UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Saint Preux Picks

Last Event Winner: Nolan Howell/Luke Irwin (7-4)

Yearly Standings:

Lucas Bourdon: 9-4 .692
Ben Kohn: 149-72 .674
Josh Hall: 35-21 .625
TC Engel: 87-53 .621
Luke Irwin: 230-147 .610
Earl Montclair: 111-72 .607
Nolan Howell: 159-106 .600
Naomi Kamornick: 6-5 .545
Dan Galvan: 5-6 .455

Light Heavyweight Bout: Mauricio Rua (22-9) vs. Ovince St. Preux (16-6)

Luke Irwin: Unlike Rockhold and Bisping, neither of these guys have gas tanks worth a shit, so I doubt this is going five. This will probably turn into a desperate punch-winging after the third, but I think Shogun is able to land a big one. Rua via R3 KO.

Nolan Howell: Shogun Rua is a legend. This is both a blessing and a curse, as he suffers from the inability to know when to call it a day like most legends do. Ovince St. Preux can likely wear down Shogun and keep it competitive on the feet before grinding him up against the cage and on the mat. While Shogun is prone to showing up to remind us of what he used to be once in a while, OSP is too skilled for that sort of showcase. Ovince St. Preux by unanimous decision.

Welterweight Bout: Alan Jouban (10-2) vs. Warlley Alves (7-0)

Luke Irwin: Alves was the TUF Brazil 3 Middleweight champ, and unlike most TUF winners, I actually think he’s got some serious potential, especially after dropping a weight class. However, it won’t be this fight. Jouban is a buzzsaw that’s going to stop Alves in his tracks, by my calculations. Jouban via R2 TKO.

Nolan Howell: Alan Jouban is a legit UFC talent and he has the names on his record to prove it. Jouban should have a definitive advantage on the feet here and be competent enough to grapple with Warlley Alves. Alan Jouban by first-round TKO.

Welterweight Bout: Claudio Silva (10-1) vs. Leon Edwards (8-1)

Luke Irwin: This should be a damned fun fight. Both of these guys enjoy finishing fights early, and Silva’s size, home field, and UFC experience advantage should be enough to do the trick. Silva via R1 Submission.

Nolan Howell: Claudio Silva has the bigger names on record compared to Leon Edwards, who carries the tag of BAMMA prospect that is really something more to groan at than laud these days. Expect Silva to use his grappling advantage here. Claudio Silva by second-round submission.

Women’s Strawweight Bout: Juliana de Lima Carneiro (6-2) vs. Nina Ansaroff (6-3)

Luke Irwin: Both of these ladies are definitely C-level fighters, as both have lost to fighters that are clearly better than them, but Ansaroff is riding a nice wave of momentum and has finished her last five wins. Ansaroff via R2 TKO.

Nolan Howell: Nina Ansaroff has looked good in the five fights since her last loss, finishing all of her opponents. Ansaroff has also been in there with names like Carla Esparza and Barb Honchak, so that gives her the edge on this fight that I only know on paper. Nina Ansaroff by first-round TKO.

Featherweight Bout: Diego Rivas (5-0) vs. Rodolfo Rubio (12-6)

Luke Irwin: Rivas only has five career fights across just two promotions, so I cannot even begin to gauge how ready he is. But rarely are prospects brought into the UFC this early if they’re not ready. Rivas via R1 KO.

Nolan Howell: Diego Rivas by unanimous decision.

Middleweight Bout: Caio Magalhaes (8-1) vs. Trevor Smith (12-5)

Luke Irwin: Trevor Smith has probably taken David Mitchell’s crown as the most mediocre fighter on the roster. Magalhaes via UD.

Nolan Howell: Caio Magalhaes by unanimous decision.

Welterweight Bout: Dhiego Lima (9-2) vs. Jorge Oliveira (7-0)

Luke Irwin: I know he got caught in his last fight, but I trust a Lima brother against a short-notice opponent. Lima via R3 TKO.

Nolan Howell: Dhiego Lima by first-round submission.

Lightweight Bout: Charlie Brenneman (19-7) vs. Leandro Silva (16-2-1)

Luke Irwin: Silva’s only two losses were when he came to the UFC, and a grinding wrestler like Brenneman isn’t going to make it easy on his game. Brenneman via UD.

Nolan Howell: Charlie Brenneman by unanimous decision.