Prelims
- Robertson Sub...Cachoeira’s leaky takedown defense will make it easy for Robertson to get to work with her grappling immediately. Cachoeira may prove tricky to submit initially, but Robertson should have the best part of fifteen minutes to find it. Cachoeira’s famed durability will mean nothing if she cannot keep the fight standing.
- Costa KO Round 1 ...You’d be hard stretched to find a better first-round fighter than Randy Costa. Costa’s jab is a constant weapon used to inflict damage – sitting down hard on the shot. While Kelley hasn’t been stopped in his career so far, he shipped a lot of damage against Kai Kamaka III. When facing the power of Costa, it’s lights out if a similar defensive liability occurs. If Kelley survives the first round, Costa is ripe for an easy submission.
- Hall Sub Round 1 ...While Minner has a slew of submission victories on the mat, he will struggle to go toe-to-toe with Hall. Minner found great success against Darren Elkins in the first round with heavy ground and pound, but it is unlikely that Minner will be able to recreate Ilia Topuria’s victory. Hall has the edge on the mat and will likely punish Minner’s determined intent to find a finish.
- Muniz ...Physically, Anders has all the tools to keep himself on the feet and away from Muniz’s dangerous subs. Can Anders prevent himself from making a mistake for fifteen minutes, however? Very unlikely. Muniz can somewhat handle himself on the feet, but every attempt will be made to pull guard and test Anders’ submission defense.
- Silva KO ...This one promises a beautiful, glorious knockout. The wonderful form on Jordan Wright’s kicks deliver his power cleanly, and Bruno Silva isn’t exactly a defensive savant. If, as expected, Silva survives the fireworks of the first round, however, he will have ten minutes to find the finish against a sitting duck.
- Tuivasa ...After the crushing knockout loss to Rozenstruik, it is difficult to back Sakai. Sakai wasn’t willing to commit to his strikes, and for a fighter who needs to land volume to control the pace, it is a serious issue. If Tuivasa plugs away with his leg kicks early, he can press the Brazilian back to the cage. Stefan Struve and Cyril Asker both struggled to deal with Tuivasa’s clinch striking, an area where the Aussie can surprise with powerful elbows.
- Cruz ….The athletic decline after a series of career-changing injuries has left Cruz without the natural speed advantage that forms the foundation of his style. Thankfully for him, he faces an even slower fighter with inferior reach. Cruz will struggle to threaten his wrestling against Munhoz, nor will he be able to crack the Brazilian’s chin. Unless Munhoz commits to leg kicks early and replicates Cejudo’s approach, this has decision loss written all over it.
- Ige ...Will Josh Emmett’s heavy hands be the force that opens the first crack on Dan Ige’s legendary chin? Emmett’s exceptional defensive wrestling will negate Ige’s grappling, leading to what should be a fun firefight on the feet. Emmett, as the more technical striker, has enough savvy to collect the rounds with clean work on the counter. It wasn’t that long ago, however, that Michael Johnson was able to batter Emmett with activity before MJ found a way to lose. Ige’s volume and relentless aggression may just tip the scorecards in his favor.
