Tag: Preview/Prediction

UFC Fight Night 110: 3 Fights You Can’t Miss in Melbourne

Oh boy. Man. This card is not good.
Last weekend, fight fans were treated to major fireworks at UFC 212. In that main event, Max Holloway found his footing, knocked out Jose Aldo and captured the undisputed featherweight title. That card was fairly lac…

Oh boy. Man. This card is not good.

Last weekend, fight fans were treated to major fireworks at UFC 212. In that main event, Max Holloway found his footing, knocked out Jose Aldo and captured the undisputed featherweight title. That card was fairly lackluster on paper, too, at least for a pay-per-view, but it ended up being plenty of fun.

Let’s hope that trend continues Saturday in Melbourne, Australia. The main event, featuring heavyweights Derrick Lewis and Mark Hunt, could be equally as pyrotechnic as its immediate predecessor, even if the stakes are markedly lower. The rest of the card? Ugh, who knows. You never know in the fight game, but knowing what we know now…yeah, it’s not promising.

But we can still root around in there and find a few potential gems. Here are three fights you shouldn’t miss on Saturday.

The UFC Fight Pass prelims begin Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, the Fox Sports 1 prelims start at 8 p.m. and the Fox Sports 1 main card kicks off at 10 p.m.

      

Heavyweight

Derrick Lewis (18-4-1) vs. Mark Hunt (12-11-1-1)

Yes, this is your no-brainer right here. And it’s possible one of these guys will be a no-brainer at the end of this fight (insert crying emoji).

The heavyweight division is pretty thin these days, and while it’s unlikely that a win here would earn either man an automatic title shot, that win would land them in shouting distance.

But there’s more at stake here. A knockout would earn the winner the title of hardest hitter in MMA today. 

Lewis is a modest -138 favorite in the bout, according to OddsShark, meaning a successful $138 wager would net a $100 profit. The 32-year-old Houstonian has won six straight, five of them by knockout. His most recent win was also arguably his biggest-name victim: in February he earned a Fight of the Night bonus for his second-round drubbing of Travis Browne. Afterward, Lewis—who has large followings on his profane but often hilarious social media accounts—famously rubbed salt in the wound with lewd humor toward

Afterward, Lewis—who has large followings on his profane but often hilarious social media accounts—famously rubbed salt in the wound with lewd humor toward Browne main squeeze Ronda Rousey. That pretty neatly sums up the two Lewis components that make him popular with fans and, these days, UFC matchmakers.

On the other side, the popularity of Hunt takes a back seat to no man. The king of the walk-off KO, the 43-year-old Hunt has fallen on hard times of late. He hasn’t won in more than a year, losing to Brock Lesnar last summer and then to Alistair Overeem in March (though the Lesnar loss was later changed to a no-contest after Lesnar failed a drug test).

Fighting in front of a friendly crowd, the New Zealander may benefit from some home cooking. 

These two each have one primary weapon: those tree trunks growing from the right sides of their bodies. Lewis and Hunt have 16 and nine knockout wins, respectively, meaning 52 percent of their combined fights ended with a knockout victory.

Someone’s going to sleep here, too. The younger, fresher Lewis is also bigger, standing 6’3″ to Hunt’s 5’10” and sporting a 79″ reach compared with Hunt’s 74″ reach.

Lewis is also pretty solid in the clinch. Both of these men tend to wear down, and Lewis could see to it that Hunt gets tired. And when Hunt is at his slowest point, he could very well be easy pickings for Lewis.

Then again, as long as Hunt’s right is still working, and that ever-efficient stalking is in effect, you can never count the Super Samoan out.

     

Flyweight

Tim Elliott (14-7-1) vs. Ben Nguyen (17-6)

Outside the main event, this contest has to hold the inside track for Fight of the Night honors. 

Replacing the injured Joseph Benavidez in this matchup, Elliott is a veteran of the sport, with wins over Louis Gaudinot and, most recently, Louis Smolka. He’s lost nearly as much he’s won in the UFC by a 6-5 margin, but his unorthodox style—inspired by ex-bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz—gives opponents plenty of fits.

Elliott is a slight -150 favorite over the young gun Nguyen, but he might still be there to see if the American-Australian can get himself over in front of the hometown faithful. Although he’s well-rounded everywhere, the 28-year-old works kickboxing first. 

