Dricus Du Plessis vs Khamzat Chimaev
- Dricus du Plessis
- Age: 31
- UFC Record: 9-0
- Key Wins: Submitted Israel Adesanya, Darren Till, a well rounded 7-2-2 fighter, and a well rounded 8-1 fighter. Knocked out Robert Whittaker, Derek Brunson, Trevin Giles, Markus Perez, a 13-2 striker, and a well rounded 30-7 fighter. Beat Sean Strickland and Brad Tavares. Split decision win over Strickland
- Striking: near plus plus (75)
- Power: near plus plus (75)
- Wrestling: near plus plus (75)
- Khamzat Chimaev
- Age: 31
- UFC Record: 8-0
- Key Wins: Submitted Kevin Holland and Jingliang Li. Knocked out Gerald Meerschaert, a 10-2 striker, a well rounded 8-0 fighter and a 4-0 grappler. Beat Gilbert Burns. Majority decision over Kamaru Usman.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Grappling: near plus plus (75)
Chris’ Pick: Du Plessis by 4th round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Du Plessis -225
Lerone Murphy vs Aaron Pico
- Lerone Murphy
- Age: 34
- UFC Record: 8-0-1
- Key Draws: Fought Zubaira Tukhugov to a split decision draw.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Makwan Amirkhani and Ricardo Ramos. Beat Josh Emmett, 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)
- Aaron Pico
- Age: 28
- Pro Record: 13-4
- Key Wins: Knocked out a well rounded 9-1 fighter, a well rounded 12-3 fighter and an 18-4 grappler. Beat a 12-0 wrestler.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
Murphy out striking Emmett 75 to 40 really solidifies a 75 grade on his striking.
Chris’ Pick: Murphy by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Murphy -350
Carlos Prates vs Geoff Neal
- Carlos Prates
- Age: 31
- UFC Record: 5-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out Neil Magny, Jingliang Li, Charlie Radtke, Trevin Giles, an 8-0 striker, a 5-0 striker, and an 8-3 striker, and a well rounded 21-7 fighter.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Geoff Neal
- Age: 34
- UFC Record: 9-4
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Ian Garry.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Vicente Luque, Mike Perry, and Niko Price. Beat Belal Muhammaed. Split decision over Santiago Ponzinibbio.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
Chris’ Pick: Neal by split decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Neal -125
Jared Cannonier vs Michael Page
- Jared Cannonier
- Age: 41
- UFC Record: 7-4 at 185 lbs. 10-8 overall.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Gregory Rodrigues, Jack Hermansson, Anderson Silva, and David Branch. Beat Marvin Vettori, Sean Strickland, and Kelvin Gastelum.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
- Michael Page
- Age: 38
- Pro Record: 23-3
- UFC Record: 2-1
- 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 Shara Magomedov, an 8-0 wrestler. Split decision over Douglas Lima.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Cannonier by 2nd round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Cannonier -200
Kai Asakura vs Tim Elliott
- Kai Asakura
- Age: 31
- Pro Record: 21-5
- UFC Record: 0-1
- Key Losses: Knocked out by Kyoji Horiguchi and Manel Kape. Lost to a 24-5 wrestler.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Heili Alateng and a 29-4 striker. Beat Topnoi Kiwram. Split decision over Manel Kape.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Tim Elliott
- Age: 38
- UFC Record: 13-11
- Key Losses: Lost to Zach Makovsky.
- Key Wins: Knocked down and submitted by Ben Nguyen. Submitted Su Mudaerji and Mark de la Rosa. Beat Victor Altamirano, Tagir Ulanbekov, Louis Smolka, Ryan Benoit, and Jordan Espinosa.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Asakura by 2nd round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Asakura -200
Baisangur Susurkaev vs Eric Nolan
- Baisangur Susurkaev
- Age: 24
- Pro Record: 9-0
- UFC Record: 1-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out Murtaza Talha and a well rounded 6-0 fighter. Beat an 8-3 striker.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Eric Nolan
- Age: 27
- Pro Record: 8-3
- Key Wins: Knocked out a well rounded 7-2 fighter and a 9-2 grappler.
- Striking: average (50)
- Power: average (50)
- Wrestling: average (50)
Important to note that Nolan normally fights at welterweight, but because he’s taking this fight on 3 days notice, this fight will be at middleweight. And yes, Susurkaev is an actual middleweight and his fight on the Contender was at middleweight as well.
Chris’ Pick: Susurkaev by 1st round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Susurkaev -600
Gerald Meerschaert vs Michel Oleksiejczuk
- Gerald Meerschaert
- Age: 37
- UFC Record: 12-11
- 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)
- Michal Oleksiejczuk
- Age: 30
- UFC Record: 4-4 at 185 lbs. 8-7 overall.
