Dos Anjos vs. Fiziev undercard: An eclectic mix of fights fill up the undercard of this solid fight night lineup. Let’s take a look at some of the more intriguing fights.
-215 Caio Borralho (10-1: 4 KOs, 3 SUBs) vs. +175 Armen Petrosyan (7-1: 6 KOs)
The co-main event is a matchup of DWCS alumni who have a well-rounded skill set with explosive offense on the feet and smooth jiu-jitsu on the mats. For Borralho, he has already shown his versatility by dominating his last opponent with an overwhelming ground game. The Brazilian also has swift boxing as he blitzes his opponents to land fundamental combinations. On the other side, Petrosyan is a casual killer. The Armenian lulls his foes into a false sense of security as Petrosyan takes their best shots and quickly turns the tables. He was able to survive the dangerous Gregory Rodrigues onslaught in his last fight, and edged out a decision win in the end. The ceiling for both of these fights is high. I see this fight going the distance and for Petrosyan to chip away at Borralho with his signature liver kicks and drunken boxing.
Selection: Petrosyan wins via Decision
-270 Said Nurmagomedov (15-2: 4 KOs, 4 SUBs) vs. +215 Douglas Silva de Andrade (28-4: 20 KOs, 2 SUBs)
After a spectacular performance back in January where he shut out Cody Stamman, the very talented Said Nurmagomedov returns to the octagon to face Douglas Silva de Andrade. This fight is a souped-up muscle car facing a Ferrari. Andrade is a strong, athletic fighter that packs a serious punch. In one of his recent wins, the Brazilian made his opponent’s body go parallel to the ground with a lead hook. There’s no doubt that Andrade is tough for anyone in the bantamweight division, but I believe it could be a very one-sided affair in favor of Nurmagomedov who has much cleaner striking and the ability to handle himself in the grappling exchanges against a long-time UFC vet like Andrade.
Selection: Nurmagomedov wins via Decision
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-155 Cynthia Calvillo (9-4-1: 2 KOs, 3 SUBs) vs. +128 Nina Nunes (10-7: 4 KOs, 2 SUBs)
Currently on multiple-fight losing streaks, Calvillo and Nunes must reestablish their winning ways or the UFC could be filling their roster spot very soon. Neither fighter’s skillset jumps off the page at you, but they have a never back down type of attitude. Nunes is more well-rounded with her game while Calvillo is a level above the ground. I like Nunes to be the faster and high-paced worker in this fight as she is almost two years out from giving birth, which is probably enough time for her body to be in balance again and fully-responsive.
Selection: Nunes wins via Decision
-190 Ricky Turcios (11-2: 3 KOs, 1 SUB) vs. +155 Aiemann Zahabi (8-2: 5 KOs, 2 SUBs)
After almost a year away from fighting, TUF 29 champion Rick Turcious returns to face UFC vet Aiemann Zahabi, brother of famed coach Firas Zahabi. He has skill and technique, but the Canadian is yet to string together back-to-back wins since joining the UFC. For Turcios, his confidence is sky high and he looks to not be a flash in the pan. The experienced UFC newcomer brings into his fights a relentless pace and desire to be great like few others. Though Turcios is very talented and has a big future ahead of himself, I’m going to have to lean towards Zahabi to finally put all of his talents to use and get the win and slow down the young gun’s trajectory a bit.
Selection: Zahabi wins via Decision
Antonina Shevchenko (9-4: 3 KOs, 1 SUB) vs. Cortney Casey (10-9: 3 KOs, 4 SUBs)
Casey and Shevchenko have almost identical builds and fighting styles. I think it’s an opportunity for both fighters - but especially Antonina Shevchenko, sister of UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko - to settle down on the feet and go up and down the ladder of Casey like a fire department. Both women have faced more grappling in recent fights and a fight on the feet will no doudt be welcomed. Though she hasn’t fully found her stride yet in the UFC, Shevchenko has the perfect opponent in Casey to find her striking rhythm and notch her first win since November of 2020.
Selection: Shevchenko wins via Decision