This will be a high-octane battle no matter where it goes. On the feet, Nguyen has sharp punches and kicks and a boundless gas tank. Elliott will switch stances and feint and brawl and generally try to make things look ugly. Both these men are comfortable on the ground and particularly in the scramble. 

Nguyen is a straight arrow in his approach to fighting. If he doesn’t let Elliott dirty it up too much, he should have the athleticism and skill to pull the upset and get the Melbournians cheering.

     

Strawweight

JJ Aldrich (4-2) vs. Chan-Mi Jeon (5-0)

Yes, I could have gone with Dan Hooker vs. Ross Pearson or something like that, but instead I’m bringing you a deep cut. The Fight Pass headliner has some interesting intrigue.

Both these young ladies—and I mean young, with Jeon being a scant 19 years of age and Aldrich just 24—can get a lot of work done in the cage. All Jeon did on the Korean circuits was earn four of her five wins by knockout. That’s why she got the call to be a short-notice replacement in this bout. She’s not polished, but lordy, does she hit hard and with very bad intentions. Think Korean Super Boy Doo Ho Choi without any… what’s the word…skills.

You may remember Aldrich from The Ultimate Fighter 23. Or you may not; she lost in the elimination round. But that was against season winner Tatiana Suarez, so that’s good for Aldrich, in a way. The American dropped her UFC debut against Julianna Pena, but that was on short notice and she has another shot here.

If Jeon can make her debut a brawl, Aldrich can be beaten. If Aldrich can get this to the mat and work her jiu-jitsu (just watch those hellacious strikes from Jeon), she should be able to wrap up her first submission win—and first win of any kind inside the UFC.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Fight Night 110: 3 Fights You Can’t Miss in Melbourne

Oh boy. Man. This card is not good.
Last weekend, fight fans were treated to major fireworks at UFC 212. In that main event, Max Holloway found his footing, knocked out Jose Aldo and captured the undisputed featherweight title. That card was fairly lac…

Oh boy. Man. This card is not good.

Last weekend, fight fans were treated to major fireworks at UFC 212. In that main event, Max Holloway found his footing, knocked out Jose Aldo and captured the undisputed featherweight title. That card was fairly lackluster on paper, too, at least for a pay-per-view, but it ended up being plenty of fun.

Let’s hope that trend continues Saturday in Melbourne, Australia. The main event, featuring heavyweights Derrick Lewis and Mark Hunt, could be equally as pyrotechnic as its immediate predecessor, even if the stakes are markedly lower. The rest of the card? Ugh, who knows. You never know in the fight game, but knowing what we know now…yeah, it’s not promising.

But we can still root around in there and find a few potential gems. Here are three fights you shouldn’t miss on Saturday.

The UFC Fight Pass prelims begin Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, the Fox Sports 1 prelims start at 8 p.m. and the Fox Sports 1 main card kicks off at 10 p.m.

      

Heavyweight

Derrick Lewis (18-4-1) vs. Mark Hunt (12-11-1-1)

Yes, this is your no-brainer right here. And it’s possible one of these guys will be a no-brainer at the end of this fight (insert crying emoji).

The heavyweight division is pretty thin these days, and while it’s unlikely that a win here would earn either man an automatic title shot, that win would land them in shouting distance.

But there’s more at stake here. A knockout would earn the winner the title of hardest hitter in MMA today. 

Lewis is a modest -138 favorite in the bout, according to OddsShark, meaning a successful $138 wager would net a $100 profit. The 32-year-old Houstonian has won six straight, five of them by knockout. His most recent win was also arguably his biggest-name victim: in February he earned a Fight of the Night bonus for his second-round drubbing of Travis Browne. Afterward, Lewis—who has large followings on his profane but often hilarious social media accounts—famously rubbed salt in the wound with lewd humor toward

Afterward, Lewis—who has large followings on his profane but often hilarious social media accounts—famously rubbed salt in the wound with lewd humor toward Browne main squeeze Ronda Rousey. That pretty neatly sums up the two Lewis components that make him popular with fans and, these days, UFC matchmakers.

On the other side, the popularity of Hunt takes a back seat to no man. The king of the walk-off KO, the 43-year-old Hunt has fallen on hard times of late. He hasn’t won in more than a year, losing to Brock Lesnar last summer and then to Alistair Overeem in March (though the Lesnar loss was later changed to a no-contest after Lesnar failed a drug test).

Fighting in front of a friendly crowd, the New Zealander may benefit from some home cooking. 

