Motta Early KO ...As we saw vs Miller, VanCamp needs to focus on weaving in leg kicks. Even with all his flaws, VanCamp is a huge LW capable of landing bombs. When he lands, he tends to unravel in pursuit of pushing his advantage or a potential finish. With Motta’s feet permanently planted, VanCamp will likely encounter a brutal counter and possible early ending.
Gravely Decision ...Gravely’s recent love affair with his hands may prove detrimental. Basharat strike on the move and may leave Gravely chasing the fight. If Gravely embraces his need to wrestle, he can chain-takedowns together and target Basharat’s well-extended lead leg. Unfortunately, Gravely does leave his head in awful positions – an area that may be exploited by Basharat. Toss-up.
Agapova Round 1 ...Robertson will struggle to handle Agapova’s ferocious early aggression but has long proven her ability to hang around and find hail marys late into fights. It usually tends to be a submission off her back, however, and it is undoubtedly an area that Agapova is insane enough to chase. Tough call backing one of the least consistent fighters in the UFC, but I can see a breakout performance.
Zellhuber ...Aggressive, with assorted striking and a lethal finisher – star potential show in every area of Zellhuber’s game. He needs to add defensive layers to his striking, but he is young and extremely durable. Meanwhile, Ogden couldn't handle Leavitt on the feet.
Lookboonmee Decision ...Gomes pumped out a huge volume in the DWCS, yet her scrappiness in striking will only be ironed out with minutes in the octagon. Without the size to bully Lookboonmee, or adequate wrestling to threaten takedowns, this could be a long night at the office.
Cosce ...Cosce is a good striker, certainly smart enough to take apart a stationary Giles, along with solid wrestling chops. There is still the terrible black mark of a Sasha Palatnikov loss on his record, however. How much has Cosce improved over the last couple of years on the sidelines – has his conditioning/decision-making improved? With even minimal improvement, it would be hard to back this Welterweight-version of Giles.
DAMON JACKSON(21-4-1) VS PAT SABATINI(17-3) ~ Featherweight (145)
Sabatini Decision ...A banger in the featured prelim with two ‘experienced prospects’. Jackson is a scary submission threat anywhere on the mat, but Sabatini is all about control. This creates the scenario where Jackson cannot be written off at any point, but Sabatini will accept boos to win rounds. Standing, Jackson’s size and aggression should overshadow Sabatini, but it’s unlikely either tries to keep it there for long. I could easily see a Jackson sub win, but the easier pick is Sabatini by decision. Toss-up again.
ANTHONY HERNANDEZ(9-2) VS MARC-ANDRE BARRIAULT(14-5) ~ Middleweight (185)
Hernandez ...Njokuani-aside, Barriault is an unbreakable brute who comes on strong late by virtue of toughness and grit. Hernandez tends to lose vs stronger grapplers, an area Barraiult has had some success, but against humble opposition. Hernandez’s aggression creates regular opportunities in an ugly affair that Barriault likely lacks the technicals to make Hernandez pay.
TANNER BOSER VS RODRIGO NASCIMENTO(8-1) ~ Heavyweight (265)
Boser Decision ...Nascimento is unlikely to be put away early, but his immobility plays into Boser’s fleet feet and quick combinations. At Heavyweight, however, it'll only take one of Rodrigo's trademark right-hook counters to change momentum. Adding Nascimento's sneakily diverse sub arsenal, the safety of backing Boser lies on shaky ground. But hopefully, he leans on experience to safely get through rounds and cleanup on the cards.
ALEN AMEDOVSKI(8-3) VS JOSEPH PYFER(9-2) ~ Middleweight (185)
Pyfer ITD ...Amedovski has heavy hands but doesn’t seem to use them particularly well, especially considering huge holes in his Pyfer's defensive wrestling. Pyfer’s powerful wrestling base offers a direct route to victory, but he may instead try and replicate his crushing DWCS KO. A fun introduction, regardless, for an interesting 185lb prospect.
ANDRE FILI VS BILL ALGEO(16-6) ~ Featherweight (145)
Fili ...Can Bill Algeo handle himself at range against Fili? Algeo looks to wade into the pocket and create chaos up-close. This may well be three rounds of Fili jabbing the head of Senor Perfecto. Considering Fili’s solid TDD vs top UFC names, Algeo will find himself in bad positions if he falls into panic wrestling. Still, Fili is coming off of a shocking 45-second icing to Joanderson Brito which may bring along some mental baggage.
Co-Main Event
CHIDI NJOKUANI(22-7) VS GREGORY RODRIGUES(12-4) ~ Middleweight (185)
Rodrigues Sub ...A solid wrestler, Njokuani will struggle massively if Robocop shoots for the hips. Interestingly for fans, Chidi has mostly played to his opponent’s preferred fight style so far in his UFC run. Njokuani carries hellish power, mostly dependent on him slipping and finding the perfect one-shot counter. I'll side with Robocop’s tight, intelligent combos to keep Njokuani on his back foot before finding a finish on the mat.
Main Event
CORY SANDHAGEN(14-4) VS YADONG SONG(19-6-1) ~ Bantamweight (135)
Sandhagen Decision ...Cory is a fantastically well-rounded fighter but has yet to show signs he can get it done vs elite operators. Song prefers to plant his feet and sit into his combos, offering ample opportunity for Sandhagen to escape laterally. Even with Song’s recent power, it's hard to ignore Sandhagen’s masterful striking clinic against the heavier-handed, John Linekar. One concern may be Sandhagen’s pedestrian pace at times. There is a possibility that Song can out-gun Cory in trades, pushing the higher volume and gaining favor with the judges. However, with Song’s wrestling unlikely to play much of a role, Sandhagen’s cerebral adaptations on the feet have to be favored over 5 rounds.
