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#2 Derrick Lewis vs. Marcin Tybura
Derrick Lewis could very well lose this matchup; getting taken down and controlled on the ground by Tybura, as the latter is a much superior grappler as compared to Lewis.
However, Lewis seems to have learnt from his mistakes in the past, and constantly keeps improving on the ground—adding more layers to his overall MMA game, as he already possesses excellent striking and vaunted KO power. Lewis is likely to catch Tybura on the feet early, and swarm him; putting the latter to sleep with a few follow-up strikes.
Prediction: Derrick Lewis def. Marcin Tybura via KO
#3 James Vick vs. Francisco Trinaldo
James Vick put on a career-best performance against Joe Duffy—catching the latter with a beautiful uppercut and putting him out for the win.
Vick may get a tad careless as the fight goes on, however, he’s big for his weight-class and knows how to utilize his size advantage to a T. Expect Vick to stay at long range, away from Trinaldo’s looping hooks.
In the latter half of Round 2, through the rest of the 3-round bout, Vick is likely to put his foot on the gas and out-point Trinaldo by a wide margin—with the fight largely taking place on the feet. Vick takes this one on the scorecards, in yet another dominant showing.
Prediction: James Vick def. Francisco Trinaldo via Decision
#4 Thiago Alves vs. Curtis Millender
Thiago Alves has been through several ups and downs after being one of the scariest Welterweights in the UFC back in the day and almost besting GSP for the 170-pound title.
Alves has been through wars inside the Octagon—the effects of which show each time this battle-worn veteran sets foot inside an MMA cage. Regardless, Alves is still a highly skilled combatant, and is likely to use his excellent Muay Thai skills so as to out-point Millender, en route to a clear-cut decision victory.
Prediction: Thiago Alves def. Curtis Millender via Decision
#5 Steven Peterson vs. Brandon Davis
Steven Peterson and Brandon Davis are both run-of-the-mill MMA scrappers who seem to be proficient in every aspect of the MMA game.
However, when it comes to specialization in a given art, neither Peterson nor Davis can stake claim to the same. Nevertheless, make no mistake about it—this is an evenly matched showdown and likely to go the distance.
This fight will see a few fun exchanges transpire on the feet, with the grappling sequences having both battle for position, albeit with little to no decisive moments coming to fruition on the mat. In the end, Peterson is likely to sway the judges in his favor, on the back of his relatively superior technique not only on the feet but also on the mat.
Prediction: Steven Peterson def. Brandon Davis via Decision
#6 Sage Northcutt vs. Thibault Gouti
Sage Northcutt is an excellent athlete.
However, when it comes to combat sports, athleticism solely isn’t enough to make it in the big leagues. Regardless, given how young Northcutt is and the people he’s trained with (Tyron Woodley at Roufusport and Urijah Faber at Team Alpha Male), one can expect Northcutt to steadily shore up the holes in his grappling.
Northcutt is a much better athlete than Gouti, and more dangerous on the feet as well. Fans can expect Gouti to get by on his durability in this matchup; taking a one-sided beat-down at the hands of Northcutt.
Prediction: Sage Northcutt def. Thibault Gouti via Decision