These two each have one primary weapon: those tree trunks growing from the right sides of their bodies. Lewis and Hunt have 16 and nine knockout wins, respectively, meaning 52 percent of their combined fights ended with a knockout victory.

Someone’s going to sleep here, too. The younger, fresher Lewis is also bigger, standing 6’3″ to Hunt’s 5’10” and sporting a 79″ reach compared with Hunt’s 74″ reach.

Lewis is also pretty solid in the clinch. Both of these men tend to wear down, and Lewis could see to it that Hunt gets tired. And when Hunt is at his slowest point, he could very well be easy pickings for Lewis.

Then again, as long as Hunt’s right is still working, and that ever-efficient stalking is in effect, you can never count the Super Samoan out.

     

Flyweight

Tim Elliott (14-7-1) vs. Ben Nguyen (17-6)

Outside the main event, this contest has to hold the inside track for Fight of the Night honors. 

Replacing the injured Joseph Benavidez in this matchup, Elliott is a veteran of the sport, with wins over Louis Gaudinot and, most recently, Louis Smolka. He’s lost nearly as much he’s won in the UFC by a 6-5 margin, but his unorthodox style—inspired by ex-bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz—gives opponents plenty of fits.

Elliott is a slight -150 favorite over the young gun Nguyen, but he might still be there to see if the American-Australian can get himself over in front of the hometown faithful. Although he’s well-rounded everywhere, the 28-year-old works kickboxing first. 

This will be a high-octane battle no matter where it goes. On the feet, Nguyen has sharp punches and kicks and a boundless gas tank. Elliott will switch stances and feint and brawl and generally try to make things look ugly. Both these men are comfortable on the ground and particularly in the scramble. 

Nguyen is a straight arrow in his approach to fighting. If he doesn’t let Elliott dirty it up too much, he should have the athleticism and skill to pull the upset and get the Melbournians cheering.

     

Strawweight

JJ Aldrich (4-2) vs. Chan-Mi Jeon (5-0)

Yes, I could have gone with Dan Hooker vs. Ross Pearson or something like that, but instead I’m bringing you a deep cut. The Fight Pass headliner has some interesting intrigue.

Both these young ladies—and I mean young, with Jeon being a scant 19 years of age and Aldrich just 24—can get a lot of work done in the cage. All Jeon did on the Korean circuits was earn four of her five wins by knockout. That’s why she got the call to be a short-notice replacement in this bout. She’s not polished, but lordy, does she hit hard and with very bad intentions. Think Korean Super Boy Doo Ho Choi without any… what’s the word…skills.

You may remember Aldrich from The Ultimate Fighter 23. Or you may not; she lost in the elimination round. But that was against season winner Tatiana Suarez, so that’s good for Aldrich, in a way. The American dropped her UFC debut against Julianna Pena, but that was on short notice and she has another shot here.

If Jeon can make her debut a brawl, Aldrich can be beaten. If Aldrich can get this to the mat and work her jiu-jitsu (just watch those hellacious strikes from Jeon), she should be able to wrap up her first submission win—and first win of any kind inside the UFC.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 212: Aldo vs. Holloway Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

Featherweight interim champion Max Holloway has long been wondering where Jose Aldo has been, and on Saturday night, he’ll find him across the cage at UFC 212. 
The division has been in the shadow of Conor McGregor, who won the UFC’s featherweight…

Featherweight interim champion Max Holloway has long been wondering where Jose Aldo has been, and on Saturday night, he’ll find him across the cage at UFC 212. 

The division has been in the shadow of Conor McGregor, who won the UFC’s featherweight title in 2015 only to leave the division in waiting to fight at welterweight, lightweight and potentially box Floyd Mayweather Jr. Since then, the division has had two interim champions and promoted Aldo to the championship belt that he once held for years. 

Since McGregor‘s exit, it’s felt hollow. But that will end with this fight. It’s clear with McGregor gone that these are the two best featherweights in the sport right now, and the fight promises to be a barn burner. 

The championship bout isn’t the only one to catch on Saturday. It’s a card spotted with intriguing fights and contenders looking to make a claim to a title shot.

Here’s the complete list, along with where you can catch each fight and odds from OddsShark. 