- Key Losses: Submitted by Ovince St. Preux.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Sedriques Dumas, Chidi Njokuani, Cody Brundage, Shamil Gamzatov, Gian Villante, Gadzhimurad Antigulov, and a 5-0 striker. Beat a well rounded 4-1 fighter. Split decision over Modestas Bukauskas.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Oleksiejczuk by 1st round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Oleksiejczuk -300
Loopy Godinez vs Jessica Andrade
- Loopy Godinez
- Age: 31
- UFC Record: 8-2 at 115 lbs. 8-3 overall
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Jessica Penne.
- Key Wins: Submitted Elise Reed and Silvana Juarez. Beat Julia Polastri, Emily Ducote, Ariane Carnelossi, and Loma Lookboonmee. Split decision wins over Tabatha Ricci and Cynthia Calvillo. Majority decision over Vanessa Demopoulos.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
- Jessica Andrade
- Age: 33
- UFC Record: 9-5 at 115 lbs.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Mackenzie Dern, Cynthia Calvillo, Rose Namajunas, Katlyn Chookagian, and Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Submitted Amanda Lemos and Joanne Calderwood. Beat Lauren Murphy, Claudia Gadelha, and Tecia Torres. Split decision over Marina Rodriguez.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Godinez by split decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Godinez -125
Chase Hooper vs Alexander Hernandez
- Chase Hooper
- Age: 25
- UFC Record: 5-0 at 155 lbs. 9-3 overall.
- Key Draws: Fought a 7-8 striker to a draw.
- Key Losses: Lost to Alex Caceres.
- Key Wins: Submitted Clay Guida, Slava Borshchev and Jordan Leavitt. Knocked out Felipe Colares and Daniel Teymur. Beat Jim Miller, Nick Fiore and a 4-0 grappler.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: plus (70)
- Alexander Hernandez
- Age: 32
- UFC Record: 8-7
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Damon Jackson.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Beneil Dariush and Chris Greutzemacher. Beat Kurt Holobaugh, Jim Miller, Oliver Aubin-Mercier, and Francisco Trinaldo. Split decision over Austin Hubbard.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
Hernandez has for sure regressed. He’s now 15 fights into his UFC career. Had 65 striking and wrestling for awhile. But Holobaugh out struck him 63 to 45 and there’s zero chance Holobaugh’s striking is better than a 65.
Chris’ Pick: Hooper by 1st round submission.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Hooper -250
Edson Barboza vs Drakkar Klose
- Edson Barboza
- Age: 39
- UFC Record: 14-10 at 155 lbs. 18-14 overall
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Dan Ige.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Billy Quarantillo, Shane Burgos, Dan Hooker, and Beneil Dariush. Beat Sodiq Yusuff, Makwan Amirkhani, Anthony Pettis, and Gilbert Melendez.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Drakkar Klose
- Age: 37
- UFC Record: 9-3
- Key Wins: Knocked out Joe Solecki. Beat Joaquim Silva, Rafa Garcia, and Bobby Green. Split decision over Marc Diakiese.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Amazingly, Lerone Murphy out struck Barboza 205 to 77 thus affirming that at 39 years of age, Barboza’s skills are starting to regress.
Chris’ Pick: Barboza by 2nd round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Barboza -125
Karine Silva vs Dione Barbosa
- Karine Silva
- Age: 31
- UFC Record: 5-1
- Key Wins: Submitted Maryna Moroz, Ketlen Souza, Poliana Botelho, a well rounded 20-3 fighter, well rounded 7-2 fighter and a well rounded 8-1 fighter. Beat Ariane da Silva.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Grappling: plus (70)
- Dione Barbosa
- Age: 33
- Pro Record: 8-3
- UFC Record: 3-1
- Key Wins: Submitted Diana Belbita and a well rounded 5-1 fighter. Beat Ernesta Kareckaite and Karine Silva.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
Natalia Silva has shown to have legit 75 striking. So being that Silva only out struck Viviane Araujo 38 to 25, we can conclude Araujo’s striking is indeed a 70. And thus, with Karine Silva out striking Araujo 45 to 41, I can safely say Karine Silva’s stirking has improved to a 70 grade.
Chris’ Pick: Silva by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Silva -400
Idiris Alibi vs Joseph Morales
- Idiris Alibi
- Age: 25
- Pro Record: 10-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 9-2 striker, a 4-1 striker, and an 8-2 wrestler. Beat an 8-0 grappler.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Joseph Morales
- Age: 30
- Pro Record: 12-2
- UFC Record: 1-2
- Key Wins: Submitted Roberto Sanchez. Beat a well rounded 8-1 fighter and an 8-2 wrestler. Split decision over a 13-7 wrestler.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Grappling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: Alibi by 2nd round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Alibi -250