UFC 212: Jose Aldo vs. Max Holloway Full Card Preview and Predictions

Former WSOF champion Marlon Moraes will make his long-awaited UFC debut against the well-regarded Raphael Assuncao.Ed Mulholland/Getty Images

Raphael Assuncao vs. Marlon Moraes

At long last, Marlon Moraes is in the UFC. The former WSOF pushed his way onto many top-10 lists at the expense of regional-level talents, but now has the chance to cement himself as an elite-level talent in his return to Brazil. He'll have to do so, however, by knocking off top-10 staple Raphael Assuncao.

Assuncao has largely flown under the radar, but has been a constant presence in the UFC bantamweight title picture since his 2013 win over TJ Dillashaw. While a lengthy layoff followed by a tough loss briefly took him out of the running, he bounced back with a split decision win over Aljamain Sterling in January. He'll have a tall order on his hands in Brazil, but there are very few fighters that should be looked at as a favorite opposite Assuncao.

Leonardo Santos vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier

The UFC seems to be over its fascination with Olivier Aubin-Mercier. The runner-up from TUF: Nations endeared himself to the promotion and Reebok back in 2015, and that earned him some preferential matchmaking and placement on cards. Flash forward two years and he is fighting a Brazilian in Rio that is undefeated in the Octagon.

That Brazilian, of course, is TUF: Brazil 2 winner Leonardo Santos. 5-0-1 in the Octagon, he has established himself as one of the lightweight division's most interesting up-and-coming talents, despite being 37 years old. While this contest is far from a slam dunk for him, it certainly feels like the UFC is expecting him to win, and the promotion tends to be pretty good about feeding its favorite competitors.

Johnny Eduardo vs. Matthew Lopez

Johnny Eduardo was a top-10 bantamweight not all that long ago, but his momentum was stopped dead by a pair of injuries that shelved him for the better part of two years. Still, there's a reason that Eduardo is the striking coach of the famed Nova Uniao camp, and his pure knockout power remained intact, despite the layoffs. He regained some of his momentum in November by defeating Manny Gamburyan and looks to gain even more steam at the expense of Matthew Lopez.

Whether he can do it, however, is a tough question to answer. Lopez, despite being a humble 1-1 in the UFC, picked up a big win over over the underrated Mitch Gagnon in December, and will own a distinct grappling advantage over the striking specialist. Eduardo will almost certainly open as a favorite here, but don't count out Lopez.

Antonio Carlos Junior vs. Eric Spicely

The TUF: Brazil 3 heavyweight tournament winner has settled down in the middleweight division quite well to this point, notching a 3-1 (1) through five fights. The one knock on him to this point is that he is yet to beat a formidable foe, with his biggest win to date coming at the expense of Eddie Gordon. While Eric Spicely isn't exactly a household name, he marks a major step up in competition for ol' Shoe Face.

This is a matchup that largely favors Junior, which is only aided by the fact that it is set to take place in Brazil. If he can take the win convincingly, though, it could lead to bigger things for him at 185 pounds.