Light Heavyweight Bout: Jared Cannonier (13-5) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (16-7)
Luke Irwin: Both fighters are coming off of a loss to Robert Whittaker. There’s no shame in that, but Gastelum had absolutely nothing over five rounds for Whittaker. And aside from a decision win over Ian Heinisch, who a fighter like Gastelum shoulod win in his sleep, I haven’t liked his game whatsoever in four years. Cannonier is an incomplete fighter, but he’s still got more in the tank, and I like his game especially over five rounds to wear down Gastelum. Cannonier via UD.
Lightweight Bout: Clay Guida (36-20) vs. Mark Madsen (10-0)
Luke: I mean, you surely know what you’re getting out of Guida in 2021, don’t you? Come to think of it, you knew what you were getting out of Clay in 2007. Regardless, Guida co-maining a card in 2021 is lollerballs, but he’s being used as a name to get Madsen, who’s flown pretty far under the radar, a name win. Guida is solid and has a rudimentary, if not solid, ground game, but he can be defeated by a superior ground fighter, like Jim Miller. Or Madsen. Madsen via UD.
Heavyweight Bout: Chase Sherman (15-7) vs. Parker Porter (11-6)
Luke: A couple of big boys who don’t much care for going to the cards. Sherman is a more complete fighter and a more precise striker. He can effectively use his kicking game and superior length to keep Parker at bay until he finds his shot. Sherman via R2 TKO.
138.5lb Catchweight Bout: Saidyokub Kakhramonov (8-2) vs. Trevin Jones (13-6)
Luke: Jones does everything well, but doesn’t really stand out in any respect. Kakhramonov’s only losses were to a late flying knee, and getting outwrestled by a Nurmagomedov, which is like getting outdriven by Bryson DeChambeau. He can win with his grappling or with his power. Jones’s defensive grappling is very solid, so I’m thinking he gets caught on the feet. Kakhramonov via R2 KO.
Lightweight Bout: Austin Hubbard (13-5) vs. Vinc Pichel (13-2)
Luke: Pichel’s vicious power has mostly ceased at 38 years old, but he’s still a hell of a well-rounded fighter who’s very capable of grinding out a win, especially against a limited fighter like Hubbard who hasn’t put it all together yet. Pichel via UD.
Flyweight Bout: Alexandre Pantoja (23-5) vs. Brandon Royval (12-5)
Luke: Here’s your fight of the night, here folks. This should absolutely be a barnstorming. Royval is going to scramble and look and look until he finds his opening for a submission, while Pantoja is going to use counterstriking to make him pay for it. Pantoja hasn’t been stopped in 28 fights, so it’s not going to be easy, but in the unstoppable force against the immovable object, I think Royval manages to push through, I think that highly of him. Royval via R3 Submission.
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