
- Age: 35
- UFC Record: 13-2 at 185 lbs. 13-3 overall.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Alex Pereira, Paulo Costa, Robert Whittaker, and Derek Brunson. Beat Jared Cannonier, Marvin Vettori, Kelvin Gastelum, and Anderson Silva.
- Striking: near plus plus (75)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
- Nassourdine Imavov
- Age: 29
- UFC Record: 6-2
- Key Losses: Majority decision loss to Phil Hawes.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Jared Cannonier, Ian Heinisch, a 3-0 wrestler, and a 9-1 striker. Beat Brendan Allen, Joaquin Buckley, Jordan Williams, and a 12-4 grappler. Majority decision over Roman Dolidze.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
Adesanya did lose to Du Plessis, but for me, he showed off the best wrestling of his career. The tool improved to a 70 grade.
Chris’ Pick: Adesanya by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Adesanya -125
Shara Magomedov vs Michael Page
- Shara Magomedov
- Age: 30
- Pro Record: 15-0
- UFC Record: 4-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out Armen Petrosyan, Antonio Trocolli, a 16-4 striker, a 4-1 striker, and a well rounded 9-2 fighter. Beat Bruno Silva and a 21-5 wrestler.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Michael Page
- Age: 37
- Pro Record: 22-3
- UFC Record: 1-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 28-5 grapper, a well rounded 17-3 fighter, a 9-3 striker, a well rounded 19-4 fighter, a well rounded 6-0 fighter and a 9-2 striker. Submitted a well rounded 7-1 fighter. Beat an 8-0 wrestler. Split decision over Douglas Lima.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Page by split decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Page -135
Sergei Pavlovich vs Jairzinho Rozenstruik
- Sergei Pavlovich
- Age: 32
- UFC Record: 6-3
- Key Wins: Knocked out Curtis Blaydes and Tai Tuivasa, Derrick Lewis, Shamil Abdurakhimov, and Maurice Greene.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Jairzinho Rozenstruik
- Age: 36
- UFC Record: 8-6
- Key Wins: Knocked out Shamil Gaziev, Chris Daukaus, Augusto Sakai, Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, and Andrei Arlovski. Split decision over Tai Tuivasa.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Pavlovich by 1st round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Pavlovich -125
Said Nurmagomedov vs Vinicius Oliveira
- Said Nurmagomedov
- Age: 32
- UFC Record: 6-2
- Key Wins: Knocked out Cody Stamann, Ricardo Ramos, and Mark Striegl. Submitted Muin Gafurov and Saidyokub Kahkramonov. Beat a well rounded 9-2 fighter, a well rounded 11-2 fighter, and a 16-3 grappler. Split decision over Justin Scoggins.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Vinicius Oliveira
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 20-3
- UFC Record: 3-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out Bernardo Sopai, a well rounded 15-4 fighter, a 12-3 grappler and a 12-2 wrestler. Beat Ricky Simon, a well rounded 12-3 fighter, and a 13-1 wrestler.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
Even if Simon’s striking regressed to a 60, I can easily grade Oliveira’s striking as a 70 with him out striking Simon 94 to 40.
Chris’ Pick: Oliveira by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Oliveira -225
Fares Ziam vs Mike Davis
- Fares Ziam
- Age: 27
- UFC Record: 6-2
- Key Wins: Knocked out Matt Frevola. Submitted a well rounded 5-1 fighter. Beat Jai Herbert, Jamie Mullarkey, and a 4-0 striker. Majority decision over Luigi Vendramini. Split decision over Claudio Puelles.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Mike Davis
- Age: 32
- UFC Record: 4-2
- Key Wins: Submitted Natan Levy. Knocked out a 5-2 striker. Beat Slava Borshchev and Mason Jones.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Grappling: plus (70)
The striking numbers between Ziam and Frevola are lopsided with Ziam getting the better of it 45 to 9. And the fight closed as a pick em going in with the market thinking both had 65 striking. But I think the reason the numbers were so lopsided is because Frevola gassed himself out trying to get a guillotine in the 1st round and emptying the tank in the grappling. Ziam out struck Frevola only 13 to 6 in the 1st round.
