UFC Fight Night Full Card Predictions, Previews, Live Odds and Betting Lines

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns with a small fight night ahead of one of the biggest PPV events of the year next week. This time, the main event will be between Marlon Vera and Dominick Cruz. Here are our predictions for the full card of this UFC Fight Night.

UFC Fight Night Full Card Predictions

The main event of the UFC Fight Night: Marlon Vera vs Dominick Cruz is obviously the most anticipated fight of the evening. However, like any other UFC card, there are plenty of incredible fights to look forward to and we have analyzed most in the following lines.

Youssef Zalal vs Da'Mon Blackshear (Bantamweight Bout)

Youssef Zalal Preview

Youssef is a 25-year-old fighter from Morocco. Zalal is a basic kickboxer. He has good footwork and an aggressive fighting style that allows him to win fights on the stand. In addition to hands, Youssef's striking technique includes lowkicks and high kicks This allows him to “pull” and force the opponent to open, after which he delivers sharp and accurate blows.

I don't understand why Youssef decided to come down in weight. It was hard for him to reach weight into the featherweight division, and now the weight race will become even more exhausting. This will negatively affect the endurance and reaction of the fighter.

Da'Mon Blackshear Preview

Da'Mon is a 27-year-old American fighter. Da'Mon is a basic wrestler. He delivers effective takedowns and demonstrates tenacious control. When Blackshear finally exhausts an opponent in a fight, he takes an advantageous position and aims for a submission.

Even though Blackshear is developing his boxing skills, they are not enough to compete with boxers or kickboxers. If Da'Mon is unable to take an opponent to the ground or hold him in clinches, he will be outbid in the stance at a long distance.

Zalal vs Blackshear Prediction

Zalal thinks that when he comes down to bantamweight, he will have knockout power. Yes, he will surpass his rivals in size, but his weight race will become even more exhausting and the fighter will get tired early, and his speed will decrease.

Blackshear will bet on wrestling and it will work. Due to viscous clinches and control on the ground, he will wear out Zalal. Yes, in theory, Youssef has BJJ skills, but he only used them outside of the UFC against mediocre fighters.

Ode Osbourne vs Tyson Nam (Flyweight Bout)

Ode Osbourne Preview

Ode is a 30-year-old American fighter. Osborne's background is in freestyle wrestling. While in college, he competed in the NCAA Division 3, and later began studying BJJ, which earned him a purple belt. Ode is dangerous both in control from above, from where he can not only score points, but also break the opponent in ground and pound, and from below due to the fact that he knits the opponent well and does not give him space for comfortable work.

In the stand, Osborne demonstrates non-standard technique, which can surprise an opponent. Ode likes to take downed opponents for submissions. Ode's main drawback is inexperience. His losses in the UFC are due to a lack of experience.

Tyson Nam Preview

Tyson is a 38-year-old American fighter. Tyson prefers to avoid wrestling and groundwork. Thanks to aggressive pressing, he takes the center of the octagon and carries out powerful attacks. In addition to good combinational work, Nam has high knockout power. I would like to note the good stamina of the fighter: the last time he was knocked out was in 2013, and no one has submitted him yet.

Nam is an old fighter. Because of this, he does not keep up with high-speed rivals and sags in cardio by the 3rd round. Because of this, he lost all fights in the flyweight division.

Osbourne vs Nam Prediction

This battle of fighters with a heavy knockout power will not come to a decision. Tyson Nam is a 38-year-old veteran who exhausts the body with extra weight and comes out after a downtime of 1 year and 8 months. He won't be able to keep up with Osbourne's speed, which means he won't be able to build a competent defense and will take a lot of damage. If Ode picks up the pace, he will hook the opponent with an accurate hit, knock him down and finish him on the ground.

We don’t want to bet on Osborne’s early victory, because he can make a mistake again. Nam has a heavy blow and if Ode decides to take the fight to the ground, then it is better for him to prepare a good takedown. Otherwise, there is a chance to enter the opponent’s tight uppercut with the jaw and fall into a one-punch knockout.

Martin Buday vs Lukasz Brzeski (Heavyweight Bout)

Martin Buday Preview

Martin is a 30-year-old fighter from Slovakia. Martin is a versatile fighter who prefers to fight on the stand. He stands out with impressive physical strength and can knock out an opponent with one accurate hit. I note that Martin fights well. He has good takedown skills, tenacious control, and good positional fighting skill.

