Editor’s Note: Don’t just bet your favorite sports. LIVE YOUR BET LIFE! Get started today at PointsBet with two risk-free bets up to $2,000. Bet now
UFC Fight Night 202: This card is such a tease filled with many DWCS alumni that are playing the underdog role. They have the talent to pull off upset after upset and break the book, but I want to weed through these fight lines to see if they’re solid gold or merely fool’s gold.
-125 Misha Cirkunov (15-7: 5 KOs, 8 SUBs) vs. +100 Wellington Turman (17-5: 4 KOs, 7 SUBs)
Two physical specimens square off in Saturday’s co-main event slot as Misha Cirkunov tries to get his first win since impressively moving down to 185 pounds. The Latvian will be facing the well-rounded Brazilian in Wellington Turman who has been in an extended fight camp because he was supposed to fight at UFC 270, but got rescheduled due to an injury to his opponent. Cirkunov’s strategy of moving down a weight class is primarily to have a massive strength advantage, but ironically, he’s facing a big middleweight in Turman who won’t be physically bullied and who also has a grappling background that can combat Cirkunov’s main weapon. I see Turman doing enough on the feet to get the decision and to also neutralize Cirkunov’s offense.
Selection: Turman wins via Decision
-225 Arman Tsarukyan (17-2: 6 KOs, 5 SUBs) vs. +175 Joel Alvarez (19-2: 3 KOs, 16 SUBs)
Arman Tsarukyan is a bodied-up Armenian Arnold Schwarzenegger. His adversary, Joel Alvarez, is the polar opposite being tall, lean and lengthy. This fight is basically a boulder vs. a tree. The Spaniard is 4-1 in the UFC with all of his wins coming via dominant stoppage. The one downside of both fighters’ rise has been their inability to make weight consistently, often forfeiting 30% of their purse. Alvarez is too talented not to throw a little pocket change on here. If Tsarukyan can’t get his opponent out of there in the first round it will be a long night for the Armenian. If Alvarez can secure just one strong jiu-jitsu position in one of the first two rounds, he can instantly suck the life out of Tsarukyan en route to a victory.
Selection: Alvarez wins via Decision
[[ad:athena]]
-170 Gregory Rodrigues (11-3: 5 KOs, 4 SUBs) vs. +135 Armen Petrosyan (6-1: 6 KOs)
When I did a write-up for Armen Petrosyan’s last fight, which was DWCS Week 8, he did what he always does: remain oddly calm when things aren’t going his way, but then quickly find his groove and put it on his opponent for the win. Ironically, Petrosyan is fighting on the same weekend as Bellator middleweight champ Gegard Mousasi, who I see the most resemblance in Petrosyan’s fighting style to. Hopefully Petrosyan has Mousasi’s level of jiu-jitsu as he is facing Gregory Rodrigues, a former BJJ World Champion. Rodrigues isn’t just a one-trick pony either. He has heavy hands and surprisingly hasn’t won by submission in nearly four years. The Brazilian tends to use his world class jiu-jitsu to set up a path for his ground and pound.
Selection: Rodrigues wins via Decision
The App is Back! Don’t forget to download the NBC Sports EDGE app to receive real-time player news, mobile alerts and track your favorite players. Plus, now you can check out articles and player cards. Get it here!
-139 Fares Ziam (12-3: 5 KOs, 4 SUBs) vs. +115 Terrance McKinney (11-3: 5 KOs, 6 SUBs)
After a historic UFC debut where he quickly knocked out his opponent in just seve -seconds, McKinney gained even more attention for his performance when he hurt his knee when celebrating. McKinney has made himself a commodity that fans are eager to see compete again simply because of his exuberance. McKinney comes to this fight with a solid wrestling pedigree and growing mantle of knockout wins. Opposing the promising prospect, is Fares Ziam, a long and rangy technically-sound kickboxer. Crazy enough, McKinney has never seen the final horn in his professional career, while Ziam is hot off three-straight decisions. I really expect McKinney to physically impose his will and dominate this fight wherever it may go as Ziam is still piecing together his grappling game.
Selection: McKinney wins via Decision
-125 Carlos Hernandez (7-1: 4 SUBs) vs. +100 Victor Altamirano (10-1: 1 KO, 4 SUBs)
Victor Altamirano, a former LFA champion, showed a lot of heart as he ran through the finish line in his DWCS Week 1 fight against Carlos Candelario to earn a UFC contract. For Carlos Hernandez, his entrance into the UFC was very similar to Altamirano as he displayed grit and the ability to overcome adversity. Both men have a high work rate and a seasoned skill set that is no doubt UFC-ready. I am taking Altamirano in this one to show championship-level awareness, the ability to outpoint Hernandez on the feet with his taekwondo background, and finding his range as he puts together his combinations.
Selection: Altamirano wins via Decision
