Maximo Blanco vs. Akihiro Mori
The Bottom Line: While Blanco’s career has gotten off to a rocky start, Mori hasn’t done any better and doesn’t have the kind of potential that Blanco does. An athletic, explosive fighter, Blanco should be able to blitz Mori early and eventually work his way to the mat. Expect the bout to get ugly for Mori from there, as Blanco cranks out a submission win by cranking one of Mori’s limbs.
Alexandre Ribeiro vs. Keiichiro Yamamiya
The Bottom Line: This fight boils down to Ribeiro being a world-class jiu-jitsu player and Yamamiya having nothing to answer with. While Yamamiya is a decent all-around fighter, Ribeiro will have no problem turning this into a lopsided grappling match. Unless Yamamiya suddenly grows elite jiu-jitsu overnight, he won’t have much to do against Ribeiro except squirm about for a while before playing the three-tap symphony.
Stanislav Nedkov vs. Travis Wiuff
The Bottom Line: Here you have two fighters headed in wildly different directions. Wiuff’s once-promising career has gone off the skids while Nedkov is just getting started. Despite the obvious difference in experience that goes in Wiuff’s favor, the bruising wrestler he once was has disappeared and in its stead is a shell of that same fighter. Expect a coming-out party for Nedkov, who will keep a frenetic pace from the opening bell and tax Wiuff’s dwindling gas tank. Once that happens, expect Nedkov to close out Wiuff with a vicious volley of blows for the TKO.
Michael Costa vs. Makoto Takimoto
The Bottom Line: While Costa may be regarded as the more lively prospect, Takimoto’s career has been full of tough luck despite having some serious game in him. Expect Takimoto to shine against an opponent who doesn’t have a size or skill advantage on him, as he dominates Costa on the mat with takedowns and constant guard passing. From there, it won’t be long before Takimoto pressures Costa into a mistake and wrenches him into submission.
Kota Ishibashi vs. Shigeki Osawa
The Bottom Line: This is basically a showcase fight for Osawa. Ishibashi’s winless record and less than inspiring past performances have shown him to be little more than a canvas for superior fighters to look good on. Expect the same for Osawa: He’ll grind out a ground-and-pound stoppage in short order. Afterward, look for WVR to announce a 57-fight contract for Ishibashi with his official title being “Prospect Enhancer.”