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UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Aldo has a phenomenal main event, but the undercard is nothing to scoff at. Let’s take a look at what’s in store for us come Saturday night.
-125 Rafael Fiziev (10-1: 6 KOs, 1 SUB) vs. -104 Brad Riddell (10-1: 5 KOs)
What a delight this fight is on a fight night card for the world to see as it’ll be broadcasted on “big” ESPN in primetime. This fight between Fiziev and Riddell, two extremely talented strikers, will be a beautifully skillful - and most likely violent - curtain jerker for the main event. Fiziev burst on the scene, showcasing some of the fastest kicks MMA fans have seen since Ebson Barboza first appeared in the UFC. There’s just something different about the way Fiziev pulls the trigger. Facing the Kyrgyzstan native is City Kickboxing product Brad Riddell who trains alongside two current UFC champions and many other top of the line fighters out in New Zealand. For Riddell, he has quickly become a crowd favorite with his battles of heart, will and pristine striking ability. Both men possess the power and technique to put the other’s lights out, but I’m leaning towards Riddell because he seems to be able to hit another gear while Fiziev has shown lapses in cardio and focus late in the fight.
Selection: Brad Riddell via Decision
-190 Leonardo Santos (18-4-1: 3 KOs, 9 SUBs) vs. +150 Clay Guida (36-21: 7 KOs, 13 SUBs)
It’s always a special occasion when we get to see UFC Hall of Famer Clay Guida do victory laps as he approaches the 18th hole of his career. The longtime MMA vet has always been a ball of energy and has proven that he can not only evolve with the times but also keep that same gamesmanship that has made him must-see TV for nearly 15 years. His opponent, Leonardo Santos, is no spring chicken either and would love to hold a win over a legend like Guida before he calls it a career. Stylistically, these two men counter each other’s strengths beautifully. Guida is a grinding wrestler while Santos is a jiu-jitsu assassin. Incredibly both fighters, even at this stage of their careers, are always able to go at a frenetic pace. I like Guida to win the grappling battle and push the pace just enough to edge out a victory.
Selection: Clay Guida via Decision
-200 Jimmy Crute (12-2: 5 KOs, 4 SUBs) vs. +155 Jamahal Hill (8-1: 4 KOs)
It’s simply amazing how these two men are making the walk on Saturday night so soon after both of these warriors suffered seemingly horrific injuries just a few months ago. Back in April Crute was low kicked by Anthony Smith and his leg went into a tizzy and the fight was immediately stopped. And for Hill, back in June his arm was facing a different direction when Paul Craig dislocated his elbow! Again, unbelievably these two guys are taking a cage fight this soon after. I know Hill faced an excellent grappler in Craig and he’s probably been drilling submission defense nonstop, but doing a little math here, Crute submitted Craig and Craig submitted Hill, I like Crute to get the victory by winning the grappling sequences and getting a decision.
Selection: Jimmy Crute via Decision
-350 Brendan Allen (17-4: 5 KOs, 9 SUBs) vs. +260 Chris Curtis (27-8: 15 KOs, 1 SUB)
A card filled with veteran fan-favorites, has a new nominee for a fan-favorite fighter as Chris Curtis returns to the octagon after knocking out Phil Hawes at UFC 268 just a few weeks ago. His opponent, Brendan Allen, is no joke. This is another tough test in the shark tank that is the UFC’s middleweight division. Allen - who’s fought very tough competition and who’s come out the other side even better - will likely avoid a rock ‘em sock ‘em robot fight with Curtis and test his grappling and jiu-jitsu skills. If Curtis can shake off the takedown attempts which is easier said than done he can coast to a victory. Allen will use caution and strategy over ego and make it essentially a grind-it-out fight. It’s a very close call, but I like Allen to keep to his strict game plan and win rather than entertain.
Selection: Brendan Allen via Decision
-240 Alex Morono (20-7: 6 KOs, 6 SUBs) vs. +185 Mickey Gall (7-3: 6 SUBs)
The hunter becomes the hunted. Mickey Gall was signed to the UFC back in 2016 to be C.M. Punk’s first career fight and Gall ended up mauling Punk and stealing the spotlight. Just a few months later, Gall faced another popular fighter in Sage Northcutt, and Gall rinsed and repeated by dominating the fight on the ground en route to a submission victory. Now, Gall, a known name in the fight community, is facing a motivated killer in Alex Morono who’s coming for Gall’s head and following. Morono understands how important a win over a popular fighter like Gall can be for his brand as he stepped in on short notice a few fights ago to fight the legendary Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone to put himself on the map. I see the same mindset for Morono going into this fight and I expect him to be an even more finely tuned machine having a full training camp at Fortis MMA, one of the fastest-rising teams in the sport.
Selection: Alex Morono via Decision
Stay locked right here for more combat sports coverage as we get ready for next weekend’s huge UFC 269 card!
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