Uriah Hall has become an enigma at 185 pounds. | Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com
Middleweights
Uriah Hall (10-5, 3-3 UFC) vs. Oluwale Bamgbose (5-0, 0-0 UFC): Hall’s strange odyssey continues, as he takes a short-notice fight against the debuting Bamgbose, the current Ring of Combat middleweight champion and a student of Brazilian veteran Luiz Azeredo. Rafael Natal snapped Hall’s three-fight winning streak in May in a controversial decision that displayed all of the issues that the undeniably talented fighter has struggled to overcome, namely an inability to pull the trigger and simply throw. When he is on, Hall packs devastating power in his hands, lightning-fast kicks and flashy spinning techniques, but he struggles to throw volume. Bamgbose is the kind of athlete who jumps off the film, with exceptional speed, explosiveness and power. He is an aggressive striker who flings forward-moving combinations that he punctuates with well-timed round kicks and the occasional bit of flash. While he is coming in on short notice, I think Bamgbose’s pressure and volume will give Hall fits. The pick is Bamgbose by knockout in the second round.Women’s Bantamweights
Sara McMann (8-2, 2-2 UFC) vs. Amanda Nunes (10-4, 3-1 UFC): The women’s bantamweight division is thin, and the matchup between McMann and Nunes is an important one that puts the winner no more than two wins away from a title fight. McMann, an Olympic silver medalist in freestyle wrestling, has alternated wins and losses during her UFC tenure and dropped a hard-fought decision to Miesha Tate in January. Nunes rebounded from a stoppage loss to the resurgent Cat Zingano by ending Shayna Baszler’s UFC run inside the first round. The Olympian has developed a potent right hand and a bit of striking acumen to go along with her top-shelf athleticism and wrestling abilities, but her skills remain fairly limited. Nunes complements her killer punching combinations and kicks with outstanding athleticism and a decent top game, but she is not a great wrestler and lacks ancillary skills. Unless Nunes has drastically improved her takedown defense, McMann will repeatedly take it to the mat and grind her out. The pick is McMann by decision.Flyweights
Dustin Ortiz (14-4, 3-2 UFC) vs. Willie Gates (12-5, 1-1 UFC): Gates steps up on short notice to replace Ian McCall less than a month after defeating Darrell Montague by first-round knockout. He draws Ortiz, who came up short against Joseph Benavidez in November in a huge step up in competition. Ortiz is a product of Roufusport but relies on a relentless wrestle-grappling game that focuses on winning scrambles rather than the flashy striking style of his teammates. Gates, who stands an enormous 5-foot-8, is a striker with big power, quick hands and competent takedown defense. It would not be surprising if Gates stuffed the takedowns and pieced up Ortiz on the feet, but it seems more likely that Ortiz drags Gates into a grinding, messy, scramble-filled fight. The pick is Ortiz by decision.Bantamweights
Frankie Saenz (10-2, 2-0 UFC) vs. Sirwan Kakai (12-2, 1-0 UFC): Saenz leaped into relevance with an upset win over Iuri Alcantara in December but gets a step back in competition here with American Top Team’s Kakai. A native of Sweden, Kakai debuted in the UFC only a month ago with a three-round decision win over Danny Martinez. The Swede is well-rounded, with a clean, stick-and-move striking game at range, good wrestling skills and a solid top game. Saenz was a wrestler at Arizona State University, and he complements those takedown skills with a surprisingly technical striking arsenal. I like Kakai’s game, but I think Saenz’s physicality and aggression will be too much. The pick is Saenz by decision.Light Heavyweights
Chris Dempsey (11-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Jonathan Wilson (6-0, 0-0 UFC): Wilson was scheduled to debut on short notice last year against Corey Anderson, only to be forced from the fight with an injury. He draws Dempsey, who took a somewhat controversial decision from Eddie Gordon in April. Dempsey is a relentless and aggressive wrestle-boxer with great durability, cardio and a willingness to throw hands. Wilson is a striker with power in his hands and a solid clinch game, but he has faced atrocious competition and is probably not ready for this level. The pick is Dempsey by decision.Bantamweights
Marlon Vera (6-2-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Roman Salazar (9-3, 0-1 UFC): After dropping his debut to Marco Beltran at UFC 180, “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” grad Vera gets one more chance in the UFC against Arizona’s Salazar. Salazar lost his short-notice UFC debut to Mitch Gagnon and then had his return engagement against Norifumi Yamamoto stopped early due to an eye poke. Vera moves well between striking and wrestling and has some athletic gifts that he pairs with an aggressive approach. Salazar likes a movement-based game at range, wrestles reasonably well and can hit the occasional choke in transition. The pick is Salazar by submission in the first round.Lightweights
Anthony Christodoulou (12-5, 0-1 UFC) vs. Scott Holtzman (7-0, 0-0 UFC): Christodolou, the UFC’s first and only Greek fighter, takes on the debuting Holtzman. A Tennessee native, Holtzman has beaten solid competition on the regional scene, while Mairbek Taisumov destroyed Christodolou in his promotional debut. The Greek fighter has limited submission and wrestling skills, but the thing that stands out most is his durability and willingness to engage. Holtzman can do a bit of everything, with an aggressive striking game, solid wrestling and decent work from the top. To put it bluntly, Christodolou is not a UFC-caliber fighter, and while Holtzman is not a world-beater, he should get the job done here. The pick is Holtzman by one-sided decision.Follow Sherdog.com preview expert Patrick Wyman on Twitter.