The UFC goes to Canada on Sunday night, Halifax, Nova Scotia to be precise. This card is low on name value, and even on fights of true relevance at the top of divisions but it has plenty of potential for fun, exciting, and violent fights.
Main Card
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Derrick Lewis vs. Travis Browne
Lewis has been on a great run recently, with five wins in a row and four of them by brutal stoppage. Lewis is a giant of a man, who usually has to cut weight just to make the heavyweight limit and he packs a lot of power into his strikes, but can also move with surprising quickness when he explodes into them.
This makes him an incredibly dangerous fighter at heavyweight. While he is not a very technical grappler, he manages to get by using his brute strength and he has been steadily improving each time he fights.
His last outing, against Shamil Abdurakhimov was his first main event and it was a rather disappointing fight with not a lot of action until Lewis eventually got the finish after four rounds.
Browne will represent a very different stylistic match-up for Lewis and it will be interesting to see how he fares.
Browne has had a very up and down time in the UFC to date, but with more downs recently. After stopping Alistair Overeem and Josh Barnett in 2013 he looked like he was going to be a top contender for years to come, but he has lost four of his six fights since then and often looked rudderless in the cage.
He seems to not have any clear plan and he has not made use of his array of skills.
Browne has some of the best movement in the heavyweight division; he is capable of sticking and moving from the outside, using quick kicks and punches. He uses his height as leverage in the clinch and can do serious damage from there too, such as the elbows he used to knockout Josh Barnett when Barnett was trying to take him down against the clinch.
While neither man is a standout grappler, the fight could easily be decided on the ground. Both men have thunderous power in their ground and pound while also having very leaky defence in that area.
I think Browne certainly has the skills to beat Lewis if he can stick to a game plan and execute it over the course of the fight but he just has not shown that ability consistently enough over the past few years. I think Lewis will eventually get his hands on him and the power will be too much.
Prediction: Derrick Lewis via Knockout
Johny Hendricks vs. Hector Lombard
Two fighters who have been declining over recent years and really need a win here. Hendricks looked set to be at the top of the welterweight division for years to come when he lost a split decision to George St. Pierre, who then walked away from the sport, but it all fell apart.
After two close fights with Robbie Lawler and then a victory over Matt Brown, Hendricks body seemed to fail him and making weight at welterweight became impossible. He has now lost three fights in a row, missing weight in two of them and this will be his middleweight debut.
Hendricks is still a brilliant wrestler, he has powerful takedowns and his tenacious with his attempts, once he latches on he doesn’t let go until he gets his man to the mat. He has one punch knockout power in his fists too, although we haven’t seen that for a while.
Lombard is a decorated Cuban judoka with freakish strength, but he has never been able to put it all together in the UFC. When he came to the UFC as Bellator champion he was already in his mid-thirties and while his grappling prowess and devastating punching power have lead to some success in the UFC, he has never lived up to his potential.
Now 39 years of age and coming off two stoppage defeats, the end is nigh for Lombard.
It will be fascinating to see how the grappling turns out here between the wrestler and the judoka. I foresee it being largely a stalemate but Lombard will have the advantage in brute strength.
Hendricks is the more active striker with more tools and that should be enough.
Prediction: Johny Hendricks via Decision
Sam Sicilia vs. Gavin Tucker
It is always tough to gauge how a fighter will do in his UFC debut, especially one as raw as Tucker who has a 9-0 MMA record. While he looks a tidy fighter in the footage of him which exists, he has not fought anyone with the experience or talent as Sicilia, or the people Sicilia has fought throughout his career.
Sicilia is a fairly basic but effective fighter who works mainly to land his big right hand but it is over 18 months since he last won a fight so I am inclined to go with the younger fighter here to make a splash on his promotional debut.
