UFC Predictions: UFC Vegas 13: Santos vs Teixeira - Predictions and Picks

#6 The Prelims: UFC on ESPN+ card

Middleweight Trevin Giles headlines this weekend's UFC prelim card.

The UFC will present four preliminary bouts on ESPN+ this weekend, although that could increase to six. Featherweight Arnold Allen was initially booked to fight Jeremy Stephens on this card. Still, with Stephens unavailable due to injury, a new opponent has not been identified for the UK-based prospect at the time of writing.

Bantamweight Gustavo Lopez is also looking for a new opponent after Felipe Colares withdrew due to a positive Covid-19 test. Like with Allen, whether the UFC can find a new foe for him is up in the air right now.

At the top of the prelim card, then, sits a Middleweight clash between Trevin Giles and Bevon Lewis. Giles is coming off a win over James Krause – one that righted the ship for him following two straight losses – while Lewis most recently picked up his first UFC win over Dequan Townsend.

I’m favoring Giles here. He appears to be the stronger athlete, and more importantly, he’s a better grappler with plenty of finishing ability. He also hits pretty hard, as his UFC win over Antonio Braga Neto proved. Lewis is solid, but to me, his UFC run might’ve come a little too soon. Giles by TKO is my pick.

At Welterweight, Max Griffin faces Ramiz Brahimaj. Griffin has struggled in the UFC since arriving in 2016. Although he’s 3-6 overall, it’s worth noting that he did perform well against Alex Oliveira and Mike Perry, two tough opponents. Brahimaj, meanwhile, is debuting in the UFC with a record of 8-2. Grappling is his strongest point – he’s picked up all eight of his wins via submission.

If Brahimaj can get Griffin to the ground here, he may well have some success. However, it’s also worth noting that his best win is probably William Macario, who essentially washed out of the UFC. Therefore, due to Griffin’s UFC experience and strength of opposition, I think he’ll have enough to outwork the newcomer for a decision.

At Featherweight, longtime veteran Darren Elkins takes on Uruguay’s Luiz Eduardo Garagorri. This promises to be an exciting fight as Garagorri is a wild striker, while Elkins usually lives up to his Damage nickname by putting on barnburners.

Unfortunately for Elkins, it’s also been a long time since he last won a fight – January 2018, to be exact – and at the age of 36, his best years may be behind him. Garagorri is a beatable opponent – his grappling looked porous in his last UFC outing, a loss to Ricardo Ramos – but he’s also got power in his strikes. I think he’ll hurt Elkins and end up outpointing him.

In the UFC’s Heavyweight division, Marcos Rogerio de Lima returns to take on Alexander Romanov. This fight was initially scheduled for one of the UFC’s September shows but fell apart when de Lima tested positive for Covid-19.

For that initial fight, I picked de Lima, and I stand by that pick. Romanov is an undersized Heavyweight, and while he’s finished all of his e victims, he’s also not faced anyone close to the level of Pezao. Due to the gap in experience, I’m going with de Lima via KO.

At Bantamweight, Giga Chikadze faces newcomer Jamey Simmons. This is a curious fight as Chikadze is on quite the winning streak - he's won his last six fights and is 4-0 in the UFC - while Simmons is largely an unknown.

This seems like a simple one to call. Simmons clearly has some talent, but Chikadze will likely be a step too far for him. He's got insane cardio, even for a 135lber, and pushes a torrid pace with both his kickboxing and grappling. This might even be a chance for him to secure his first UFC finish. Chikadze via TKO is my pick.

Finally, at Bantamweight, Sarah Moras takes on Vanessa Melo. A solid grappler, Moras has a lot of skills but struggles with superior athletes. That explains her poor UFC record - she's 3-5 - but in reality, she's pretty dangerous, particularly on the ground.

Melo, meanwhile, has shown very little in her brief UFC career. She's 0-3 in the Octagon, meaning this is likely the last chance saloon for her. Given that she isn't an explosive athlete herself, I like Moras in this one, probably by submission