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The UFC kicks off 2018’s PPV schedule with a huge 2-title fight card in Boston this weekend.
The baddest man on the planet, UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic, defends his throne against challenger Francis Ngannou. On the other hand, the co-headliner of the evening features UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier defending his title against vaunted KO artist Volkan Oezdemir.
Several other intriguing matchups are also featured on the card. So, without further ado, here are the complete predictions & preview for UFC 220—
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#Main Card (PPV)
#1 Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou
Stipe Miocic will look to break the infamous UFC Heavyweight division curse by successfully defending the title more than 2 consecutive times.
Standing in the Cleveland Heavyweight’s path is perhaps his toughest opponent ever—‘The Predator’ Francis Ngannou. While Miocic and Ngannou may be evenly matched in the striking department—both coming from decent boxing backgrounds—a slight advantage as regards KO power goes to Ngannou.
Meanwhile, Miocic may have a small advantage in the grappling department, and could out-wrestle Ngannou; tiring out the latter and winning by a decision or late-stoppage. Nevertheless, Ngannou seems to have great conditioning and excellent timing not only on the feet but also on the ground. Fans can expect the challenger to put Miocic’s lights out within the first two rounds of this matchup which has been scheduled for 5 rounds.
Prediction: Francis Ngannou def. Stipe Miocic via TKO
#2 Daniel Cormier vs. Volkan Oezdemir
Daniel Cormier suffered a brutal TKO loss to arch rival Jon Jones in his last Octagon outing, however, as it’d eventually be revealed, Jones was allegedly on steroids for his fight with DC.
Following Jones’ steroid test failure, the UFC reinstated the Light-Heavyweight title on DC, and he now faces yet another stiff challenge in one-punch KO machine Volkan ‘No Time’ Oezdemir. This fight could very well turn out to be like Cormier’s pair of wins against another KO puncher and Oezdemir’s former training partner—the now-retired Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson.
Nevertheless, if DC fails to hold Oezdemir down and wear him out, standing up with the latter wouldn’t be advisable. Oezdemir’s composure is his biggest strength, and that coupled with the precision in his punches spells doom for the much shorter and slower DC. Look for Oezdemir to finish this fight in Round 1 with a barrage of well-placed punches.
Prediction: Volkan Oezdemir def. Daniel Cormier via TKO
#3 Calvin Kattar vs. Shane Burgos
Calvin Kattar is a decent scrapper who seems to have been working on his standup game over the past few months.
On the other hand, Shane Burgos is a well-rounded fighter who lacks the ability to pull the trigger when the situation demands. Expect this to be a slow-paced fight, with neither man committing to any of the strikes.
With Kattar slightly better in the ground scrambles, the judges are likely to score this bout in his favor after 3 rounds.
Prediction: Calvin Kattar def. Shane Burgos via Decision
#4 Gian Villante vs. Francimar Barroso
Gian Villante seems to have gotten a bad reputation for letting fights slip through his grasp during the latter stages.
Villante often loses focus, and makes critical strategic errors time and again inside the Octagon. Now, while Barroso isn’t the most dangerous fighter in the world, Villante has to be cautious while wading into punching range against his foe.
Expect a ton of action early on in this matchup, with Villante tagging Barroso at will and maintaining his momentum. Should Villante stick to the game-plan and not get overzealous in search of the knockout, he’s got this fight in the pocket.
Prediction: Gian Villante def. Francimar Barroso via Decision
#5 Thomas Almeida vs. Rob Font
Thomas Almeida seems to have lost his zest after being knocked out by former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt.
Nevertheless, Almeida is still young, and possesses excellent Muay Thai to go with his decent grappling skills. Expect Almeida to start out cautious, pawing out jabs and teeps to Rob Font.
While Almeida could very well finish this fight if he pushes the pace, he has to shake off his gun-shy approach to fighting which he seems to have developed after the aforementioned loss to Garbrandt. Nevertheless, against Font, expect Almeida to comfortably win across the scorecards.
Prediction: Thomas Almeida def. Rob Font via Decision
#Preliminary Card (FOX Sports 1)
#1 Kyle Bochniak vs. Brandon Davis
Kyle Bochniak is a fighter who hasn’t showcased his abilities to the fullest inside the Octagon just yet.
Bochniak consistently underperforms, and as for his opponent, Brandon Davis, the latter may not be the best in the division, however he does leave it all inside the Octagon. In this battle of polar opposites, expect Bochniak to control the rhythm.
A key factor in this bout could be that Bochniak may find his movement stifled by Davis’ fast feet. However, that would likely be negated by the former’s advantage in almost every other avenue. Expect Bochniak to do enough so as to impress the judges.
Prediction: Kyle Bochniak def. Brandon Davis via Decision
#2 Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Sabah Homasi
This is a rematch of an epic fight between Alhassan and Homasi that took place at UFC 218.
The aforementioned fight ended in a TKO victory for Alhassan, however, as the stoppage was deemed premature by the vast majority of the MMA community, the UFC scheduled this rematch. Look for Alhassan to pick his spots more than last time and be patient on the feet.
While Homasi is extremely durable, he doesn’t have the best defensive striking in the game—something that has time and again led him to take tons of damage in his fights. Alhassan will establish the distance and rhythm in Round 1, and likely finish things with a slick 3-punch combination on the feet in Round 2.
Prediction: Abdul Razak Alhassan def. Sabah Homasi via KO
#3 Dustin Ortiz vs. Alexandre Pantoja
Dustin Ortiz is a well-rounded MMA fighter, however, his opponent Alexandre Pantoja seems to be a tad rough around the edges.
While this matchup may not be the most action-packed, so to speak, it will be a decent showcase of Ortiz’s underrated grappling skills. Expect Ortiz to use his jab and keep Pantoja at bay in the first half of this matchup.
As Ortiz gets in his groove, he’s likely to take things to the mat. Ortiz will transition from Pantoja’s guard, and finish off the fight with a submission likely in Round 2 or 3.
Prediction: Dustin Ortiz def. Alexandre Pantoja via Submission
#4 Dan Ige vs. Julio Arce
Dan Ige is a decent MMA scrapper who loves to plant his legs and throw heat.
On the other hand, Julio Arce is much of the same, however, he does pay heed to the importance of distance in fights and uses his jab as both an offensive and defensive weapon from time to time. Nevertheless, Ige has a slight grappling edge in this matchup—something that will be more evident as the fight plays out.
While Ige could finish this one on the ground late in the fight, Arce is durable and has decent fight IQ. This fight may go the distance, with Ige edging it on the scorecards.
Prediction: Dan Ige def. Julio Arce via Decision
#Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
#1 Enrique Barzola vs. Matt Bessette
Enrique Barzola has a good grappling foundation and his striking seems to be catching up with it as well.
While Bessette isn’t great at any individual area of MMA, he is composed and patient inside the cage. Expect Barzola to have a few problems early on with Bessette’s timing.
Nevertheless, Barzola is likely to out-strike his foe over the course of 2 rounds. In the third and final stanza, look for Barzola to take matters to the ground, and end the bout likely with a Rear-Naked Choke.
Prediction: Enrique Barzola def. Matt Bessette via Submission
#2 Islam Makachev vs. Gleison Tibau
Islam Makachev is an excellent fighter who is slick in both his grappling as well as striking.
Makachev is criminally underrated and could break through with a big win over veteran competitor Gleison Tibau. Look for Makachev to out-strike Tibau; tagging the latter early and often.
While Makachev could very well push for the finish, he’s likely to stay wary of Tibau’s savvy grappling. In the end, the judges will score the bout for Makachev.
Prediction: Islam Makachev def. Gleison Tibau via Decision
