UFC Fight Night 105 Predictions: Bleacher Report Main Card Staff Picks
- from Bleacher Report on Feb 17, 2017
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UFC Fight Night 105 Predictions: Bleacher Report Main Card Staff Picks
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From the frozen harbor of Halifax, Nova Scotia, it's UFC Fight Night 105.
A rare Sunday fight card, UFC brass presumably saw an open space between Monday's federal holiday and Saturday's Bellator-Fedor Emelianenko blockbuster.
Not unlike the open space Derrick Lewis will attempt to find in Travis Browne's defenses in the evening's main event. And vice versa, for that matter. Both of these heavyweights are extremely heavy hitters, and there's a good chance skill set will dictate the winner.
It's a busy main card on FS1, with six fights going down starting at 9 p.m. ET. As always, our Bleacher Report predictions team is weighing in. Craig Amos. Nathan McCarter. Steven Rondina. And myself, Scott Harris. Let's get it on.
Alessandro Ricci vs. Paul Felder
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Craig Amos
Paul Felder has lost some of the shine he had earlier in his UFC tenure but remains a tough test for Alessandro Ricci. I expect the UFC vet to put in a vintage performance and notch a nice finish in this one.
Felder, KO, Rd. 2
Steven Rondina
If this were Mike Ricci, I might pick him to beat the ever-scrappy Paul Felder. But this is Alessandro Ricci, and unless he shows something very, very different from what we've seen in his career thus far, Felder should be able to spin his way to a win.
Felder, unanimous decision
Nathan McCarter
This matchup just smells of a way to get Felder a big W. Felder is exciting, but 2016 saw him lose ground in the division. He'll oust Ricci in the first to get some momentum behind him as the UFC looks for bigger, more exciting fights for his next go-around.
Felder, TKO, Rd. 1
Scott Harris
Ricci is a striker by trade, setting up a fireworks-laden affair. Don't expect this to hit the ground. But do expect Felder to stalk Ricci down over three bloody rounds.
Felder, unanimous decision
Sara McMann vs. Gina Mazany
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Amos
Gina Mazany has posted some nice results during her short career, but Sara McMann is a massive leap up in competition. It seems probable we've found the Olympian's ceiling and that it's below the championship level, but it's high enough to stay in the win column here.
McMann, unanimous decision
Rondina
I'm actually very bullish on McMann these days. Bullish enough to pick her to beat a significant portion of the top 10. And most certainly bullish enough to pick her over a UFC newcomer who has just one fight since 2013 and just four pro fights to her name.
McMann, submission, Rd. 2
McCarter
Mazany gets a rough draw in her UFC debut. Although McMann never managed to reclaim her position in the division following her swift loss to Ronda Rousey, she's still able to rely on superior grappling in this fight. A class McMann performance is in store for 15 straight minutes.
McMann, unanimous decision
Harris
This will be a great time to make a sandwich. McMann will lie on top of Mazany for three rounds, landing enough ground-and-pound to prevent stalling claims. McMann the person is as easy to root for as any fighter in MMA. Her style? Less so.
McMann, unanimous decision
Elias Theodorou vs. Cezar Ferreira
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Amos
Elias Theodorou lost some luster after suffering the first defeat of his career to Thiago Santos, but the Canadian remains a solid middleweight competitor. Cezar "Mutante" Ferreira has been too inconsistent to like in this matchup, even if he has reeled off a few in a row.
Theodorou, unanimous decision
Rondina
This is probably the toughest call to make on the entire card. My knee-jerk reaction is to take Theodorou on his recent win over the solid Sam Alvey, but my gut is telling me to take Ferreira here. And my gut has made me the first-ever two-time Bleacher Report Staff Predictions champion, so who am I to doubt it?
Ferreira, unanimous decision
McCarter
Ferreira is talented but not consistent. That's a big issue for him in this fight against Theodorou. The man with excellent hair puts in another workmanlike performance to breeze to a judge's decision.
Theodorou, unanimous decision
Harris
If you don't follow Theodorou on Twitter, you should go right now and remedy that. He's a pretty good fighter, too, with deep cardio reserves and a well-rounded skill set. That's not a good matchup for the lower-volume Mutante.
