Rafael Alves vs. Damir Ismagulov (early-prelims)

To kick off the preliminary card we have this lightweight bout with two fighters that will most likely need a win to stay on the UFC roster. One key factor to note early for this fight is the fact that Damir struggles with his weight cuts. Therefore, I will be watching weigh-ins closely to see how he has fared with the weight cut. Alves has decent jiu-jitsu and a solid striking game. He tends to take long layoffs between his fights which I necessarily don't like. That often makes me question the motivation of a fighter. Ismagulov, the former M1 global champ has finishing power. He has more than dominated his competition in every single round. Damir has won his fights by decision but has won them unanimously. I strongly believe the UFC is giving Damir this matchup as a tune-up fight as he has the higher ceiling. In my opinion, this Damir Ismagulov fight to lose. I am very confident in him in this position.

Speedy’s Prediction- Ismagulov Via KO/TKO 2nd round

Yancy Medeiros vs. Damir Hadzovic (early-prelims)

Yancy stepping in on short notice here as Hadzovic’s previous opponent had to pull out. For those of you that dont know Yancy he got known for his flashy finishes that granted him bonuses. He is a fun fighter to watch and will always give 100% effort in all his bouts. Yancy tends to be either really good on fight night or really bad. I personally believe he puts himself in bad positions and does not have the highest fight IQ. He also tends to be chinny at this stage of his career and his competition has been the most impressive. Hadzovic has pretty solid boxing but struggles on the ground. The loser of this fight will definitely get a one way ticket to Bellator. This is a very tough fight to predict. However, I will ever so slightly side with Hadzovic as he seems to have the stronger chin and more durability.

Speedy’s Prediction- Hadzovic by decision (ever so slightly)

Joshua Culibao vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (prelims)

This fight I love from a betting standpoint as I have a clear winner in this one. Shayilan needs to takedown Culibao and just rinse and repeat if he is going to have any chance in this one. These two fighters are a clash of styles as they are polar opposites. One thing I cannot forget in my mind is the tough out Culibao gave a really strong fighter in Jourdain. That was actually a very good fight and says a lot about how solid Culibao’s skills are. He dropped Jourdain Round 1 and then went on to lose a decision. In my eyes that is very impressive given what Jourdain has done since. The 27 year old has dynamite in his hands and can counter-strike Shayilan on any double leg attempt. Culibao is very explosive and I can see him catching Shayilan on a takedown attempt. If Shayilan decides not to take it to the ground and makes it a fire fight he is in MAJOR trouble! However, Culibao will need to show a takedown defense in this one as it will be key to his success. I am confident in my pick here as long as he keeps it standing. Culibao overpowers him and can catch him at any given moment in the fight. 

Speedy’s Prediction- Culibao by KO/TKO Round 1 (Confident)

Victor Rodriguez vs. Bruno Silva (prelims)

Alaska’s Victor Rodriguez fought a very tough opponent in Yanez in short notice his last time out. This is nothing to be ashamed of as we all know Adrain Yanez is looking like a tough young prospect in the flyweight division. Victor tends to throw all his power in every punch. I do not like his boxing technique as he loops his punches. However, since he does have power he can catch someone if you're facing an opponent who doesn't have good defense. That's the issue I had with his last fight, Yanez had him timed and calculated. I do not like how predictable he can be. If you haven't seen that fight it was a candidate for knockout of the year. Silva will press forward and will bring the pressure. He trains with the strong pitbull brothers at bellator. He's coming in as a -280 favorite rightfully so as he is simply the overall better fighter. I see Silva beating him both in the standup and on the ground. I expect experience to take its role here in this one.

Speedy’s Prediction- Silva via KO/TKO round 2 (very confident)

Claudio Silva vs. Court McGee (prelims)

The battle of the veterans is here and will probably not disappoint! Silva is one of the most credentialed grapplers in MMA. He is a very solid fighter overall but just doesn't fight as often as we would like. On the other hand, Court has amazing cardio and is very tough to take out. If you're questioning this, ask Carlos Condit. Im sure Court will make all of his fights interesting moving forward im just afraid father time is starting to settle in. He sports a 1-4 record in his last five fights. Condit landed a lot of strikes on him and that doesn't sit well with me. This fight is two Ufc fighters at the tail end of their respective careers. Very tough matchup, probably one I will stay away from in my card.

Speedy's Prediction- Silva via decision (ever so slightly)

Ben Rothwell vs. Chris Barnett (prelims)

Very interesting fight here at heavy weight as Chris Barnett is finally making his promised UFC debut. Since we all know Ben will start with the newcomer Chris Barnett. If you haven't seen this man fight he is a very fun fighter to watch. He is also one of the most athletic heavyweights I have ever seen. He loves throwing wild and spinning strikes which could make this fight very interesting. However, Ben is known for his strong chin and hasn't been knocked out since his ufc debut. Ben has fought the best of the best and I believe experience will play a big factor in this one. Ben needs to pressure and attempt a couple takedowns. Can Chris Barnett get a Flashy KO finish? Yes he most def can. Will I go with the safe pick in Ben? Yes I will. I am confident in Ben's chin and I love his experience here. Look for Ben to have a Ben-like fight and win a boring decision or even a SUB. If you're looking I wouldn't mind betting the Ben by submission prop bet.