      

UFC 212 Fight Card and Odds

PPV at 10 p.m. ET

  • Jose Aldo -125 vs. Max Holloway -105
  • Claudia Gadelha -280 vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz +220
  • Vitor Belfort -160 vs. Nate Marquardt +130
  • Paulo Borrachinha -350 vs. Oluwale Bamgbose +265
  • Erick Silva EVEN vs. Yancy Medeiros -130

Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET

  • Marlon Moraes -175 vs. Raphael Assuncao +145
  • Antonio Carlos Junior -225 vs. Eric Spicely +175
  • Matthew Lopez -210 vs. Johnny Eduardo +170
  • Iuri Alcantara -315 vs. Brian Kelleher +245

Fight Pass at 6:30 p.m. ET

  • Viviane Pereira -130 vs. Jamie Moyle EVEN
  • Luan Chagas -250 vs. Jim Wallhead +195
  • Marco Beltran +125 vs. Deiveson Figueiredo -155

      

Storylines to Watch

How Good is Paulo Borrachinha?

Right now, Brazil is down to two UFC champions. Jose Aldo and Amanda Nunes are the only ones from the traditionally talent rich nation holding a belt, and Aldo faces a very real challenge in Max Holloway.

So there’s a real possibility that by the end of the night the country will be down to just one title holder. Whereas the nation used to have the likes of Anderson Silva, Shogun Rua and Vitor Belfort in title contention, there are few Brazilians coming down the pike. 

That’s why Paulo Borrachinha is such an intriguing prospect to keep an eye on. The 26-year-old Brazilian has made a name for himself on the country’s regional circuit with a 9-0 record that features all first-round finishes. 

It’s a trend that he continued in his UFC debut, violently making short work of Garreth McLellan in the first round in March:

Standing across the cage from Borrachinha will be a fellow heavy-handed middleweight in Oluwale Bamgbose. The 29-year-old is 6-2 with all six of those wins coming by way of first-round finish. 

It’s not likely to last long, but the amount of time this fight does last should be a blazing fire fight. If Borrachinha can take out a dangerous striker like Bamgbose this fast on a pay-per-view main card, his stock is going to see a huge uptick. 

Prediction: Borrachinha via first-round TKO

         

Who Is the Second-Best Women’s Strawweight?

Joanna Jedrzejczyk has made it clear that she’s the best women’s strawweight on the planet. 

Joanna Champion’s five straight title defenses have made that abundantly clear. What’s still up for debate, though, is who No. 2 is in that pecking order. Currently Claudia Gadelha and Karolina Kowalkiewicz are No. 1 and 2 in the rankings, respectively, and they’ll settle the score in the cage in the co-main event. 

Kowalkiewicz is making her first UFC appearance since losing to the champion. It’s always interesting to see how a challenger responds after losing a title fight, but the UFC certainly set her up with a tough challenge coming off a loss. 

Both fighters like to be the aggressor in the action, so who takes control of the Octagon will be important to watch. In a battle of pressure fighters, Gadelha believes she’s the better of the two. 

“I’m the best pressure fighter in the division. When it comes to that pressure, I do better than her,” Gadelha said, per Fernanda Prates and John Morgan of MMAjunkie. “And that’s the whole point about her game. She’s good on her feet, but she gives a lot of opportunities to somebody like me to take advantage of.”

With both fighters looking to pressure the other, the clinch could play a vital role in this matchup. That’s something that should favor the Brazilian. Gadelha is not only a proficient striker in the clinch, but she can use it to set up her grappling, which is a strength. 

Kowalkiewicz is as tough as they come in the division. She’ll make things interesting and put Gadelha in some bad spots, but it’s hard to deny Gadelha‘s more well-balanced game and grappling. 

Ultimately, her strength advantage should come into play in the clinch as she controls Kowalkiewicz to a decision. 

Prediction: Gadelha via decision

            

Is Jose Aldo Still the King of the Featherweight Division?

Once McGregor decided he was interested in doing everything else but defending his 145 pound belt, it didn’t take long for Jose Aldo to reclaim the crown that he wore so long before The Notorious took it away. 

Just when it seemed like McGregor‘s 13-second knockout might have taken the champion’s soul, Aldo comes back with one of the most complete performances of his career with a unanimous decision victory over Frankie Edgar at UFC 200. 

Now he’s been promoted to undisputed champion and faces a tough challenge in Max Holloway. The Hawaiian doesn’t have the experience of Aldo, but he hasn’t lost since 2013 to McGregor and has wins over a who’s who of featherweight veterans such as Anthony Pettis, Ricardo Lamas and Cub Swanson. 

