Author: Craig Amos

UFC Fight Night 99 and 100 Predictions: Main Card Staff Picks

The UFC is prepped for a busy Saturday this weekend, with a pair of shows happening on two continents. UFC Fight Night 99, hosted by Northern Ireland, will start things off in the afternoon (12:15 p.m. ET) and conclude around the time that Fight N…

The UFC is prepped for a busy Saturday this weekend, with a pair of shows happening on two continents. UFC Fight Night 99, hosted by Northern Ireland, will start things off in the afternoon (12:15 p.m. ET) and conclude around the time that Fight Night 100 begins (6 p.m. ET) in Brazil.

The respective cards will be headlined by Gegard Mousasi and Uriah Hall, and Ryan Bader and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Interestingly, both headliners are rematches.

While the quality of the main events and overall cards might feel underwhelming in the shadow of last weekend’s landmark UFC 205 event, the pair of Fight Nights certainly lack nothing in the quantity department. All told, the two fight cards offer fans a total of 22 bouts, including 10 main card showdowns, so clear your schedule. 

As is our custom here at Bleacher Report, we’ve assembled the usual team of Scott Harris, Nathan McCarter, Steven Rondina and Craig Amos to prognosticate the outcomes of each main card match. Read on for our collective insight into Saturday’s unrelenting action.

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UFC 205 Primer: Chris Weidman vs. Yoel Romero, a Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Before UFC 205 on Nov. 12 concludes with its trio of title fights, middleweights Chris Weidman and Yoel Romero will square off for a middleweight matchup rife with championship implications. 
Weidman, formerly the division’s kingpin, is looking to…

Before UFC 205 on Nov. 12 concludes with its trio of title fights, middleweights Chris Weidman and Yoel Romero will square off for a middleweight matchup rife with championship implications. 

Weidman, formerly the division’s kingpin, is looking to get back into the win column after suffering the first defeat of his career. He was expected to once again fight for the belt at UFC 199, but injuries changed his course and have placed him face-to-face with Romero.

Romero has never lost inside the Octagon. He has amassed seven victories while exhibiting tremendous grappling ability and otherworldly power. His most recent win, a split decision over Ronaldo Souza, marked only the third time in Romero’s career that he failed to knock out his opponent. 

Here we break down the battle, taking a look at the areas of the fight where Weidman or Romero holds an advantage, and we examine how those granular matchups will contribute to determining the fight’s outcome.

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UFC 205 Primer: Chris Weidman vs. Yoel Romero, a Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Before UFC 205 on Nov. 12 concludes with its trio of title fights, middleweights Chris Weidman and Yoel Romero will square off for a middleweight matchup rife with championship implications. 
Weidman, formerly the division’s kingpin, is looking to…

Before UFC 205 on Nov. 12 concludes with its trio of title fights, middleweights Chris Weidman and Yoel Romero will square off for a middleweight matchup rife with championship implications. 

Weidman, formerly the division’s kingpin, is looking to get back into the win column after suffering the first defeat of his career. He was expected to once again fight for the belt at UFC 199, but injuries changed his course and have placed him face-to-face with Romero.

Romero has never lost inside the Octagon. He has amassed seven victories while exhibiting tremendous grappling ability and otherworldly power. His most recent win, a split decision over Ronaldo Souza, marked only the third time in Romero’s career that he failed to knock out his opponent. 

Here we break down the battle, taking a look at the areas of the fight where Weidman or Romero holds an advantage, and we examine how those granular matchups will contribute to determining the fight’s outcome.

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UFC 205 Primer: Donald Cerrone vs. Kelvin Gastelum: A Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 205 is not just historic because it marks the UFC’s first event in New York City. The show’s trio of title fights, litany of stars and overwhelming collection of talent have UFC 205 set up to be the promotion’s most memorable show since UFC 100.
Co…

UFC 205 is not just historic because it marks the UFC’s first event in New York City. The show’s trio of title fights, litany of stars and overwhelming collection of talent have UFC 205 set up to be the promotion’s most memorable show since UFC 100.

Contributing to the prestige of the card is a showdown between high-action welterweights Donald Cerrone and Kelvin Gastelum. 

Cerrone joined the welterweight ranks after his lightweight title run ended with a disappointing defeat to then-champion Rafael dos Anjos. Since changing weight classes, Cerrone has looked dominant, reeling off three straight wins, including a submission and a pair of knockouts.

Gastelum has rotated wins and losses over his past four outings but enters the bout on the heels of a big victory over former champion Johny Hendricks. A win against Cerrone would place Gastelum squarely in the title picture at 170 pounds.

In anticipation of UFC 205, Bleacher Report investigates the matchup, examining which fighter holds an advantage in which theater of combat, and which fighter is more likely to win.

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UFC 205 Primer: Miesha Tate vs. Raquel Pennington Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 205 will end with Conor McGregor’s attempt to capture a second UFC title, but the historic show’s main card will kick off with a bantamweight clash between former champion Miesha Tate, and burgeoning upstart Raquel Pennington.
The bout marks Tate’s…

UFC 205 will end with Conor McGregor’s attempt to capture a second UFC title, but the historic show’s main card will kick off with a bantamweight clash between former champion Miesha Tate, and burgeoning upstart Raquel Pennington.

The bout marks Tate’s return to action after being usurped as the division’s champion. She’ll hope to put the one-sided thrashing behind her and get back to turning in the kind of performance that allowed her to win five straight prior to the recent defeat.

Pennington enters having won three consecutive matches, and four of her last five. Her upcoming bout with Tate, however, represents both the greatest challenge and opportunity of her professional life. 

As we continue to count down the days until UFC 205, let’s examine the matchup between these two bantamweights and find out who holds an edge where, and which fighter is likely to emerge victorious.

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UFC 205 Primer: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Michael Johnson Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 205 is headlined by a lightweight championship fight, but the main event is not the card’s only meaningful lightweight showdown. No. 1 ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov will square off against No. 6-ranked Michael Johnson in an undercard battle that carri…

UFC 205 is headlined by a lightweight championship fight, but the main event is not the card’s only meaningful lightweight showdown. No. 1 ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov will square off against No. 6-ranked Michael Johnson in an undercard battle that carries strong title implications.

Nurmagomedov returned to the Octagon in April after a two-year absence from competition. By scoring a knockout victory in that contest, he issued notice that his halted title run is now back on track. A win over Johnson might be the last stop before paydirt. 

Johnson is coming off the most important win of his career, a knockout of Dustin Poirier. The victory ended a two-fight losing streak and catapulted Johnson up the lightweight ranks. While a triumph over Nurmagomedov might not usher Johnson into contention, it would place him within visible distance of a title shot.

In anticipation of this crucial lightweight contest, we take a look at how Nurmagomedov and Johnson match up.

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