The UFC is coming off UFC 210 which had its moments, but certainly had its controversies as well. They move on now to Kansas City, Missouri for the first time and bring with it a potential record-tying matchup. For Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson (25-2-1 Flyweight Champion) he has the chance to get his 10th consecutive Flyweight title defense. This would tie Anderson “The Spider” Silva (34-8 1NC #7 Middleweight) who held the Middleweight title 2,457 days and successfully defended it 10 times. Johnson will have his opportunity to join those ranks Saturday when he takes on Wilson Reis (22-6 #3 Ranked Flyweight) in a matchup that was supposed to take place last summer before an injury derailed it. In many people’s eyes Johnson is considered the pound for pound best fighter in the world and outside of a few minutes in his last fight has looked nothing short of dominant. The main fox card has a ton of great fights on it and should provide another really entertaining night of free fights. Let’s break the card down.
We start off the first of 5 UFC Fight Pass prelim fights in the Women’s Bantamweight Division with Ashlee Evans-Smith (5-1 #13 Ranked Women’s Bantamweight) taking on the undefeated Ketlen “Fenomeno” Vieira (7-0). Evans-Smith is riding a 2 fight win streak after dropping her UFC debut and a TKO win in her last fight has to have her confidence on another level. Vieira won her UFC debut via split decision back in October in Portland and looked impressive for her debut. Evans-Smith has power in her hands with 3 knockout victories on her resume and another win could see her vault into the top 10. Vieira has mixed it up in her 7 wins with 2 knockouts, 3 submissions, and 2 decisions. The real advantage will be if Vieira can get the fight to the mat early and work her Jiu Jitsu to try and put Evans-Smith away. If the fight stays on the feet it will be interesting to see if Evans-Smith can keep her opponent at bay with her striking. This should be a good fight to kick off the night. Prediction: Ketlen Vieira via Submission.
The Welterweight Division is up next with Zak Cummings (20-5) taking on Nathan “Soulforce” Coy (15-6). Both of these guys are coming in off a victory and looking to start putting together the beginnings of a winning streak. For Cummings he has compiled a 5-2 record inside the UFC but always seems to hit a snag after 2 straight wins. Coy is 1-1 and still rather new to the UFC but got his first win in February of 2016 via decision. The younger Cummings will need to utilize his Jiu Jitsu game to try and gain the advantage. The Ultimate Fighter season 17 alum Cummings has 10 career submissions to his name and has looked very composed and skilled when the fight goes to the mat. Coy was a division one wrestler at Oregon State University and also competed on The Ultimate Fighter on Season 21 and utilized his wrestling in his last fight to pick up the victory. This one could turn into a grappling matchup with both guys’ backgrounds being in wrestling, but the Jiu Jitsu prowess of Cummings could make the difference in the end. Prediction: Zak Cummings via Submission.
We step up one weight class next to the Middleweight Division with Anthony “Lionheart” Smith (26-12) taking on Andrew “El Dirte” Sanchez (10-2). Smith got back on the winning track in December with a TKO knockout win to move his UFC record to 2-2. Sanchez won his last fight just 6 days later in December to move to 2-0 inside the UFC and extend his win streak to 4 in all competition. Smith is the much more experienced fighter with nearly 40 career fights under his belt at 28 years old. Sanchez utilizes his striking very well and has shown his array of skills throughout is previous fights. These guys have a combined 17 knockouts between the two and it would not be shocking to see this one end with a TKO. Smith does have a chance on the mat with 11 career submissions he certainly has shown that he is not to be messed with in that area. This is a fight that most certainly will end up ending well before the Judges get a chance to decide who the victor is. Prediction: Andrew Sanchez via TKO.
The jump up in weight continues now to the Light Heavyweight Division with Devin “Brown Bear” Clark (7-1) taking on Jake “The Prototype” Collier (10-3). Clark rebounded from his first career defeat in his UFC debut and secured a decision victory in December for his first UFC victory. Collier also got back on the winning side back in May of last year with a knockout victory to move his UFC record to 2-2. This is another matchup of guys with knockout power and in the higher up weight classes that means the fight could end at any point. Collier certainly has the UFC experience advantage with just a few more fights in the Octagon than Clark, but this should be a pretty even showdown. Collier has 3 career submissions and expect him to try and utilize this to put this fight away early. Clark will need to use his power to try and send Collier to the mat in this one. Prediction: Devin Clark via Decision.
The featured UFC Fight Pass prelim drops down to the Bantamweight Division when Aljamain “Funk Master” Sterling (12-2 #8 Ranked Bantamweight) takes on Augusto “Tanquinho” Mendes (6-1). Sterling began his career with 12 straight victories and then ran into 2 very close split decision losses in his last 2 fights. Mendes rebounded from a loss in his UFC debut to get a split decision victory in January. Sterling does have an NCAA division three wrestling background and has trained with Matt Serra in Jiu Jitsu for a long time, however, he will need to keep this fight on its feet and stay away from the strengths of the Jiu Jitsu black belt Tanquinho. Sterling will most certainly have the striking advantage and if he can utilize his speed it will certainly change the fight in his favor. If Tanquinho can get this fight to the mat and work his grappling he could leave with a very impressive victory over a top 10 Bantamweight. Prediction Aljamain Sterling via Decision.
