UFC Fight Night 172: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 - Predictions and Picks

#6 The Prelims: ESPN+ card

UFC Newcomer Roman Dolidze headlines the prelims this weekend

Seven preliminary fights will be shown on the ESPN+ streaming service this weekend, making it a long night for UFC fans looking to watch the entire card.

At the top of the preliminary portion sits a likely brawl between two Light-Heavyweights. Khadis Ibragimov has thus far in his UFC career shown himself to be a fearless striker with a penchant for throwing bombs, although if his early rush can be avoided, he’s certainly beatable.

Opponent Roman Dolidze meanwhile appears to be a terrifying finisher both standing and on the ground. A UFC debutant, ‘The Caucasian Wolf’ also seems to be a much smoother striker, and a superior athlete to Ibragimov too. I like Dolidze to end this one early with a knockout.

In a Catchweight (150lbs) fight, Grant Dawson faces Nad Narimani. Dawson has impressed thus far into his UFC career with three wins, two of them coming by submission. Narimani meanwhile is a hard-nosed grappler who’s gone 2-1 in the UFC.

This one likely depends on whether Dawson can get Narimani out of his comfort zone by taking him down. If he can’t, then he might be in for a long night as Darrick Minner took the fight to him on the ground in his previous UFC outing before gassing out. I actually think Dawson is really good though, so I’m going to take him to win by submission.

At Lightweight, Joseph Duffy returns to face Joel Alvarez. This one probably depends on how much Duffy has left in the tank at the age of 32. He’s been out for a long time and has looked old in his last couple of fights in the UFC, but he’s still a very smooth, dangerous fighter in all areas. Alvarez is willing and tough but I’m not sure he has the technique to beat a guy like Duffy just yet. Duffy by decision is my pick.

In the Bantamweight division, Welsh grappler Brett Johns locks horns with Montel Jackson. Jackson is a pretty solid grappler himself, going 3-1 and picking up a win over the tricky Brian Kelleher with a D’Arce choke in 2018, but Johns is the more dynamic fighter in my opinion, and his two UFC losses were to Aljamain Sterling and Pedro Munhoz – two top 10 contenders. This might be a close fight with a lot of grappling exchanges, but I’m taking Johns to win by decision.

In a late-notice Flyweight clash, Malcolm Gordon takes on Amir Albazi in a clash of UFC newcomers. Given the very late notice for both men, the winner of this one will likely be the man who comes in in better shape and can make a cleaner weight cut. I’m going to take Gordon based on his experience in bigger shows, but who knows really.

At Lightweight, an intriguing clash sees Davi Ramos face Arman Tsarukyan. This should be fascinating as Tsarukyan has more potential, but equally, his strength appears to be his grappling, and Ramos is a genuinely world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Having said that, he does have a penchant for tiring, while Tsarukyan loves to scramble and push the pace. It’s a tight fight to call, but I like Tsarukyan via decision.

Finally at Heavyweight, Sergey Spivak faces Carlos Felipe. A solid grappler, Spivak has shown flashes of potential in the UFC, but the Moldovan has also struggled due to a lack of athleticism and size. At 235lbs, he could probably make Light-Heavyweight if he chose to. At 245lbs Felipe isn’t too much bigger, but he appears to be a better athlete who moves much faster. Thus, Felipe by knockout is my pick.