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#6 The Prelims: ESPN card
It’s a testament to the depth of this card that the four prelims being televised on ESPN could probably make a pretty solid Fight Night card in their own right. Headlining the prelims are Featherweight contenders Jeremy Stephens and Zabit Magomedsharipov. After whitewashing his first 4 opponents in the UFC to go 16-1 overall, this is Zabit’s chance to prove he’s a title threat, but Stephens isn’t likely to go down without a fight – he was on a 3 fight win streak before being stopped by Jose Aldo last summer.
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If Magomedsharipov can stick to a grappling-based gameplan then he ought to win this one; Stephens has been outgrappled before by the likes of Charles Oliveira and Renato Moicano, and Magomedsharipov combines excellent wrestling with a deadly submission game. But his penchant for wild striking trades could prove to be horribly dangerous against a striker who carries the power that Stephens does. I’m taking Zabit by submission – figuring he’ll play it smart – but this could definitely go the other way.
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At Light-Heavyweight, Misha Cirkunov takes on Johnny Walker, who is stepping in for Ovince St. Preux on late notice. This is a cool fight but I don’t really like it, as both men are outstanding prospects in a thin division and could both make it into title contention if they keep winning – which obviously, one won’t after Saturday. Walker is the man with the hype right now after stunning knockouts of Khalil Rountree and Justin Ledet, but I worry for him against a grappler as powerful as Cirkunov. I’m going with Cirkunov here as I think he can ground Walker and submit him, but to see Walker pull off another stunningly violent knockout wouldn’t shock me either.
Cody Stamann returns at 135lbs to face off with Alejandro Perez in what could be an exciting fight that should see the winner vault into the top 15 at Bantamweight. A tough, well-rounded fighter, Stamann saw a 10-fight winning streak – and almost his leg – snapped by Aljamain Sterling in September, while Perez hasn’t tasted defeat in 7 fights and has been steadily improving since winning TUF: Latin America back in 2014. This one’s a tough fight to pick but I’m leaning towards the more grinding offense of Stamann to win a decision over the more dynamic ‘El Diablito’.
Finally, UFC legend and inaugural TUF winner Diego Sanchez steps into the Octagon for his 40th professional fight and his 29th in the UFC. He’ll face Mickey Gall, the young prospect who became famous as the man who beat up CM Punk in the former WWE champion’s UFC debut. Sanchez is miles past his prime but I actually like him to win here; Gall isn’t a great striker yet and realistically, nobody has ever truly outgrappled Sanchez in the Octagon and it’s his chin that’s cracked, not his insane cardio. I like Diego to win a surprising decision here.