Prediction: Gavin Tucker via Decision
Elias Theodorou vs. Cezar Ferreira
Good fight here between two rising middleweights who have had some impressive performances in the octagon as well as disappointing ones. Theodorou still looks like someone who is figuring out their MMA game, he has the basic tools but he has yet to put them together into a coherent game. His athleticism has allowed him to win fights despite this and his victory over Sam Alvey was a big step forward for him.
Ferreira’s main problem has been his chin, which has failed him three times in the UFC so far but he is also coming off a significant victory in his last fight, a submission over Jack Hermansson.
Ultimately I think Ferreira is the more dangerous fighter, but if Theodorou has continued to make strides in training he has an excellent chance.
Prediction: Cezar Ferreira via Decision.
Sara McMann vs. Gina Mazany
McMann is a decorated wrestler and an Olympic silver medalist. Her transition to MMA was going very well until she challenged Ronda Rousey for the bantamweight title and was beaten in under a round. She struggled against the elite of the division as she has not built up a fluid MMA game and was incredibly stiff in everything other than her wrestling, but it is coming along.
Mazany is in on short notice here to make her UFC debut. She has a 4-0 record and while she may be a talented fighter, I don’t give her much chance her against someone of McMann’s calibre.
Prediction: Sara McMann via Submission
Alessandro Ricci vs. Paul Felder
Two Muay Thai practitioners facing off here in what could turn out to be a very fun striking battle. Felder has much more experience at the top level Felder is always exciting to watch fight, and matched up with a fellow striker he should produce fireworks, even though he took this fight on short notice.
Ricci looks like a more traditional Muay Thai fighter when he is in the cage, with that plodding style and hard kicks to the legs, body and head. Ultimately I think Felder has too much class and experience.
Prediction: Paul Felder via Decision
Preliminary Card
Nordine Taleb vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
This is another match-up between two strikers but this time they have quite opposing styles. Ponzinibbio is comfortable stalking his opponents and pressuring him them back. He then unleashes with devastating power once he is in the pocket.
Taleb on the other hand is a much more patient fighter. He is content to float around on the outside and use kicks and his jab as his main weapons, waiting for a chance to unleash his right hand. Ponzinibbio’s style should get him the win here as he will be the busier fighter.
Prediction: Santiago Ponzinibbio via Decision
Carla Esparza vs. Randa Markos
Two strawweights who really need a win here. Esparza lost the title in her first defence against Joanna Jedrzejczyk and although she won her return fight she didn’t quite look herself. At her best she is busy in the stand up and uses her speed to drag her opponents to the ground. She has great top control and good ground and pound once she postures up.
Markos looked like a top prospect after The Ultimate Fighter, but she has simply never developed and the division has passed her by. While it isn’t too late for her by any stretch, she needs to start putting together her skills quickly. I think Esparza will out grapple her for the victory in this one
Prediction: Carla Esparza via Decision
Aiemann Zahabi vs. Reginaldo Vieira
Zahabi is the brother of famed MMA coach Firas Zahabi and is making his UFC debut here. He is a very well rounded fighter with good cardio, basically everything you would expect from a prospect from Tristar gym.
Vieira gets by more on his physicality and aggression rather than his technical skills but he is a dangerous fighter. Zahabi will have to be careful, but it is his fight to lose.
Prediction: Aiemann Zahabi via Decision
Jack Marshman vs. Thiago Santos
Fun middleweight fight to kick off the televised prelims. This is a kicker versus a puncher match-up really. Marshman is a good boxer, he cuts angles and throws hard shots while Santos likes to throw hard kicks from the outside.
If Marshman can close the distance and pressure Santos, it is his fight.
Prediction: Jack Marshman via Decision
Fight Pass Prelims
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Ryan Janes
Two fighters who won their opening UFC bouts, but have much different levels of experience. Meerschaert has been around the American regional scene for years, fighting in good promotions such as RFA and Titan. He is the more well rounded fighter in this one.
Janes is only 10 fights into his MMA career, while I give him a slight edge in the striking, he is no threat on the ground and may struggle if faced with a grapple heavy approach.
Prediction: Gerald Meerschaert via Decision