Looking at the numbers from Reed Kuhn of Fightnomics, the two are in a dead heat statistically:

The result is a featherweight title fight that should tell us a lot about the future of the division post-McGregor. Is this still the division that Aldo ruled over since its inception in the UFC? Or is this now a division run by a fighter who has officially run the gamut from prospect to champion?

At this point, it’s hard to prognosticate just where Aldo is at, and that’s the most important piece to the puzzle. On one hand, he’s in his 29th fight with many bouts against the best in his division for years. There’s always going to be the question of how much the McGregor knockout might be a sign that Aldo’s chin is waning. 

However, his dominant performance against Edgar turned back the clock fairly quickly. 

Holloway isn’t McGregor. He’s a dynamic and technical striker, but he lacks the same one punch power the Irishman brings to the cage. 

At the same time, Holloway is an excellent pressure fighter who fights at a much higher pace than Aldo is accustomed to. With some of the invincibility now gone, Holloway should be able to apply that pressure consistently. 

There’s always the chance of an early knockout with Aldo’s ability to counter. But the more likely scenario is that Holloway’s volume ultimately makes Aldo fight at a pace that he’s not comfortable with and the featherweight division finally gets its new king. 

Prediction: Holloway via decision

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 212 Betting Preview: Aldo, Gadelha Favored to Win Main, Co-Main Events

The two Brazilians who will be featured in the main and co-main events at UFC 212 on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro are favored to win in their home country according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.
Featherweight champion Jose Aldo (26-2) will look …

The two Brazilians who will be featured in the main and co-main events at UFC 212 on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro are favored to win in their home country according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.

Featherweight champion Jose Aldo (26-2) will look to unify belts with interim champ Max Holloway (17-3) as the -150 betting favorite (wager $150 to win $100) in the main event while women’s strawweight Claudia Gadelha (14-2) will try to move a step closer to another title shot versus Joanna Jedrzejczyk when she battles Karolina Kowalkiewicz (10-1) as the clear -350 chalk in the co-main event.

Aldo and Holloway both have one thing in common heading into their championship bout: They each suffered their last loss to Conor McGregor. Aldo rebounded to defeat Frankie Edgar for the second time to reclaim the belt at UFC 200 last July 9 after he got knocked out by McGregor in 13 seconds seven months earlier.

McGregor snapped Aldo’s 18-fight winning streak but has since gone on a leave from the UFC due to the birth of his son and in hopes of fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a boxing match.

 

Meanwhile, Holloway is listed as a +120 underdog (bet $100 to win $120) and has reeled off 10 consecutive wins since losing to McGregor via unanimous decision back on August 17, 2013. That was the second of back-to-back losses for Holloway, as he dropped a split decision to Dennis Bermudez in his previous bout.

Dustin Poirier is the third fighter who has beaten the 25-year-old Hawaiian, and that occurred in Holloway’s promotional debut as a 20-year-old at UFC 143.

For Gadelha, she is hoping to get a third matchup against Jedrzejczyk for the 115-pound title if she can get by Kowalkiewicz, who is a +265 underdog on the UFC 212 betting lines. Both women have only lost to Jedrzejczyk in their respective MMA careers, with Gadelha falling short twice by decision.

Gadelha bounced back from the second loss by earning a unanimous-decision win over Cortney Casey at UFC Fight Night 100 last November 19 in Sao Paulo.

Kowalkiewicz also lost to Jedrzejczyk via unanimous decision in her last fight at UFC 205 last November 12. She had beaten No. 3 contender Rose Namajunas in her previous bout by split decision and remains the second-ranked strawweight behind Gadelha and the champ.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 212: Aldo vs. Holloway Odds, Tickets, Predictions and Pre-Weigh-in Hype

Since Conor McGregor left the UFC’s featherweight division, it has been a bit cloudy at the top. Both Jose Aldo and Max Holloway have won interim titles, but the Brazilian was later promoted to champion. 
On Saturday night at UFC 212, all of that …

Since Conor McGregor left the UFC’s featherweight division, it has been a bit cloudy at the top. Both Jose Aldo and Max Holloway have won interim titles, but the Brazilian was later promoted to champion. 

On Saturday night at UFC 212, all of that silly business will come to an end, and we will have a champion crowned in the cage. 

