UFC Fight Night 174: Lewis vs. Oleinik - Predictions and Picks

#6 The Prelims: ESPN+ card

Longtime UFC veteran Tim Means headlines this weekend's prelim card

This weekend’s UFC prelims – like the main card – will all be shown on the ESPN+ streaming service. At the top of the card is a Welterweight bout between veteran Tim Means and Argentina’s Laureano Staropoli.

A veteran of 43 fights – most of which have come in the UFC – Means is probably nearing the end of his career now. ‘The Dirty Bird’ is a lanky Welterweight with a 75” reach, and he uses that to his advantage, hitting his opponents with nasty elbows from the clinch and hunting for chokes on the ground.

Staropoli, meanwhile, is more of a flashy striker, favoring a fight from distance with plenty of spinning attacks. This should come down to how much Means has left in the tank. If he can get inside Staropoli, it’s a winnable fight for him. And even if he can’t, the Argentine may struggle with his reach. However, ‘The Dirty Bird’ isn’t as durable as he once was and he’s almost a decade older than his opponent. With that in mind, I like Staropoli to edge a decision.

At Lightweight, prospect Nasrat Haqparast takes on Alexander Munoz. This will be Munoz’s UFC debut after he rose to fame with a win over Nick Newell on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018, but worryingly, he’s only fought once since.

Haqparast was knocked out by Drew Dober in his previous fight, but prior to that, the Kelvin Gastelum lookalike had been fantastic. His striking is always improving and he’s got a lot of power in his hands. And training under Firas Zahabi, he’s improved his overall game too. I just can’t see a debutant having enough to beat him, and so I’m taking Haqparast via TKO.

In a clash at Middleweight, grinders Andrew Sanchez and Wellington Turman face off. Given the clinch-heavy attacks of both men thus far into their UFC careers, I don’t foresee an entertaining fight in this one. Turman is perhaps the more talented fighter overall, but ‘El Dirte’ has the kind of wrestling advantage that should allow him to eke out a decision.

Returning to the UFC after more than a year on the shelf, striker Gavin Tucker faces Justin Jaynes in a Featherweight bout. This could be a wild fight, with the hard-hitting brawler Jaynes looking to turn the lights out on Tucker. However, ‘The Newfoundland Terror’ is perhaps the more technical fighter, and so I like him to use that advantage to edge a decision – assuming his layoff doesn’t affect him too badly.

Also at Featherweight, Youssef Zalal faces Peter Barrett. Zalal only fought a month ago, outpointing the tough Jordan Griffin to pick up his second UFC win. Barrett, meanwhile, is making his UFC debut here. This could be a close one to call, but I think Zalal’s UFC experience will see him through, giving him a TKO win.

In the Bantamweight division, Irwin Rivera takes on Ali AlQaisi. A native of Jordan, AlQaisi will be making his UFC debut here, while striker Rivera is looking for his first UFC win following a debut loss in May. This one is tough to call given how unproven both men are. I’m leaning towards Rivera though purely because of his experience and toughness of competition. Rivera by decision is my pick.

At Strawweight, Australia’s Nadia Kassem takes on Miranda Granger. An inexperienced fighter, Kassem is 1-2 in the UFC and hasn’t fought since last October. Prospect Granger, meanwhile, lost her last fight to Amanda Lemos via submission. She should be the superior athlete here though, and with that in mind, I like her to win by TKO.

Finally, at Featherweight, veteran Alex Caceres faces Giga Chikadze. This could be an excellent fight and it’s a step up for Chikadze, who usually fights at 135lbs and is 3-0 in the UFC thus far. An exciting kickboxer, the Georgian will look to take the fight to ‘Bruce Leeroy’. Caceres is coming off two wins, the most recent over young prospect Chase Hooper, but this promises to be a much trickier task for him. It’s a very close fight to call but I like the aggression and overall skills of Chikadze to win him a decision.