UFC 180
Fabricio Werdum vs. Mark Hunt
There is no disputing that Hunt has knockout power, and can certainly do big damage even with his stand up and bang fighting style. However, Werdum has trained harder than ever to improve, and almost no one has been able to take him down. Which Hunt would want to avoid anyways, with Werdum being much more capable on the ground. Of course, there is the big issue of cardio, with many people assuming that Hunt is likely to gas out. Even if he was able to go the distance, this fight takes place in Mexico at an elevation of 7,000 feet! Hunt will hang on longer than people expect, but Werdum will wear him down and get a submission.
Werdum by submission, Round 3
Jake Ellenberger vs. Kelvin Gastelum
This fight will be a bit of a mystery right up until the last minute. The best bet for Ellenberger is to take the fight to the ground as much as possible. Ellenberger has great takedown defense, and should dominate on the ground. However, his stand up game has been getting worse and worse, or simply everyone around him keeps getting better. If Gastelum pushes the pace as much as possible, he could be in big trouble. In any case, this fight will very likely go the distance, in which case I would have to slightly favor Gastelum.
Gastelum by unanimous decision
Ricardo Lamas vs. Dennis Bermudez
The more I think about this fight, the more interesting it seems. Both fighters are on a win streak, both fighters need this win to get 1 step closer to a title shot, and for a close fight, both fighters have extremely similar fighting styles. Bermudez does have great takedown defense, and is also good at taking down opponents, which will play strongly in this fight. As long as Bermudez keeps this fight on the ground, he should pull off a victory.
Bermudez by decision
Augusto Montano vs. Chris Heatherly
Edgar Garcia vs. Hector Urbina
