Aljamain Sterling vs Youssef Zalal
- Aljamain Sterling
- Age: 35
- UFC Record: 17-5
- Key Losses: Lost a split decision to Bryan Caraway.
- Key Wins: Submitted Cory Sandhagen and Cody Stamann. Beat Calvin Kattar, Pedro Munhoz, Jimmie Rivera, and Brett Johns. Split decision wins over Henry Cejudo and Petr Yan.
- Striking: near plus plus (75)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Grappling: near plus plus (75)
- Youssef Zalal
- Age: 29
- UFC Record: 8-3-1
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Sean Woodson.
- Key Draws: Fought Da’Mon Blackshear to a majority draw.
- Key Wins: Submitted Josh Emmett, Jack Shore,Jarno Errens, Billy Quarantillo, and a well rounded 6-2 fighter. Beat Calvin Kattar, Jordan Griffin and a 7-0 fighter.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: above average (60)
- Grappling: plus (70)
Chris’ Pick: Sterling by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Sterling -250
Alexander Hernandez vs Rafa Garcia
- Alexander Hernandez
- Age: 33
- UFC Record: 10-7
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Damon Jackson.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Diego Ferreira, Chase Hooper, Beneil Dariush and Chris Greutzemacher. Beat Kurt Holobaugh, Jim Miller, Oliver Aubin-Mercier, and Francisco Trinaldo. Split decision over Austin Hubbard.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Rafa Garcia
- Age: 31
- UFC Record: 6-4
- Key Wins: Submitted Jesse Ronson. Knocked out Jared Gordon, a well rounded 8-3 fighter. Beat Maheshate Hayisaer and a 10-3 striker. Beat Natan Levy. Majority decision win over a well rounded 6-2 fighter.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
I might be late to the party on Hernandez but I still don’t see enough evidence his striking has improved to a 70. I could be wrong, but more plausible than Ferreira has regressed at 40 years of age. After all, Chase Hooper did out strike Hernandez 20 to 13 less than a year ago.
Chris’ Pick: Hernandez by split decision
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Hernandez -135
Adrian Luna Martinetti vs Davey Grant
- Adrian Luna Martinetti
- Age: 30
- Pro Record: 17-1
- UFC Record: 1-0
- Key Wins: Submitted a well rounded 12-4 fighter. Beat Mark Vologdin and a well rounded 6-2 fighter.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Grappling: above average (60)
- Davey Grant
- Age: 40
- UFC Record: 10-7
- 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 Da’Mon Blackshear, Ramon Taveras, and Marlon Vera in 2016.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Grant by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Grant -300
Montel Jackson vs Raoni Barcelos
- Montel Jackson
- Age: 33
- UFC Record: 10-3
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Deiveson Figueiredo.
- Key Wins: Submitted Brian Kelleher. Knocked out Da’Mon Blackshear and Rani Yahya. Beat Daniel Marcos, Julio Arce, JP Buys, and Felipe Corales.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: near plus (70)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Raoni Barcelos
- Age: 38
- UFC Record: 10-4
- Key Losses: Majority decision loss to Timur Valiev.
- Key Wins: Submitted Cristian Quinonez and Chris Guttierez. Beat Ricky Simon, Cody Garbrandt, Payton Talbott, Trevin Jones, Khalid Taha, and Said Nurmagomedov.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Jackson by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Jackson -300
Norma Dumont vs Joselyne Edwards
- Norma Dumont
- Age: 35
- UFC Record: 9-2
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Macy Chiasson.
- Key Wins: Beat Ketlen Vieira, Irene Aldana, Germaine de Randamie, Chelsea Chandler, Karol Rosa, Danyelle Wolf, Aspen Ladd and Ashlee Evans-Smith. Split decision win over Felicia Spencer.
- Striking: near plus plus (75)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
- Joselyne Edwards
- Age: 30
- UFC Record: 8-4
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Sarah Alpar.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Priscila Cachoeira and Chelsea Chandler. Submitted Nora Cornolle, Tamires Vidal, an 8-3 striker. Beat Ramona Pascual and Yanan Wu. Split decision wins over Lucie Pudilova and Ji Yeon Kim.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Dumont by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Dumont -350
Marcus Buchecha vs Ryan Spann
- Marcus Buchecha
- Age: 35
- Pro Record: 5-2
- UFC Record: 0-1
- Key Wins: Submitted a 14-3 striker, a 5-0 striker, and a 5-1 striker.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Grappling: plus (70)
- Ryan Spann
- Age: 34
- UFC Record: 10-6
- Key Wins: Knocked out Dominick Reyes, Misha Cirkunov, and Lil’ Nog. Submitted Lukasz Brzeski, Ovince St Preux, Ion Cutelaba, and Devin Clark. Split decision over Sam Alvey.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
Spann wasn’t in the octagon for long, but with the few minutes we did see, very possible Spann’s grappling could have leveled up to a 70.
