UFC Fight Night 83 ‘Prelims:’ FOX Sports 1 undercard preview and predictions, Pt. 2

More fights are coming to Fight Pass and FOX Sports 1 this weekend (Sun., Feb. 21, 2016) when UFC Fight Night 83: “Cowboy vs. Cowboy” kicks off from Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. MMAmania.com’s Patrick Stumberg continues the UFC Fight Night 83 “Prelims” party with the second (and final) installment of a two-part under card preview series.

There are too many possible rodeo jokes for me to pick just one …

Brazilian and American “Cowboys” lock horns inside Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., this Sunday evening (Feb. 21, 2016) as Alex Oliveira welcomes Donald Cerrone to the Welterweight division in UFC Fight Night 83’s main event.

The FOX Sports 1-televised card will also feature a Middleweight showdown between Derek Brunson and Roan Carneiro, as well as a Bantamweight clash that pits Alpha Male prospect Cody Garbrandt against a soon-to-be-announced opponent with John Lineker scratched at the last possible moment.

Four of the six scheduled “Prelims” undercard matches will join the six-fight main card on FOX Sports 1, with the first batch airing on Fight Pass (full preview here).

Check out the FOX Sports 1 undercard portion in all their pugilistic glory:

170 lbs.: Alex Garcia vs. Sean Strickland

Alex Garcia (13-2) roared out of the gate in his UFC debut with a 43-second knockout of Ben Wall, followed by an entertaining split decision over Sean Spencer. A decision loss to Neil Magny snapped his six-fight win streak, but he re-entered the win column in July 2015 with a win over Mike Swick.

“Dominican Nightmare” owns 10 stoppage wins, five each by knockout and submission.

Like Garcia, Sean Strickland (16-1) turned heads in his first UFC appearance, a first-round submission of former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 17 competitor Bubba McDaniel. He’s gone 2-1 since, decisions over Luke Barnatt and Igor Araujo sandwiching a loss to Argentine bruiser Santiago Ponzinibbio.

He stands four inches taller than Garcia at 6’1.”

Strickland has the size and skill to be a major player at 170 pounds, but the win over Araujo isn’t enough to erase his tepid performances against Barnatt and Ponzinibbio. The latter was particularly troubling, as Strickland showed zero urgency despite being clearly outlanded by his aggressive opponent for all three rounds.

This bodes ill against a smothering powerhouse like Garcia.

Whether or not Garcia manages to hit his takedowns or put hands on Strickland’s chin, odds are he’s just going to be doing a lot more than “Tarzan.” Strickland’s tentativeness and difficulty getting the takedown bite him once again as Garcia bullies his way to a decision win.

Prediction: Garcia via unanimous decision

185 lbs.: Daniel Sarafian vs. Oluwale Bamgbose

Daniel Sarafian (9-5) tore through the inaugural TUF: “Brazil,” only to suffer an injury prior to his Finale showdown with Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira. He’s gone 2-3 in UFC itself, dropping a decision to Ferreira along the way and most recently beating Antonio dos Santos by injury stoppage.

He owns eight finishes as a pro, seven of them submissions.

Oluwale Bamgbose (5-1) entered UFC as a late-notice replacement for Joe Riggs against Uriah Hall last August. The Nigerian-born brawler could not get his sixth first-round knockout, as Hall knocked him out with precise ground-and-pound midway through the first round.

“Holy War Angel” again steps in as a late replacement, this time for Sam Alvey.

The key to this fight is, in all likelihood, Sarafian’s ability to stick to a gameplan. He absolutely cannot neglect his grappling against Bamgbose the way he did against dos Santos — as sloppy as Bamgbose is, he’s got massive power behind those punches, more than I believe Sarafian can withstand.

That said, “Holy War Angel” is a non-entity off of his back and lacks the wrestling prowess that C.B. Dollaway and “Mutante” used to stifle Sarafian. I believe the Brazilian, should his head be on straight, can survive on the feet long enough to bring his Judo to bear and lock up something nasty late in the first.