With McGregor off to line his pockets with some of that Floyd Mayweather Jr. money, the division that he once owned will finally get some closure, as the two best fighters left will square off for the title. 

It’s a classic matchup of longtime champion and up-and-comer, as an all-time great in Aldo will look to stave off the charge of the 25-year-old Holloway. Despite Aldo’s impressive career as the most decorated featherweight in the history of the division, the oddsmakers see the fight as a near pick ’em. 

Here’s a look at the complete card with odds from OddsShark, ticket information and predictions for the biggest fights on the card. 

         

UFC 212 Fight Card and Odds

PPV at 10 p.m. ET

  • Jose Aldo -125 vs. Max Holloway -105
  • Claudia Gadelha -280 vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz +220
  • Vitor Belfort -160 vs. Nate Marquardt +130
  • Paulo Borrachinha -350 vs. Oluwale Bamgbose +265
  • Erick Silva EVEN vs. Yancy Medeiros -130

Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET

  • Marlon Moraes -175 vs. Raphael Assuncao +145
  • Antonio Carlos Junior -225 vs. Eric Spicely +175
  • Matthew Lopez -210 vs. Johnny Eduardo +170
  • Iuri Alcantara -315 vs. Brian Kelleher +245

Fight Pass at 6:30 p.m. ET

  • Viviane Pereira -130 vs. Jamie Moyle EVEN
  • Luan Chagas -250 vs. Jim Wallhead +195
  • Marco Beltran +125 vs. Deiveson Figueiredo -155

Tickets: Score Big 

         

Key Fights

Marlon Moraes vs. Raphael Assuncao

A lot of potential Fight of the Night candidates get slotted as the final prelim fight before the pay-per-view, and that’s a tradition that continues with the bantamweight fight between Raphael Assuncao and Marlon Moraes that closes the Fox Sports 1 prelims. 

Assuncao should be a familiar name to UFC fans. The 34-year-old is 8-1 in his last nine fights since 2011 with his only loss coming against T.J. Dillashaw in a rematch at UFC 200. 

Moraes is a familiar name outside of UFC circles. The Brazilian has spent the majority of his career in the World Series of Fighting, where he went a perfect 11-0 with a serious run as the bantamweight champion in the organization. 

The UFC matchmakers are putting him right in the fire with this one, though. Assuncao has plenty of experience in the Octagon and a well-rounded game. While he doesn’t throw a ton of strikes—he only lands 3.37 strikes per minute, according to FightMetric—Connor Ruebusch of Bloody Elbow believes that Assuncao can outbox his counterpart.

Moraes will look to pressure—he’s finished his last four opponents in WSOF and is looking to make a big impression in his debut here. 

“Raphael is a complex fighter, but my biggest advantage is that I’m hungry,” Moraes said, per Greg Rosenstein of ESPN.com. “I’m very hungry, and I can’t wait to get out there. … I’m going to bring a unique style—Marlon Moraes style. I’m going to mix it up with everything. On Saturday I want to put together the best performance of my life, and I think you guys are going to see it.”

Many highly anticipated debuts of another organization’s champion have been ruined when going against a wily UFC veteran, though. Assuncao is cut from that cloth and could make things difficult for the former WSOF champion.  

With Moraes pressing to make an impression, pacing is going to be key to watch in this fight. If Assuncao can slow the fight down and frustrate Moraes, his debut could be spoiled. 

Prediction: Assuncao via decision

          

Claudia Gadelha vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz

The evening’s co-main event is the biggest fight that the UFC could make in the women’s strawweight division without champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

Both Claudia Gadelha and Karolina Kowalkiewicz have had varying degrees of success against the champion. Both are undefeated when it comes to fighting people not named Jedrzejczyk.

Gadelha and Kowalkiewicz couldn’t be more different as fighters. Gadelha is a powerhouse. She’s great at using her compact frame to secure takedowns and can ragdoll opponents in the clinch. She averages 4.59 takedowns per 15 minutes, and six of her 14 wins have come by way of submission. 

Despite that dominance, Gadelha has come up short twice against the champion. She believes now that she’s an even more evolved fighter as she looks for the edge to finally get her past Jedrzejczyk, per AG. Fight. 

“I’ve evolved in everything [since I’ve changed camps.] In the last few months, I’ve become a new fighter, with a different head, with a totally different game. I’ve improved everything I do: wrestling, jiu-jitsu, boxing. The physical part, which was my biggest deficiency. I hired a trainer here from a university, and that makes a difference. Training knowing that I will not get tired will leave me with a calm mind. The physical part was the one that improved the most.”

