Ruslan Magomedov has beaten two former UFC champions. | Photo: Anton Gurevich/Sherdog.com
HEAVYWEIGHTS
Ruslan Magomedov (12-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Josh Copeland (9-0, 0-0 UFC): Copeland, the Resurrection Fighting Alliance heavyweight champion, gets an interesting stylistic matchup in his UFC debut against Dagestan’s Magomedov. The American is a mechanically sound puncher with good in-and-out movement, solid command of angles and serious pop in his hands, all of which is complemented by his outstanding athleticism and quick pace. Magomedov is a slick and reasonably athletic kickboxer with a lightning-fast left kick, decent hands and excellent takedown defense. This fight comes down to range: The Dagestani should be able to work over Copeland at kicking distance and with straight, rangy punches, but Copeland’s speed and ability to cover distance mean he will likely put his hands on Magomedov at some point and have some success scoring at close range. Magomedov by decision in a fun, back-and-forth fight is the pick.MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Luke Barnatt (8-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Roger Narvaez (6-1, 0-1 UFC): “The Ultimate Fighter 17” competitor Barnatt gets a bounce-back opportunity against Narvarez, who dropped his short-notice UFC debut to Patrick Cummins in June. Barnatt is a rangy 6-foot-6 striker who does his best work moving forward behind a long jab and cross mixed in with flying knees and counter combinations when shorter opponents try to rush him. Narvaez, a tall man himself at 6-foot-3, can do a little bit of everything and throws a solid jab-cross of his own from his southpaw stance. Both fighters are hittable, though Barnatt has been less so lately, which should make this a fun matchup. The Englishman packs surprising power in his hands and pushes a fantastic pace, and I think he will land a big punch or knee in the second round to put away Narvaez.LIGHTWEIGHTS
James Vick (6-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. Nick Hein (11-1, 1-0 UFC): Lloyd Irvin product Vick makes a quick turnaround to fight German judoka Hein in an intriguing matchup of rising lightweights. Hein, a borderline world-class judo practitioner, is a specimen with brutal strength and athleticism stuffed into his squat frame, and he packs powerful punching combinations to go along with his outstanding skills in the clinch and from top position. Vick, a former boxer, does his best work from the outside with his long jab and rangy kicks, but he also has a fair bit of pop in his hands, a sneaky flying knee and dangerous submissions in transition. If Hein were better at keeping his feet moving when he throws punches or had more efficient footwork, he would be the pick, but I expect Vick to stay away, pepper him from range and take a clear decision.LIGHTWEIGHTS
Yves Edwards (42-21-1, 10-9 UFC) vs. Akbarh Arreola (22-8-1, 0-1 UFC): Veteran Edwards takes on Mexico’s Arreola in a loser-leaves-town matchup. Edwards has been around forever and can strike with aplomb, wrestle and finish on the ground to boot, but his chin and athleticism have long since begun to decline. Arreola can wrestle and grapple pretty well, but his striking is awkward and he keeps his chin straight up in the air at all times. Unless Edwards has completely fallen off a cliff physically, he should take this one with his kickboxing and counter-wrestling. The American by knockout in the second round is the pick.WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS
Paige VanZant (3-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Kailin Curran (3-0, 0-0 UFC): Team Alpha Male’s VanZant, who was too young to compete on the current iteration of “The Ultimate Fighter,” takes on Curran in a matchup of UFC debutantes. VanZant is well-rounded but lacks much depth to her skill sets, and she badly needs to get bigger, stronger and faster. Curran is an excellent athlete with a solid kicking repertoire and quick, crisp hands and looks to have real potential. While VanZant has more hype behind her, I think Curran will take a comfortable decision.FEATHERWEIGHTS
Juan Manuel Puig (11-3, 0-1 UFC) vs. Doo Ho Choi (11-1, 0-0 UFC): Although Chan Sung Jung will be out of action while performing his military service, South Korea’s Choi has arrived to take his place. Choi is a stylistic carbon copy of “The Korean Zombie,” with a preference for throwing wild, powerful punches in exchanges, a sneaky trip game in the clinch, more skill on the counter than you might expect for a young fighter and unbelievable aggression. Puig, a former lightweight, is one of Mexico’s better mixed martial artists and owns an aggressive striking game of his own predicated on neat punch-kick combinations. This matchup is essentially a showcase for Choi’s style, as the hittable Puig will likely be willing to engage him in a standup battle. The end result will be Choi knocking him out in the first round.Follow Sherdog.com preview expert Patrick Wyman on Twitter.