The UFC is in Houston for SuperBowl weekend. The card is set to feature the return of the Korean Zombie after three and a half years as he takes on Dennis Bermudez, rising Mexican strawweight Alexa Grasso in her second UFC appearance and a number of fun stylistic matchups.
Main Card
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Main Event: Dennis Bermudez vs. Chan Sung Jung
Korean Zombie hasn’t fought since August 2013, when he fell short in an attempt to capture the UFC featherweight title from Jose Aldo and dislocated his shoulder in the process. This left him sidelined for an extended period of time and he was then required to do mandatory military service of two years in his native South Korea.
The Korean Zombie got his name due to his incredibly aggressive fighting style and his durability. His ability and his willingness to stand in the pocket and trade blows made him a fan favourite but he is more than just a brawler.
Jung will jab his way into range and then look to block or slip his opponents return shot before unleashing his own combination. He has good enough skills to lead and to counter and he doesn’t hesitate to throw whatsoever.
He is also an accomplished submission expert, with his aggression translating on the ground to constant attempts to advance position and lock up a submission.
Dennis Bermudez rattled off a seven fight winning streak after losing The Ultimate Fighter finale to Diego Brandao, but then he fell to Jeremy Stephens and Ricardo Lamas and now must build his way back to contendership.
He has already got that process underway with victories over Tatsuya Kawajiri and Rony Jason but a victory over Korean Zombie would put him right back in there and earn him a fight with one of the top contenders in the division.
Bermudez may be able to match Jung in aggression and volume in this fight. He can throw at a really high clip and keep a lot of pressure on his opponent. His striking technique and fundamentals are very good but he could maybe for criticised for being a bit too mechanical or rote in his approach.
While Bermudez is not known as a big knockout artist he does put a lot of power in his shots and he certainly packs a punch. Bermudez also boasts powerful takedowns and heavy ground and pound.
This match up favours Korean Zombie provided he doesn’t suffer from ring rust and it will be interesting to see how he fares after so long out.
Prediction: Korean Zombie via Knockout
Co-Main Event: Alexa Grasso vs. Felice Herrig
Grasso is coming into her second UFC fight, after putting a hellacious beating on Heather Jo Clark in her debut. Grasso is still only 23 and had been making waves for a few years in Invicta before being signed by the UFC.
In February 2015 she took on Mizuki Inoue (who was fresh off a split decision defeat to future strawweight challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz) and the two put on an exciting and technical fight with Grasso winning a fight that was close, but still clear.
She has been pegged as a future strawweight champion since that day. Unfortunately, injuries delayed her a little, else she would surely have fought for Invicta gold by now had she not had to wait over a year for her next outing.
It was worth the wait though, as she dismantled Jodie Esquibel in the Invicta 18 main event. Grasso has an incredibly clean and technical kickboxing game but her boxing particularly stands out.
There is nothing too fancy about how she goes about her business, her 1-2 is the staple of her game but everything is done with such precision that she is a joy to watch in full flow.
Herrig is a solid journeywoman; she is well rounded and experienced and will need to use her kicking game to back Grasso up to the fence if she is to have any success here as she will be outmatched at boxing range.
Prediction: Alexa Grasso via Decision
James Vick vs. Abel Trujillo
Trujillo is a hard hitting brawler who has won three fights in a row. He has the speed, power, aggression and durability to make this style work for him and he is beginning to really hit his stride and put everything together.
Vick is coming off the first loss of his career, a devastating knockout defeat to Beneil Dariush. Vick is a tall rangy striker, he likes to fight from the outside and use his jab to control the distance. He also has a knack for snatching a guillotine as his opponent tries to take him down. So watch out for that if Trujillo shoots a sloppy takedown attempt.
Trujillo is just a bit too experienced and crafty for Vick but this should be a really fun and exciting fight.
Prediction: Abel Trujillo via Knockout
Ovince Saint Preux vs. Volkan Oezdemir
St. Preux’s best skill is definitely his athleticism, he has incredible speed, strength and power. This isn’t to say his technique is bad, but it certainly isn’t textbook. St. Preux likes to hang out at range and let his opponent come to him before throwing hard shots. He also has a very hard kick to the body that he puts to good use.
Oezdemir is a UFC newcomer who has a 12-1 record and hails from Switzerland. He seems to be a capable striker with power in his combinations and he has spent time at the Blackzilians training under Henri Hooft – so he should know what he is doing in the kickboxing department.
