Tatsuro Taira vs Hyun Sung Park
- Tatsuro Taira
- Age: 25
- UFC Record: 6-1
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Brandon Royval.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Alex Perez, Carlos Henrnadez and a 6-1 wrestler. Submitted Jesus Aguilar, CJ Vergara, and a 6-2 striker. Beat Edgar Chairez and Carlos Candelario.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Grappling: near plus plus (75)
- Hyun Sung Park
- Age: 29
- UFC Record: 5-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out Shannon Ross and a well rounded 6-2 fighter. Submitted Carlos Hernandez, a 7-2 wrestler, and an 8-3 striker.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Grappling: plus (70)
I’d really love to see more of Park going into this fight. Very, very small sample size but he out struck Hernandez 11 to 4 showing his striking could be as high as a 70.
Chris’ Pick: Taira by 4th round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Taira -225
Mateusz Rebecki vs Chris Duncan
- Mateusz Rebecki
- Age: 32
- UFC Record: 5-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out Loik Radzhabov, a well rounded 18-5 fighter, a 8-1 striker, a 12-1 striker, a 12-2 grappler, a 12-2 wrestler, and a well rounded 8-2 fighter. Submitted Roosevelt Roberts, a 12-2 striker. Beat Nick Fiore and a well rounded 7-2 fighter. Split decision over Myktybek Orolbai.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
- Chris Duncan
- Age: 32
- UFC Record: 5-2
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 6-1 striker, a well rounded 8-2 fighter, and a 14-5 wrestler. Submitted Jordan Vucenic, Bolaji Oki. Beat Yanal Ashmoz. Split decision over Omar Morales.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
Duncan has made massive leaps in his grappling as he was able to take down Vucenic and control him for most of their fight. It’s also possible his striking might have improved to a 65, but we haven’t seen much of it in his past couple fights.
Chris’ Pick: Rebecki by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Rebecki -250
Esteban Ribovics vs Elves Brener
- Esteban Ribovics
- Age: 29
- UFC Record: 4-2
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Nasrat Haqparast.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Terrance McKinney, an 11-3 striker, a 5-1 grappler, a well rounded 17-6 fighter, and a well rounded 21-6 fighter. Beat Kamuela Kirk. Split decision over Daniel Zellhuber.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Grappling: above average (60)
- Elves Brener
- Age: 27
- UFC Record: 3-2
- Key Losses: Lost to a 10-7 wrestler.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Kaynan Kruschewsky and Guram Kutateladze. Submitted a 7-0 grappler, a 5-2 wrestler, and a well rounded 8-2 fighter. Split decision over Zubaira Tukhugov.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Brener by 2nd round submission.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Brener -250
Nora Cornolle vs Karol Rosa
- Nora Cornolle
- Age: 35
- Pro Record: 9-2
- UFC Record: 3-1
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Jacqueline Cavalcanti.
- Key Wins: Submitted Hailey Cowan. Knocked out Melissa Mullins. Beat Joselyne Edwards.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
- Karol Rosa
- Age: 30
- UFC Record: 7-4
- Key Wins: Knocked out an 8-3 striker. Beat Pannie Kianzad, Joselyne Edwards, and Vanessa Melo. Split decision over Lara Procopio. Majority decision over Lina Lansberg. Split decision over Yana Santos.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Cornolle by decision.
What odds the favorite should be at: Cornolle -200
Neil Magny vs Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
- Neil Magny
- Age: 37
- UFC Record: 25-13
- Key Wins: Knocked out Mike Malott. Hector Lombard. Submitted Daniel Rodriguez. Beat Geoff Neal, Robbie Lawler, Anthony Rocco Martin, Jingliang Li and Tim Means. Split decision wins over Phil Rowe and Max Griffin.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
- Age: 38
- UFC Record: 11-5-1
- Key Losses: Split decision losses to Muslim Salikhov and Nicholas Dalby.
- Key Draws: Fought Rinat Fakheretdinov to a majority draw.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Zachary Scroggin, Omari Akhmedov, and Sean Strickland. Beat Benoit St. Denis and Alexey Kunchenko. Split decision wins over Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Lyman Good.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
I’ve had Zaleski dos Santos with 65 tools for awhile, but Chidi Njokuani out struck Zaleski dos Santos 36 to 13 in their last fight. Thus, I think Zaleski dos Santos is starting to regress.
Chris’ Pick: Magny by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Magny -175
Kevin Vallejos vs Danny Silva
- Kevin Vallejos
- Age: 23
- Pro Record: 15-1
- UFC Record: 2-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out Seung Woo Choi, Luiz Garagorri, an 8-0 striker, and a well rounded 6-0 fighter.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Danny Silva
- Age: 28
- Pro Record: 10-1
- UFC Record: 3-0
- Key Losses: Majority decision loss to Canaan Kawaihae.
