Lerone Murphy vs Josh Emmett
- Lerone Murphy
- Age: 33
- UFC Record: 7-0-1
- Key Draws: Fought Zubaira Tukhugov to a split decision draw.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Makwan Amirkhani and Ricardo Ramos. Beat Dan Ige, Edson Barboza, Josh Culibao, Douglas Silva de Andrade, and a well rounded 7-1 fighter. Split decision over Gabriel Santos.
- Striking: near plus plus (75)
- Power: near plus plus (75)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
- Josh Emmett
- Age: 40
- UFC Record: 8-3 at 145 lbs.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Bryce Mitchell, Ricardo Lamas, Michael Johnson and Mirsad Bektic. Beat Dan Ige and Shane Burgos. Split decision over Calvin Kattar.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Murphy by decision
Joanderson Brito vs Pat Sabatini
- Joanderson Brito
- Age: 30
- UFC Record: 6-2
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to William Gomis.
- Key Wins: Submitted Jonathan Pearce, Lucas Alexander, a well rounded 5-0 fighter, and a 6-0 grappler. Knocked out Jack Shore, Westin Wilson, Andre Fili, and a well rounded 9-3 fighter. Beat Diego Lopes.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Grappling: plus (70)
- Pat Sabatini
- Age: 34
- UFC Record: 6-2
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to a well rounded 6-3 fighter.
- Key Wins: Submitted Jonathan Pearce, Lucas Almeida, Jamall Emmers, a 12-4 wrestler and a 10-3 wrestler. Beat TJ Laramie, Tucker Lutz, and a 6-2 grappler.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Grappling: plus (70)
Chris’ Pick: Brito by 1st round knockout.
Cortavious Romious vs Changho Lee
- Cortavious Romious
- Age: 31
- Pro Record: 9-3
- UFC Record: 1-2
- Striking: average (50)
- Power: average (50)
- Grappling: a little above average (55)
- Changho Lee
- Age: 30
- Pro Record: 10-1
- UFC Record: 3-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out Zhawupasi Daermisi and an 11-1 grappler. Split decision over Long Xiao.
- Striking: a little above average (55)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: Lee by decision.
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs Martin Buday
- Kennedy Nzechukwu
- Age: 32
- UFC Record: 2-0 at heavyweight. 9-5 overall.
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Nicolae Negumereanu.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Lukasz Brzeski, Chris Barnett, Ion Cutelaba, Karl Roberson, Danilo Marques, and Carlos Ulberg. Submitted Devin Clark.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Grappling: plus (70)
- Martin Buday
- Age: 33
- UFC Record: 6-1
- Key Wins: Submitted Josh Parisian. Knocked out a 7-1 striker. Beat Jake Collier and Chris Barnett. Split decision wins over Andrei Arlovski and Lukas Brzeski.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Nzechukwu by 1st round knockout.
Brad Tavares vs Gerald Meerschaert
- Brad Tavares
- Age: 37
- UFC Record: 15-10
- Key Wins: Knocked out Krzysztof Jotko. Beat Antonio Carlos Jr and Elias Theodorou. Split decision over Omari Akhmedov.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Gerald Meerschaert
- Age: 37
- UFC Record: 12-10
- Key Losses: Lost split decisions to Andre Petroski, Kevin Holland, and Eryk Anders.
- Key Wins: Submitted Edmen Shahbazyan, Bryan Barberena, Bruno Silva, Dustin Stoltzfus, Makhmud Muradov, Bartosz Fabinski, Ryan Janes, Oskar Piechota, and Trevin Giles.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Meerschaert by decision.
Torrez Finney vs Robert Valentin
- Torrez Finney
- Age: 26
- Pro Record: 10-0
- UFC Record: 3-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 7-1 striker and a 5-1 grappler. Submitted a 7-0 grappler. Beat a well rounded 8-2 fighter.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Robert Valentin
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 10-4
- UFC Record: 0-1
- Key Wins: Submitted a 6-1 striker, a 10-3 wrestler, and an 11-3 grappler.
- Striking: a little above average (55)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: Finney by decision.