Buday is an untested fighter. He performed in mediocre promotions and it is not known how his skill will be revealed with an increase in the level of opposition. There is a possibility that having hit a top opponent, Martin will start making mistakes and lose.

Lukasz Brzeski Preview

Lukasz is a 30-year-old fighter from Poland. Lukasz has good skills and endurance, thanks to which he exhausts his opponents on the ground and scores points. But Brzeski's main disadvantage is not his mediocrity, but the fact that he is a lazy light-heavyweight who cannot or does not want to keep fit to compete in the light-heavyweight division. In the UFC, he will be inferior to the physical strength of most fighters.

Buday vs Brzeski Prediction

Martin Buday far surpasses his opponents in skills. He has a powerful punch and good boxing technique, due to which he will deal serious damage to Lukasz in the standing position and either send him to a one-punch knockout or knockdown and finish the opponent already on the ground.

If the fight goes to the ground, then Brzeski will fail there as well. Martin is the European BJJ champion. He will quickly get into a good attacking position, from where he can perform a submission.

Cynthia Calvillo vs Nina Nunes (Women's Flyweight Bout)

Cynthia Calvillo Preview

Cynthia is a 35-year-old American fighter. Cynthia is a versatile fighter. In the stand, she prefers to work passively, methodically delivering blows and interrupting the opponent on points. On the other hand, she is distinguished by tenacious control and frequent attempts to reach a submission.

In the stance, Calvillo is slow due to the fact that she tries to deliver accurate blows to opponents. Cynthia has poor takedown performance: only 43% of attempts to take the fight to the ground are successful. I note that Calvillo also cannot boast of knockout power.

Nina Nunes Preview

Nina is a 36-year-old athlete from the USA. Nina has a good stance. She is very uncompromising, constantly presses, throws out various combinations, and works on different levels. I note that the girl has good protection against takedowns, she stops 77% of her opponents' attempts to take her to the ground.

Nina has problems with cardio. She gets tired by the 3rd round and gives up the initiative. I note that Nunes has problems when working on the ground with experienced wrestlers.

Calvillo vs Nunes Prediction

In my opinion, the athletes have the same chances of winning, which is not reflected in the bookmaker's odds. Cynthia performed well in the women's minimum weight division, but after moving up to the flyweight division, she suddenly began to rely not on wrestling, but on standing work.

If Calvillo decides to fight with Nina Nunez, then she will face a crushing defeat. Nina is much more technical than her opponent and hits harder. Due to aggression and pressure, Nunes will not only score points but also inflict damage on the opponent, which is why it is likely that Cynthia will lose ahead of schedule in the second half of the fight.

Bruno Silva vs Gerald Meerschaert (Middleweight Bout)

We complete our MMA predictions for the full card before the main and co-main events with a curious fight from the Middleweight division.

Bruno Silva Preview

Bruno is a 33-year-old fighter from Brazil. Bruno is a solid puncher with a good Muay Thai background. He throws good combinations, often hits, and causes serious damage to opponents. Silva won 19 of his 22 victories by knockout. I note his good defense against takedowns. He blocks about 70% of opponents' attempts to take him to the ground.

Silva has big problems on the ground. If he is transferred by an experienced wrestler, he cannot rise to his feet and spends the rest of the round on his back.

Gerald Meerschaert Preview

Gerald is a 34-year-old American fighter. Gerald is a black belt in BJJ. He is always looking for an opportunity to execute submission from any position. 24 out of 32 victories he won with the help of submissions.

In the standing position, Meerschaert does a lot of work, throwing a lot of punches on different levels. The fighter uses a striking technique to get close to an opponent and take him to the ground.

Gerald has a weak jaw. 2 of his last 3 losses were by knockouts in the 1st round. The athlete has more than 40 fights, most likely, the weak grip is due to the fact that he received too much damage and now cannot withstand serious hits.

Silva vs Meerschaert Prediction

Gerald Meerschaert will once again have to face a fighter with solid knockout power. Meerschaert's only chance to win is to quickly drag the Brazilian to the ground and perform a  submission. Silva is a physically strong fighter and he will quickly get up, so Gerald will need to act with lightning speed.

If the American fails to drag the fight to the ground, then the Brazilian will break him in the standing position. Gerald doesn't take a hit well and doesn't defend well. After a couple of powerful hits from Bruno, he will most likely fly into a knockout.