Cyborg fights in this card’s main event.
The UFC returns to Pay Per View on Saturday night with a Women’s Featherweight Title clash and a men’s Featherweight title eliminator. The UFC has had 3 straight weeks of really entertaining fight cards. We are now heading into a Pay Per View that at one point fell apart with the injury to Max “Blessed” Holloway (19-3 Featherweight Champion) that knocked him out of the original main event. Instead, now we get the return of Cris Cyborg (19-1 1NC Women’s Featherweight Champion) and UFC newcomer Yana Kunitskaya (10-3 1NC). Max Holloway’s original opponent Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (21-5-1 #2 Ranked Featherweight) stayed on the card, and now takes on rising contender and submission master Brian “T-City” Ortega (13-0 1NC #3 Ranked Featherweight). This card that once looked completely lost actually has a ton of fun fights on it. We also get the UFC debut of highly touted prospect Mackenzie Dern (5-0) on the prelims, so it should be a really fun night. Let’s take a look at all 12 fights.
The UFC’s 205lb division kicks off the night as Jordan Johnson (8-0) takes on Adam “The Prototype” Milstead (8-1). Jordan Johnson has won both of his UFC appearances with 2 straight decisions. The former RFA Light Heavyweight Champion has done a great job transitioning to the UFC and using his grappling to take the fights over. He will want to try and take this to the ground and get his submission game going, and if he can do that he will remain undefeated. Adam Milstead has been out of action since a knee injury during his first career loss to Curtis “Razor” Blaydes (9-1- 1NC #5 Ranked Heavyweight) sidelined him. Milstead now drops down to 205 and is looking to start his comeback off with a bang. Milstead will need to look to keep this fight standing, as his grappling leaves a little to be desired. This should be a fun fight to kick off the night, and most likely won’t head to the judges’ scorecards. Prediction: Jordan Johnson via Submission.
We drop down to Bantamweight as Bryan “Kid Lightning” Caraway (21-8 #7 ranked Bantamweight) takes on Cody “Spartan” Stamann (16-1). Caraway has spent 22 months away from the Octagon due to injury, but he returns Saturday night. He is riding a 2 fight win streak as he enters the cage, and will be looking to keep that Top 10 ranking. Caraway may welcome the wrestling of Stamann as he has 17 career victories via submission. He will need to use that veteran knowledge and experience to take this fight to where he wants it and keep his win streak going. Cody Stamann is coming off 2 decision victories in his first 2 UFC appearances. He now takes a big step up in competition with a UFC veteran like Caraway. Stamann has relied heavily on his takedowns and wrestling to get him here, and he will absolutely look to do so again in this matchup. Stamann certainly has his hands full with the matchup, but a win here would propel him into the Top 15 for sure.Prediction: Bryan Caraway via Decision.
Closing out the UFC Fight Pass prelims we get Mike “Quicksand” Pyle (27-13-1) and Zak “The Barbarian” Ottow (15-5). A UFC fighter since 2009 Mike Pyle is coming off a vicious knockout loss back in December of 2016. He has dropped 2 straight and at 42 years old is in desperate need of a win. Pyle needs to avoid the big strikes from Ottow, and get back to the grind that has gotten him to 16 career submission victories. Pyle is a long time veteran on the back half of his career, and a loss here may bring that career to an abrupt end. Zak Ottow has alternated wins and losses in his 4 UFC appearances since joining in 2016. He is coming off a TKO loss back in November and will be itching to get back in the win column. Ottow is a talented grappler with 10 career submissions, so going to the ground with an accomplished veteran like Pyle should not be such a scary prospect. Ottow has a chance to win this one if he can stay out of long striking exchanges and be on the offensive with his takedowns. Prediction: Zak Ottow via Decision.
We kick off the FS1 prelims with a veteran matchup between Ultimate Fighter Season 7 Runner-Up CB “The Doberman” Dollaway (17-9) taking on Hector “Showeather” Lombard (34-8-1 1NC). Injuries from an elevator accident have kept CB Dollaway on the shelf for a longtime, having only fought once since 2015. He took a decision victory in that fight, and will look to build on that success in this matchup. He must withstand the early onslaught that Lombard always brings. Honestly Dollaway needs to rely on his wrestling in this one to neutralize the power of a guy like Lombard. Hector Lombard was such an intriguing prospect when he came over to the UFC from Bellator in 2011. However injury’s a failed drug test, and lack luster performances have really brought down any stock the UFC had in Lombard. He is riding a 4 fight losing streak where he has been finished 3 times. At 40 years old it feels like father time has come calling for the Cuban Judoka. We will have to wait and see if he can turn back the clock and come out firing on all cylinders, but if the fight goes past the 7 minute mark he is usually gassed and that never ends well. Prediction: CB Dollaway via Decision.