Chris’ Pick: Spann by 1st round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Spann -135
Julia Polastri vs Talita Alencar
- Julia Polastri
- Age: 28
- UFC Record: 3-3
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 9-1 wrestler. Submitted a well rounded 9-2 fighter and a well rounded 8-2 fighter. Beat a well rounded 7-2 fighter. Split decision over Cory McKenna.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Talita Alencar
- Age: 35
- UFC Record: 3-1-1
- Key Draws: Fought Stephanie Luciano to a draw.
- Key Wins: Submitted Arianne Carnelossi. Beat Vanessa Demopoulos. Split decision over Rayanne dos Santos.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Polastri by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Polastri -225
Rodolfo Vieira vs Eric McConico
- Rodolfo Vieira
- Age: 36
- UFC Record: 5-4
- Key Wins: Submitted Cody Brundage, Dustin Stoltzfus, Oskar Piechota, Saparbek Safarov, and a well rounded 10-0 fighter. Beat Tresean Gore.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
- Eric McConico
- Age: 35
- Pro Record: 10-4-1
- UFC Record: 1-2
- Key Losses: Knocked out by a 10-7-2 striker and a 5-3 striker. Split decision over Cody Brundage.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Grappling: above average (60)
Slight possibility McConico’s striking could be a 65 based on Baisangur Susurkaev out striking him 42 to 36. Close.
Chris’ Pick: Vieira by 2nd round submission.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Vieira -175
Jafel Filho vs Cody Durden
- Jafel Filho
- Age: 32
- UFC Record: 4-2
- Key Losses: Submitted by an 8-4 grappler.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Vinicius Salvador and a 7-1 striker. Submitted Clayton Carpenter, Ode Osbourne, Daniel Barez, a well rounded 5-0 fighter, a well rounded 8-3 fighter, and a well rounded 8-1 fighter.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Grappling: plus (70)
- Cody Durden
- Age: 35
- UFC Record: 6-8-1
- Key Draws: Fought Chris Guttierez to a draw.
- Key Wins: Knocked out JP Buys and a 6-2 grappler. Submitted Matt Schnell and a 10-3 wrestler. Beat Jake Hadley, Charles Johnson, Carlos Mota, and Qileng Aori.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: plus (70)
Chris’ Pick: Filho by split decision.
Mayra Bueno Silva vs Michelle Montague
- Mayra Bueno Silva
- Age: 34
- UFC Record: 6-6-1 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: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
- Michelle Montague
- Age: 32
- Pro Record: 7-0
- UFC Record: 1-0
- Key Wins: Beat Luana Carolina.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: plus (70)
Jacqueline Cavalcanti out struck Bueno Silva 73 to 36 and it’s possible that Cavalcanti’s striking could’ve leveled up to a 75, but I doubt it. I think Bueno Silva’s career trajectory is trending down and she’s probably starting to regress.
Chris’ Pick: Montague by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Montague -135
Sedriques Dumas vs Jackson McVey
- Sedriques Dumas
- Age: 30
- UFC Record: 4-4
- Key Wins: Submitted a 7-0 striker. Beat Denis Tiuliulin, Abu Azaitar, and Cody Brundage.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Jackson McVey
- Age: 26
- Pro Record: 6-2
- UFC Record: 0-2
- Key Wins: Knocked out a well rounded 4-1 fighter.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Grappling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: McVey by 1st round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: McVey -225
Victor Valenzuela vs Max Griffin
- Victor Valenzuela
- Age: 32
- Pro Record: 13-4
- UFC Record: 0-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out a well rounded 6-1 fighter. Beat a well rounded 4-1 fighter.
- Striking: a little above average (55)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Wrestling: a little above average (55)
- Max Griffin
- Age: 40
- UFC Record: 8-10
- Key Losses: Lost to Curtis Millender. Lost split decisions to Neil Magny, Alex Oliveira, and Thiago Alves.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Kenan Song. Beat Mike Perry. Split decision wins over Jeremiah Wells and Tim Means.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Griffin by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Griffin -300