Speedys Prediction- Ben R. By decision (confident)

Bill Algeo vs. Ricardo Ramos (last fight prelims)

Speedy’s Prediction- Bill Algeo by decision (very confident)

Jack Hermansson vs. Edmen Shahnazyan (main card)

This fight is kicking off the main card and I'm looking forward to this one! Edmen has great forward pressure and is extremely effective with his double jab. I love his footwork and overall technique. We have seen him have some big ko’s and because of that I believe the 23 yr. old is a bit overrated this early in his career. Is he a great fighter? Absolutely but this is a BIG test. Conversely, Hermansson struggles with his striking. He couldn't drop Jacure and that scares me. Jack is tremendous on the ground and has great ground in pound. Edmen tends to panic wrestle which is a terrible idea in this bout. Hermansson has clearly fought the more high level competition. Edmen sports a negative strike differential despite his skill set. I strongly believe Jack is the better fighter and if he gets on top this fight will end very soon. Edmens ONLY path to victory is to KO/TKO Jack in the first round.

Speedy’s Prediction- Jack Hermansson By Submission Round 2

David Dvorak vs. Raulian Paiva (main Card)

This i promise you is going to be one hell of a fight so brace yourselves. Paiva is one of the most precise fighters in the ufc roster. He has great striking and is very explosive. The only problem I have with Paiva is that he is also very hitable. He loves to counterstrike and often leaves himself open to big shots. Dvorak is also very explosive and has a well-rounded game. I'll say it once i'll say it again Dvorak gets your back you are in BIG trouble. He is riding a big winning streak and I feel very confident in him here. 

Speedy’s Prediction- David Dvorak by KO/TKO round 3

Felicia Spencer vs. Norma Dumont

Dumont looked great in her last time out. She lit Evans smith up on the feet and cruised to an easy unanimous decision. However, she's fighting Felicia Spencer this time and that's a problem. It's also important to note that Dumont usually struggles with her weight cut so that's something I will monitor closely at weigh-ins. Spencer is one amazing grappler and has fought some very high level competition. I most famously remember Spencer for surviving and not getting finished by the GOAT Amanda Nunez. I can't stress that Dumont does NOTHING better than Spencer. She is also coming in at short notice so I see Spencer as a LOCK in this position. Give me Felcia Spencer ALL DAY! Will be on the Steady picks card.

Speedy’s Prediction- Felcia Spencer by unanimous Decision (super confident )

Justin Tafa vs. Jared Vanderaa (Main card)

Why is this on the main card? Honestly, I really don't know why I'm still scratching my head on that one. Nonetheless it is and I am giving you a breakdown for this fight. Vandera decent striker, questionable cardio and a solid ground game. Tafa has a big kickboxing background but somehow tends to get outstruck on the feet. Yes, this fight is full of head scratches. He has got outwrestled by poor wrestles and that is a very bad sign coming into this one. I look for Vanderaa to expose this weakness quickly. He will have success on the ground as long as he doesn't get caught with a shot doing so. Vanderaa needs to learn to become a more defensive fighter as Tafa can land a BIG blow here. IF Vanderaa wrestles and uses head movement he should grind out a decision here. A fight I'm staying away from in the steady picks card. Good luck with this one.

Speedy’s Pick- Jared Vanderaa by decision (not confident)

 Xiaonan Yan vs. Carla Esparza (Co-main event)

Yan is one of my favorite female fighters to watch at the moment. She fights out of Team Alpha Male and has been on an impressive run. She is a very well- rounded fighter. She beat Hill (a great striker) on the feet then went on to beat Caudia (great on the ground) on the ground. Yan also has a 75% takedown defense in case Esparza decides to take it there. Esparza isn't any push over, she has been there and done that in the ufc. She likes to strike to clinch and always feels more comfortable on the ground. I plan on her attempting to take it on the ground early. Unfortunately, I don't think Esparza has an advantage on the ground regardless. Yan will bring it to Esparza right off the gate. I really really don't know how Esparza is going to stop Yan in this one. I am confident Yan will continue her winning streak.

Speedy's Prediction- Yan by unanimous decision (very confident) 

Rob Font Vs. Cody “NO LOVE” Garbrandt ( Main Event)

I hate to spoil this for you but I am not as excited as everyone is for this one. Did Cody have an impressive knockout win? Yes Am i impressed? Sorry but not necessarily. Assuncao is at the tail end of his career and before that fight Cody got destroyed three times. Rob Font on the other hand has been on a tear. I went against him in the Marlon fight and BOY did he impress me in that one. Rob, like Cody, has a great standup game. He has amazing power and phenomenal boxing skills. Cody has a diminished chin and it's important to note that Rob Font has a 6-inch reach advantage!!!! This will definitely be a slugfest if Cody comes in with the right mentality. I just don't see how you can bet against Rob in this one. 

Speedy’s Prediction- Rob Font By KO/TKO Round 2

Thank you all for taking the timeout to read my breakdown. Any questions feel free to contact me @speedyjoey (Instagram) Like always don't forget the hashtag! #trustinthespeedy Good luck everyone let's smash some GREEN!