Stephen Thompson vs Kevin Holland: UFC Fight Night: Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, a previous contender for the Welterweight title, will face Kevin Holland in the main event of UFC Orlando this weekend (Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022) at Amway Center. Rafael dos Anjos and Bryan Barberena’s fight at 170 pounds is similarly a foregone conclusion. At the same time, Matheus Nicolau and Matt Schnell face a battle at 125 pounds, and Tai Tuivasa tries to get revenge on Sergei Pavlovich at Heavyweight. To set the stage for UFC Orlando, nine “Prelims” undercard matches will occur. Let’s analyze each one. For UFC News updates with InsideSport.in
Also Read: UFC Fight Night: Stephen Thompson vs Kevin Holland purse and payouts
UFC Fight Night prelims prediction
- Darren Elkins vs Jonathan Pearce 145lbs
Darren Elkins (28-10) was in the mix for a title after a six-fight winning streak from 2015 to 2018. After that, he went on a four-fight losing streak, but since then, he’s won three of his last four fights. Jonathan Pearce (13-4) is two inches taller than “The Damage,” who is 5’10”.
Pearce ran over Jacob Rosales on the Contender Series, but Joe Lauzon gave him a discourteous welcome to the Octagon. He went on to win his next four matches and record three stoppages due to dropping to 145 pounds. He has knocked out nine opponents and submitted two more as a professional.
Simply put, there is no obvious way to win against a man eight years younger than him, and Pearce excels in the same kind of grind that Elkins prefers. In other words, Pearce dismantles him on the ground to finish the fight by ground and pound. Pearce is expected to win on a unanimous vote.
- Marcelo Rojo (16-9) vs. Francis Marshall (6-0) 145 lbs
A semi-finalist on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): Latin America 3 in March 2021, Marcelo Rojo (16-9) lost to Charles Jourdain in a most entertaining UFC debut. The following dangerous fighter, Kyler Philips, put “Pitbull” in a triangle armbar halfway through the third round. Francis Marshall receives an inch of his height and reaches in exchange (6-0).
Marshall amassed five amateur victories and four finishes in his first five professional fights, earning him a berth on Contender Series vs Connor Matthews. His 15 minutes of domination secured him a contract even though he could not complete the task. The rear naked choke was used to stop all four of the fights.
That seems possible, given Marshall’s continued development and the possibility of the takedown keeping Rojo from settling on his kicks. Marshall wears down Rojo for a decisive decision or late halt as long as the glaring lights don’t hit him. Marshall will likely be submitted in the third round.
- Tracy Cortez vs Amanda Ribas125 lbs
Mariya Agapova suffered her first professional loss at the hands of Tracy Cortez (10-1), who hasn’t lost since making her professional debut. This victory earned Tracy Cortez a spot in the Octagon. Despite her frequent inactivity, she has four wins in the world’s most significant martial arts (MMA) promotion. She will be two inches taller than Amanda Ribas (11-3) but will forfeit a half-inch in reach.
After spending three years on the sidelines due to a USADA infraction, Ribas started her UFC career perfectly (4-0) with two submission victories. She is now 1-2 in her previous three matches, with defeats to Marina Rodriguez and Katlyn Chookagian sandwiching a win against Virna Jandiroba. Four of her seven professional stoppage victories came by submission.
Cortez has a slight advantage, though. Even for a mediocre striker like Cortez, Ribas is extremely simple to hit. The latter demonstrated good defensive grappling against risky submission specialists like Stephanie Egger and Melissa Gatto. In other words, she uses clean right hands, consistent takedowns, and the guts to escape Ribas’ successful moments to earn yet another UFC victory. Cortez is expected to win in a unanimous vote.
- Yazmin Jauregui vs. Istela Nunes 115 lbs
Yazmin Jauregui (9-0), who finished her spectacular Combate run with three victories in one night, including two knockouts, was able to do so. She overcame late substitute Iasmin Lucindo precisely one year later to earn her maiden UFC triumph. As a professional, she has six knockout victories.
Istela Nunes finished her time in the promotion with a decision win against Gina Iniong. However, she could not defeat Angela Lee in her attempt for the ONE FC title. Nunes is still looking for her first Octagon victory after losing to Ariane Carnelossi and Sam Hughes in back-to-back fights. On Jauregui, she will benefit from an inch of height and two inches of reach.