- Key Wins: Beat a 7-1 striker and a 4-0 wrestler. Split decision wins over Lucas Almeida and Josh Culibao.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: Vallejos by 2nd round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Vallejos -250
Rinya Nakamura vs Nathan Fletcher
- Rinya Nakamura
- Age: 30
- Pro Record: 9-1
- UFC Record: 3-1
- Key Wins: Submitted a well rounded 8-3 fighter. Knocked out a well rounded 10-2 fighter and a 9-2 grappler. Beat Carlos Vera, Fernie Garcia, and a 23-6 grappler.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Grappling: plus (70)
- Nathan Fletcher
- Age: 27
- Pro Record: 8-2
- UFC Record: 1-1
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Caolan Loughran.
- Key Wins: Submitted a 9-2 striker, a well rounded 8-1 fighter, a 10-3 wrestler, a well rounded 4-0 fighter, and a well rounded 6-0 fighter. Knocked out a 3-0 striker. Beat a 6-1 striker.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Nakamura by 2nd round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Nakamura -300
Rodolfo Vieira vs Tresean Gore
- Rodolfo Vieira
- Age: 35
- UFC Record: 4-3
- Key Wins: Submitted Cody Brundage, Dustin Stoltzfus, Oskar Piechota, Saparbek Safarov, and a well rounded 10-0 fighter.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: plus (70)
- Tresean Gore
- Age: 31
- UFC Record: 2-3
- Key Wins: Submitted Antonio Trocoli and Josh Fremd.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Vieira by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Vieira -175
Nick Klein vs Andrey Pulyaev
- Nick Klein
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 6-2
- UFC Record: 1-1
- Key Wins: Submitted a 9-1-1 grappler and a 12-4 grappler.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
- Andrey Pulyaev
- Age: 27
- Pro Record: 9-3
- UFC Record: 1-1
- Key Wins: Beat a well rounded 6-2 fighter.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
The market thinks Christian Leroy Duncan has 70 striking, but I don’t. I see the tool as a 65. So when Duncan out strikes Pulyaev 47 to 14, thus, I think Pulyaev’s striking is a 60. Yes, Klein out struck Mansur Abdul-Malik 26 to 6. So I thought there was a chance that Klein’s striking could be a 65. But then Abdul-Malik fights Cody Brundage and Brundage also out strikes him 29 to 18. Thus, I’m pretty convinced Klein’s striking is just a 60.
Chris’ Pick: Klein by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Klein -135
Austin Bashi vs John Yannis
- Austin Bashi
- Age: 23
- Pro Record: 13-1
- UFC Record: 1-1
- Key Wins: Submitted a well rounded 8-2 fighter and a 14-3 striker. Knocked out a 6-1 grappler. Beat an 8-1 grappler and a 9-3 wrestler.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
- John Yannis
- Age: 31
- Pro Record: 9-3
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Cameron Smotherman.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Nick Aguirre. Split decision over a 7-2 striker.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: a little above average (55)
Chris’ Pick: Bashi by 2nd round submission.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Bashi -200
Rafael Estevam vs Felipe Bunes
- Rafael Estevam
- Age: 28
- Pro Record: 13-0
- UFC Record: 3-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 17-3 grappler and a well rounded 7-0 fighter. Submitted a well rounded 5-0 fighter. Beat Jesus Aguilar, Charles Johnson, a 6-1 grappler, and a well rounded 7-1 fighter.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
- Felipe Bunes
- Age: 35
- Pro Record: 14-7
- UFC Record: 1-1
- Key Wins: Submitted Jose Johnson, a 4-0 striker, a well rounded 7-0-1 fighter, and a 4-1 grappler.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Estevam by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Estevam -200
Ketlen Souza vs Piera Rodriguez
- Ketlen Souza
- Age: 30
- Pro Record: 15-5
- UFC Record: 2-2
- Split decision loss to Angela Hill.
- Key Wins: Submitted Yazmin Jauregui. Knocked out a 6-1 grappler. Beat Marnic Mann.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Piera Rodriguez
- Age: 32
- UFC Record: 4-2
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 13-4 grappler and a 3-1 grappler. Beat Josefine Knutsson, Sam Hughes, Kay Hansen, and an 8-2 striker.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: above average (65)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
Rodriguez beating Knutsson was one of the biggest upsets of last year, especially being that Rodriguez out classed her on the ground. Not a close, split decision at all. Stylelistically, Souza has a similar toolkit to Knutsson and I think Rodriguez has no problem getting take downs.
Chris’ Pick: Rodriguez by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Rodriguez -250