UFC 156 ‘Aldo vs. Edgar’ Preview

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Lightweights

Evan Dunham (13-3, 6-3 UFC) vs. Gleison Tibau (26-8, 10-5 UFC): Were it not for a contentious decision loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Tibau could conceivably be on a five-fight winning streak heading into this bout. The muscular Brazilian is one of the most prolific takedown artists in the UFC, and he will look to close the distance and overpower Dunham. Tibau is vulnerable to aggressive standup, as he was rocked by Francisco Trinaldo in his most recent fight, and Dunham has shown that he is willing to bang on the feet. Dunham wins by decision.

Welterweights

Jay Hieron (23-6, 0-3 UFC) vs. Tyron Woodley (10-1, 0-0 UFC): Hieron has not received too many easy assignments in the UFC, and that does not change here. “The Thoroughbred” must control distance and stay upright against Woodley, an NCAA All-American wrestler at the University of Missouri. After trading on the feet with Nate Marquardt in a Strikeforce welterweight title defeat in July, Woodley returns to his roots and relies on his speed and athleticism to keep Hieron on his back for the majority of the contest. Woodley takes this by decision.

Lightweights

Yves Edwards (42-18-1, 10-6 UFC) vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg (13-3-1, 0-0 UFC): Even with 61 professional fights under his belt, the 36-year-old Edwards keeps going strong. Most recently, the “Thugjitsu Master” was able score a knockout against the usually durable Jeremy Stephens at UFC on Fox 5. Meanwhile, Vallie-Flagg is getting his first shot in the Octagon after a 2-0 stint with Strikeforce. The Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts product earned the biggest win of his career against Gesias Cavalcante in May, utilizing a varied arsenal of strikes to capture a split verdict. Expect some spirited exchanges on the feet, with Vallie-Flagg having a legitimate chance at the upset as long as he avoids the knockout blow. Edwards holds off his hard-charging foe for a narrow decision.

Lightweights

Jacob Volkmann (15-3, 6-3 UFC) vs. Bobby Green (19-5, 0-0 UFC): Green carries a four-fight winning streak into his UFC debut, and the former two-division King of the Cage champion has the potential to give Volkmann some trouble if the fight remains standing. Eventually, Volkmann takes down Green and controls the bout with his wrestling before catching his foe with a submission in round two.

Bantamweights

Francisco Rivera (8-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Edwin Figueroa (9-1, 2-1 UFC): Figueroa offered little in terms of meaningful offense in his last outing against Alex Caceres, but a two-point deduction for groin strikes allowed him to emerge with a decision. Figueroa’s most impressive performance remains his Octagon debut against Michael McDonald, where he battled the highly regarded prospect tooth-and-nail before falling via decision. He will have to bring some of that fire against Rivera, who has dangerous knockout power. Rivera gets the best of exchanges and wins via second-round technical knockout.

Bantamweights

Chico Camus (12-3, 1-0 UFC) vs. Dustin Kimura (9-0, 0-0 UFC): A Roufusport product, Camus used a heavy top game to defeat Dustin Pague in his promotional debut at UFC 150. He will have to put the same solid submission defense he displayed against Pague to use against Kimura, who has earned six of his nine career victories via tapout. Camus wins by decision.