UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Dos Santos: Predictions and Picks

Francis Ngannou faces Junior Dos Santos in a big Heavyweight clash this weekend
Francis Ngannou faces Junior Dos Santos in a big Heavyweight clash this weekend

#6 Alonzo Menifield vs. Paul Craig

Can Paul Craig pull off another miracle win this weekend?
Can Paul Craig pull off another miracle win this weekend?

You’ve got to feel sorry for Paul Craig in a way. A relatively non-athletic 205lber facing off against incredibly hard hitters for the most part, the Scotsman appeared to be on his way out of the UFC following losses to Tyson Pedro and Khalil Rountree, but then pulled off one of the best upsets of 2018, submitting hot prospect Magomed Ankalaev with literally one second remaining in the third round of their fight, after taking a beatdown in the minutes that preceded.

Craig followed that win with a loss to Jimmy Crute in a back-and-forth grappling match, but then surprised another more athletically gifted fighter when he tapped out newcomer Kennedy Nzechukwu in a pretty sloppy fight in March.

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Once again then, he’s faced with an explosive, powerful – but less experienced – opponent in Menifield. A veteran of Dana White’s Contender Series, Menifield debuted in the UFC proper in January by taking out fellow newcomer Vinicius Moreira in the first round with some violent punches.

Ridiculously huge and thickly muscled for a 205lber, Menifield hits like a truck, as we witnessed when he knocked out his Contender Series opponent Dashawn Boatright in just 8 seconds. Unfortunately for Craig, he also appears to have some grappling skill judging on his footage, as he’s shown some strong takedown defense and also has a rear naked choke win on his ledger.

Anyone can be submitted, as we saw when Craig tapped a tremendous grappler in Ankalaev, but I think the Scotsman is in trouble here; of all the previous opponents he’s faced in the Octagon Menifield seems to be most like Rountree, who just took Craig out with some quick and explosive strikes early on. I just don’t see how Craig can stand up to Menifield’s power, basically.

The Pick: Menifield via first round KO

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Edited by Vikshith R
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