A fight that was rescheduled due to weight cut issues from a few weeks ago ends up next as John “The Magician” Dodson (20-9 #8 Ranked Bantamweight) meets Pedro “The Young Punisher” Munhoz (15-2 1 NC #10 Ranked Bantamweight). John Dodson is coming off a tough split decision loss in November, and is looking to redeem himself as we head start to get in to 2018. Obviously the weight cut issues for Munhoz pushing this fight back also can’t be thrilling to Dodson. His striking is crisp, and for a guy in such a low weight class he packs some serious power in his right hand. Dodson will need to use his takedown defense to keep this one on the feet where he should have the advantage. Pedro Munhoz is riding a 4 fight win streak as he enters the Octagon. 3 of those fights have ended in submission victory, which he will most certainly be looking to repeat in this one. If he can get Dodson to the ground he should be able to take this one home. Prediction: John Dodson via Decision.
The Lightweights are in the cage next as Beneil Dariush (14-3-1 #12 Ranked Lightweight) takes on short notice UFC newcomer Alexander “The Great” Hernandez (8-1). Beneil Dariush is coming in off of a Majority draw in his last appearance in October of 2017. Dariush is looking to get back on track after a rough 2017 where he went 0-1-1. At 28 he still has a lot of time ahead of him, and if he can put the pressure on Hernandez through his grappling he will get his hand raised at the end of the fight. Dariush also can rely on his UFC experience, and using that to his advantage against a guy who is being thrown in on short notice in his UFC debut. Alexander Hernandez comes to the UFC from Legacy Fighting Alliance, which is a breeding ground for UFC prospects. He’s currently riding a 6 fight winning streak and really shouldn’t have any pressure on him as he heads to the cage. A win here would clearly be the biggest of his career, and a loss is a loss to the 12th best guy in the world in your weight class. This should be a fun fight, and potentially an emergence of a new contender. Prediction: Beneil Dariush via Decision.
We close out the prelims with the long-awaited debut of Mackenzie Dern (5-0) taking on UFC veteran Ashley “SpiderMonkey” Yoder (5-3). Mackenzie Dern has been one of the most talked about female prospects since her debut back in July of 2016. The daughter of Jiu-Jitsu legend Wellington “Megaton” Dias, a multiple time Pan American Gold medalist himself, comes to the UFC with an undefeated record. She has 5 wins 3 by submission. Her grappling is outstanding, and that is where she will look to take this fight early, and often. This is a chance for a big prospect to take her first step in the UFC, and it could lead to potential super stardom for the 24 year old Arizona native. Ashley Yoder has gone 0-2 since joining the UFC in late 2016. Suffering decision losses in back to back appearances. This is a chance for her to cool the jets on the hype behind Mackenzie Dern. Yoder will need to use her UFC experience and grappling ability to stay out of trouble against Dern. If Yoder can keep this fight standing she has a shot to disappoint the Jiu-Jitsu standout. Prediction: Mackenzie Dern via Submission.
We kick off the UFC 222 main card with the Women’s Bantamweight Division as Cat “Alpha” Zingano (9-2 #6 Ranked Women’s Bantamweight) takes on Ketlen “Fenomeno” Vieira (9-0 #5 Ranked Women’s Bantamweight). Cat Zingano returns for the first time since 2016 following injuries to look to rebound from 2 straight losses. The time is now for the longtime contender to make her way back to a shot at the title. Her only chance at the belt ended in just 14 seconds via armbar back in 2014, but the long time off may give her the rest she needed to get back into the swing of things. She will need to hold her own on the ground against Vieira who is an accomplished grappler. Zingano has the experience edge, but the question is can she still compete at that Top 5 level. Ketlen Vieira scored the biggest win of her career with a submission victory over Sara McMann (11-5 #8 Ranked Bantamweight). Vieira is an undefeated prospect, who could find herself on the verge of a title shot with a win over Zingano. Her grappling is something that has to be watched, because she has the ability to finish on the mat. This one should be close matchup, and the winner has a real chance of being next in line for the title. Prediction: Ketlen Vieira via Decision.
Two longtime UFC Heavyweights take the cage next as Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve (32-9 #10 Ranked Heavyweight) takes on former Heavyweight Champion Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (26-15 1NC #12 Ranked Heavyweight). Stefan Struve is returning from a TKO loss back in September, but the 7 foot heavyweight will be looking for redemption. It’s almost impossible to believe that Struve is just 30 years old since he has been on the UFC’s roster since 2009. The biggest question with Struve is his chin. He has shown infights that he can be taken out with one punch, and then in others can take several punches without showing damage. Struve also has a slick ground game that does not get focused on much, but his 17 submissions tell a different story. A win over the former champion will go a long way for Struve. Andrei Arlovski appeared on the verge of his career being over before stopping a 5 fight losing streak his last time out. The 39 year old former champion constantly seems to come back from what most people think are his final fights. Instead he rebounded nicely with a decision victory his last time out. Arlovski has that long list of career fights, with big wins over big names. There is his chin, like Struve, which in some fights appears finished, and other fights looks like he can take any punch thrown at him. Either way this is going to be a fun fight between two guys who have been doing this a long time. Prediction: Andrei Arlovski via TKO.
