UFC Fight Night 107 takes place in London, England on Saturday night and we’ve got our predictions for all the fights below.
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Main Card:
Jimi Manuwa vs. Corey Anderson
The fact that some have complained that this main event lacking star power says something about the depleted state of the UFC’s 205lb division at the moment as Manuwa is currently ranked No.4, while Anderson is No.6.
Manuwa is a vicious striker who specializes in steadily tearing his opponents apart with punches and kicks until they can’t take any more, but his ground game is nothing to write home about.
Anderson is capable on the feet, but if he goes toe-to-toe with Manuwa he’ll probably end the fight stetched out on his back. Instead, the sensible strategy for Anderson would be too minimize the striking exchanges and focus on his superior wrestling game, allowing him to dominate the fight on the mat.
I’m tempted to pick Manuwa here as I’ve always been impressed by the manner in which he’s able to dismantle opponents on the feet. However, the fact this is a five-round fight gives me pause for thought.
The Brit has only gone to a decision once in his entire 18 fight career and his early explosive impact may be toned down here in order to conserve energy. With that in mind I favor Anderson to avoid getting starched in the early rounds, work his wrestling game to frustrate and wear down his opponent, and emerge with a decisiosn victory.
Corey Anderson to win by decision.
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Gunnar Nelson vs. Alan Jouban
Two talented welterweights on show here and the outcome of the fight could well depend on where the fight takes place.
On the feet Jouban has the edge. He’s a technical muay thai fighter who’s happy to get into a full-on scrap, but can also fight with more care when required. Nelson has more of a karate based style and he can be effective in short bursts, but isn’t able to sustain offense for longer periods.
It’s really on the mat that Nelson excels with excellent control, transitions and submissions, together with his natural speed and athleticism making him tough to deal with. Jouban trains at 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, so he won’t be completely out of his depth on the canvas, but I expect Nelson to be a cut above in that regard.
So, Jouban’s best bet would be to try and keep the fight standing, and while that’s defnitely a possibility, I fancy Nelson’s chances of getting him down and locking in a submission.
Gunnar Nelson to win by submission in Rd2.
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Brad Pickett vs. Marlon Vera
Time definitely seems to have caught up with Brad Pickett as he heads into the 39th fight of his career with just one win in his last six fights, but fighting Vera on just a week’s notice gives him a chance to go out on a high.
Pickett’s love of a good, crowd-pleasing scrap hasn’t done him too many favors during his UFC campaign and he’d do well to go back to what he does best in this fight and utilize his grappling here as that would give him a distinct advantage against Vera.
That being said, while Vera is more capable on the feet, Pickett should still have just enough left in his locker to come out on top there and one way or another I’d expect to see him emerge with a decision victory in front of his home fans.
Brad Pickett to win by decision.
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Arnold Allen vs. Makwan Amirkhani
It’s been over a year since Amirkhani last fought in the UFC and he’ll now be eager to extend his three-fight winning streak in the Octagon against then promising up-and-comer, Allen.
Allen is something of a jack-of-all-trades and could well have the edge on the feet here, but Amirkhani is an excellent wrestler and if first he doesn’t succeed in getting his opponent down, he’ll simply continue to work until he does.
Allen should keep things fairly competitive, but overall there’s more spark and flair to Amirkhani’s game and he’ll get the better of the ground battle to win over the judges.
Makwan Amirkhani to win by decision.
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Prelims: (Predicted winners in bold)
Joseph Duffy vs. Reza Madadi
Darren Stewart vs. Francimar Barroso
Daniel Omielańczuk vs. Timothy Johnson
Marc Diakiese vs. Teemu Packalén
Tom Breese vs. Oluwale Bamgbose
Leon Edwards vs. Vicente Luque
Ian Entwistle vs. Brett Johns
Bradley Scott vs. Scott Askham