Prediction: Sarafian via first-round submission

185 lbs.: Anthony Smith vs. Leonardo Guimaraes

Anthony Smith (24-11) began and ended his UFC career with a submission loss to Antonio Braga Neto in 2013. Following another submission loss, this time to Josh Neer, he rattled off seven straight wins, capped off by a TKO stoppage of Neer last month.

He enters as a last-second replacement for the ailing Trevor Smith.

Leonardo Guimaraes (11-1) cut his teeth in Brazil as both a Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight, going unbeaten in his last seven fights. He last competed in June 2015, taking a decision over former TUF: “Brazil 3” competitor Richardson “Rick Monstro” Moreira.

“Leleco” will give up three inches of height to the 6’3″ Smith.

I watched the majority of Guimaraes’ fight with Rick Monstro and, frankly, I wasn’t impressed. His response to being pressured is to throw the same left hook with his right arm glued to his side, then cover up when he reaches the fence. Offensively, he runs across the cage with left-right combinations that are just begging for a check hook and occasionally makes very poor takedown attempts.

Though the late notice and historically-shaky chin worry me, Smith should still come out on top.

Guimaraes is just too weak a wrestler and responds too poorly to pressure. “Lionheart” grinds his way to a decision or late submission stoppage.

Prediction: Smith via unanimous decision

170 lbs.: Jonavin Webb vs. Nathan Coy

Jonavin Webb (8-1) — a protege of Renzo Gracie — won the CFFC Welterweight title by knocking out Dan Stittgen and defended it with a “No Contest” against Lyman Good and submission over Elijah Harshbarger. He joined UFC in May 2015 as a late-notice replacement for Andreas Stahl against Kyle Noke, ultimately losing a narrow decision to the Aussie veteran.

Four of his eight wins have come by submission.

Nathan Coy (14-6), representing American Top Team (ATT), went 1-1 on TUF 22, the win a clutch one in the latter stages of the season. He eventually joined UFC proper as a late replacement for Mike Graves against Danny Roberts, who tapped him with a triangle midway through the first round.

“Soulforce” is over a decade older than Webb at 37.

As biased as I tend to be toward overpowering wrestlers against submission artists, I no longer have any faith in Coy. The durability and submission defense just aren’t there anymore, and both traits are essential for someone with his grinding style.

Webb is still improving at 26 and, in my opinion, deserved the nod over Noke. He’s just too good to leave the openings Coy will leave unexploited. “Spyder” snags something in transition while both fighters are still fresh.

Prediction: Webb via first-round submission

UFC Fight Night 83 is a free card with plenty of potential for memorable showdowns — let’s hope it lives up to that potential.

See you there, Maniacs!

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Night 83 fight card, starting with the Fight Pass “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. ET, and then the remaining under card balance on FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET, before the FOX Sports 1 main card start time at 9 p.m. ET.

Current UFC “Prelims” Prediction Record 2016: 14-16-1

More fights are coming to Fight Pass and FOX Sports 1 this weekend (Sun., Feb. 21, 2016) when UFC Fight Night 83: “Cowboy vs. Cowboy” kicks off from Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. MMAmania.com’s Patrick Stumberg continues the UFC Fight Night 83 “Prelims” party with the second (and final) installment of a two-part under card preview series.

There are too many possible rodeo jokes for me to pick just one …

Brazilian and American “Cowboys” lock horns inside Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., this Sunday evening (Feb. 21, 2016) as Alex Oliveira welcomes Donald Cerrone to the Welterweight division in UFC Fight Night 83’s main event.

The FOX Sports 1-televised card will also feature a Middleweight showdown between Derek Brunson and Roan Carneiro, as well as a Bantamweight clash that pits Alpha Male prospect Cody Garbrandt against a soon-to-be-announced opponent with John Lineker scratched at the last possible moment.

