UFC Fight Night 267 takes place in Houston, Texas on Saturday night and we’ve got our predictions for all the fights below.
Main Card
Sean Strickland vs. Anthony Hernandez
Ex-middleweight champion Sean Strickland enters this matchup having lost two of his last three fights, with both defeats coming in title fights against Dricus du Plessis. Now he’s set to face the surging Anthony ‘Fluffy” Hernandez, who rides in on an impressive eight-fight winning streak.
Win or lose, the 34-year-old Strickland remains committed to his minimalist approach to the fight game. Offensively the vast majority of his work comes from pressuring via his trusty jab and range-keeping teep kick, while using his unorthodox “Philly Shell” defense to frustrate his opponents with parries and shoulder rolls. Strickland also has good cardio and dependable takedown defense to keep the fight where he wants it, but though he is also a capable wrestler he appears reluctant to use that much these days due to an old knee injury. Strickland’s style has proven to be more than the sum of it’s parts given that he briefly held the 185lb title and has beaten the likes of Israel Adesanya, Nassourdine Imavov and Paulo Costa, but he can struggle to switch things up when things aren’t going his way.
The 32-year-old Hernandez had a shaky start to his time in the UFC with two losses in his first three fights, but since then he’s become a major player in the middleweight division, winning eight fights in a row, including six via stoppage. ‘Fluffy’s’ game revolves around unrelenting pace and pressure, using his high-volume striking to set up reliable takedown opportunities and high-tempo grappling chains. Hernandez has excellent cardio and weaponizes that by never giving his opponent a moment of peace on the mat, whether that’s with his strong positional control, tireless scrambling or finishing threat via submissions.
This feels like a fight that favors Hernandez as he’s not the kind of fighter who Strickland will be able to wear down over time, or discourage with his jab. As such I think Hernandez will be relentless in his pursuit of grappling opportunities and will keep Stickland busy on the mat for extended periods to emerge with a decision victory.
Pick: Anthony Hernandez wins by decision.
Geoff Neal vs. Uroš Medić
Geoff Neal comes into this match-up off a first‑round knockout loss, and will now be hoping to rebound against Uros Medic, who has built momentum with consecutive first‑round stoppages via strikes.
The 35-year-old Neal has actually lost three of his last four fights now, with his only win during that time being due to his opponent Rafael dos Anjos suffering a freak knee injury 90 seconds into the fight. Neal still possesses the kind of firepower that can dig him out of this slump though as he’s one of the hardest punchers in the division and has a dangerous head kick too. The downside is that he’s not the most technically refined and can be hittable. However, he can also do work from the clinch, has solid takedown defense, and while wrestling isn’t his go-to option, on the mat he can be a menace with ground-and-pound.
The 32-year-old Medic brings an all‑action style that has ensured he’s yet to see the scorecards in his 12‑3 career. He’s an aggressive, high‑output striker who likes to mix in spinning attacks, but it’s usually his hands that close the show with 10 of his wins coming via strikes strikes. That power has been proven to hold up across multiple weight classes, and he does also have a couple of early‑career triangle choke victories on his record too. However, his shaky takedown defense and defensive grappling remains an issue as he’s already been submitted twice during his UFC run, as well as being knocked out once.
Judging by both men’s striking arsenal a finish certainly seems likely here. I feel Neal is a bit less reckless though, and with his one-punch power I can see him delivering a first round TKO finish.
Pick: Geoff Neal wins by TKO in Rd1.
Dan Ige vs. Melquizael Costa
Dan Ige has been defeated in four of his last six fights, while Melquizael Costa on the other hand is riding a five‑fight winning streak.
Ige’s recent skid is perhaps more about the level of opposition than a decline in ability given that his losses have come against former Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull, undefeated contender Lerone Murphy, and a very short notice catchweight fight against Diego Lopes. Across his 11‑9 UFC tenure, Ige has earned some good wins but has more often than not fallen short against the best in the division. Still, he’s never been finished, and he remains a compact, durable boxer with real pop in his punches. He thrives in close range exchanges, applying pressure and firing crisp combinations to the head and body, and he’s capable of mixing in takedowns too when needed.
The 29-year-old has been on a strong run over the past couple of years. He’s an aggressive striker who likes to push forward and make use of a varied kicking arsenal, as evidenced by his head‑kick knockout last time out, which marked the eighth T(KO) of his career. He can get a bit wild though, and has been stopped twice by strikes, but in general he’s shown resilience and the ability to rally back from tough moments. Costa also brings solid offensive grappling, with eight submission wins on his record, but his defensive grappling is less assured.
Costa has the momentum here, but Ige has consistently faced tougher competition and has proven to be more durable. As such, In a fight likely decided by frequent exchanges, I lean toward the veteran’s chin and experience to carry him to a 2nd round TKO victory.
Pick: Dan Ige wins by TKO in Rd3.
Serghei Spivac vs. Ante Delija
Serghei Spivac looks to rebound from back-to-back losses last year to fight Ante Delija, who also aims to get back in the win column after being knocked out in the first round of his last appearance in November.