Theodorou, unanimous decision
Sam Sicilia vs. Gavin Tucker
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Amos
Gavin Tucker has some potential, and Sam Sicilia, while dangerous, has numerous holes in his game. I expect the debuting fighter to eventually settle in and expose those holes, winning inside the distance.
Tucker, submission, Rd. 3
Rondina
So why is this fight on the main card over Carla Esparza vs. Randa Markos? No, seriously, why is a fighter with a 5-5 UFC record fighting a debutant on the main card over a grudge match involving a former champion ranked No. 3 in her division?
What? My pick? Oh...Tucker, I guess.
Tucker, unanimous decision
McCarter
Yeah, you know what, give me the new guy.
Sicilia is a perfect first opponent for an undefeated prospect. Tucker uncorks a big right in the second during a heavy exchange. Sicilia lives, and dies, by the fire.
Tucker, TKO, Rd. 2
Harris
I'm with Rondina on this one. Esparza-Markos is a far better and more relevant matchup. It feels like UFC brass is working really hard to pair popular people with unknowns to get the popular guys a win. Is that compelling? I don't think so. Anyway, Sicilia is a slugger, and the veteran will keep the talented prospect Tucker under wraps for this bout.
Sicilia, TKO, Rd. 1
Johny Hendricks vs. Hector Lombard
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Amos
Johny Hendricks has fallen off a cliff since losing the welterweight title, but he should be able to survive one round with Lombard, which is akin to beating Hector Lombard. The former champion will use his wrestling to stifle his opponent's attacks before finishing with strikes.
Hendricks, TKO, Rd. 3
Rondina
Lombard and Hendricks are both on really ugly losing streaks...but Lombard was actually very close to winning both his fights. Hendricks, not so much. Unless Hendricks looks drastically different at 185 pounds, Lombard should be able to put hands on him early and lean on his judo to take a decision.
Lombard, unanimous decision
McCarter
Where to even begin? Hendricks vs. Lombard may be the most difficult fight to predict in some time just based off recent performances. It would be very easy to see whomever the loser is getting cut Monday. Pushed to pick, I lean Hendricks.
Lombard is a fast starter but fades. Hendricks, at 185, should be able to regain some of his former gas tank. He'll be around in the later rounds to pick up a decision victory.
Hendricks, unanimous decision
Harris
Is this a loser-leaves-town match? It very well could be, as improbable as that might have seemed just a couple of years ago. Given Hendricks' recent struggles both making weight and making hay in the cage, the advantage has to go to Lombard. Yes, he fades down the stretch, but given Hendricks' listlessness of late, that may not matter.
Lombard, TKO, Rd. 2
Derrick Lewis vs. Travis Browne
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Amos
It's a fight between a guy who beats low-level competition and a guy who loses to high-level competition. Browne, the latter archetype, has given us precious little hope in his last couple of fights, but I'm just not sure about Lewis, either. I'm taking Browne, hoping he'll rediscover some of that talent after moving to a better camp.
Browne, TKO, Rd. 4
Rondina
MMA Math says this is an easy pick. Travis Browne beat Matt Mitrione. Mitrione beat Derrick Lewis. Therefore, Browne should have this one in the bag!
Obviously, it's not quite that simple, but I do think Browne has this one. Lewis is big, is strong and punches hard, but unless he can land one of those atomic bomb hands, Browne should be able to keep him at bay with kicks and eye pokes en route to fairly clear-cut win.
Browne, unanimous decision
McCarter
Since Browne won't have former coach Edmond Tarverdyan in his corner, this fight becomes a lot more compelling for both men. However, I still don't know what Browne's actual camp was like for this fight. Given the unknowns and the trajectory of both men's careers, I'm inclined to pick Lewis.
Lewis, KO, Rd. 1
Harris
Browne is the better athlete here. He's also the bigger head case. I see him being psychologically vulnerable to a slugfest. That's what Lewis wants to bring, and it's what will happen. The hardest hitter in the entire UFC claims another victim.
Lewis, KO, Rd. 2