The problem is Nunes can’t fight that way for 15 minutes, as demonstrated by the Hughes fight, whereas Jauregui is prepared, willing, and able to fire punches till the final horn. As long as Jauregui can survive the early slugfest, she’ll win the fight down the stretch because of her superior cardio and reserve wrestling. Once Nunes starts to tire, Jauregui can claw her way back into the contest. Prediction: Jauregui will win in a unanimous vote
- Natan Levy vs. Genaro Valdez 155 lbs
After winning the Contender Series, Natan Levy (7-1) was sidelined for a year due to injury. Things didn’t get much better when Rafa Garcia beat him on his debut. Against Mike Breeden, he had better results, winning with an impressive nine takedowns. El Rayadito gets an inch closer to him. After a nearly 15-month hiatus, Genaro Valdez (10-1) returned to action on Contender Series by defeating Patrik White. Three months later, he made his UFC debut, losing to Matt Frevola in a five-round brawl. He has eliminated seven opponents professionally but has yet to face the judges.
This prelim fight will be a rout unless Valdez has a “Come to Jesus” moment after his defeat by Matt Frevola, reconsiders his approach, and puts more emphasis on the fundamentals. Levy ultimately defeats him on the mat for a mid-round victory.
Also Read: UFC Fight Night: Stephen Thompson vs Kevin Holland Preview and Prediction
- Niko Price vs Philip Rowe 170 lbs
Niko “The Hybrid” Price enters this fight with a 15-5-0 record (2 NC). The 33-year-old is 6’0″ and weighs 170 pounds “. The traditional combatant reaches 76 “. Phil “Rowe, aka “The Fresh Prince,” is 6’3″ and weighs 170 lbs. The orthodox boxer has a 9-3-0 record. The 32-year-old increases his radius to 80 “.
Niko Price faced Alex Oliveira in his previous fight, which he ultimately prevailed in round three by unanimous decision. Oliveira eventually succeeded with 83 of the 131 strikes that he released. Price won this bout by landing 108 of a total of 167 strikes. In his final bout inside the Octagon, Phil Rowe faced off against Jason Witt and prevailed through a punch to the head in round two. Rowe only had success with 62% of his significant distance attempts, while Witt succeeded with 87% of his multiple takes. There is a high chance that Rowe will defeat Price with a KO.
- Angela Hill vs Emily Ducote 115lbs
Angela Hill is presently ranked No. 12 on the strawweight ladder, with Emily Ducote just behind her at No. 13. In UFC on ESPN 42, “Gordinha” will be on a four-fight winning streak. However, she has only fought once in the UFC and is still a relative newcomer to the sport. Ducote has a 12-6 MMA record.
On the other side, UFC veteran Angela Hill has recently had trouble. In her last four battles, she has only managed one victory. Her record of 14 wins and 12 losses is relatively unimpressive due to her recent defeats. Hill has a good chance of beating Emily in the forthcoming match.
- Clay Guida vs Scott Holtzman 155lbs
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Currently 7-5 within the company, Holtzman has lost his previous two UFC fights to Beneil Dariush and Mateusz Gamrot. He last defeated Jim Miller by a unanimous decision in 2020.
Claudio Puelles defeated “The Carpenter” at UFC Fight Night: Lemos vs. Andrade, continuing Guida’s recent UFC losing run. In the opening round, the 40-year-old was defeated through submission. With ‘Hot Sauce’ only losing against elite competition, Scott Holtzman will probably be another difficult test for Guida. Drew Dober, Josh Emmett, Nik Lentz, Beneil Dariush, and Mateusz Gamrot defeated Holtzman.
It will be a tough bout as both the fighters will be looking to bounce back at the upcoming Fight Night, and the prediction is Holtzman defeating Guida via unanimous decision.
- Michael Johnson vs Marc Diakiese 155 lbs
Michael Johnson aims to increase his winning streak, which stands at 21-18-0. The 36-year-old is 5’10” and weighs 155 lbs. 73. Marc “Bonecrusher” Diakiese weighs 155 lbs. and is 5’10” tall. The orthodox boxer has a 16-5-0 record. ‘
When Michael Johnson faced Jamie Mullarkey in his previous match, the outcome was a split decision in round 3. Marc Diakiese faced Damir Hadzovic in his final game, which he ultimately won by unanimous decision in round three. There is a good possibility Johnson will prevail in the upcoming bout.
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