Chris’ Pick: Ziam by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Ziam -125
Muhammad Naimov vs Kaan Ofli
- Muhammad Naimov
- Age: 30
- UFC Record: 3-2
- Key Wins: Knocked out Jamie Mullarkey and a 4-1 striker. Beat Nathaniel Wood. Split decision win over a 2-0-1 fighter.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Grappling: above average (60)
- Kaan Ofli
- Age: 31
- Pro Record: 10-3
- UFC Record: 0-1
- Key Wins: Submitted a 6-1 striker. Beat a 5-2 wrestler and another 5-2 wrestler.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Naimov by 2nd round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Naimov -250
Shamil Gaziev vs Thomas Petersen
- Shamil Gaziev
- Age: 34
- Pro Record: 13-1
- UFC Record: 3-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out Martin Buday, Darko Stosic, and a 4-0 striker. Submitted a well rounded 6-0 fighter. Beat Don’Tale Mayes. Split decision over a 13-0 striker.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
- Thomas Petersen
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 9-2
- UFC Record: 2-1
- Key Wins: Beat Mohammed Usman.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: Gaziev by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Gaziev -350
Terrance McKinney vs Damir Hadzovic
- Terrance McKinney
- Age: 30
- UFC Record: 5-4
- Key Wins: Knocked out Brendon Marotte, Mike Breeden, Matt Frevola, and an 11-3 grappler. Submitted Fares Ziam.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Grappling: plus (70)
- Damir Hadzovic
- Age: 38
- UFC Record: 4-5
- Key Losses: Lost to Alan Patrick.
- Key Wins: Beat Yancy Medeiros. Split decision over Nick Hein.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Grappling: average (50)
Hadzovic returns for his first fight in almost 3 years. I think Hadzovic’s striking is a 60, but that’s largely based on what he did with Medeiros 4 years ago. Striking could absolutely be a 55. I am confident his wrestling is a 50 based on his last fight with Marc Diakiese.
Chris’ Pick: McKinney by 1st round submission.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: McKinney -500
Mayra Bueno Silva vs Jasmine Jasudavicius
- Mayra Bueno Silva
- Age: 33
- UFC Record: 6-4-1 at 135 lbs.
- Key Draws: Fought Montana de la Rosa to a draw.
- Key Wins: Submitted Lina Lansberg, Stephanie Egger, and a 7-0 striker. Knocked out a well rounded 5-0 fighter in her 1st pro fight. Beat Yanan Wu. Split decision over a well rounded 7-1 fighter.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: above average (60)
- Grappling: plus (70)
- Jasmine Jasudavicius
- Age: 35
- UFC Record: 7-2
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to a 4-0 striker.
- Key Wins: Submitted Ariane da Silva and Priscila Cachoeira. Beat Fatima Kline, Miranda Maverick, Gabriella Fernandes, Kay Hansen, and an 8-2 striker.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: plus (70)
Bueno Silva moves down to 125 lbs for the first time in her UFC career. Will be interesting to see how her tools translate.
Chris’ Pick: Bueno Silva by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Bueno Silva -250
Bogdan Grad vs Lucas Alexander
- Bogdan Grad
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 14-2
- UFC Record: 1-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 4-0 grappler. Submitted a well rounded 6-2 fighter. Beat a well rounded 17-6 fighter. Split decision over a 9-1 striker.
- Striking: a little above average (55)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Lucas Alexander
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 8-4
- UFC Record: 1-2
- Key Wins: Beat Steven Peterson.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Alexander by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Alexander -500
Hamdy Abdelwahab vs Jamal Pogues
- Hamdy Abdelwahab
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 6-0
- UFC Record: 1-0
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Jamal Pogues
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 10-4
- UFC Record: 2-1
- Key Wins: Beat Thomas Petersen, Josh Parisian, a 10-1 striker, a well rounded 8-0 fighter, an 11-0 striker, and a well rounded 7-2 fighter.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: Abdelwahab by 2nd round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Abdelwahab -200