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Welterweights
NR | Warlley Alves (14-4, 8-4 UFC) vs. NR | Jeremiah Wells (8-2-1, 0-0 UFC)ODDS: Alves (-205), Wells (+165)
Alves has not lived up to the considerable hype behind him after he won Season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter Brazil,” but he is still an entertaining fighter to watch. He absolutely blew through his bracket on the reality show, but it quickly became apparent that he had a tendency to burn himself out if he could not score a quick finish. That did not matter in his first few fights—he kicked off his UFC career with four straight wins, including an 86-second submission of Colby Covington—but Alves eventually hit a clear ceiling and has been inconsistent in the years since. Alves sometimes shows flashes of a more cautious and mindful approach, but that is just as likely to go out the window if his opponents can start to test him. He seems to face a consistent need to stay ahead of his opponents and keep a pace he cannot maintain. After a quick win over Mounir Lazzez in January, Alves now meets a UFC newcomer in Wells, who is back under contract after a scheduled September debut fell through. Wells has had a successful regional career mostly built around power and blitzes of aggression. While he can show some patience about deciding when to strike, Wells often starts to sell out his defense once it is time to spring into action. Wells could certainly shock Alves if the Brazilian has not done his homework or otherwise is not taking this fight seriously. However, it seems likely that Wells charges into trouble before he is able to either wear out Alves or score the finish himself. The pick is Alves via first-round submission.
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