Four of the six scheduled “Prelims” undercard matches will join the six-fight main card on FOX Sports 1, with the first batch airing on Fight Pass (full preview here).

Check out the FOX Sports 1 undercard portion in all their pugilistic glory:

170 lbs.: Alex Garcia vs. Sean Strickland

Alex Garcia (13-2) roared out of the gate in his UFC debut with a 43-second knockout of Ben Wall, followed by an entertaining split decision over Sean Spencer. A decision loss to Neil Magny snapped his six-fight win streak, but he re-entered the win column in July 2015 with a win over Mike Swick.

“Dominican Nightmare” owns 10 stoppage wins, five each by knockout and submission.

Like Garcia, Sean Strickland (16-1) turned heads in his first UFC appearance, a first-round submission of former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 17 competitor Bubba McDaniel. He’s gone 2-1 since, decisions over Luke Barnatt and Igor Araujo sandwiching a loss to Argentine bruiser Santiago Ponzinibbio.

He stands four inches taller than Garcia at 6’1.”

Strickland has the size and skill to be a major player at 170 pounds, but the win over Araujo isn’t enough to erase his tepid performances against Barnatt and Ponzinibbio. The latter was particularly troubling, as Strickland showed zero urgency despite being clearly outlanded by his aggressive opponent for all three rounds.

This bodes ill against a smothering powerhouse like Garcia.

Whether or not Garcia manages to hit his takedowns or put hands on Strickland’s chin, odds are he’s just going to be doing a lot more than “Tarzan.” Strickland’s tentativeness and difficulty getting the takedown bite him once again as Garcia bullies his way to a decision win.

Prediction: Garcia via unanimous decision

185 lbs.: Daniel Sarafian vs. Oluwale Bamgbose

Daniel Sarafian (9-5) tore through the inaugural TUF: “Brazil,” only to suffer an injury prior to his Finale showdown with Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira. He’s gone 2-3 in UFC itself, dropping a decision to Ferreira along the way and most recently beating Antonio dos Santos by injury stoppage.

He owns eight finishes as a pro, seven of them submissions.

Oluwale Bamgbose (5-1) entered UFC as a late-notice replacement for Joe Riggs against Uriah Hall last August. The Nigerian-born brawler could not get his sixth first-round knockout, as Hall knocked him out with precise ground-and-pound midway through the first round.

“Holy War Angel” again steps in as a late replacement, this time for Sam Alvey.

The key to this fight is, in all likelihood, Sarafian’s ability to stick to a gameplan. He absolutely cannot neglect his grappling against Bamgbose the way he did against dos Santos — as sloppy as Bamgbose is, he’s got massive power behind those punches, more than I believe Sarafian can withstand.

That said, “Holy War Angel” is a non-entity off of his back and lacks the wrestling prowess that C.B. Dollaway and “Mutante” used to stifle Sarafian. I believe the Brazilian, should his head be on straight, can survive on the feet long enough to bring his Judo to bear and lock up something nasty late in the first.

Prediction: Sarafian via first-round submission

185 lbs.: Anthony Smith vs. Leonardo Guimaraes

Anthony Smith (24-11) began and ended his UFC career with a submission loss to Antonio Braga Neto in 2013. Following another submission loss, this time to Josh Neer, he rattled off seven straight wins, capped off by a TKO stoppage of Neer last month.

He enters as a last-second replacement for the ailing Trevor Smith.

Leonardo Guimaraes (11-1) cut his teeth in Brazil as both a Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight, going unbeaten in his last seven fights. He last competed in June 2015, taking a decision over former TUF: “Brazil 3” competitor Richardson “Rick Monstro” Moreira.

“Leleco” will give up three inches of height to the 6’3″ Smith.

I watched the majority of Guimaraes’ fight with Rick Monstro and, frankly, I wasn’t impressed. His response to being pressured is to throw the same left hook with his right arm glued to his side, then cover up when he reaches the fence. Offensively, he runs across the cage with left-right combinations that are just begging for a check hook and occasionally makes very poor takedown attempts.