8-6 in his UFC career so far, the 31-year-old Spivac has picked up solid wins over names like Derrick Lewis, Marcin Tybura, and Tai Tuivasa over the years, but he’s consistently struggled against the more athletic talents at the top of the food-chain like Tom Aspinall, Ciryl Gane, and most recently Waldo Cortes‑Acosta. Spivac isn’t the biggest heavyweight, but he’s at his best when he can get his opponents to the mat, where his wrestling and grappling can be used to good effect to control the action and threaten with submissions and ground-and-pound. His striking has improved over time, but it’s still fairly basic and hindered by his lack of athleticism. Compounding this is his durability, with four of his UFC losses have come by TKO.
Delija made his name in the PFL, reaching the 2021 heavyweight final and then winning the 2022 tournament. He entered the UFC last year with a 25–6 record and made an immediate impact by knocking out Marcin Tybura in his debut, only to then be stopped in the first round by Cortes‑Acosta late last year. On the feet, the 35-year-old Delija stick to tried-and-tested fundamentals at a measured pace, but he does carry good power. He compliments that with competent wrestling and heavy ground‑and‑pound. He does also hold six submission wins, though it’s worth stressing that the last of those came more than a decade ago.
Spivac is most dangerous when he can impose his grappling, but Delija’s well‑rounded skill set won’t make that an easy path. And if he can force this into primarily a striking battle then Delija’s harder‑hitting, quicker offense should hold the key to a second‑round TKO victory.
Pick: Ante Delija wins by TKO in Rd2.
Jacobe Smith vs. Josiah Harrell
Jacobe Smith and UFC newcomer Josiah Harrell have yet to taste defeat in their 11–0 careers, but that will change for one of them on Saturday night.
The 30-year-old Smith is one of the more intriguing prospects to come off the Contender Series in 2024 given that he’s an explosive athlete with a strong pedigree in wrestling. Since joining the roster, he’s delivered a submission win over Preston Parsons and followed it with a TKO of veteran Niko Price. Smith’s wrestling technique stands out as he both powerful and artful takedowns at his disposal and maintains firm control on top. His ground‑and‑pound is heavy, and he likes to throw with bad intentions on the feet as well. Eight of his 11 wins have come by strikes, and he added a submission to his resume in his last outing. The one concern so far is that his big swings on the feet and powerful takedowns take a visible toll on his cardio, and that could quickly become a problem at the UFC level.
The 27-year-old Harrell steps in on just a week’s notice after building an undefeated record on the regional scene over the past six years. This is technically his second chance to make it in the UFC as he was scheduled to face Jack Della Maddalena in 2023 before being pulled due to the discovery of a rare brain condition. After receiving clearance to resume his career a couple of years later he’s stayed active and is only a month removed from a TKO win in LFA. Harrell is short for the division and will be at a reach disadvantage too, but he’s strong, athletic, and brings a solid wrestling base of his own, along with legitimate submission skills. In fact, all but one of his 11 victories have come inside the distance so far, but it remains to be seen if that translates in the UFC.
While Harrell can wrestle, Smith is technically on a different level, and has the size advantage here too. As such I think Smith will have too much for him here, and his hard-hitting strikes on the mat will be enough to find a finish in the 2nd round.
Pick: Jacobe Smith wins by TKO in Rd2.
Zachary Reese vs. Michel Pereira
Zachary Reese earned a submission win in November, and now fights Michel Pereira, who is looking to halt a three‑fight losing slump.
Reese earned his UFC contract on the Contender Series in 2023, has gone 4–2 (+1nc) since. Now 31, he’s a tall, rangy middleweight who will enjoy a two‑inch height and four‑inch reach advantage over Pereira. He uses that length well, working from the outside with straight punches and a steady kicking game. Reese is also willing to wrestle and chase submissions, and his finishing instincts are clear, with five of his 10 wins coming via strikes, along with three by submission. The concerns however are his defensive gaps, with both of his UFC losses coming by knockout, while his takedown defense remains a weak point.
Early in his UFC career Pereira was known for his wildly acrobatic striking style that was undoubtedly spectacular, but often inefficient at the UFC level, leading to him running out of steam if he didn’t find a finish. To his credit, he soon tightened up his approach, taking less risks and managing his cardio better, while also revealing a surprisingly competent wrestling game. However, he’s looked out-of-sorts in most recent times during a three-fight skid, and with two of those losses came by TKO it’s raised concerns about his durability too.
Given his recent form Pereira is somewhat of a risky fighter to rely on at the moment, but I do still think he’s the better fighter here, and with his striking technique I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt to win by TKO in the 2nd round.
Pick: Michel Pereira wins by TKO in Rd2.
Prelims (Predicted winners in bold)
Chidi Njokuani vs. Carlos Leal Miranda
Ode’ Osbourne vs. Alibi Idiris
Alden Coria vs. Luis Gurule
Nora Cornolle vs. Joselyne Edwards
Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Punahele Soriano
Philip Rowe vs. Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani
Jordan Leavitt vs. Yadier del Valle
Juliana Miller vs.Carli Judice
