Featherweights
Arnold Allen (14-1, -350) vs. Gilbert Melendez (22-7, +290): As Melendez nears retirement, it is almost a blessing that he has been so inactive in recent years. If he fought more often, it would bring more attention to just how disappointing his UFC stint has been. The funny part is that Melendez easily could have won the UFC’s lightweight title in his first fight after coming over from Strikeforce, but the decision instead went to Benson Henderson; an October 2013 victory over Diego Sanchez stands as Melendez’s only win inside the Octagon. Melendez parlayed that win and the narrow loss to Henderson into a second title shot against Anthony Pettis, only to suffer a come-from-behind submission defeat and has slowly falling down the ladder. A 2015 setback against Eddie Alvarez was another narrow affair, but that started a run of more than a year between each fight, with Melendez only looking more and more diminished every time out. Surviving three rounds with Edson Barboza in 2016 was purely a moral victory, and by late 2017, Melendez was getting absolutely destroyed by Jeremy Stephens and a vicious array of leg kicks. The Stephens bout marked Melendez’s debut at 145 pounds and easily could have marked the end of a long and storied career, but he is back for one more go against a top British prospect. Allen has a ton of promise but has not evolved much due in part to his own inactivity. This will mark the first time that Allen has had two UFC fights in a calendar year since he debuted in 2015. Allen’s approach is based almost entirely around power and physical strength, particularly when he attempts to bully opponents in grappling exchanges. It has not been pretty, but “Almighty” has still managed to win every time out in the UFC, whether it was via an ugly decision or a crafty late submission. Allen’s lack of nuance makes him a perfect opponent for Melendez to get by if the former Strikeforce champion can hold up physically, but therein lies the rub. Allen should be able to control this fight with wrestling, at best, or just hit the harder punches in an ugly striking match, at worst. Melendez has taken off almost two years, so there is a chance he shows up refreshed and in something closer to 2015-16 form, but barring that development, this looks like the latest loss in a disappointing slide. The pick is Allen via decision.Advertisement
Bantamweights
Marlon Vera (13-5-1, N/A) vs. Nohelin Hernandez (9-2, N/A): Ecuador’s Vera easily could have washed out of the UFC after the inaugural season of “The Ultimate Fighter Latin America,” but the promotion’s patience with “Chito” has paid off, as he has turned into a solid fighter in the midst of his second three-fight winning streak. Vera has been out of his depth against a certain level of competition, like John Lineker and Douglas Silva de Andrade, but he has typically proven to be an opportunistic fighter, even if he sometimes needs a round to warm up and start truly taking over a fight. He was initially slated to serve as a big test for Sean O'Malley here, but with O’Malley pulled, he faces a late replacement and newcomer in Hernandez. The 25-year-old Hernandez has done well on the regional scene and was slated for a Legacy Fighting Alliance main event before getting the call here, and while he is a decent boxer, he does not look to present anything to which Vera cannot adjust. The pick is Vera via second-round stoppage.Women’s Strawweights
Claudia Gadelha (16-4, -235) vs. Randa Markos (9-6-1, +195): It seems strangely distant given the new contenders that have arisen, but for most of the UFC strawweight division’s existence, Gadelha was right behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the 115-pound elite. Gadelha’s title rematch with Jedrzejczyk was among the best offerings in divisional history, and it outlined a clear set of positives and negatives with Gadelha’s style. She won the opening frames of the bout easily with her controlling grappling style, only to gas badly and give up the latter three rounds of the fight in one-sided fashion. Gadelha was doing just fine for a few more bouts, obviously working on her pacing while marching towards another title shot, but getting overpowered and tired out by Jessica Andrade in late 2017 seems to have completely broken her. Gadelha is now trying to conserve energy at the expense of her effectiveness. Grappling exchanges with Carla Esparza were surprisingly even in a narrow decision win, and Gadelha simply did not press her advantages enough in a surprising loss to Nina Ansaroff that closed out her 2018 campaign. Gadelha is still a talent with physical abilities that give her a high floor, but the changes that have made her recent performances somewhat aimless badly need to start clicking into place. She now faces Markos, who has had her own problems with inconsistency. Markos has a lot of skills that look great on paper, particularly some strong wrestling, but it is basically up to chance as far as what is clicking in any particular fight. Sometimes, Markos’ game is completely on and she can dominate a decision victory, while at other times, she looks completely structureless, so it is about right that most of her career has seen her alternate wins and losses. Markos is at least coming off of a quick win over Angela Hill, but it is still difficult to trust either fighter. Honestly, Gadelha’s game seems so broken at the moment that it might be easier to rely on Markos to fight with the more round-winning style; the Iraqi-Canadian is at least aggressive, and it is easy to see Gadelha getting trapped between balancing effective offense with conserving her gas tank. This could be a fight where Gadelha’s physical strength saves her by neutralizing Markos’ wrestling, but even that part of her game looks like it is giving the Brazilian some diminishing returns. The pick is Markos via decision.Bantamweights
Yadong Song (13-3, -225) vs. Alejandro Perez (21-7-1, +185): Weili Zhang is currently slated to be the first Chinese fighter to earn a UFC title shot, but the hope is that Song can someday join her. Whether he is his stated 21 years of age or a bit older -- there is a bit of controversy as Song reportedly overstated his age in an attempt to get fights when he was in his mid-teens -- he is definitely a prospect capable of reaching those heights. While it has come against a middling slate of competition, as Felipe Arantes is the best of his three wins, “The Terminator” has proven to be a powerful athlete with the ability to adjust and take over a fight. He gets his first real test here against Perez, who quietly turned a frustrating style into a seven-fight unbeaten streak until Cody Stamann defeated him in March. Perez essentially forces his opponents to press the action, staying defensive and patient before trying to connect with wild counters in exchanges. It has successfully frustrated most opponents, but Stamann was eventually able to charge down Perez and take over with his wrestling. Song does not quite have that level of wrestling, but he still has the power to hit the harder strikes and win rounds here. This represents a definite increase in degree of difficulty and figures to be more of a frustrating learning experience than any sort of showcase. The pick is Song via decision.Last Fights » UFC Fight Pass Prelims
Related Articles
