Jairzinho Rozenstruik – Decision (If you don’t find yourself too excited about this one, then don’t feel ashamed. Neither man is the extreme knockout puncher they are marketed to be, at least not in regards to quality opposition. Rozenstruik’s patient kickboxing relies heavily on his durability and grit to stay in the pocket. With his feet cemented into the ground, Rozenstruik rides incoming punches before returning volume. Ciryl Gane’s stick and move style had Rozenstruik in fits as the Suriname native failed to make a read over their twenty-five-minute battle. Sakai isn’t a slick enough striker to maintain that game plan for five rounds, but he can certainly find stretches of success with such an approach. Sakai’s lack of ground game won’t be exposed by Rozenstruik, which will allow the towering Brazilian more freedom to walk down Rozenstruik. If Sakai opts for his tried and tested strategy of simply marching Rozenstruik down, then he plays directly into Rozenstruik’s game. Instead, Sakai needs to utilise leg kicks and teep kicks that had Overeem in serious trouble during the early rounds)
Marcin Tybura – TKO Round 3 (It’s hard not to root for Walt Harris considering the awful past couple of years he and his family have experienced. Harris’ fearsome one-punch knockout power and kill or be killed approach are also key components behind fan love for The Big Ticket. Moreover, the recent addition of hand fighting and a renewed strength and conditioning programme aims to keep Harris active in the octagon beyond his explosive bursts. Unfortunately for Harris, a porous wrestling defence plays directly into Tybura’s strength. The Pole has been more relaxed on the feet in recent fights, but it would be foolish to attempt it against Harris. Instead, Tybura will need to ride an early wave of pressure before grounding his tiring opponent during the later rounds)
Laureano Staropoli – Decision (This has the potential to be an absolute banger between a couple of exciting kickboxers. Dolidze is a personal favourite of mine, carrying huge power and an arsenal of submissions. Dolidze’s suspect gas tank will allow Staropoli to surge ahead during the later rounds, but the Georgian remains a threat off the mat by the final bell. Staropoli desperately needs a win to stay in the UFC, but his fluid striking is a joy to watch. Constant movement around the border of the octagon, Staropoli sticks and moves with a variety of spinning attacks and reactive strikes that offer high-risk high reward)
Miguel Baeza – Decision (Baeza is a very flawed fighter who should have no real chance of winning this fight, but Ponz sadly looked over the hill against Jingliang Li. While “you’re only as good as your last fight” often plays a role, it needs to be considered Ponz had also spent two years off with a plethora of illnesses and injuries. The ranked Welterweight that tore apart competitors like Neil Magny and Gunnar Nelson, was not the athlete who entered the octagon against Li. Baeza is a clean kickboxer on the outside but struggles under the pressure. Matt Brown was able to exploit holes in Baeza’s defence and decision making, but Ponz’s lack of volume in his return worryingly suggests he doesn’t have enough anymore to crush Baeza under pressure)
Dusko Todovoric – TKO Round 3 (Just three weeks after a first-round knockout over Josh Fremd in the LFA, Gregory Rodriguez takes the last-minute call-up to face Dusko Todovoric. Both men’s best work stems from top position, yet both have struggled to wrestle against more competent competition. Rodriguez falls back on his ridiculously heavy hands, employing a single-shot counter style that picks apart holes in his opponent. While Todovoric lacks any form of guard, his movement is crisp enough to slip Rodriguez explosive kicking game and punish the Brazilian’s low volume. Either man could end this early with their power, yet Todovoric has the benefit of a proper camp and stronger cage grappling)
Tom Breese – Submission Round 2 (Arroyo is a ridiculously frustrating fighter because he has the athletic gifts to be a solid UFC name, but his decision making is utterly atrocious. Favouring kicks over a jab, Arroyo’s expansive strikes often result in him hitting the mat. Sure, Arroyo has proven he can get back up, but within the very next exchange he’ll make the same mistake once again and end up on his back. Breese is a shell of the fighter who was blowing up around 2015, but his jab and top-notch offensive grappling should be enough to see him through Arroyo)
Makwan Amirkhani – Submission Round 2 (If it weren’t for the late-notice call-up for Kirk, he would have a genuine chance of causing an upset. The LFA faithful may have been out-endured by Billy Quarantillo in his DWCS appearance, but his compact boxing is a nightmare for Amirkhani to deal with during the later rounds. As long as Amirkhani doesn’t enter the contest as he did against Barboza, aiming to win via clean kickboxing, then the Finn should be able to get Kirk onto the mat. With depleted energy reserves after a last-minute weight cut, Amirkhani will have ample time and opportunity to find the submission)
Montana De La Rosa – Decision (Now that the Lipski hype train has fully crashed and burned, through the smoke, it is clear that it was her lack of TDD that shot the Queen of Violence in the foot. With no real volume on the outside, and a lack of desire to engage in the pocket (which found her success on the regional circuit), Lipski needs to rebuild outside of the UFC if she is to lose again on Saturday. De La Rosa is a competent wrestler/grappler, whose size has often been an issue, but should be more than skilled enough to snatch onto Lipski’s back for fifteen minutes)
Tanner Boser – Decision (Mullet man, Tanner Boser, is an easy heavyweight to root for as a result of his high volume, stick and move style which is rare amongst 265ers. His slick movement and lightning hand speed have left the majority of unranked Heavyweight’s left bemused after they were unable to land their 100% power punch stand-up. Ilir Latifi is a tiny Heavyweight, only 5’10”, but the Swede carries heavy hands that have seen him earn a string of first-round knockout victories. Boser’s TDD will come under intense scrutiny from Latifi’s Greco-Roman wrestling, yet the Canadian should be able to prosper on the feet after an early barrage. Less technical than Volkan Oezdemir but sharper on his feet, Boser vs Latifi will end similarly as long as Boser isn’t caught in an early submission)
Muslim Salikhov – Decision (Both Trinaldo and Salikhov are old men, but the Brazilian has shown a more visible physical decline over the past couple of years. While Trinaldo is a wily veteran, picking smart counter strikes and mixing in a grinding top game, Salikhov is an expansive counter-striker who thrives in open space where he can employ a range of spinning attacks. At forty-two, it is becoming increasingly difficult to back Trinaldo despite his ability to carry his power late into a fight. Salikhov was lucky last time out to secure a decision over Elizeu Zaleski, but his ability to maintain a striking distance favourable to himself will determine this fight)
Mason Jones – Decision (Mason Jones’ relentless pressure on the feet will be too much for the single-shot striking of Alan Patrick. While the Brazilian still carries power despite his thirty-seven years of age, he throws far too little to seriously threaten Jones’ rock-solid chin. Moreover, while Jones was taken down with relative ease by Mike Davis, he is a difficult fighter to keep tied down. Expect Patrick to find some success wrestling during the opening round before Jones secures the later rounds with furious volume on the feet)
Manon Fiorot – TKO Round 3 (Fiorot surprised in her UFC debut, picking apart Victoria Leonardo with a wonderful mixture of striking and clinch work. Fighting out of a side-on stance, Fiorot uses her length to pepper opponents with side kicks, before feinting with her lead leg into heavy boxing combinations. Ricci is taking this fight on short notice, which will not aid her already tiny stature for Flyweight. Moreover, digging into Ricci’s record reveals the LFA faithful has not yet earned a victory over an opponent with a winning record. Still, Ricci has an extensive background in judo and her grappling chops are certainly a viable weapon. Fiorot will be too big and too experienced on Saturday night, however)
Sean Woodson – Decision
Jordan Leavitt – Submission Round 1