Though the late notice and historically-shaky chin worry me, Smith should still come out on top.

Guimaraes is just too weak a wrestler and responds too poorly to pressure. “Lionheart” grinds his way to a decision or late submission stoppage.

Prediction: Smith via unanimous decision

170 lbs.: Jonavin Webb vs. Nathan Coy

Jonavin Webb (8-1) — a protege of Renzo Gracie — won the CFFC Welterweight title by knocking out Dan Stittgen and defended it with a “No Contest” against Lyman Good and submission over Elijah Harshbarger. He joined UFC in May 2015 as a late-notice replacement for Andreas Stahl against Kyle Noke, ultimately losing a narrow decision to the Aussie veteran.

Four of his eight wins have come by submission.

Nathan Coy (14-6), representing American Top Team (ATT), went 1-1 on TUF 22, the win a clutch one in the latter stages of the season. He eventually joined UFC proper as a late replacement for Mike Graves against Danny Roberts, who tapped him with a triangle midway through the first round.

“Soulforce” is over a decade older than Webb at 37.

As biased as I tend to be toward overpowering wrestlers against submission artists, I no longer have any faith in Coy. The durability and submission defense just aren’t there anymore, and both traits are essential for someone with his grinding style.

Webb is still improving at 26 and, in my opinion, deserved the nod over Noke. He’s just too good to leave the openings Coy will leave unexploited. “Spyder” snags something in transition while both fighters are still fresh.

Prediction: Webb via first-round submission

UFC Fight Night 83 is a free card with plenty of potential for memorable showdowns — let’s hope it lives up to that potential.

See you there, Maniacs!

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Night 83 fight card, starting with the Fight Pass “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. ET, and then the remaining under card balance on FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET, before the FOX Sports 1 main card start time at 9 p.m. ET.

Current UFC “Prelims” Prediction Record 2016: 14-16-1

UFC Fight Night 83 ‘Prelims:’ FOX Sports 1 undercard preview and predictions, Pt. 2

More fights are coming to Fight Pass and FOX Sports 1 this weekend (Sun., Feb. 21, 2016) when UFC Fight Night 83: “Cowboy vs. Cowboy” kicks off from Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. MMAmania.com’s Patrick Stumberg continues the UFC Fight Night 83 “Prelims” party with the second (and final) installment of a two-part under card preview series.

There are too many possible rodeo jokes for me to pick just one …

Brazilian and American “Cowboys” lock horns inside Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., this Sunday evening (Feb. 21, 2016) as Alex Oliveira welcomes Donald Cerrone to the Welterweight division in UFC Fight Night 83’s main event.

The FOX Sports 1-televised card will also feature a Middleweight showdown between Derek Brunson and Roan Carneiro, as well as a Bantamweight clash that pits Alpha Male prospect Cody Garbrandt against a soon-to-be-announced opponent with John Lineker scratched at the last possible moment.

Four of the six scheduled “Prelims” undercard matches will join the six-fight main card on FOX Sports 1, with the first batch airing on Fight Pass (full preview here).

Check out the FOX Sports 1 undercard portion in all their pugilistic glory:

170 lbs.: Alex Garcia vs. Sean Strickland

Alex Garcia (13-2) roared out of the gate in his UFC debut with a 43-second knockout of Ben Wall, followed by an entertaining split decision over Sean Spencer. A decision loss to Neil Magny snapped his six-fight win streak, but he re-entered the win column in July 2015 with a win over Mike Swick.

“Dominican Nightmare” owns 10 stoppage wins, five each by knockout and submission.

Like Garcia, Sean Strickland (16-1) turned heads in his first UFC appearance, a first-round submission of former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 17 competitor Bubba McDaniel. He’s gone 2-1 since, decisions over Luke Barnatt and Igor Araujo sandwiching a loss to Argentine bruiser Santiago Ponzinibbio.