The Ultimate Fighter Season 24 winner Tim Elliot (14-7-1 #9 Ranked Flyweight) fresh off his Loss to Demetrious Johnson is set to return against Louis “Da Last Samurai” Smolka (11-3 #12 Ranked Flyweight). This is the first fight on the FS1 portion of the card and it should be a good one. Elliot looked very impressive early on against Johnson in their Flyweight Title fight, which was his reward for winning season 24 of the Ultimate Fighter, including having a few deep submission attempts early in the fight. After the first round, however, the champion used skills to maintain his champion status. Elliot made his return to the UFC in that fight and has been very impressive including his time in the Ultimate Fighter house. His unorthodox style has gotten him here and a victory will move him up the rankings. For Smolka 2 straight losses have him on the verge of falling out of the rankings and potentially out of the UFC if 2 losses become 3 straight. Smolka is a whiz on the ground and can use that to his advantage to try and minimize the style of Elliot. This one should be very entertaining and a great start to the FS1 card. Prediction: Tim Elliot via Decision.
We head to the Lightweight Division next with Bobby “King” Green (23-7) taking on Rashid “Goretz” Magomedov (19-2). Green is coming off 2 straight losses including being knocked out cold back in June. Magomedov is coming off a disappointing loss in November and will be looking to rebound. With both fighters desperate to get back in the win column expect little to be held back in this one. Green is usually thought of as a heavy handed fighter but does also have a history of submission victories. Magomedov comes from Dagestan and if you are unfamiliar with what that means it means he is going to look to wrestle and control the fight on the ground. Magomedov will look to impose his will on green and try to break him on the mat while grinding away a victory. However, you don’t want to sleep on Magomedov’s hands with 10 career knockouts to his name Magomedov is still very dangerous with his power. This one should be a very interesting matchup between two guys who could really use a win. Prediction: Rashid Magomedov via Decision.
Up next Patrick Williams (8-4) will welcome 23-year-old French prospect Tom “Fire Kid” Duquesnoy (14-1) to the ranks of the UFC’s bantamweight Division. Williams comes in after his 1st victory inside the UFC to move his record in the UFC to 1-1. Duquesnoy is a 2 division champion in BAMMA and is one of the hottest prospects in the MMA world. He has won 10 fights in a row and has been extremely impressive. He mixes his game very well using both knockouts and submission to take out his opponents. Williams will really need to use a game plan to stay away from Duquesnoy and try to capitalize on the first time UFC jitters and take advantage of that situation. If Duquesnoy can get over the magnitude of this being his first time inside the Octagon this could be the beginning of a long successful career for young Frenchman. He has already successfully become a two-belt champion in another promotion and will most certainly look to move quickly up the UFC ranks. Prediction: Tom Duquesnoy via TKO.
The featured FS1 prelim has fan favorite and Ultimate Fighter Season 10 Winner Roy “Big Country” Nelson (22-13) taking on Russian Heavyweight Alexander “Drago” Volkov (27-6 #11 Ranked Heavyweight). Big Country may be 3-6 in his last 9 fights in the UFC, but he remains one punch away from having his hand raised at all times. His chin may not be as granite as it used to but it still does the job. Nelson is coming off a knockout victory and another victory will vault him right back into the Heavyweight rankings where he has lived for the past 8 years. Volkov is a knockout artist with 18 career knockouts on his record. He won his debut by the skin of his teeth after almost being knocked out very early on in that 3 round affair. Volkov will certainly have the height and reach advantage, but will have to be mindful of Nelson’s ground skills. Nelson may not always show it but he is a master on the mat when it comes to Jiu Jitsu. This fight is going to be very entertaining and will really build the momentum heading into the main card on FOX. The question will become if Roy Nelson can keep pushing back father time and begin to string together a few victories. Prediction: Roy Nelson via TKO.
We head to big FOX for the 24th main card in the UFC and FOX’s deal with a Featherweight matchup Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens (25-13 #5 Ranked Featherweight) taking on former Jungle Fight Featherweight champion Renato Moicano (10-0-1). Jeremy Stephens is a knockout artist plain and simple. He will absolutely stand and brawl with you and trade haymaker after haymaker. The reverse is Moicano who is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter with 5 career submission victories to go along with 5 decisions. This fight is going to come down to whatever fighter can implement their game plan. Stephens will want to stand and bang and add to his 16 career knockouts while Moicano will look to turn this into a grappling game and use his Jiu Jitsu skills to walk away with a victory. The fight is a big risk for Stephens who is in the top 5 of the Featherweight rankings and coming off a loss, another loss could see his stock plummet. The fight is going to come down to whoever implements it better and there’s a real possibility the judges don’t become a factor in the end of this one. Prediction: Jeremy Stephens via TKO.
