UFC Predictions: UFC 270: Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane

#3. UFC 270: The Main Card

Exciting welterweight Michel Pereira features on this weekend's main card

In a UFC welterweight bout, Michel Pereira takes on octagon newcomer Andre Fialho. This one is difficult to pick simply because Pereira is so unpredictable. He’s got all of the skills it takes to succeed, but he has shown a tendency to gas out due to throwing too many wild strikes in the past.

However, recently ‘Demolidor’ has looked far more controlled in his fights, winning his last three in impressive fashion. If he can continue on this path, then there’s hope for him to ascend to the elite level yet. With that in mind, the pick is Pereira via knockout.

In a bantamweight clash, Cody Stamann faces Said Nurmagomedov. Not related to former UFC champ Khabib, Nurmagomedov still fights in a similar way to his fellow Dagestani; powerful, explosive wrestling and heavy-handed striking.

While he’s won three of his four octagon bouts, though, Stamann should be his toughest test to date. A consummate gatekeeper with wins over the likes of Alejandro Perez and Bryan Caraway, ‘The Spartan’ has skills in all areas. However, as primarily a wrestler and coming off two straight losses, he might be in trouble here. The pick is Nurmagomedov via decision.

Finally, in a short-notice bout at featherweight, Ilia Topuria takes on Charles Jourdain. This would initially have seen Topuria face Movsar Evloev at UFC 270, but Jourdain has taken the fight on around 10 days’ notice.

Jourdain looked excellent in his most recent fight – a win over Andre Ewell – but given his notice, as well as the extreme power of Topuria, it’s hard to see him succeeding here. The pick, therefore, is Topuria via decision.

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#4. UFC 270: The Prelims

Picks in bold

Middleweight: Rodolfo Vieira vs. Wellington Turman

Bantamweight: Raoni Barcelos vs. Victor Henry

Bantamweight: Tony Gravely vs. Saimon Oliveira

Welterweight: Trevin Giles vs. Michael Morales

Women's strawweight: Silvana Gomez Juarez vs. Vanessa Demopoulos

Lightweight: Matt Frevola vs. Genaro Valdez

Flyweight: Kay Hansen vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius

Welterweight: Jack Della Maddalena vs. Pete Rodriguez