Luis Gurule vs Ode Osbourne
- Luis Gurule
- Age: 31
- Pro Record: 10-0
- UFC Record: 1-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out a well rounded 3-0 fighter and a well rounded 3-0 fighter. Beat a well rounded 7-2 fighter, a 12-4 wrestler, and a 9-3 wrestler. Split decision over Nick Piccininni.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Ode Osbourne
- Age: 33
- UFC Record: 5-6
- Key Wins: Knocked out Zarrukh Adashev. Submitted a well rounded 5-1 fighter. Beat CJ Vergara. Split decision over Charles Johnson.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: Gurule by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Gurule -250
Daniel Santos vs Davey Grant
- Daniel Santos
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 10-2
- UFC Record: 2-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out John Castaneda, a well rounded 8-0 fighter and a well rounded 7-0 fighter. Submitted a 7-2 striker. Beat Johnny Munoz Jr. a well rounded 11-3-1 fighter.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Davey Grant
- Age: 39
- UFC Record: 9-6
- Key Losses: Submitted by Damian Stasiak and Manny Bermudez. Split decision loss to Daniel Marcos.
- Key Wins: Submitted Raphael Assuncao. Knocked out Louis Smolka and Jonathan Martinez. Beat Ramon Taveras and Marlon Vera.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Santos by split decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Santos -135
Diana Belbita vs Dione Barbosa
- Diana Belbita
- Age: 28
- UFC Record: 2-5
- Key Wins: Beat Maria Oliveira and Hannah Goldy. Majority decision win over a 0-2 fighter in 2017.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Dione Barbosa
- Age: 32
- Pro Record: 7-3
- UFC Record: 2-1
- Key Wins: Submitted a well rounded 5-1 fighter. Beat Ernesta Kareckaite and Karine Silva.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
It’s possible Belbita’s wrestling could be as low as a 55. Belbita also only has 7 UFC fights in the last 6 years.
Chris’ Pick: Barbosa by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Barbosa -200
Rhys McKee vs Daniel Frunza
- Rhys McKee
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 13-6-1
- UFC Record: 0-4
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Chidi Njokuani.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Jai Herbert in 2016, a well rounded 6-2 fighter, and a 5-0 striker.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Daniel Frunza
- Age: 30
- Pro Record: 9-2
- UFC Record: 1-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 6-1 grappler, a 5-1 grappler and a well rounded 4-1 fighter. Beat a well rounded 16-1 fighter.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: a little above average (55)
Despite the ugly 0-4 UFC record and the boring split decision loss to Njokuani, McKee showed up with dramatically better wrestling and clinch work in the Njokuani fight. He also out struck Ange Loosa 70 to 45, so his striking tool is a very legit 65. Could be even as high as a 70. He might be the UFC’s most skilled 0-4 fighter in history.
Chris’ Pick: McKee by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: McKee -350
Loma Lookboonmee vs Istela Nunes
- Loma Lookboonmee
- Age: 29
- UFC Record: 6-2
- Key Losses: Submitted by a 1-1 grappler.
- Key Wins: Submitted Elise Reed. Beat Bruna Brasil, Denise Gomes, Sam Hughes and Jinh Yu Frey. Split decision over Aleksandra Albu.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Istela Nunes
- Age: 32
- Pro Record: 6-5
- UFC Record: 0-4
- Key Losses: Majority decision loss to Sam Hughes.
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 3-0 striker.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
Lookboonmee has been fighting once a year since 2022. But despite that, she has gotten better. Based on her out striking Brasil 47 to 22, I have no choice but to finally upgrade her striking to a 65. Nunes has really, really improved on her wrestling. Tool is close to a 65.
Chris’ Pick: Nunes by split decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Nunes -175
Victor Henry vs Pedro Falcao
- Victor Henry
- Age: 37
- UFC Record: 3-2
- Key Wins: Knocked out Rani Yahya and Anderson dos Santos. Submitted a well rounded 11-2 fighter, an 18-3 wrestler and a 10-2-1 wrestler. Beat a 6-0 wrestler, a 4-0 striker, and a 12-4 wrestler. Split decision wins over Tony Gravely and Kyler Phillips.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Grappling: above average (60)
- Pedro Falcao
- Age: 32
- Pro Record: 16-4
- UFC Record: 1-1
- Key Wins: Beat a 14-4 grappler.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Henry by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Henry -250
Vanessa Demopoulos vs Talita Alencar
- Vanessa Demopoulos
- Age: 36
- UFC Record: 5-4
- Key Wins: Submitted Silvana Juarez and Sam Hughes. Knocked out a 5-2 striker. Beat Kanako Murata and Maria Oliveira. Split decision over Emily Ducote.
- Striking: a little above average (55)
- Power: fringe average (45)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Grappling: a little above average (55)
- Talita Alencar
- Age: 34
- Pro Record: 5-1-1
- UFC Record: 1-1-1
- Key Draws: Fought Stephanie Luciano to a draw.
- Key Wins: Split decision over Rayanne dos Santos.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Grappling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: Alencar by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Alencar -225