UFC Predictions: UFC Vegas 15: Blaydes vs. Lewis - Predictions and Picks

#6 The Prelims: UFC on ESPN+ card

Popular UFC veteran Ashlee Evans-Smith headlines this week's prelim card.

The UFC will present seven prelim fights on ESPN+ this weekend. At the top sits a Bantamweight fight between Ashlee Evans-Smith and Norma Dumont Viana. A somewhat underrated fighter, Evans-Smith brings a strong physical presence to the Octagon and looks to beat her opponent up, whether that’s on the ground or on the feet.

Her biggest issue has been injuries. Numerous times we’ve seen either Rebel Girl or her opponent forced out of fights that were eventually scrapped. However, assuming this one goes ahead, I think it’s a winnable one for her.

Dumont might have some size on her, as she’s dropping down from 145lbs, but she’s also lacking in experience and didn’t exactly look great in her UFC debut – a quick KO at the hands of Megan Anderson. I can’t pick a fighter with just four wins in good conscience, so I’m going with Evans-Smith via TKO.

At Bantamweight, Martin Day faces off with Anderson dos Santos. This one is tricky to call. Neither fighter has really proven they belong in the UFC yet, with two losses each to their name. However, dos Santos is far more experienced and appears to be a genuinely gifted grappler, with 11 submissions to his name. With that in mind, I’m taking him to find his 12th this weekend.

In the Flyweight division, Amir Albazi faces Zhalgas Zhumagulov. A London-based Swede, Albazi looks like a genuinely dangerous fighter in all areas. He’s got plenty of experience, and he looked excellent in his UFC debut win over Malcolm Gordon.

Zhumagulov, meanwhile, debuted in the UFC in July with a loss to Raulian Paiva. The native of Kazakhstan showed some strong wrestling and striking at times but didn’t really impress in the same way that Albazi did in his debut. I’m going with Albazi in this one, probably by submission.

In another Flyweight bout, Su Mudaerji faces Malcolm Gordon. Malcolm X lost in his UFC debut, but overall looks like a decent prospect out of Canada. He’ll also be quite tall for a 125lber, standing at 5’7”. Meanwhile, China’s Mudaerji has a ledger full of flashy finishes but isn’t necessarily that proven at the top level.

I could see this one going either way, to be honest. But given Mudaerji’s all-out style, I suspect he’ll fall into the trap of Gordon on the ground and end up losing by submission.

In a Catchweight fight, Luke Sanders faces Nate Maness. Maness made his UFC debut in August, taking a decision over fellow debutant Johnny Munoz, while Sanders was last seen winning by TKO over Renan Barao of all people.

Sanders’ UFC record, to be frank, doesn’t really reflect his skills. He’s dangerous in all areas, hits hard, and is an excellent athlete. If he can keep himself more focused, then he could make some real noise in the 135lbs division. Maness is far less proven at this level, and so I’ll take Sanders to win by decision.

In what should be a wild Featherweight fight, Spike Carlyle takes on Bill Algeo. Carlyle has been compared to the likes of Diego Sanchez for his wild attack, although he’s shown in his UFC appearances that, unlike Sanchez, he does have a tendency to run out of steam. However, it’s unlikely that many opponents would be able to withstand the storm that Alpha Ginger brings.

So can Algeo weather the storm and capitalize as Carlyle tires out? Quite possibly. He’s never been stopped by strikes and was able to go the distance against Ricardo Lamas in his UFC debut. If this one has a finish, then it’ll be Carlyle with his hand raised. But I suspect he’ll gas out again, and Algeo will take a decision.

Finally, late replacement Kai Kamaka III takes on Jonathan Pearce in the Featherweight division. Kamaka is relatively inexperienced in the UFC – he’s just 1-0 there – but his family have been around the Hawaiian MMA scene for years. He’s a well-rounded fighter, albeit one who doesn’t tend to finish his foes.

Meanwhile, Pearce wasn’t given much of a chance to impress in his UFC debut, as veteran Joe Lauzon destroyed him in just over a minute. This one is tricky to call, but when you take into account the late notice for Kamaka, I’m going with Pearce to earn a decision.