He stands four inches taller than Garcia at 6’1.”

Strickland has the size and skill to be a major player at 170 pounds, but the win over Araujo isn’t enough to erase his tepid performances against Barnatt and Ponzinibbio. The latter was particularly troubling, as Strickland showed zero urgency despite being clearly outlanded by his aggressive opponent for all three rounds.

This bodes ill against a smothering powerhouse like Garcia.

Whether or not Garcia manages to hit his takedowns or put hands on Strickland’s chin, odds are he’s just going to be doing a lot more than “Tarzan.” Strickland’s tentativeness and difficulty getting the takedown bite him once again as Garcia bullies his way to a decision win.

Prediction: Garcia via unanimous decision

185 lbs.: Daniel Sarafian vs. Oluwale Bamgbose

Daniel Sarafian (9-5) tore through the inaugural TUF: “Brazil,” only to suffer an injury prior to his Finale showdown with Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira. He’s gone 2-3 in UFC itself, dropping a decision to Ferreira along the way and most recently beating Antonio dos Santos by injury stoppage.

He owns eight finishes as a pro, seven of them submissions.

Oluwale Bamgbose (5-1) entered UFC as a late-notice replacement for Joe Riggs against Uriah Hall last August. The Nigerian-born brawler could not get his sixth first-round knockout, as Hall knocked him out with precise ground-and-pound midway through the first round.

“Holy War Angel” again steps in as a late replacement, this time for Sam Alvey.

The key to this fight is, in all likelihood, Sarafian’s ability to stick to a gameplan. He absolutely cannot neglect his grappling against Bamgbose the way he did against dos Santos — as sloppy as Bamgbose is, he’s got massive power behind those punches, more than I believe Sarafian can withstand.

That said, “Holy War Angel” is a non-entity off of his back and lacks the wrestling prowess that C.B. Dollaway and “Mutante” used to stifle Sarafian. I believe the Brazilian, should his head be on straight, can survive on the feet long enough to bring his Judo to bear and lock up something nasty late in the first.

Prediction: Sarafian via first-round submission

185 lbs.: Anthony Smith vs. Leonardo Guimaraes

Anthony Smith (24-11) began and ended his UFC career with a submission loss to Antonio Braga Neto in 2013. Following another submission loss, this time to Josh Neer, he rattled off seven straight wins, capped off by a TKO stoppage of Neer last month.

He enters as a last-second replacement for the ailing Trevor Smith.

Leonardo Guimaraes (11-1) cut his teeth in Brazil as both a Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight, going unbeaten in his last seven fights. He last competed in June 2015, taking a decision over former TUF: “Brazil 3” competitor Richardson “Rick Monstro” Moreira.

“Leleco” will give up three inches of height to the 6’3″ Smith.

I watched the majority of Guimaraes’ fight with Rick Monstro and, frankly, I wasn’t impressed. His response to being pressured is to throw the same left hook with his right arm glued to his side, then cover up when he reaches the fence. Offensively, he runs across the cage with left-right combinations that are just begging for a check hook and occasionally makes very poor takedown attempts.

Though the late notice and historically-shaky chin worry me, Smith should still come out on top.

Guimaraes is just too weak a wrestler and responds too poorly to pressure. “Lionheart” grinds his way to a decision or late submission stoppage.

Prediction: Smith via unanimous decision

170 lbs.: Jonavin Webb vs. Nathan Coy

Jonavin Webb (8-1) — a protege of Renzo Gracie — won the CFFC Welterweight title by knocking out Dan Stittgen and defended it with a “No Contest” against Lyman Good and submission over Elijah Harshbarger. He joined UFC in May 2015 as a late-notice replacement for Andreas Stahl against Kyle Noke, ultimately losing a narrow decision to the Aussie veteran.

Four of his eight wins have come by submission.

Nathan Coy (14-6), representing American Top Team (ATT), went 1-1 on TUF 22, the win a clutch one in the latter stages of the season. He eventually joined UFC proper as a late replacement for Mike Graves against Danny Roberts, who tapped him with a triangle midway through the first round.

