The hype machine is working at full capacity with just two days until UFC 141. The main event between Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem will be the marquee attraction, but there are several under-card fights worth keeping an eye on as well.
Here are three underdogs with a great chance of pulling off an upset.
Brock Lesnar
A lot has been made of Lesnar’s extended layoff after his loss to Cain Velasquez and his surgery earlier this year, but he’s a competitor above all else. He wouldn’t be stepping back into the cage if he didn’t seriously believe he had a chance to defeat Overeem.
When healthy, Lesnar was one of the sport’s most dominant figures and there’s no reason he can’t return to that level if he’s completely healed. Only one of his seven bouts have gone the distance, so expect a fast-paced fight that sends the fans home happy regardless of the result.
Prediction: Lesnar by TKO in the second round.
Anthony Njokuani
After starting his career 12-2, it’s been a rocky couple of years for Njokuani. He’s lost three of his past five fights and hasn’t shown as much of his trademark explosiveness recently. That said, he’s coming off an impressive victory over Andre Winner, so he should have momentum on his side.
He was originally slated to face Ramsey Nijem, but will instead fight Danny Castillo because Nijem was injured. Castillo will be fighting on short rest after beating Shamar Bailey last month, which should give the attacking style of Njokuani a better chance of success.
Prediction: Njokuani by TKO in the third round.
Luis Ramos
Ramos had been on quite a roll before getting knocked out 40 seconds into his fight with Erick Silva in August. He’s a good technical fighter, which doesn’t always please the casual fans, but he knows that to optimize his chances of winning, he needs to wear down his opponent rather than go for a quick KO.
His opponent on Friday night, Matt Riddle, has lost two straight bouts but is still considered the favorite. This is really a toss-up fight that will depend on whether or not Ramos can gain an early edge so he can keep the pace in his comfort zone. He should be able to do that en route to a decision victory.
Prediction: Ramos by unanimous decision.
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