Court McGee likes to push the pace. | Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com
Welterweights
Court McGee (16-3, 5-2 UFC) vs. Ryan LaFlare (9-0, 2-0 UFC): LaFlare, who has dispatched Ben Alloway and Santiago Ponzinibbio in his first two Octagon appearances, steps in to replace injured “The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner Kelvin Gastelum. The former Ring of Combat champion sets a rapid pace on the feet and on the mat, and thus far, he is averaging more than five takedowns per 15 minutes in two UFC bouts. He should make for an interesting matchup with McGee, who has emerged as one of the busier offensive fighters in the promotion. McGee’s volume attack, sturdy chin and solid takedown defense carry him to a hard-fought decision.Flyweights
Zach Makovsky (16-4, 0-0 UFC) vs. Scott Jorgensen (14-7, 3-3 UFC): Jorgensen makes his first 125-pound foray after having lost three of his last four fights at bantamweight. In all fairness, “Young Guns” lost to some of the best the 135-pound division has to offer: Renan Barao, Eddie Wineland and Urijah Faber. With former No. 1 contender John Dodson a late withdrawal due to a knee injury, Jorgensen gets something of a reprieve here. While Makovsky is a former Bellator MMA bantamweight champion and the current Resurrection Fighting Alliance flyweight king, he does not bring anything to the table his opponent has not seen before. Jorgensen takes a decision.Lightweights
Edson Barboza (12-1, 6-1 UFC) vs. Danny Castillo (16-5, 6-2 UFC): An upset loss to Jamie Varner at UFC 146 slowed Barboza’s ascent somewhat, but the Brazilian has since rebounded to post victories over Lucas Martins and Rafaello Oliveira. He gets a competitive upgrade against Castillo, a Team Alpha Male product with powerful hands and solid wrestling. Barboza could alter the course of this fight using leg kicks alone, and he remains a talent to watch in the 155-pound division. Barboza wins by decision or late TKO.Lightweights
Bobby Green (21-5, 2-0 UFC) vs. Pat Healy (29-17, 0-2 UFC): Green earned his second UFC triumph in controversial fashion. After having a point deducted for two low blows in his UFC Night 31 “Fight for the Troops 3” encounter with James Krause, Green landed a kick right on the belt line that was deemed legal to give him the TKO victory. The former King of the Cage champ will have his hands full against the physical, grinding style of Healy, but Green did handle himself nicely against former University of Minnesota wrestling standout Jacob Volkmann. Green gets a narrow decision in a closely contested affair.Lightweights
Roger Bowling (11-4, 0-1 UFC) vs. Abel Trujillo (10-5, 1-1 UFC): The first meeting between these two was action-packed, until an illegal knee strike from Trujillo resulted in a no-contest at UFC Fight Night 27. As the bout progressed, Bowling appeared to be gaining an advantage though his conditioning and wrestling. However, Trujillo was able to get his licks in early, as well. Bowling wins by TKO in round two or three.Lightweights
Sam Stout (19-9-1, 8-8 UFC) vs. Cody McKenzie (14-3, 3-3 UFC): As consistently inconsistent as Stout has been during his UFC career, this one seems to be pretty clear-cut for “Hands of “Stone.” The Canadian is a skilled kickboxer and has shown improved wrestling, which should be enough to get past the guillotine-minded McKenzie. Stout takes it via KO or TKO in round two.Flyweights
Darren Uyenoyama (8-4, 2-1 UFC) vs. Alp Ozkilic (8-1, 0-0 UFC): A John Moraga injury opened the door for Ozkilic’s debut in the Octagon. His three-fight winning streak includes a 30-second knockout of Antonio Banuelos at a Legacy Fighting Championship event in May. Uyenoyama, meanwhile, will attempt to rebound from a devastating knockout loss to Joseph Benavidez at UFC on Fox 7. Uyenoyoma’s grappling carries him to a decision.***
TRACKING TRISTEN
Overall Record: 253-150-1Last Event (UFC Fight Night 33): 4-5-1
Best Event (“The Ultimate Fighter 18” Finale): 9-1
Worst Event (UFC Fight Night 33): 4-5-1