Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs Shamil Gaziev
- Jairzinho Rozenstruik
- Age: 35
- UFC Record: 7-5
- Key Wins: Knocked out Chris Daukaus, Augusto Sakai, Junior dos Santos, Alistair Overeem, and Andrei Arlovski.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Shamil Gaziev
- Age: 33
- Pro Record: 12-0
- UFC Record: 2-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out Martin Buday, Darko Stosic, and a 4-0 striker. Submitted a well rounded 6-0 fighter. Split decision over a 13-0 striker.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
Gaziev really blew me away in his official debut with Buday. Buday, he was coming off his biggest win, looked to be in the best shape of his career and Gaziev just walked him down and steamrolled him. Gaziev’s cardio held up fine, which was a concern from prior fights. His striking could be as high as a 75 with how he out struck Buday 35 to 8.
Chris’ Pick: Gaziev by 2nd round ground and pound TKO.
What I think the odds should be: Gaziev -250
Tyson Pedro vs Vitor Petrino
- Tyson Pedro
- Age: 32
- UFC Record: 6-4
- Key Wins: Submitted Khalil Rountree. Knocked out Anton Turkalj, Harry Hunsucker, and Paul Craig.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Grappling: above average (60)
- Vitor Petrino
- Age: 26
- Pro Record: 10-0
- UFC Record: 4-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out Modestas Bukauskas, Rodolfo Bellato twice, and Gadzhimurad Antigulov. Submitted Marcin Prachnio. Beat Anton Turkalj
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
Chris’ Pick: Petrino by 1st round knockout.
What I think the odds should be: Petrino -175
Muhammad Mokaev vs Alex Perez
- Muhammad Mokaev
- Age: 23
- UFC Record: 5-0
- Key Wins: Submitted Tim Elliott, Jafel Filho, Malcolm Gordon, and Cody Durden. Beat Charles Johnson and a well rounded 7-1 fighter.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
- Alex Perez
- Age: 30
- UFC Record: 7-3
- Key Wins: Knocked out 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)
Chris’ Pick: Perez by 1st round knockout.
What I think the odds should be: Perez -200
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Bekzat Almakhan
- Umar Nurmagomedov
- Age: 28
- Pro Record: 16-0
- UFC Record: 4-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out Raoni Barcelos. Submitted Brian Kelleher and Sergey Morozov. Beat Nathan Maness, a 12-0-1 grappler, and a 5-0 grappler.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: near plus plus (75)
- Grappling: plus (70)
- Bekzat Almakhan
- Age: 26
- Pro Record: 14-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out a well rounded 15-5 fighter, a 12-4-1 striker, a 12-4 grappler, a well rounded 9-3 fighter, and a 10-3 wrestler. Submitted a 7-2 grappler. Beat a well rounded 14-1 fighter.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Wrestling: plus (70)
The odds aren’t out yet, but I expect Umar to be a big favorite. But whatever the number is going to be, it’s going to be too heavy. Vast majority have never heard of Almakhan. But I’ve seen him fight, he’s one of the best prospects, pound for pound, that’s not in the UFC. This isn’t a guy who’s being brought in to lose. He’s a live underdog. Very much reminds me of when Armen Tsarukyan made his UFC debut against Islam Makhachev.
Chris’ Pick: Nurmagomedov by split decision.
What I think the odds should be: Nurmagomedov -135
Matt Schnell vs Steve Erceg
- Matt Schnell
- Age: 34
- UFC Record: 7-6 at 125 lbs.
- Key Losses: Knocked out by Hector Sandoval.
- Key Wins: Submitted Su Mudaerji, Louis Smolka, and Jordan Espinosa. Split decision win over Tyson Nam.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: above average (60)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
- Steve Erceg
- Age: 28
- Pro Record: 11-1
- UFC Record: 2-0
- Key Wins: Submitted Shannon Ross and a well rounded 4-1 fighter. Beat Alessandro Costa and David Dvorak.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: near plus (65)
The market was really under valuing Schnell in his Matheus Nicolau fight, but Schnell proved his 70 striking is real, despite the KO loss.
Chris’ Pick: Schnell by decision.
What I think the odds should be: Schnell -225
Eryk Anders vs Jamie Pickett
- Eryk Anders
- Age: 36
- UFC Record: 7-6 at 185 lbs.
- Key Losses: Split decision losses to Jun Yong Park, Lyoto Machida, and Elias Theodorou.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Kyle Daukaus and Rafael Natal. Beat Darren Stewart and Markus Perez. Split decision over Gerald Meerschaert.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Jamie Pickett
- Age: 35
- UFC Record: 3-8
- Key Losses: Submitted by Charles Byrd.