Kowalkiewicz on the other hand, doesn’t necessarily possess a notable attribute like Gadelha‘s strength, but a relentless tenacity on the feet that allows her to put opponents in uncomfortable positions. The Polish fighter doesn’t have the technique of Jedrzejczyk but presents a generic brand of that striking game from distance. 

For the 31-year-old, this fight has little to do with Gadelha and more to do with getting in a spot for revenge against her fellow Polish fighter. 

“I think if I beat Claudia, I will be fighting for that title again,” Kowalkiewicz said, per Jim Edwards of Champions.co. “It would be logical because I already beat Rose last year. That’s my opinion, but to be honest, I’m not thinking about it much at the moment—I’m focused on Gadelha and only Gadelha.”

Getting past Gadelha is a tall order, though. The Brazilian is so good at closing the distance and dominating the clinch and ground game. It’s easy to see her doing just that to Kowalkiewicz. 

Kowalkiewicz will look to keep this a firefight on the outside, but Gadelha has shown the ability to keep Jedrzejczyk from doing that for extended periods of time, and Kowalkiewicz isn’t Jedrzejczyk. 

Prediction: Gadelha via decision

          

Jose Aldo vs. Max Holloway

No matter what way you cut it, this has instant classic written all over it. 

Aldo is already a legend of the sport. He’s lost just two fights in his career and is one of only two UFC featherweight champions.

Mike Bohn of MMAjunkie summed up the champion’s impressive career:

But eras always eventually come to an end, and Holloway is looking to be the man that brings the Aldo era to an official end. The interim champion spent a lot of time specifically campaigning for this fight, but he is ready to back up all that talk with a great performance. 

“I did a lot of talking, but all the talking is done. Now we’ve got the fight June 3. I hope he comes prepared, because I’m coming prepared, and that’s what we’re going to do. I respect the guy, but at the end of the day, it’s a new era,” Holloway said, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports. “It’s time to show the world who Max Holloway is and if they don’t know who Max Holloway is, they’re about to find out June 3.”

Of course Aldo isn’t ready to give up this division quite yet. He understands new contenders are rising up and looks forward to turning them each away from his title. 

“I think it’s going to be a great fight. I think that we’ve had great fights in the past and he’s built himself up to title contention,” Aldo said, per Martin. “But, you know, it really doesn’t matter to me. I have goals of my own right now and different things that I have been thinking of and going in there to defend my belt once again.”

The action itself promises to live up to the hype. This fight is a true toss up, and it could come down to who can control the pace. 

Holloway loves to pressure and push a high pace throughout the fight. He’s averaging 5.67 significant strikes landed per minute while Aldo prefers to pick and choose his shots at a slower pace. As one of the best snipers in the sport he lands 3.28 significant strikers per minute and only gets his 2.09 times per minute. 

This should be an epic game of tug of war, with both fighters taking turns imposing their game plan on each other. In a five-round fight, the more active fighter will have the advantage in the judges’ eyes, and that gives Holloway the slight advantage as the fight progresses. 

Prediction: Holloway via decision 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

The Complete Guide to UFC 212: Aldo vs. Holloway

UFC 212 goes down Saturday from one of the world’s great capitals of combat, Rio de Janeiro.
What better reason to return to this fighting mecca than by putting one of the best Brazilian fighters in MMA history back into action?
Yes, it’s featherweight…

UFC 212 goes down Saturday from one of the world’s great capitals of combat, Rio de Janeiro.

What better reason to return to this fighting mecca than by putting one of the best Brazilian fighters in MMA history back into action?

Yes, it’s featherweight champion and all-time featherweight GOAT Jose Aldo. On Saturday, he’ll be taking on interim champ Max Holloway, who has only been pining and posturing and working his way toward a shot at Aldo for his entire professional life.

Until that McGregor guy comes back to the division—or if he does—this is the most compelling featherweight fight the UFC can make.

In the co-main event, another Brazilian notable, women’s strawweight Claudia Gadelha, takes on fellow contender Karolina Kowalkiewicz.

Oh, and there’s the purported final fight for a certain national hero as well. 

There are 12 fights on the card, and this is your complete guide to each one of them. Ready to go? Let’s go.

Begin Slideshow