UFC Fight Night 160 Preview & Predictions

Alright, the event is earlier than usual since it is in the Europe, so the previews will be a little bit shorter this time to make sure I won't be too late or anything like that.

Main Event: Jack Hermansson vs. Jared Cannonier

Jack Hermansson is the better fighter basically in every way except for power, and power happens to be the real leverage point for fighting. Cannonier has looked great at middleweight, but you can't really read too much into beating shopworn Anderson Silva. Regardless, the whole dynamic with the leg kick will be interesting in this fight - Hermansson's style seems to be to leave the leg on purpose open for the kicks and then just time takedowns when the opponent takes the bait and goes for the kick.

Jacare did not go for the kicks a lot, and did get taken down for those times he did. Still, if Cannonier manages to hide his kicks well he could completely piece Hermansson's legs up, and of course he also carries a lot of power to finish the fight at any time. However, if this goes to later rounds you feel Hermansson's pace will inevitably take over. 

Hermansson by UD

Co-Main Event: Mark Madsen vs. Danilo Belluardo

Who da fook... Well okay, it is no wonder this ended up as the co-main with the local star, olympic silver medalist in greco-roman, Mark Madsen fighting. You would think that for an unbeaten olympian that is already up there in age they would have to throw him in the deep end, but this is kind of a gimme fight, Belluardo does not seem like a real UFC level fighter. Madsen will take him down, GNP him for a while and then choke him out. Next. 

Madsen by 1st round submission.

Gunnar Nelson vs. Gilbert Burns

Great, interesting fight. Two excellent grapplers who have very different styles standing up. It will be Nelson's fleet-footed Karate vs. Burns more feet planted & throw power kind of style. If it ends up becoming a stand-up affair which I feel it might after the two cancel each other in the ground, I feel like Burns is very liable to hurt Nelson on the feet. Unfortunately even when he wins, Gunnar seems to take heavy shots and get rocked. With Burns, that would almost certainly spell getting finished.

On the ground, I feel like Nelson is the greater finishing threat, but Burns the guy who is positionally better. However, it is all very even in the end. Still, durability and power is on Burns' side, whereas Nelson probably will takeover if the fight goes deep. Definitely hard one to accurately predict. I will go with Burns' power though.

Gilbert Burns by 2nd round KO.

Ion Cutelaba vs. Khalil Roundtree

Another great fight. Cutelaba has terrifying power and here he is matched with also powerful Khalil Roundtree. Khalil's last fight against Eryk Anders is one of my all-time favorites for the classic Muay Thai style complete destruction he gave to Anders. However, Cutelaba is not gonna just stand and freeze in front of him, but rather come at him.

At least that is what he should do to take Khalil's excellent, improved kicking game out of the question. He should keep crowding Khalil. I am not sure though if he has the gas tank to fight a high-pace pressure fight. Roundtree has had his own cardio problems in the past, but it seems like he has largely fixed them since moving to Thailand.

Both guys have crazy power so in those initial exchanges, anyone might get knocked out. Hence it is very close to a 50-50 fight, but Khalil has the better technical game so when the power is nearly even, I will go for that. 

Khalil Roundtree by 1st round KO.

Ovince St. Preux vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk

Ovince looked really bad in his last fight... Or I mean, he had Krylov for one round, but gassed really hard. Oleksiejczuk is still very young and does not look very strong, but already has a good resume and fights technically smart. I feel like Ovince just doesn't have the type of power to take him out of there early, and you would think in a long fight Oleksiejczuk will find his way to pick up another win.

Michal Oleksiejczuk by UD.

Alex Oliveira vs. Nicholas Dalby

Dalby already had a run in the UFC and lost to three worse guys than Cowboy. He did win 3 straight in the regional circuit and is very durable, but I do feel power and speed of Oliveira will get him the win. If Dalby can make it tight, he might get a homecooking though.

Alex Oliveira by 2nd round KO.

Alen Amedovski vs. John Phillips

Two pretty much regional level KO scrappers. I think Amedosvki is probably the better rounded one, but gotta give it to Phillips, he is tough and durable as hell.

Alen Amedovski by 1st round KO.

Alessio Di Chirico vs. Makhmud Muradov

I believe in this one there was a late opponent change, Di Chirico was supposed to fight someone else. Anyway, this Muradov guy is good and a natural middleweight, has excellent reactive take downs, vicious ground and pound as well a lot of power. Guess Di Chirico has a way to win this by making it plodding kickboxing match or some kind of clinchfest, but Muradov seems more likely to just take him down and dominate him.

Muradov by 2nd round TKO.

Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Ismail Naurdiev

Eventually Siyar's chin is gonna crack with his no defense fighting style. Will it be this time? Naurdiev is definitely by far the faster and more technical outside striker, and I don't really see Bahadurzada fighting the kind of grapple heavy style that could give Naurdiev problems.

Naurdiev by UD.

Brandon Davis vs. Giga Chikadze

This one is tough one. I did not find any tape on Chikadze doing MMA, but I do know he is a former glory kickboxer so I figure he should have a major advantage in the stand up. Davis it not spectacular grappler, but still he is a real MMA fighter so will be interesting to see if he manages by any means drag this to the floor enough to grab a win. 

I on the other hand think he just will be too willing to stand and bang and gets cracked. Chikadze by 1st round KO.

Macy Chiasson vs. Lina Lansberg

Lina is 37 years old and althought she did great against Evinger, Evinger is even more faded than her. You could just tell that the fight could have been completely different if Evinger just had a little bit more explosiveness still left. Anyway, Chiasson is very well-put-together fighter than can strike well as well as grapple, would expect actually her to have better of Lansberg everywhere, but eventually take her down and submit her.

Lando Vannata vs. Marc Diakiese

Bomb of a fight hidden deep into the prelims. Lando is the more technical guy, but Diakiese is very technical too with crazy power. Lando is the better rounded fighter but this one could very well go either way. Like I said, power is a big leverage point in a fight, so the combination of that with the speed and reach Diakiese brings into table will give Lando a headache.

Diakiese by 1st round KO.

Jack Shore vs. Nohelin Hernandez

I think Nohelin gave a very good account of himself in his debut loss against Chito Vera. However, Jack Shore comes into UFC with an unbeaten record, reputation and as the champ of Cage Warriors. Stand-up will be anyone's game, but I feel like Shore will get the better of it should the fight go in the ground. It is a good test for the newcomer regardless.

Jack Shore by 3rd round submission.