UFC Fight Night: We are in the midst of a busy UFC stretch of events, as the biggest MMA organization on the planet has put together yet another talent-filled fight night. From top to bottom, this card has a fighter style for just about any fight fan to cling to. This event will serve as a delicious appetizer ahead of next week’s pay-per-view entree.
-200 Natan Levy (6-1: 3 SUBs) vs. +165 Mike Breeden (10-4: 8 KOs)
In his UFC debut, Israel’s Natan Levy tallied a frustrating decision loss to Rafa Garcia and is now in a pressure-filled spot against Mike Breeden. The tough-as-nails and scrappy Breeden may be a hittable target, but it’d take a Mack truck to get him out of there. Levy is a competent grappler, but where he really shines is on the feet with his extensive karate background combined with his growing boxing skillset. I expect Levy to stay composed and be less overzealous than his last fight, picking Breeden apart from kicking distance. Breeden may frustrate Levy a bit because of his durability and could possibly land a big counter of his own, but that’s a slim chance. Give me Levy for the decision win.
Selection: Levy wins via Decision
-170 Grant Dawson (17-1-1: 4 KOs, 11 SUBs) vs. +140 Jared Gordon (18-4: 6 KOs, 2 SUBs)
A young-and-tough wrestler takes on a grizzled veteran in Grant Dawson vs. Jared Gordon. Dawson comes equipped with a long wrestling pedigree, but it’s going to take more than a few takedowns to keep the always-evolving Gordon from clawing his way to a victory. Gordon is a more well-rounded fighter than Dawson, but the Nebraskan is quickly becoming a submission hunter. On the night of this fight, it will be exactly six years since Dawson has tasted defeat, so needless to say, his confidence is sky-high right now. The game plan is simple for Gordon: shrug off countless takedown attempts and avoid entanglement on the mat – easier said than done. I got the wiser Queens, NY native to be weary of Dawson’s weapons while also letting his hands go.
Selection: Gordon wins via Decision
-182 Darren Elkins (25-10: 9 KOs, 5 SUBs) vs. +145 Tristan Connelly (14-7: 4 KOs, 9 SUBs)
One of the fight community’s favorite fighters, Darren Elkins, has always fought like he’s in an action movie. His dance partner, Tristan Connelly, though, fights more like a slow-building thriller with a twist at the end. Connelly doesn’t compare to some of the physiques of his peers yet he often finds himself getting his hand raised over seemingly tougher competition. Elkins is a hard man to keep down and has a reputation for his gas tank. If Connelly wants to get the biggest win of his career, he’s going to have to dig deep in order to bring the fight into his wheelhouse on the mats and keep it there.
Selection: Connelly wins via Decision
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-170 Krzysztof Jotko (23-5: 6 KOs, 1 SUB) vs. +140 Gerald Meerschaert (34-14: 6 KOs, 26 SUBs)
It’s an understatement to say Gerald Meerschaert is a jiu-jitsu specialist. After he was blown out of the water in back-to-back fights, GM3 turned it up a notch and is now on an impressive three-fight submission streak! His opponent is the steady and methodical Krzysztof Jotko, who beat a big-time grappler in Misha Cirkunov in his last fight. If the fight hits the floor, I would imagine the immediate anxiety that would be going through Jotko’s head. However, he did a good job avoiding dangerous grappling scrambles against Cirkunov and was even able to reverse positions, a tribute to his work ethic in the gym. I see this fight being a bit boring, as Jotko will be looking to desperately avoid grappling while also landing enough strikes to edge out a win.
Selection: Jotko wins via Decision
-260 Andre Fili (21-8: 9 KOs, 3 SUBs) vs. +210 Joanderson Brito (12-3-1: 5 KOs, 5 SUBs)
Aside from the main event, this fight will be a banger and a half! Andre Fili never disappoints in any of his performances and has become a really competent striker. In the short time Joanderson Brito has been in the UFC, he’s already established that he is all gas, no brakes. This fight also is a battle of builds: Fili is a very tall and long fighter for the featherweight division while Brito is shorter in stature but packs a big punch. Brito showed in his previous fights that he can get past a fighter’s height and reach, but he’s never faced a pitbull like Fili. I got the Team Alpha Male member to be wise enough not get caught with anything too devastating, but also brave enough to inflict damage on Brito.
Selection: Fili wins via Decision
