UFC Fight Night 133 takes place in Boise, Idaho tomorrow night and we’ve got our predictions for all the fights below.
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Main Card:
Junior dos Santos vs. Blagoy Ivanov
Former WSOF and PFL heavyweight champion Ivanov has a very good record, but he’s rarely faced anyone of JDS’s caliber before, aside from Alexander Volkov, who is the only man to defeat him to date.
Ivanov is a well-rounded fighter and could pose problems for JDS on the floor with his ground and pound and submission, but it’s not an easy task to get the Brazilian there, so that will limit his effectiveness.
Meanwhile, Dos Santos is the better technical striker and though his chin is a concern these days I believe he’ll show the better quality work on the feet here, using his boxing and footwork to secure a decision victory.
Junior dos Santos to win by decision.
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Sage Northcutt vs. Zak Ottow
Given that he’s only 22-years-old Northcutt is perhaps judged a little harshly at times – partly thanks to the UFC’s insistence on pushing him into the spotlight despite his patchy record.
Nevertheless, there are still significant holes in his game, particularly on the mat, and moving back up to welterweight is a concern for him given that he’s not performed as well there so far as he has at lightweight.https://mmainsight.com/wp-admin/update-core.php
With that in mind, even though Ottow’s own record isn’t particularly noteworthy, this isn’t an easy fight for Northcutt, and I think his opponent’s submission game could be the key to him finding a finish in the final third of the fight.
Zak Ottow to win by submission in Rd3.
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Dennis Bermudez vs. Rick Glenn
Bermudez has been going through a rough patch in his career of late, and so a win against Glenn is a must on Saturday night.
With that in mind I think he’ll be focusing intently on his wrestling roots here, using his high-energy approach to fighting to close the distance and bring Glenn to the mat early and often.
Glenn presents a genuine threat on the feet here, so Bermudez will have to be careful not to get caught if he’s over-eager in his takedown attempts, but the relentless nature of his approach sould enable Bermudez to control enough of the action on the mat to secure a decision win here.
Dennis Bermudez to win by decision.
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Randy Brown vs. Niko Price
This looks to be a fairly evenly contested fight between two guys with similar records and ability in the Octagon.
I do however feel that Price is a little more dangerous on the feet, if a little reckless at times, while he’s also a threat with submissions, which I think could be his route to securing a second round finish here.
Nike Price to win by submission in Rd2.
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Myles Jury vs. Chad Mendes
There’s a lot of factors going against Mendes here – he’s coming off a two-and-a-half year drug suspension and he lost his last two fights in a row via strikes, the latter of which was a tough KO finish at the hands of Frankie Edgar.
He’s also facing a talented striker in Jury who will be enjoying a big height and reach advantage over him on Saturday night.
Nevertheless, while it’s not a confident pick, I do think Mendes is a fighter who can still make an impact on his return, and I believe he’ll look to fall back on his wrestling base here to grind out a victory and get his career back on track at last.
Chad Mendes to win by decision.
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Cat Zingano vs. Marion Reneau
Zingano’s career has went off the rails over the past few years, fighting infrequently and picking up a series of losses, but in 2018 she’s finally getting back to competing more consistently.
Despite being 41, Reneau is enjoying the best spell of her career with her active striking and submission threat, but I think Zingano will prove to be the stronger fighter and bully Zingano in the clinch and on the mat to secure her first win since 2014.
Cat Zingano to win by decision.
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Prelims:
Eddie Wineland vs. Alejandro Perez
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Darren Elkins
Justin Scoggins vs. Said Nurmagomedov
Kurt Holobaugh vs. Raoni Barcelos
Fight Pass Prelims:
Liz Carmouche vs. Jennifer Maia
Mark De La Rosa vs. Elias Garcia
Jessica Aguilar vs. Jodie Esquibel