“Soulforce” is over a decade older than Webb at 37.

As biased as I tend to be toward overpowering wrestlers against submission artists, I no longer have any faith in Coy. The durability and submission defense just aren’t there anymore, and both traits are essential for someone with his grinding style.

Webb is still improving at 26 and, in my opinion, deserved the nod over Noke. He’s just too good to leave the openings Coy will leave unexploited. “Spyder” snags something in transition while both fighters are still fresh.

Prediction: Webb via first-round submission

UFC Fight Night 83 is a free card with plenty of potential for memorable showdowns — let’s hope it lives up to that potential.

See you there, Maniacs!

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Night 83 fight card, starting with the Fight Pass “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. ET, and then the remaining under card balance on FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET, before the FOX Sports 1 main card start time at 9 p.m. ET.

Current UFC “Prelims” Prediction Record 2016: 14-16-1

More fights are coming to Fight Pass and FOX Sports 1 this weekend (Sun., Feb. 21, 2016) when UFC Fight Night 83: “Cowboy vs. Cowboy” kicks off from Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. MMAmania.com’s Patrick Stumberg continues the UFC Fight Night 83 “Prelims” party with the second (and final) installment of a two-part under card preview series.

There are too many possible rodeo jokes for me to pick just one …

Brazilian and American “Cowboys” lock horns inside Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., this Sunday evening (Feb. 21, 2016) as Alex Oliveira welcomes Donald Cerrone to the Welterweight division in UFC Fight Night 83’s main event.

The FOX Sports 1-televised card will also feature a Middleweight showdown between Derek Brunson and Roan Carneiro, as well as a Bantamweight clash that pits Alpha Male prospect Cody Garbrandt against a soon-to-be-announced opponent with John Lineker scratched at the last possible moment.

Four of the six scheduled “Prelims” undercard matches will join the six-fight main card on FOX Sports 1, with the first batch airing on Fight Pass (full preview here).

Check out the FOX Sports 1 undercard portion in all their pugilistic glory:

170 lbs.: Alex Garcia vs. Sean Strickland

Alex Garcia (13-2) roared out of the gate in his UFC debut with a 43-second knockout of Ben Wall, followed by an entertaining split decision over Sean Spencer. A decision loss to Neil Magny snapped his six-fight win streak, but he re-entered the win column in July 2015 with a win over Mike Swick.

“Dominican Nightmare” owns 10 stoppage wins, five each by knockout and submission.

Like Garcia, Sean Strickland (16-1) turned heads in his first UFC appearance, a first-round submission of former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 17 competitor Bubba McDaniel. He’s gone 2-1 since, decisions over Luke Barnatt and Igor Araujo sandwiching a loss to Argentine bruiser Santiago Ponzinibbio.

He stands four inches taller than Garcia at 6’1.”

Strickland has the size and skill to be a major player at 170 pounds, but the win over Araujo isn’t enough to erase his tepid performances against Barnatt and Ponzinibbio. The latter was particularly troubling, as Strickland showed zero urgency despite being clearly outlanded by his aggressive opponent for all three rounds.

This bodes ill against a smothering powerhouse like Garcia.

Whether or not Garcia manages to hit his takedowns or put hands on Strickland’s chin, odds are he’s just going to be doing a lot more than “Tarzan.” Strickland’s tentativeness and difficulty getting the takedown bite him once again as Garcia bullies his way to a decision win.

Prediction: Garcia via unanimous decision

185 lbs.: Daniel Sarafian vs. Oluwale Bamgbose

Daniel Sarafian (9-5) tore through the inaugural TUF: “Brazil,” only to suffer an injury prior to his Finale showdown with Cezar “Mutante” Ferreira. He’s gone 2-3 in UFC itself, dropping a decision to Ferreira along the way and most recently beating Antonio dos Santos by injury stoppage.

