UFC On Fuel TV 7 takes place in London, England tomorrow and we have our predictions for all the fights for you below.
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Main Card:
Renan Barao vs. Michael McDonald
This should be a fun interim-title fight. From an MMA perspective Barao seems like he’s got it all, and has a 30 fight unbeaten run to back it up, but in McDonald he faces someone who has genuine KO power at 135lbs and has the ability to change the course of the fight in an instant.
I still like Barao though who’s slick on his feet even when in a firefight, and crucially is also significantly better on the mat than McDonald. His BJJ prowess could be the big difference here and I think he might be able to produce a submission finish in the championship rounds.
Renan Barao to win by submission in Rd4.
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Cub Swanson vs. Dustin Poirier
Here’s another exciting match-up, this time in the featherweight division. Both men are dynamic strikers and have a good offensive ground game, though defensively Swanson in particular has shown weaknesses at times in his career.
Swanson’s been on a terrific run recently, but I do think that Poirier is slightly more well-rounded and if he can avoid getting starched by Swanson in the stand-up I see him mixing things up and claiming a hard-fought decision victory.
Dustin Poirier to win by decision.
Jimi Manuwa vs. Cyrille Diabate
If this one goes according to plan then it could turn out to be a hard-hitting stand-up war. Diabate is the more technical striker, but Manuwa has vicious power in everything he throws.
Diabate might have the advantage in the later rounds as Manuwa has never went the distance in his career and may gas out if he exerts himself to much early on. However, Manuwa is the fresher fighter at this stage in his caree and with the UK crowd roaring him on I’m predicting that he’ll produce a stoppage win via strikes.
Jimi Manuwa to win by KO in Rd2.
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Gunnar Nelson vs. Jorge Santiago
Santiago gets another chance to impress in the UFC, but while he’s better than his record in the Octagon suggests he’s got a very tough challenge ahead of him to get anything out of Icelandic star Gunnar Nelson.
Nelson is absolutely outstanding in the grappling department, but also has a rapidly improving stand-up game to go with it and I think he’ll just prove to be too much for Santiago to handle.
Gunnar Nelson to win by submission in Rd2.
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James Te-Huna vs. Ryan Jimmo
Both Te-Huna and Jimmo are enjoying significant winning streaks at the moment, but someone’s going to have there’s come to an end tomorrow.
This could be a close one, but I favor Te-Huna here. He’s a tough, able customer who’s only loss in the UFC was to the high-flying Swede Alexander Gustafsson, and I think he’ll outwork Jimmo with a mixture of striking, clinch-work and takedowns to claim a decision win.
James Te-Huna to win by decision.
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Che Mills vs. Matthew Riddle
Riddle claims that he’s going to stand and trade with Mills in this one, which is a risky move if true, and perhaps not a particularly smart one given that he’s got a real advantage if he can take this fight to the floor.
Mills is the slicker striker with good muay thai and the ability to get creative, and I think he’ll get the better of Riddle in that regard. Riddle won’t be finished easily however, and I expect him to come to his senses after the first round and begin to play to his strengths, utilizing his wrestling to grind out a decision win. (Admittedly I say “expect”, but truth be told with Riddle you never know!)
Matthew Riddle to win by decision.
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Prelims: (Predicted winners in bold)
Terry Etim vs. Renee Forte
Paul Sass vs. Danny Castillo
Andy Ogle vs. Josh Grispi
Tom Watson vs. Stanislav Nedkov
Vaughan Lee vs. Motonobu Tezuka
Phil Harris vs. Ulysses Gomez
