Curtis Blaydes – TKO Round 3 (I really want to buy into the Aspinall hype train, but Blaydes represents another huge leap in opposition quality. That isn’t to say this isn’t a razor-close call. Blaydes has developed an ugly habit of persisting with his striking early on rather than settling into a better-suited gameplan. Aspinall is blazing fast on the feet and is set to punish Blaydes’ powerful yet lumbering straight shots. Moreover, Aspinall’s array of submissions off his back could neutralise Blaydes’ dangerous G’n’P. Still, the red flags regarding Aspinall were not answered by his early finish over Alexander Volkov. We have no evidence of Aspinall digging deep and adapting late into contests against the top-quality competition – unlike Blaydes. The American has only fallen to the mightiest one-shot power punchers, in contrast to Aspinall’s drowning volume. A fantastic main event that should edge either contender towards an interim title shot)
Jack Hermansson – Decision (Hermansson sits into his jab, allowing Curtis to land his trademark left hook over the top of it, but the Swede’s strong chin should be able to keep him ticking. Curtis’ bodywork is vital to his game, but it rarely scores on judges’ scorecards. Hermansson’s long, consistent jab will earn him rounds. Add in Curtis’ slow starts and Hermansson will have the opportunity to gain confidence fighting at his preferred pace)
Paddy Pimblett – TKO Round 1 (The twerk machine, Jordan Leavitt, is a fun one-trick pony that could hopefully forge an entertaining career at the bottom of the barrel. Without a wrestling threat to take the fight to the mat, however, this should amount to a punishing beatdown on the feet. Devoid of technique or confidence on the feet, Leavitt’s offensive threat is muted, but can never amount to zero against Pimblett’s chin-first striking)
Nikita Krylov – Submission Round 2 (Thirty-five years old and a shadow of the former title contender, Gustafsson should have laid down the gloves after an embarrassing first-round submission loss to Fabricio Werdum. The jab, the power, the shot selection on the outside – all the components that made Gus great have been missing since the Jon Jones rematch loss. Expect Krylov to stink out the joint with busy kickboxing, control time and break Gus on the mat)
Molly McCann – Decision (We’re really in the era where Meatball is getting a promotional push, eh? McCann is an entertaining, highly aggressive striker – but lacks counter-punching chops and can be outwrestled. Goldy is solid on the mat, but the American struggles to settle into her takedowns under heavy duress. McCann will lay down a voluminous gauntlet and prevent Goldy from catching her breath)
Volkan Oezdemir – TKO Round 2 (I love a bit of Paul Craig on any card, yet it wasn’t so long ago that the corpse of Shogun Rua almost stopped the gassed Scotsman. Patient and calculated on the feet, Oezdemir utilises angles well and creates visibly awkward striking affairs for opponents. Craig will struggle massively to handle Oezdemir at range or in the pocket. When you consider Oezdemir holds an 80% career TDD despite facing the likes of Ankalaev, Daniel Cormier, Anthony Smith and Misha Cirkunov – the hopes of a grappling battle start to fade fast)
Mason Jones – Decision (Both Nate Landwehr and Mike Trizano have broken down L’udovit Klein in the past with pressure. Jones is a madman who will consistently walk opponents down with clean combinations. The Slovak is a powerful sniper, who when flowing, is one of the classiest strikers in the division. Aside from an early Klein kick taking the Welshman’s chin by surprise, this should be a brutal FOTN war with Jones pulling away in the later rounds)
Marc Diakiese – TKO Round 3 (A combination of Hadzovic’s tendency to be out-wrestled and an inability to push a hard pace leaves it very much in the hands of a Diakiese mental meltdown for the Brit to lose this one. Diakiese is a plus athlete, who has regularly shown the ability to dig deep, and is a class or two above Hadzovic)
Nathaniel Wood – Decision (Despite the two-year gap, Nathaniel Wood finds himself a gentle return to the division. Wood’s issues stem from his preference for low kicks and leading with his chin. Rosa has an eye for a counter, but he rarely pulls the trigger)
Makwan Amirkhani – Submission Round 1 (Amirkhani has struggled over recent years with SBG forcing the Finn to kickbox. On his day, Amirkhani is a terrifying early-round submission threat. Gas tank troubles have plagued his career, however, an area that Pearce thrives in. Giving Amirkhani his ideal fight early, though, seems like a recipe for disaster)
Muhammad Mokaev – Decision (UFC debutant, Charles Johnson, carries a four-fight streak into the big leagues. Johnson pries with strikes on the outside to find holes, yet in the process, often primes himself for takedowns. Against a mat magician like Mokaev, it could be an ugly affair)
Jai Herbert – TKO Round 3 (Terrible positional awareness and pocket fighting ended up biting Herbert in his last outing, but if the Wolverhampton man has free reign over the centre of the octagon, he is a brutal technician. Considering Nelson rarely has a definite game plan to seamlessly integrate his wrestling alongside striking, it is difficult to see the Canadian work his way inside of Herbert’s reach)
Mandy Bohm – Decision (Bohm was frozen on the feet under consistent volume from Ariane Lipski and found no way to get into the fight. Not that Leonardo has fared much better. A snapped arm against Melissa Gatto and a brutal TKO stoppage at the hands of Manon Fiorot have been Leonardo’s return in the UFC. Bohm’s athletic edge to get the W in a regional affair)
Nicolas Dalby – Decision (Dalby is very much a hot and cold fighter. On his day, Dalby can turn up to drag Till to a draw and claim victories over Daniel Rodriguez and Alex Oliveira. The Dane’s downfall is his requirement to set and stick to his preferred pace, preventing opponents from ever gaining a foothold. Silva, at a spritely 39 years, can’t match the pace Dalby will set on the feet)
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