The UFC returns to Wednesday nights when the promotion holds UFC Fight Night 27 tomorrow live from Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and the main card features six intriguing matchups including a headliner pitting two of the top-10 ranked welterweights in the world against one another with their relevancy in the division on the line.
WATCH five hours of live UFC action Wednesday on Sportsnet 360 starting at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT and catch two bonus prelims on sportsnet.ca starting at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT. Broadcast Schedule. Also, watch Tuesday’s weigh-ins live on sportsnet.ca at 4 p.m. ET.
Here are my predictions for the UFC Fight Night 27 main card.
Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann
The main event of UFC Fight Night 27 is a fantastic five-round fight between perennial welterweight contenders Carlos Condit and Martin Kampmann, a fight that is a rematch of the pair’s 2009 encounter that Kampmann won via controversial split decision.
Both fighters have taken different career paths since their first fight, with Condit becoming the UFC interim welterweight champion back at UFC 143 and then fighting Georges St-Pierre for the unified title at UFC 154, and with Kampmann on the other hand falling short of a title shot every time he’s come close.
I believe that since the first fight that both fighters have improved, but there’s no doubt in my mind that Condit has improved the most of the pair and I think he’s learned a lot from the loss to St-Pierre as well as the loss to Kampmann four years ago.
This fight will be competitive in the early goings but we’ve seen that Kampmann gets hit a ton on the feet and Condit is one of the best finishers in the sport (26 stoppages in 28 career wins). Look for Condit to eventually wear Kampmann down and then, in the third round, start to unload with strikes and win the fight in devastating fashion.
Prediction: Condit via TKO
Donald Cerrone vs. Rafael dos Anjos
Another “Fight of the Night“ candidate sees lightweight contenders Donald Cerrone and Rafael dos Anjos square off in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 27 in a matchup that can not possibly be boring.
Both Cerrone and dos Anjos always put on great fights for the crowd and I expect this one to be the same as I see both fighters putting on a standup clinic en route to a close decision on the scorecards.
This fight has split decision written all over it but I think dos Anjos is going to land the cleaner, harder strikes and the judges are going to side with him as he picks up his fifth straight win and moves into the lightweight division’s elite.
Prediction: dos Anjos via decision
Brian Melancon vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Brian Melancon, who had a KO of the year candidate over Seth Baczynski back at UFC 162, looks to keep rolling in the Octagon when he takes on TUF 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum, who is making his UFC welterweight debut.
This is a fantastic matchup and the winner will surely get a big step up in competition their next time out. Although Melancon can very well win by KO in the first, the chances are Gastelum is able to survive and win the second and third rounds en route to a decision win.
Prediction: Gastelum via decision
Court McGee vs. Robert Whittaker
TUF 11 winner Court McGee takes on 22-year-old TUF Smashes winner Robert Whittaker in a fight between two guys who love to stand in the pocket and trade bombs.
This is an excellent matchup and I expect it to be in the running for “Fight of the Night,” but ultimately I see McGee’s Octagon experience paying huge dividends in this one as he takes Whittaker into the deep waters and grinds out a gritty decision win.
Prediction: McGee via decision
Brad Tavares vs. Bubba McDaniel
Rising middleweight Brad Tavares looks to continue his run up the 185-pound ladder with a big win over TUF 17 alum Bubba McDaniel, who picked up a submission win over Gilbert Smith in his official UFC debut back in April.
I believe that Tavares has the potential to be one of the top 10 middleweights in the world and McDaniel is essentially a gatekeeper. McDaniel doesn’t take punches well and Tavares hits hard, so my prediction here is for Tavares to finish the fight with strikes in either the first or second round.
Prediction: Tavares via TKO
Erik Perez vs. Takeya Mizugaki
The next great bantamweight looks to make it four wins in a row as rising star Erik Perez takes on veteran Takeya Mizugaki in what is by far the young Mexican’s stiffest test to date in the Octagon.
I’m surprised the UFC booked Perez against someone as talented as Mizugaki as he’s just 23 years old, but the promotion believes he can be a star as they make inroads into Mexico and he needs a big win on his resume over a guy like Mizugaki to become that draw.
The UFC wouldn’t have booked this fight if they thought Perez would lose. The fight will be competitive, but I see Perez getting his hand raised via decision once it’s all said and done.
Prediction: Perez via decision