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 6-3 striker. Beat Joseph Holmes and Laureano Staropoli.
- Striking: a little above average (55)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Wrestling: a little above average (55)
Chris’ Pick: Anders by decision.
What I think the odds should be: Anders -400
Bernardo Sopai vs Vinicius de Oliveira
- Bernardo Sopai
- Age: 23
- Pro Record: 11-2
- Key Wins: Knocked out an 11-4 wrestler and a well rounded 4-1 fighter. Beat a 6-0 wrestler.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Grappling: a little above average (55)
- Vinicius de Oliveira
- Age: 28
- Pro Record: 18-3
- UFC Record: 1-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out a well rounded 15-4 fighter, a 12-3 grappler and a 12-2 wrestler. Beat a well rounded 12-3 fighter and a 13-1 wrestler.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: de Oliveira by 2nd round knockout.
What I think the odds should be: de Oliveira -200
Javid Basharat vs Aiemann Zahabi
- Javid Basharat
- Age: 28
- Pro Record: 14-0
- UFC Record: 4-0
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 5-0 grappler. Submitted an 11-1 grappler. Beat Mateus Mendonca, Tony Gravely, and Trevin Jones
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: near plus (65)
- Grappling: a little above average (55)
- Aiemann Zahabi
- Age: 36
- UFC Record: 4-2
- Key Losses: Lost to Vince Morales.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Qileng Aori, Drako Rodriguez. Beat Ricky Turcios and a 13-4 grappler.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: average (50)
Chris’ Pick: Basharat by decision.
What I think the odds should be: Basharat -450
Christian Leroy Duncan vs Claudio Ribeiro
- Christian Leroy Duncan
- Age: 28
- Pro Record: 9-1
- UFC Record: 2-1
- Key Wins: Knocked out Dennis Tiuliulin, a 5-0 grappler, and an 8-0 wrestler, and a 10-2 striker.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
- Claudio Ribeiro
- Age: 31
- Pro Record: 11-4
- UFC Record: 2-2
- Key Wins: Knocked out Joseph Holmes, a well rounded 8-1 fighter, and a 4-0 grappler.
- Striking: near plus (65)
- Power: near plus (65)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
I hesitate to grade Ribeiro’s striking a 65, especially after getting knocked out so brutally. But I know 100% for sure that Roman Kopylov’s striking going into that fight was no worse than a 65. And the numbers show that strikes landed were equal, 29 to 29. And I haven’t seen it, but I’m projecting Ribeiro’s wrestling to be a 60 now.
Chris’ Pick: Duncan by 1st round knockout.
What I think the odds should be: Duncan -135
Ludovit Klein vs AJ Cunningham
- Ludovit Klein
- Age: 28
- UFC Record: 4-2-1
- Key Draws: Fought Jai Herbert to a majority draw.
- Key Wins: Knocked out Shane Young, a 13-1 striker, a 14-5 grappler, and a well rounded 11-4 fighter. Beat Ignacio Bahamondes, Mason Jones, and an 11-2 striker. Split decision over Devonte Smith.
- Striking: plus (70)
- Power: plus (70)
- Grappling: plus (70)
- AJ Cunningham
- Age: 29
- Pro Record: 11-3
- UFC Record: 0-1
- Key Losses: Lost to a 5-3 grappler.
- Key Wins: Knocked out a well rounded 5-1 fighter. Split decision over a well rounded 5-2 fighter.
- Striking: a little above average (55)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: a little above average (55)
Chris’ Pick: Klien by 2nd round ground and pound TKO.
What I think the odds should be: Klein -800
Loik Radzhabov vs Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady
- Loik Radzhabov
- Age: 33
- Pro Record: 17-5-1
- UFC Record: 1-1
- Key Wins: Submitted a 5-0 grappler and a well rounded 10-2 fighter. Knocked out a well rounded 4-0 fighter. Beat Esteban Ribovics and a well rounded 8-1 fighter.
- Striking: a little above average (55)
- Power: a little above average (55)
- Grappling: above average (60)
- Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady
- Age: 28
- Pro Record: 15-3
- UFC Record: 1-0
- Key Losses: Knocked out by a 6-7 striker.
- Key Wins: Knocked out a 6-2 grappler, a well rounded 21-4 fighter and a 3-0 grappler. Submitted an 8-3 wrestler. Beat a well rounded 12-1 fighter.
- Striking: above average (60)
- Power: above average (60)
- Wrestling: above average (60)
Chris’ Pick: Al-Selwady by decision.
What I think the odds should be: Al-Selwady -250