Yair Rodriguez vs. Alex Caceres
It’s cool to see Yair get a Fight Night main event, which proves the UFC is trying to give him a push. It makes sense, because he’s a dynamic and exciting featherweight. Caceres shouldn’t be underrated, as his striking has improved. “Bruce Leroy” Caceres could also potentially give Rodriguez some issues on the ground if he can get it and keep it there. Still, Rodriguez is too dynamic to be kept on the ground and should be able to use his superior striking. The pick is that Yair lands something sick in the second round, like a flying knee, to end Caceres’ night.
Dennis Bermudez vs. Rony Jason
This is a fight Bermudez should win. He’s the better technical striker and wrestler. However, he has shown that he is capable of getting caught by a flash knockout or submission. Jason excels at those, as he is a dynamic finisher. Jason could absolutely land a big shot that finishes Bermudez or leads to a submission. But more often than not, Bermudez puts his skills together to stay one step ahead of Jason throughout the fight. Dennis “The Menace” has all the tools to win a unanimous decision, and that’s the safer pick here.
Thales Leites vs. Chris Camozzi
Leites and Camozzi are trending in the opposite directions; Camozzi has won three straight while Leites has dropped his last two. Still, Leites should be a step above Camozzi. He’s improved his striking, and can still rely on his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to control Camozzi. Camozzi looked great in the stand-up in his last fight, and would likely earn a decision against Leites in a pure striking match. Still, Leites’ striking has gotten serviceable enough to hang with Camozzi until he puts together some takedowns, which he should be able to use to steal rounds.
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Zak Cummings
Ponzinibbio has looked good in his UFC career, holding a 4-2 record. His lone losses have come against Ryan LaFlare and Lorenz Larkin, two solid fighters in the welterweight division. His striking has really come along, as he has won three of his four UFC fights via first round knockout. Cummings has flown under the radar, beating up-and-comer Nicolas Dalby last time out. If this fight stays standing, Ponzinibbio will pick Cummings apart, though. Cummings will need to mix in his wrestling. The Ponz will likely keep it standing and continue his string of first round knockouts.
Trevor Smith vs. Joe Gigliotti
Like Taylor below, Gigliotti is another prospect making his UFC debut on Saturday. He owns a promising 7-0 record over some decent competition for the regional circuit. Smith has had a back-and-forth UFC career, evidenced by his 3-3 record in the promotion. In fact, he’s won one-lost one in his entire career with the promotion. His most recent fight ended in a unanimous decision victory over Dan Miller. Gigliotti is a finisher through and through, as he has ended all of his professional fights without the judges’ help (four wins by submission, three via KO/TKO). Smith, meanwhile, has been finished in five of his six losses. If Gigliotti is going to live up to the fans’ expectations as a solid prospect at middleweight, he’ll either secure a choke after rocking Smith, or finish him with strikes.
Maryna Moroz vs. Danielle Taylor
Moroz has looked solid in her UFC career thus far. She defeated the dangerous Joanne Calderwood and solid prospect Cristina Stanciu relatively easily. Her lone loss came to former strawweight title challenger Valerie Letourneau. “The Iron Lady” will welcome Taylor to the UFC, who is another promising prospect. Both women are finishers, with Moroz favoring submissions and Taylor preferring knockouts. Moroz is a very promising prospect herself, and owns a good stand-up in addition to a dangerous submission game. She’s more well-rounded and has more UFC experience than Taylor, so expect Moroz to win a clear decision if she doesn’t lock in a sub.
