Bantamweights
Damacio Page (15-7, 0-2 UFC) vs. Alex Caceres (6-5, 1-3 UFC): A two-point deduction for groin strikes cost Caceres dearly in his last bout, as he dropped a split decision to Edwin Figueroa that he probably would have otherwise won without the fouls. His finesse striking is in sharp contrast to Page, who will throw powerful bombs from the get-go in hopes of the spectacular knockout. Look for “The Angel of Death” to walk through Caceres’ strikes and land some big shots before stopping “Bruce Leroy” via TKO or submission in round two.
Flyweights
Chris Cariaso (13-3, 3-1 UFC) vs. Josh Ferguson (8-4, 0-1 UFC): Cariaso quietly won three of his four fights as a bantamweight while dropping a hard-fought split decision to Michael McDonald in his lone defeat. Clearly the smaller man in his most recent victory against Takeya Mizugaki, “Kamikaze” makes his initial venture at 125 pounds against “The Ultimate Fighter 14” alum Ferguson. Unless he is severely drained by the weight cut, Cariaso’s well-rounded skills carry him to a decision.
Middleweights
Rafael Natal (14-3-1, 2-1-1 UFC) vs. Andrew Craig (7-0, 1-0 UFC): Craig surprised Kyle Noke in his Octagon debut, but it is hard to take too much away from that considering his Australian opponent blew out his knee in that bout. Natal can slow Craig with leg kicks before working the fight to the ground to implement his grappling skills. Natal wins by decision.
Welterweights
Marcelo Zilio Guimaraes (7-0-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Daniel Stittgen (7-2, 0-1 UFC): Guimaraes, who became Jungle Fight’s first middleweight champion in 2011, favors a somewhat conservative approach based on takedowns and control. Stittgen is best known for being on the receiving end of a highlight-reel head kick from Stephen Thompson at UFC 143. Guimaraes wins by decision or late submission.
Bantamweights
Raphael Assuncao (17-4, 1-1 UFC) vs. Issei Tamura (7-2, 1-0 UFC): Assuncao has decent enough standup to enable him to close distance and take opponents to the canvas. From there, the jiu-jitsu specialist is good at maintaining control and threatening with various submission attempts. Tamura has a solid right hand, which he must land consistently to make Assuncao pay for moving forward. Assuncao gets the best of the action in the clinch and on the mat en route to a decision victory.