Umar Nurmagomedov vs Song Yadong
- Umar Nurmagomedov
- Age: 30
- UFC Record: 8-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out Raoni Barcelos. Submitted Brian Kelleher and Sergey Morozov. Beat Deiveson Figuereido, Mario Bautista, Cory Sandhagen, Bekzat Almakhan, Nathan Maness, a 12-0-1 grappler, and a 5-0 grappler.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: near plus plus (75)
- Yadong Song
- Age: 28
- UFC Record: 12-4-1
- Key Draws: Fought Cody Stamann to a draw.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Ricky Simon, Marlon Moraes, Julio Arce, Felipe Arantes, and Alejandro Perez. Submitted Deiveson Figuereido. Beat Henry Cejudo, Chris Gutierrez, Marlon Vera. Split decision over Casey Kenney.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: near plus plus (75)
Chris’ Pick: Song by 2nd round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Song -135
Xiaonan Yan vs Denise Gomes
- Yan Xiaonan
- Age: 37
- UFC Record: 9-4
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Marina Rodriguez.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Jessica Andrade. Beat Tabatha Ricci, Claudia Gadelha, Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Angela Hill. Majority decision over MacKenzie Dern.
- Striking: near plus plus (75)
- Power: near plus plus (75)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
- Denise Gomes
- Age: 26
- UFC Record: 7-2
- Key Wins: Knocked out Elise Reed, Yazmin Jauregui, Bruna Brasil, a well rounded 3-0 fighter, and a 3-0 striker. Beat Tecia Pennington, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, and a 3-0-1 grappler. Split decision over Eduarda Moura.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Despite Yan losing to Virna Jandiroba last time out, I’m still confident in her striking being a 75 as the fight before Jandiroba, she out struck Ricci 77 to 15.
Chris’ Pick: Yan by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Yan -350
Kai Asakura vs Aoriqileng
- Kai Asakura
- Age: 32
- Pro Record: 22-6
- UFC Record: 1-2
- Key Losses: Knocked out by Kyoji Horiguchi and Manel Kape. Lost to a 24-5 wrestler.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Cameron Smotherman, Heili Alateng, and a 29-4 striker. Beat Topnoi Kiwram. Split decision over Manel Kape.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Aoriqileng
- Age: 33
- UFC Record: 4-5
- Key WIns: Submitted a 9-2 striker. Knocked out Cody Gibson, Cameron Else, and a well rounded 5-1 fighter. Beat Johnny Munoz Jr, Jay Perrin, and a 5-0 grappler.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
Asakura’s striking might have leveled up to a 70 grade in his last fight with Smotherman, but I’m not ready to bump the grade up because the fight was over in less than 2 minutes.
Chris’ Pick: Asakura by 1st round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Asakura -300
Alex Perez vs Sumudaerji
- Alex Perez
- Age: 34
- UFC Record: 9-6
- Key Wins: Knocked out Charles Johnson, Matheus Nicolau, Jussier Formiga and Jose Torres. Submitted Jordan Espinosa. Beat Mark de la Rosa and Eric Shelton.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
- Sumudaerji
- Age: 30
- UFC Record: 6-4
- Key Losses: Submitted by Louis Smolka and a 10-4 grappler.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Malcolm Gordon, a well rounded 5-0-1 fighter, and a 4-0 grappler. Beat Jesus Aguilar, Kevin Borjas and Zarrukh Adashev. Split decision over Mitch Raposo.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: Perez by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Perez -200
Levi Rodrigues vs Ce Liu
- Levi Rodrigues
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 5-1
- UFC Record: 0-1
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Ce Liu
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 3-1
- Striking: a little above average (55)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Wrestling: average (50)
Chris’ Pick: Rodrigues by 1st round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Rodrigues -225
Bilal Hasan vs Nilson Rojas
- Bilal Hasan
- Age: 25
- Pro Record: 9-0
- UFC Record: 1-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 9-1 striker, a well rounded 4-1 fighter, a 7-0 striker, and a 6-2-1 striker.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Nilson Rojas
- Age: 27
- Pro Record: 9-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 5-1 grappler. Beat a 4-0 striker.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: a little above average (55)
