Jessica Andrade – Decision (Andrade has picked up the pieces from her failed bid for the belt with a 3-0 streak over a delectable selection of Flyweight faces. It was only a month ago that the Brazilian knocked decades worth of CTE into Lauren Murphy over just fifteen minutes. Whether Andrade can handle the stellar wrestling of Erin Blanchfield is another question, however. Blanchfield eased past a stylistic dream in Molly McCann, but only Shevchenko has enjoyed considerable success on the mat against Andrade in recent years. The real question mark is over Blanchfield’s ability to cope with Andrade’s abnormal power in a traditionally feather-fisted division)
Zac Pauga – TKO Round 2 (The Beverly Hills Ninja either finds the kill switch early or he mentally breaks. Wright looks slick when allowed to set his own pace on the front foot. Under any sort of meaningful pressure, however, and the 31-year-old contorts himself into a defensive mess. Zac Pauga should find more success at Light Heavyweight in operating his pocket-punching game. Mohammed Usman may have flash KO’d The Ripper but he was dictating proceedings with his jab before the stoppage)
Jamal Pogues – Decision (Jamal Pogues is a solid wrestler but he will eventually hit an athletic wall at Heavyweight. I refuse to pick Parisian as that roadblock. The American’s terrible game-planning is a regular thorn in his side – he almost allowed Alan Baudot to knock him out rather than opting for the safer, simpler route on the mat)
William Knight – Decision (Knight is a rippling Adonis but his power often misses the mark due to his decrepit hand speed. Prachnio is a ferocious body kicker but lacks the defensive footwork required to deal with the slew of heavy-handed pressure sluggers at 205lbs and above. If Prachnio cannot earn respect for his power early then Knight will be more than capable of grinding the Pole down against the cage)
Alexander Hernandez – Decision (Hernandez is a fresher, deadlier early-round threat than a twilight Miller but both fighters will be fighting on fumes by the mid-point. It could be argued that Hernandez’s questionable heart could swing the balance in Miller’s favour, but the 39-year-old will struggle to keep up with Hernandez’s sweltering grappling pressure early on)
Nazim Sadykhov – Decision (Nazim Sadykhov is a herky-jerky striker that lacks a bit of pop but remains an entertaining watch. Black Wolf can unravel over extended combinations, however, and is primed to be countered hard by better strikers. Considering Evan Elder’s regular gym changes, he is unlikely to prove to be ‘that’ fighter)
Marya Bueno Silva – Submission Round 2 (Lina Lansberg dropped a debatable major decision to Karol Rosa last time out, but the 40-year-old cannot maintain the same pace that drove her success in the 2010s. Marya Bueno Silva hampered her early progression in the UFC rankings after opting to stand and bang with superior strikers in Manon Fiorot and Maryna Moroz. A more mature Silva can ride her physical edge alone to overcome the gutsy Swede)
Khusein Askhabov – TKO Round 1 (Askhabov has fought around the Eastern European regional scenes but he has accrued a ton of experience against a varying quality of opposition. A slick outside striker, Askhabov also owns the tools to handle himself on the mat if Emmers opts to panic wrestle)
Philipe Lins – Decision (Coming off the back of a split decision victory over Shogun Rua, OSP’s style has remained the same throughout his twilight. Ferocious power and the Von Flue Choke stay the same, but so does his tepid pace and ability to gas before the third round. Lins finds himself in a similar career twilight but he looked vastly better in his LHW UFC debut against Marcin Prachnio on the back of his wrestling)
AJ Fletcher – Submission Round 1 (Debutant, Themba Gorimbo (10-3), will enjoy a 9″ reach advantage against his late-notice opponent. The Zimbabwe fighter is surprisingly heavy-handed, despite having recorded just one KO victory, but he is unlikely to handle Fletcher’s energetic wrestling)
Clayton Carpenter – Submission Round 2 (Juancamilo Ronderos may have been subbed by David Dvorak in under three minutes but that was two years ago and as a late call-up replacement. Despite the Colombian representing an unknown entity these days, Carptener’s rounded grappling should see him take the fight to the ground early and stay there with comfort)
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