UFC Fight Night 134 takes place tomorrow in Hamburg, Germany and you can see our predictions for all the fights below.
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Main Card:
Shogun Rua vs. Anthony Smith
This should be an entertaining battle between two fighters who will be looking to engage in a hard-hitting striking battle.
Both men have a foundation in muay thai, though these days Smith is the more aggressive in his application of it, frequently pushing forward and unleashing dangerous combinations, while after many years in the game, Rua is a little more cautious and measured in his approach, though his offense is still dangerous when he lets his fists, kicks, elbow and knees fly.
Smith’s offensive approach does leave him vulnerable to being hit, but at the same time he’s the younger, fresher fighter here and Shogun’s chin is not what it once was, so I favor ‘Lionheart’s’ higher output and constant pressure to pay dividends here, leading to a second round TKO stoppage.
Anthony Smith to win by TKO in Rd2.
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Glover Teixeira vs. Corey Anderson
At 39-years-of-age Teixeira is in the twilight years of his career, but he’s still operating at a high level in the UFC’s 205lb division and I think he can pose problems for Anderson, despite the fact his opponent is 11 years his junior.
Teixiera is the more dangerous, heavy-handed striker here, but he’s also got a good wrestling base, which I believe he’ll use to shut down Anderson’s takedown attempts and keep the fight on the feet.
Anderson operates well from range, but I don’t think he has the power neccessary to trouble Teixeira’s admittedly weakening chin and will succumb to the Brazilian’s forward pressure and heavy artillery before the end of the second round.
Glover Teixeira to win by TKO in Rd2.
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Vitor Miranda vs. Abu Azaitar
Azaitar comes from WSOF, is a solid all-rounder and is fighting on home soil, but he’s been out of action for two years and is stepping up to middleweight for this bout.
Miranda is a kickboxer who’s definitely most effective with his kicks and has proven to be durable throughout his career, so even though his takedown defense is a concern I’m taking him to edge out Azaitar in the striking battle to emerge with a close decision victory.
Vitor Miranda to win by decision.
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Marcin Tybura vs. Stefan Struve
Tybura will need to get inside against the tall, lanky struve in this fight, and given that the Dutchman still hasn’t figured out how to use his physical gifts to work effectively on the outside I believe he’ll be able to do just that.
From there he can work his striking or more likely look for takedowns. He’ll have to watch out for Struve’s submission game there, but I expect Tybura to be able to effectively grind his way to a decision victory from there.
Marcin Tybura to win by decision.
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Danny Roberts vs. David Zawada
Zawada is a respectable enough prospect who is now getting a chance to make his impression in the UFC on home soil, but he’s only had a week to prepare for the fight.
The two fighters have fairly similar skillsets, but though Roberts two KO losses in the past few years are a concern I still think he has the better chance to win with his superior firepower and having a full fight-camp behind him.
Danny Roberts to win by decision.
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Nasrat Haqparast vs. Marc Diakiese
Diakiese caught people’s attention with his flashy striking style, but he’s not fully lived up to the hype so far and is now facing another potential prospect in Haqparast.
Diakese is the most diverse and creative striker here, but Haqparast is aggressive and has shown that he can finish fights. Diakese also has just enough wrestling to keep him out of too much trouble and I think his stand-up advantage could lead to a late stoppage, or decision victory.
Marc Diakese to win by TKO in Rd3.
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Prelims (FOX Sports 1): (Predicted winners in bold)
Nick Hein vs. Damir Hadzovic
Emil Meek vs. Bartosz Fabinski
Khalid Taha vs. Nad Narimani
Justin Ledet vs. Aleksandar Rakic
Fight Pass Prelims:
Davey Grant vs. Manny Bermudez
Jeremy Kimball vs. Darko Stosic
Damian Stasiak vs. Liu Pingyuan