Chris’ Pick: Hasan by 2nd round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Hasan -225
Andre Lima vs Namsrai Batbayar
- Andre Lima
- Age: 27
- UFC Record: 5-1
- Key Wins: Submitted Daniel Barez. Knocked out a well rounded 3-0 fighter and a well rounded 7-2 fighter. Beat Felipe dos Santos and a 14-1 grappler. Split decision over Mitch Raposo.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Namsrai Batbayar
- Age: 25
- Pro Record: 10-1
- UFC Record: 3-0
- Key Wins: Submitted Agulali and a 5-1 wrestler. Knocked out Shuai Yin and a 7-1 striker.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Batbayar by split decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Batbayar -135
Rei Tsuruya vs Kevin Borjas
- Rei Tsuruya
- Age: 24
- UFC Record: 5-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out Niushiyue Ji and a 4-1 wrestler. Submitted Luis Gurule, a 7-0 striker and an 8-3 wrestler. Beat Carlos Hernandez and Mark Climaco.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Grappling: plus (70)
- Kevin Borjas
- Age: 28
- UFC Record: 3-4
- Key Wins: Beat Ronaldo Rodriguez and an 11-2 grappler.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Tsuruya by 2nd round submission.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Tsuruya -135
Jack Jenkins vs Sean Woodson
- Jack Jenkins
- Age: 33
- UFC Record: 5-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out Herbert Burns, an 8-1 striker. Beat Ramon Taveras and Don Shainis. Split decision over Jamall Emmers.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Sean Woodson
- Age: 34
- UFC Record: 8-2-1
- Key Losses: Submitted by Julian Erosa.
- Key Draws: Fought Luis Saldana to a draw.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Fernando Padilla, Collin Anglin, and a 6-1 grappler. Beat Alex Caceres, Charles Jourdain, Dennis Buzukja, and Kyle Bochniak. Split decision over Youssef Zalal.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Jenkins by 1st round knockout.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Jenkins -135
Long Xiao vs Francesco Nuzzi
- Xiao Long
- Age: 28
- UFC Record: 3-4
- Key Losses: Split decision loss to Chang Ho Lee.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Quang Le. Submitted a 5-0 striker. Beat a well rounded 5-1 fighter and a 5-1 grappler. Split decision over a 10-3 grappler. Majority decision over a 13-1 grappler.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Francesco Nuzzi
- Age: 30
- Pro Record: 11-2
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 4-0-1 wrestler and an 11-2-1 wrestler. Split decision over Bernardo Sopai.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Grappling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: Nuzzi by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Nuzzi -250
Lawrence Lui vs Hector Santiago
- Lawrence Lui
- Age: 30
- Pro Record: 8-1
- UFC Record: 3-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out Van Y Ngheim and a well rounded 6-2 fighter. Split decision over Sulangrangbo.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Hector Santiago
- Age: 33
- Pro Record: 6-1
- Striking: a little above average (55)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Wrestling: average (50)
Chris’ Pick: Lui by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Lui -300
Julia Polastri vs Jingnan Xiong
- Julia Polastri
- Age: 28
- UFC Record: 3-4
- 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)
- Jingnan Xiong
- Age: 38
- Pro Record: 19-3
- UFC Record: 0-1
- Key Wins: Beat a well rounded 9-1 fighter and a 6-2 grappler, a well rounded 22-7 fighter, and an 11-3 grappler.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: average (50)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
Still possible Xiong’s striking could be more of a 65 grade. It’s close.
Chris’ Pick: Polastri by decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Polastri -225
Meng Ding vs Cam Nelson
- Meng Ding
- Age: 31
- Pro Record: 35-10
- UFC Record: 0-2
- Key Losses: Knocked out by a 3-2 striker and a well rounded 28-17 fighter.
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 4-0 striker, another 4-0 striker, and a 6-0 striker.
- Striking: a little above average (55)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Cam Nelson
- Age: 28
- Pro Record: 7-1
- Striking: a little above average (55)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: a little above average (55)
Chris’ Pick: Ding by split decision.
What odds I think the favorite should be at: Ding -125