Light Heavyweight Bout: Daniel Jolly (5-0) vs. Misha Cirkunov (9-2)
-Jolly is such a ridiculous unknown at this point. Five pro fights, three were early first-round stoppages, two went the entire distance; his latest going 25 minutes. Coming in on short notice with that track record makes him, even after watching some tape on him. He obviously has raw talent, but I don’t know how that’ll translate against a guy like Cirkunov, who’s a little more of a known entity. I’ll say Jolly makes a good first impression, but the more grappling-savvy Cirkunov catches him, but Jolly gets another invite back. Cirkunov via R2 Submission.
Lightweight Bout: Elias Silverio (11-1) vs. Shane Campbell (11-3)
-Campbell’s proclivity for getting in back-and-forth kickboxing battles hurt him against Makdessi, it won’t hurt him here. Campbell via R1 KO.
Flyweight Bout: Chris Beal (10-1) vs. Chris Kelades (8-2)
-Two pretty evenly-matched guys coming off of a loss. I think Kelades has more weapons, but Beal is a little more well-rounded. Let’s split the difference. Beal via SD.
Light Heavyweight Bout: Marcos Rogerio de Lima (13-2-1) vs. Nikita Krylov (18-4)
-Pick against Nikita Krylov? BAH! Krylov is just odd and unconventional enough that he’s car-crash entertaining. You don’t really want to watch, but you can’t turn away. Somehow, he manages to win more than he loses, and often coming out of nowhere for it. Krylov via R1 Submission.
Bantamweight Bout: Felipe Arantes (16-7-1) vs. Yves Jabouin (20-10)
-Arantes, moving down from featherweight will have the size advantage on Jabouin, who’ll be competing in his 91st UFC fight [CITATION NEEDED], and neither one of these guys has any measurable advantage on the other. But, I’ll go with Arantes controlling the pace and the fight in general. Arantes via UD.
Lightweight Bout: Frankie Perez (9-2) vs. Sam Stout (20-11-1)
-Stout hasn’t won a fight by strikes in over four years. I think the Hands of Stone days are just about done. I think he gives it a valiant go, but I can’t see Stout doing this much longer, especially after a loss. Perez via UD.
Women’s Strawweight Bout: Maryna Moroz (6-0) vs. Valerie Letourneau (7-3)
-Guessing Letourneau is due for a title shot with a win, but Moroz is a scary, scary cat. Systematic and brutal. Moroz via R2 Submission.
Lightweight Bout: Olivier Aubin-Mercier (6-1) vs. Tony Sims (12-2)
-Not even close to me. Aubin-Mercier is a rising star and is clearly being showcased here in Japan. Blowout. Aubin-Mercier via R1 Submission.
Lightweight Bout: Chad Laprise (10-0) vs. Francisco Trinaldo (17-4)
-Two guys on very, very quiet three-fight winning streaks, and in Laprise’s case, he hasn’t lost since signing with the UFC. Will Laprise continue his undefeated run or will Trinaldo, the veteran who’s making perhaps one more run at the top prevail? The last ten (TEN!) fights between the two have ended in a decision, so now it’s just a matter of who has the tools to better the other. Laprise via UD.
Welterweight Bout: Josh Burkman (27-11) vs. Patrick Cote (21-9)
-Burkman finally gets a winnable fight in his return to the UFC. Burkman is still a talented fighter, and just because he was fed to Lombard and Stun Gun Kim is no reason to sleep on him. Burkman via R3 Submission.
Welterweight Bout: Erick Silva (18-5) vs. Neil Magny (15-4)
-Now this is a fun and interesting matchup. Silva, the preternaturally talented wunderkind against Neil Magny, who clawed from the brink of termination to win seven fights in a row to lose to Demian Maia by submission, something Silva knows all too well. I think this is your Fight of the Night and Magny pours everything he has into it, but I think the short-notice and Silva’s immense talents are just too much in the end. Silva via R3 Submission.
Featherweight Bout: Charles Oliveira (20-4) vs. Max Holloway (13-3)
-Another fantastic matchup. Oliveira is an exceptional fighter, but Holloway has been a completely different guy since his loss to McGregor. He’s been a bulldozer ever since that loss and even with rising levels of competition, he’s dominated and looked like a monster. I’m just personally happy this fight is five rounds because it’s going to be fantastic. Holloway via UD.
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