The Middleweight Division is jam packed at the moment and two top contenders will clash on Saturday night in Kansas City. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (24-4 1NC #3 Ranked Middleweight) will take on New Zealand knockout artist Robert “The Reaper” Whittaker (18-4 #6 Ranked Middleweight). Jacare has rattled off 2 straight wins and has stayed at the top of the division since joining the UFC. He is by far one of the scariest Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters in world who can smoothly and succinctly rip your arm off in mere seconds if the fight goes to the mat. Whittaker was the winner of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes and followed a 2 fight losing streak by now rattling off 6 straight wins. Whittaker is a knockout artist who has 8 career knockouts at this point in his career. This is a grappler vs striker matchup in every sense of the word. The question becomes is it time to pass the torch for Jacare who is 37 to Whittaker who is 26. In all honesty Jacare is at the top of his game and outside of his loss to Yoel “Soldier of God” Romero (12-1 #1 Ranked Middleweight) he has been an absolute force in the MMA world. This is a tough one to call because if Whittaker can land his punches and be patient he could walk away with a knockout, but if Jacare gets a hold of a limb it could be all over quickly. Prediction: Ronaldo Souza via Submission.
The Co-Main event of the evening is up next and it is a Women’s Strawweight Division matchup with Rose “Thug” Namajunas (6-3 # 4 Ranked Women’s Strawweight) going up against Michelle” The Karate Hottie” Waterson (14-4 # 6 Ranked Women’s Strawweight). Rose Namajunas suffered a slight setback with a decision loss in her last fight, but the Ultimate Fighter Season 20 runner-up has shown nothing but growth in every single Octagon appearance. She completely dismantled Paige “12 Gauge” Van Zant (7-3 #11 Ranked Women’s Strawweight) and then defeated the previously undefeated Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (8-1 #5 Ranked Women’s Strawweight) before her last loss. Namajunas is only 24 years old and has a very bright future in MMA. Michelle Waterson announced herself in the UFC as a legit contender when she choked Paige Van Zant unconscious on FOX in December and showed that she is serious about going after the Women’s Strawweight title. Michelle Waterson is full of experience and is really looking towards the top of the mountain. This is another tough one to call as both of these ladies are very skilled and it will certainly be an excellent co-main event. Prediction: Michelle Waterson via Decision.
The Main event of the UFC on FOX 24 could be a history matching event. Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson (25-2-1 Flyweight Champion) is in the process of cleaning out the UFC’s Flyweight Division and honestly it is just about empty. Wilson Reis (22-6 #3 Ranked Flyweight) was supposed to have this title shot last summer until an injury to Mighty Mouse forced a postponement. Then Johnson had to face the winner of Season 24 of The Ultimate Fighter Tim Elliot and he was able to get past him. Reis took a fight with Ulka Sasaki (19-4-2) and got through him even though the third round was very trying for Reis. Now these two will finally meet and it is with history on the line. Demetrious Johnson will have held the title for 1,536 days on Saturday and has defended his Flyweight title 9 times that is just under 900 days less than the man he is trying to tie Anderson Silva with 10 title defenses. Johnson is a masterful Mixed Martial Artist. Despite struggling very early in the Tim Elliot fight Johnson has looked unstoppable. His coaching, conditioning, preparation, and execution have kept him at the top of the Flyweight Division for several years since he was crowned the division’s first champion in 2012. Johnson didn’t have to look very far for motivation for this fight as history will be in his grasp. Reis is a submission artist and that is most certainly what he will be looking for in this matchup. If the Tim Elliot fight showed him anything it is that Johnson certainly is susceptible to getting locked into a submission. If Reis can lock something in and really push to finish the fight via submission we could crown ourselves a new Flyweight Champion. However if the Sasaki fight showed us anything about Reis it is that he is vulnerable on the ground as well. He was almost clowned in the third round of their fight and Sasaki controlled him for almost the full 5 minutes. That has to be in Johnson’s head showing that Reis is very vulnerable on the ground as well. This one is a doozy ladies and gentleman and a hell of a main event for free TV. Prediction Demetrious Johnson via Decision.
The UFC has had a string of free cards that have just been outstanding. This should be no different as the card is pretty well stacked, especially the main 4 fights on the FOX card. With the ability to have history happen and Demetrious Johnson potentially tie Anderson Silva’s record could be a great moment with a lot of eyes on it on FOX. The UFC is on weekend 2 of 3 in a row and hopefully, this week is a little less controversial and weird than UFC 210 last weekend. It shouldn’t have any issues considering the New York Athletic Commission won’t be involved. For the UFC’s first trip to Missouri, this should certainly be a card that makes a lasting impression.
