UFC Predictions: UFC Fight Night: Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi
The UFC is set to head to Canada next weekend - Edmonton, to be exact - for a Fight Night event. Overall, this one looks like a solid card.
UFC Fight Night: Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi features a number of high-level fights across multiple divisions, including a couple of potential title eliminators.
So with plenty to look forward to, this one should be worth watching.
Here are the predicted outcomes for UFC Fight Night: Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi.
#1 UFC flyweight bout: Brandon Moreno vs. Amir Albazi
Right now, it feels like there's an interesting situation at the top of the flyweight division.
That's because champ Alexandre Pantoja is set to take on debutant Kai Asakura in his next defense, leaving a number of fighters in limbo of sorts.
Brandon Royval solved one issue this month by beating Tatsuro Taira. He's already lost a recent shot at Pantoja, meaning it's unlikely even that thrilling win will move him up to the front of the queue.
That means that the winner of this bout between former champ Brandon Moreno and No.3 ranked Amir Albazi could be next in line.
Of the two men, Moreno is obviously more proven. 'The Assassin Baby' fought former champ Deiveson Figueiredo in one of the UFC's most legendary rivalries, taking the Brazilian on four times and winning two of those clashes.
However, the quadrilogy appeared to burn him out, and he looked a little jaded in his losses to Pantoja and Royval, even if the former bout went to a split decision.
Will the best part of nine months away sort him out? It's possible, but it's also a possibility that we've already seen the best of the Mexican, and his wars with Figueiredo and Pantoja did too much damage to him.
At his best, though, Moreno is a fantastic fighter, with a strong striking game, exceptional grappling and incredible toughness.
Albazi is a little less proven. However, 'The Prince' is 5-0 in the octagon, and while his debut win came via submission, he's largely become known for his pressure-fighting, whether that's on the feet or from the top.
However, it's worth noting that his biggest win - over Kai Kara-France - was a razor-close call that could've gone either way.
Given Moreno handily beat Kara-France, does that mean 'The Assassin Baby' should win here? Not quite. MMA math doesn't always work out like that, and more to the point, we don't know how burned out Moreno is.
With that said, even the jaded version of the Mexican star pushed both Pantoja and Royval to their limits, and if he comes in on form, it's unlikely Albazi's high-pressure style will work all that well.
Given Moreno's experience, skills and overall toughness, then, it's hard to go against him here.
The Pick: Moreno via decision
#2 UFC flyweight bout: Erin Blanchfield vs. Rose Namajunas
With the rivalry between Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso now seemingly over, and Manon Fiorot now likely next in line for 'The Bullet', the flyweight division needs to find its next top contender.
Therefore, this fight between Rose Namajunas and Erin Blanchfield could well decide who takes that spot. Blanchfield is coming off a loss to Fiorot, but realistically, with 12 wins - six of them in the octagon - prior to that, it shouldn't matter too much.
While 'Cold Blooded' lost her last fight, Namajunas is on a two-fight win streak. The former strawweight queen has beaten Amanda Ribas and Tracy Cortez, with her last loss also coming to Fiorot.
So who will take this one? Essentially, it should come down to a simple question: Can 'Thug Rose' stop Blanchfield's takedown, and if she can't, can she harm her from her back?
Interestingly, while she's smashed most of her foes from top position, Blanchfield doesn't necessarily have the best wrestling game. She only lands her takedowns at a 33% clip, although she only needed one to beat both Molly McCann and Jessica Andrade.
Namajunas isn't a bad wrestler in her own right, and she's far better on the feet than Blanchfield. However, 'Thug Rose' does tend to get taken down in a lot of her fights, and also isn't the biggest and strongest fighter at 125 pounds, either.
With that considered, it feels likely that 'Cold Blooded' is going to get Namajunas on her back at least once or twice across three rounds. The question then becomes whether she can fight through the guard of the former strawweight queen.
It's a fair question, but again, Blanchfield is the bigger, more powerful fighter here. While Namajunas is dangerous off her back, she hasn't caught an opponent off her back in the octagon since her 2014 debut.
With that considered, this one could go either way. But the most likely outcome will probably see Blanchfield ground Namajunas enough times and control her for long enough for a win.
The Pick: Blanchfield via decision
#3 UFC Fight Night: The Main Card
In a heavyweight bout, Derrick Lewis faces Jhonata Diniz. This one is basically a battle of brute force against cleaner technique, as Diniz might not pack the power of 'The Black Beast', but he's a very skilled kickboxer with a lot of experience.
Lewis still has the power to dispatch anyone if he lands cleanly, but it does feel like we've seen this kind of fight before with him fighting against the likes of Ciryl Gane and Junior dos Santos.
Given that he's also getting no younger, this could be a breakout showing of sorts for Diniz. The pick is Diniz via decision.
At light-heavyweight, Caio Machado takes on Brendson Ribeiro. This one is a confusing choice for a main card bout, particularly as both men have lost their last two fights.
In all honesty, this could go either way, purely because neither man has proven a lot in their short octagon tenures. However, Ribeiro seems like a more dangerous finisher, so the pick is Ribeiro via KO.
In another curious main card choice, Marc-Andre Barriault faces Dustin Stoltzfus in a middleweight clash. To be fair, Barriault is a popular man in Canada, which probably explains things.
'Power Bar' is a limited fighter, but he's strong in the clinch and hits hard. He's lost his last two fights, but has been around for a long time and is capable of beating opponents in the octagon.
Stoltzfus, on the other hand, hasn't quite shown the durability of Barriault. While, he's got two wins in the UFC, he doesn't really offer too much danger to 'Power Bar'.
With that in mind, especially given this event is in Canada, the pick is Barriault via KO.
Finally, at welterweight, Mike Malott takes on Trevin Giles. 'Proper Mike' is another popular Canadian fighter, meaning this one should be a hot fight with the crowd.
Malott lost his last fight to Neil Magny, but to be fair, Magny is a remarkably tough gatekeeper with the ability to beat most of this division. Giles, on the other hand, has been finished in his last two bouts, meaning it feels like this one is set up for 'Proper Mike' to win in his home country.
Given all of this, the pick is Malott via KO.
#4 UFC Fight Night: The Prelims
Picks in bold
UFC bantamweight bout: Aiemann Zahabi vs. Pedro Munhoz
UFC flyweight bout: Ariane Lipski vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
UFC bantamweight bout: Charles Jourdain vs. Victor Henry
UFC featherweight bout: Jack Shore vs. Youssef Zalal
UFC heavyweight bout: Alexander Romanov vs. Rodrigo Nascimento
UFC bantamweight bout: Garrett Armfield vs. Serhiy Sidey
UFC bantamweight bout: Chad Anheliger vs. Cody Gibson
UFC flyweight bout: Jamey-Lyn Horth vs. Ivana Petrovic