He owns eight finishes as a pro, seven of them submissions.

Oluwale Bamgbose (5-1) entered UFC as a late-notice replacement for Joe Riggs against Uriah Hall last August. The Nigerian-born brawler could not get his sixth first-round knockout, as Hall knocked him out with precise ground-and-pound midway through the first round.

“Holy War Angel” again steps in as a late replacement, this time for Sam Alvey.

The key to this fight is, in all likelihood, Sarafian’s ability to stick to a gameplan. He absolutely cannot neglect his grappling against Bamgbose the way he did against dos Santos — as sloppy as Bamgbose is, he’s got massive power behind those punches, more than I believe Sarafian can withstand.

That said, “Holy War Angel” is a non-entity off of his back and lacks the wrestling prowess that C.B. Dollaway and “Mutante” used to stifle Sarafian. I believe the Brazilian, should his head be on straight, can survive on the feet long enough to bring his Judo to bear and lock up something nasty late in the first.

Prediction: Sarafian via first-round submission

185 lbs.: Anthony Smith vs. Leonardo Guimaraes

Anthony Smith (24-11) began and ended his UFC career with a submission loss to Antonio Braga Neto in 2013. Following another submission loss, this time to Josh Neer, he rattled off seven straight wins, capped off by a TKO stoppage of Neer last month.

He enters as a last-second replacement for the ailing Trevor Smith.

Leonardo Guimaraes (11-1) cut his teeth in Brazil as both a Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight, going unbeaten in his last seven fights. He last competed in June 2015, taking a decision over former TUF: “Brazil 3” competitor Richardson “Rick Monstro” Moreira.

“Leleco” will give up three inches of height to the 6’3″ Smith.

I watched the majority of Guimaraes’ fight with Rick Monstro and, frankly, I wasn’t impressed. His response to being pressured is to throw the same left hook with his right arm glued to his side, then cover up when he reaches the fence. Offensively, he runs across the cage with left-right combinations that are just begging for a check hook and occasionally makes very poor takedown attempts.

Though the late notice and historically-shaky chin worry me, Smith should still come out on top.

Guimaraes is just too weak a wrestler and responds too poorly to pressure. “Lionheart” grinds his way to a decision or late submission stoppage.

Prediction: Smith via unanimous decision

170 lbs.: Jonavin Webb vs. Nathan Coy

Jonavin Webb (8-1) — a protege of Renzo Gracie — won the CFFC Welterweight title by knocking out Dan Stittgen and defended it with a “No Contest” against Lyman Good and submission over Elijah Harshbarger. He joined UFC in May 2015 as a late-notice replacement for Andreas Stahl against Kyle Noke, ultimately losing a narrow decision to the Aussie veteran.

Four of his eight wins have come by submission.

Nathan Coy (14-6), representing American Top Team (ATT), went 1-1 on TUF 22, the win a clutch one in the latter stages of the season. He eventually joined UFC proper as a late replacement for Mike Graves against Danny Roberts, who tapped him with a triangle midway through the first round.

“Soulforce” is over a decade older than Webb at 37.

As biased as I tend to be toward overpowering wrestlers against submission artists, I no longer have any faith in Coy. The durability and submission defense just aren’t there anymore, and both traits are essential for someone with his grinding style.

Webb is still improving at 26 and, in my opinion, deserved the nod over Noke. He’s just too good to leave the openings Coy will leave unexploited. “Spyder” snags something in transition while both fighters are still fresh.

Prediction: Webb via first-round submission

UFC Fight Night 83 is a free card with plenty of potential for memorable showdowns — let’s hope it lives up to that potential.

See you there, Maniacs!

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Night 83 fight card, starting with the Fight Pass “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. ET, and then the remaining under card balance on FOX Sports 1 at 7 p.m. ET, before the FOX Sports 1 main card start time at 9 p.m. ET.

Current UFC “Prelims” Prediction Record 2016: 14-16-1