We head to Bantamweight where highly touted prospect “Sugar” Sean O’Malley (9-0) is set to take on Andre “The Asian Sensation” Soukhamthath (12-5). Sean O’Malley first burst in the UFC’s world through the Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series. He scored a 1st round knockout with his unorthodox striking. He also has a personality that the UFC is looking for. His decision victory in December was hard fought, and he will be looking for a much cleaner victory in his sophomore appearance in the UFC. His striking is really where the 23 year old Montana native is going to want to finish this fight. He must stay out of trouble on the feet, because he did leave his chin out there in that UFC debut. O’Malley has the personality to be a big star, the question is can he continue to back it up. Andre Soukhamthath dropped his first 2 UFC fights via split decision, before a second-round TKO victory his last time out. Soukhamthath has some serious power in his hands, and he will need that in this matchup with O’Malley. It is hard to sleep on Soukhamthath in this one because of the hype surrounding O’Malley, but he certainly has a real shot to play spoiler. Prediction: Andre Soukhamthath via TKO.
We head to the co-main event as former Lightweight Champion Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (21-5-1 #2 Ranked Featherweight) takes on Brian “T-City” Ortega (13-0 1NC #3 Ranked Featherweight). Frankie Edgar may have lost his shot at the title, but he most certainly still has his hands full in this matchup. The 36 year old former champion is one of the best of all time in the UFC, and is riding a 2 fight win streak. Frankie’s pace is relentless, and his ground and pound is second to none. You have to look no further when he absolutely dominated Yair “El Pantera” Rodriguez (11-2 #10 Ranked Featherweight). Edgar has not showed any signs of slowing down, and just continues to get better and better with every appearance. The elusive Featherweight title is the one thing he has been searching for the past few years. He had shots and came up just short. This is a chance where he can really cement the fact that he deserves this shot. Brian Ortega comes in on a 5 fight win streak in the UFC. They have all been fights that he has finished. His Jiu-Jitsu game is undeniable and he is one of the best practitioners out there. Also he has been able to finish guys off his back, which against a guy like Edgar is a place where he might find himself during this fight. The biggest knock on Ortega is sometimes he can start slow, and he can’t afford that against a guy like Edgar. If Ortega is able to take this one home he will put himself in a great spot to fight for the title. The most dangerous thing is Ortega can finish the fight at any time with his grappling. This is going to be a fun one with big title implications and most certainly a performance bonus coming out of it. Prediction: Frankie Edgar via Decision.
Now the main event is next and we have the return of Cris Cyborg (19-1 1NC Women’s Featherweight Champion) welcoming UFC newcomer Yana Kunitskaya (10-3 1NC) to the 145lb Division. Cris Cyborg is making a quick turnaround, from her victory at the end of December over Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holm (11-4 #1 Ranked Women’s Bantamweight). Listen Cyborg is the scariest fighter in the world right now in the women’s divisions. She has not lost since her first fight in 2005. She has 16 career knockouts. Holly Holm was the first fighter to go to decision with her since 2008. She is just an absolute beast who showed she has serious stamina in that last encounter. Her pressure is unmatched, and she has just consistently ran through opponents left and right. Cyborg is one of those special talents that may never lose, even in a sport where one punch in the right spot can end a night, she has not run into that in a long time. She again will be taking on a Bantamweight at Featherweight, and that has proven in the past to be problematic for her opponents. Yana Kunitskaya was the Invicta FC Women’s Bantamweight champion prior to joining the UFC. She has a loss to a common opponent in Tonya “Triple Threat” Evinger (19-6 1NC). She is a very talented fighter who has 7 career knockouts who can most certainly finish fights, but the questions is the power and pressure of Cyborg and can she deal with it. Kunitskaya will need to be very careful on the feet, and work on countering the rush of Cyborg. This will be a tough challenge for her UFC debut in the main event of a Pay Per View. If she can pull his off it may be the biggest upset in UFC history. Prediction: Cris Cyborg via TKO.
The UFC has a chance to keep riding their wave of successful fun events with this Pay per View Saturday night. A knockout from Cyborg would only continue to build her legacy and draw. She should be pushed as one of the biggest stars in the UFC and should be a huge draw. This card may have lost its original main event, but the matchups it replaced that with are going to be very fun. The FUC will finally take a week off after this, bringing to an end the long stretch of events it had to kick off the year. Let’s hope this run ends with a real bang of a show.
