Magomed Ankalaev – Decision (On the feet, both Jan and Ankalaev will want to settle into their jab to control distance. Both fighters enjoy a comfortable pace so don’t be surprised if the two lock into bit-piece range striking while waiting for counters – especially as neither fighter sets up regular traps for effective counterstriking. Ankalaev’s chin so far seems strong enough to handle the firepower of Blachowicz’s blitzes. Can Ankalaev maintain a high enough volume to win over the scorers? Of course, Ankalaev has a wrestling base to tap into, but he has seemed averse to taking fights to the ground recently. For example, it took Anakalev until Round Four to consider wrestling Thiago Santos. The extra tools leave me leaning towards another Dagestani (vacant) champion)
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Paddy Pimblett – Submission Round 2 (Pimblett has a lot of maturing to endure if he wants to climb towards the top of the division. As of now, Pimblett’s rapid recovery, fearless aggression on the feet and slick submission arsenal will keep putting bums on seats. That isn’t to write off Jared Gordon, the 34-year-old is a well-rounded fighter and represents a stark step up in competition. It was only four months ago that Gordon out-struck Leonardo Santos around 3-1 on the feet. Unfortunately, Gordon tends to offer his back, an area that Pimblett excels at punishing – entering UFC 282 on a two-fight streak of rear naked chokes)
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Santiago Ponzinibbio – TKO Round 3 (Alex Morono is at his very best off the back of a training camp as one of the most consummate game planners in the organisation. Taking the fight at short notice is a major red flag, even with Ponzinibbio on a career downslide. The Argentinian is noticeably slower on the feet, more timid in his approach and takes punishment with far less certainty. Morono sets a high pace on the front foot, however, and will likely eat a ton of punishment in the process)
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Darren Till – TKO Round 1 (A very, very spicy pick that shouldn’t be supported. Perhaps it’s Till’s ability to talk large in interviews, but there is a decent reason to believe that the Scouser is returning with the right mental state after a camp in Thailand. Du Plessis is a ferociously aggressive brawler, but this should be a stylistic dream for Till who has the technical wealth to counter Du Plessis as he falls into his blitzes. Of course, Till is also a comedically low-output fighter with a lack of stoppages in his record. The flaws in Du Plessis’ striking are too glaring to overlook, even if deep down I truly believe that his heavy hands will be enough to break Till down over three rounds)
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Ilia Topuria – Decision (Thug Nasty surprised many when he opted to trade with Edson Barboza for extended stretches of their fight. Of course, Mitchell still weaved in under 12 minutes of control time, but he was deadly accurate with his striking too. Considering just how hittable Topuria is, Mitchell’s volume should regularly hit the mark against his aggressive foe. Yet, Topuria answered questions over his durability with a brutal second-round knockout of Jai Herbert following a huge scare early in their fight. Expecting Mitchell to start effectively, only for Topuria’s pressure to make the difference down the stretch)
Raul Rosas Jr – Decision (There is a lot of room left for Rosas Jr to grow physically – it will be a challenge for the UFC to appropriately bled their prospect. The Mexican’s hands remain a work in progress, but there is a lot to like about his sweltering wrestling and ground game. Jay Perrin’s aggression often sees him running into takedowns, an area that the UFC brass no doubt envisaged Raul Rosas Jr exploiting. If you want a reason to back the dog, however, Perrin is an experienced operator with enough intent on the feet to shock an inexperienced teenager)
Jairzinho Rozenstruik – TKO Round 1 (One of the more polished boxers at 265lbs, Daukaus has an edge in hand speed over all Heavyweights which tends to catch them by surprise. Sadly, his best work is within the pocket – the danger area against Rozenstruik – while his chin hasn’t held up to the harder hitters of the division. Rozenstruik is thoroughly limited in approach and dull to watch, but he is exceptionally consistent in hurting opponents in the pocket)
Edmen Shahbazyan – TKO Round 1 (Both fighters are spiralling on 0-3 slides, giving this fight a real ‘loser leaves town’ sort of flavour. Having left coach Edmond Tarverdyan, there is a hope that Edmen Shahbazyan’s slick striking and underrated grappling chops can be lauded once again. There’s certainly a higher ceiling for Shahbazyan than Lungiambula who has been regularly unable to showcase his judo background. Now a high-volume striker, Lungiambula’s aggression places him in dangerous areas that Shahbazyan can punish with the power he carries)
Chris Curtis – Decision (Buckley is dynamic and explosive enough to create opportunities against any opponent. Of note, Buckley is finally matched with an opponent of similar size, often struggling against much taller opponents. Unfortunately for Buckley, he is particularly one-note in his rhythm. Curtis is a deeply experienced striker who will pick up on Buckley’s tendencies. Can New Mansa deal with Curtis’ devastating body strikes)
Billy Quarantillo – Decision (Alexander the Great’s aggression and pressure were enough to crush Beneil Dariush in under a minute, but most opponents understand that the onslaught tends to fade after the first round. Hernandez is a heavy-handed head hunter and an oppressive grappler for five minutes, but it won’t be enough to break Billy Q. Quarantillo is granite chinned, a late-round threat and is capable of maintaining the type of pace that will exhaust Hernandez)
Erik Silva – TKO Round 1 (Silva wasted no time in his DWCS victory, taking his Uzebki opponent to the mat and raining down hellacious ground and pound. It’s difficult to see such an elderly, untested prospect make a run in the stacked Featherweight division, but it’s worth keeping an open mind. TJ Brown, a notoriously slow starter, may struggle against Silva considering the Venezuelan picked up four rear-naked chokes in Rounds 1 or 2 over his tenure on the Mexican regional scene)
Vinicius Salvador – TKO Round 2 (Heavy-handed and an aggressive chaser of submissions, Da Silva is a dynamic enigma who injects pace into otherwise drab prelims. Unfortunately, Vinicius Salvador is a larger striker who cracks harder and owns a better chin. Although Salvador is very hittable himself, lending itself somewhat to a coin-flip fight, it’s safer to back the streaking fighter)
Cameron Saaiman – Decision (Koslow is relentless in pursuing the takedown and the back of his opponent. Saaiman, just 21 years old, is expected to walk through Koslow, but he struggled with Josh Wang-Kim’s wrestling in his DWCS fight. If Koslow is unable to out-grapple opponents, he will struggle with Saaiman’s consistent pace and a glittering array of kicks)
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