He has never faced anyone with raw power and athleticism like St. Preux though and it could be a rough night for him.
Prediction: Ovince St. Preux via Knockout
Anthony Hamilton vs. Marcel Fortuna
Hamilton is looking to bounce back quickly after a disappointing defeat to Francis Ngannou in December. He has alternated wins and losses thus far in his UFC career and if that trend continues, it will be a win.
Hamilton is big and tough, he hits hard and he can wrestle. He is no technical wizard in either the striking or the grappling but he knows what is effective for him.
Fortuna is making his UFC debut here after racking up an 8-1 record on the regional circuit. He is a submission specialist with five of wins coming via submission but the strength of competition he has faced has not been particularly high.
Fortuna’s main problem here is size, he really should be a light heavyweight and Hamilton is a huge heavyweight so the disparity could be pretty big and I don’t see how Fortuna can get him to the ground.
Prediction: Anthony Hamilton via Knockout
Jessica Andrade vs. Angela Hill
Angela Hill makes her return to the UFC after going 4-0 in Invicta and claiming their strawweight championship. When she was in the UFC originally her lack of grappling experience was exposed but she has been much better in that department since, showing stout takedown defence and an ability to pop straight back up if she does get taken down.
Hill likes to use her range and fight from the outside and she has tremendous speed.
Andrade has looked incredible since dropping down to strawweight and will almost certainly get a title shot if she wins here. She is a pressure fighter with a bullying style. She likes to swarm her opponent with powerful strikes and back them up to the fence.
This is an outstanding stylistic matchup and should be a lot of fun
Prediction: Jessica Andrade via Decision
Preliminary Card
Adam Milstead vs. Curtis Blaydes
Blaydes is one of the most exciting prospects in the heavyweight division. He is huge but he is also an excellent athlete with speed and explosiveness. Wrestling is his wheelhouse and once he gets his opponent to the mat he unleashes furious ground and pound. His striking is still a work in progress but he does have a solid jab.
Milstead is also a good prospect and he picked up a win in his UFC debut. He is primarily a striker and he hits very hard so while he is definitely the underdog here he has a chance if he can land a good shot.
Prediction: Curtis Blaydes via Knockout
Chas Skelly vs. Chris Gruetzemacher
Gruetzemacher is an Ultimate Fighter veteran who won his UFC debut. He is a bit of a jack of all trades type fighter who has a bit of a reputation for being in boring fights, but Skelly may bring out the best in him.
Skelly is a fun submission hunter with a weird style. Gruetzemacher is tough to take down but if Skelly can achieve a dominant position I can see him snatching a submission.
Prediction: Skelly via Submission
Ricardo Ramos vs. Michinori Tanaka
Ramos makes his UFC debut after featuring in Dana White’s show “Looking for a Fight” Ramos has an excellent jiu-jitsu game with six wins via submission. His striking is coming along well though and he packs plenty of power into his shots.
Ramos was building hype this time last year before he was submitted in an upset by Manny Vazquez.
Tanaka can be a strange fighter to watch sometimes. He has been very inconsistent in his UFC career so far and never lived up to his potential but there is still time for him to come good.
His funky style of striking will be tough to deal with for the inexperienced Ramos and that could be the difference.
Prediction: Michinori Tanaka via Decision
Tecia Torres vs. Bec RawlingsAnother matchup between an out fighter, Torres, and a swarming brawler type fighter in Rawlings. Rawlings relies much more on her hands while Torres is more of a kicker with a dazzling array of side and front kicks to maintain distance and push her opponent back.
Torres should be more skilled, and will be able to implement her in and out, stick and move game.Prediction: Tecia Torres via Decision
Fight Pass Prelims
Alex Morono vs. Niko Price
Niko Price had a very impressive UFC debut against Brandon Thatch, submitting him in the first round. He is actually more of a striker, but went after Thatch’s weakness which shows a lot of astuteness for a young fighter, he is only 9-0.
Morono is a good fighter but he is not great anywhere and Price should be able to outwork him and stay undefeated.
Prediction: Niko Price via Decision
Daniel Jolly vs. Khalil Rountree
Rountree had a lot of hype going into the Ultimate Fighter but he failed to deliver and has been out grappled in both of his UFC fights since the show.
He should be able to keep this one standing and show off his power but Jolly will be working hard to get him to the ground.
Prediction: Khalil Rountree via Knockout
