UFC Fight Night 51 takes place tomorrow night in Brazil and we’ve got our quick picks for all the fights for you below.
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Main Card:
Andrei Arlovski vs. Antonio Silva
Arlovski is pretty much running on fumes at this point, and while there’s some doubts regarding how Silva will perform without TRT I still think he’s got more to offer than his opponent at this stage of his career and unlike the last time they met, on this occasion he’ll get a finish inside the distance.
Antonio Silva to win by KO in Rd2.
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Piotr Hallmann vs. Gleison Tibau
Tibau has shown himself to be a capable fighter who tends to struggle when he comes up against the best in the lightweight division, while we’ve still to see where the ceiling is for Hallmann who’s shown promise so far. This looks to be a close one that should go down to the wire with Tibau getting the takedowns that will make the difference on the scorecards.
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Gleison Tibau to win by decision.
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Efrain Escudero vs. Leonardo Santos
We’ve got two TUF winners on show here. It’s another fight that could go either way, but Escudero’s inconsistency over the years is off-putting and I believe Santos’ work rate and high level jiu-jitsu can cause problems for Escudero when they go to ground.
Leonardo Santos to win by submission in Rd3.
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Wendell Oliveira Marques vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
Marques is a veteran of the sport but is making his UFC debut on a month’s notice. He can cause his opponent problems with his wrestling, but equally Ponzinibbio is the superior striker and I like him to pick apart Marques from range here over the course of 15 minutes of fighting.
Santiago Ponzinibbio to win by decision.
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Iuri Alcantara vs. Russell Doane
Alcantara is a good all-rounder with solid punching power and dangerous submissions, while Doane is also developing a solid skill set that’s enhanced by his athleticism. He isn’t quite as potent as his more experienced opponent at this stage though and I think he’ll come unstuck in the striking department here.
Iuri Alcantara to win by TKO in Rd2.
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Jessica Andrade vs. Larissa Moreira Pacheco
Pacheco comes in on less than a month’s notice to make her debut with an impressive 10-0 record and well-rounded skills. If Octagon jitters are a problem for the 20 year-old then Andrade will make her pay as she’s very aggressive from the opening bell and is a good striker who can also grapple. Pacheco is definitely one to watch for the future, but tomorrow night I’m favoring Andrade to emerge with her hand raised.
Jessica Andrade to win by decision.
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Prelims:
Dashon Johnson vs. Godofredo Pepey
Igor Araujo vs. George Sullivan
Leandro Silva vs. Francisco Trinaldo
Sean Spencer vs. Paulo Thiago
Johnny Bedford vs. Rani Yahya
