Alan Jouban vs. Gunnar Nelson
Icelander Gunnar Nelson (15-2-1) seems to be a 3-1 favorite for his fight against Alan Jouban (15-4). Nelson is believed to be among the best grapplers with five submission wins to his credit. However, you need to note that he hasn’t got the better of fighters in his division in the top 15. That’s definitely something to think about. Jouban’s record is similar to the Icelander’s in the UFC but the what’s notable now is that he is on a winning streak.
If Nelson can manage to get his opponent to the floor he will have a good chance of striking gold. He is known to start well but eventually start fading out. On the other hand, Jouban tends to maintain a steady pace throughout and is good on the floor too. While Nelson is a good striker his downfall could be his lackadaisical approach to offense. Therefore, punters ought to take a chance on Jouban who could pull this one off with a unanimous decision.
Brad Pickett (25-13) vs. Marlon Vera (8-3-1)
135-pounders Brad Pickett and Marlon Vera face off in what could be one of most interesting fights in the under 155 pounds category this year. Pickett had an upper hand in the British MMA and did make it big in WEC and Cage Rage. He also pulled off some an amazing win against Demetrious Johnson and fought hard against Thomas Almeida although he was unable to pull that one off. However, Pickett hasn’t been able to take off after that. He can pack a punch but hasn’t been able to shine on the ground.
Marlon Vera may seem an underdog since he hasn’t won back-to-back contests in seven fights over three years. Pickett has probably seen replays and discovered there is nothing new in Vera’s bag. The reason why Vera may pull it off is because Pickett hasn’t been able take off. But the fact remains that Pickett has had a couple of knocks against top fighters over the years. Therefore, the grapevine is that Pickett should be able to come out victorious against Vera by a unanimous decision.