UFC 167 is a megashow in every sense of the word, with the main event being the long awaited UFC welterweight title fight between champ Georges St-Pierre and challenger Johny Hendricks. The rest of the pay-per-view card is filled up by established stars like Chael Sonnen, Rashad Evans, Rory MacDonald, Josh Koscheck.
But that’s not all, as the preliminary card is stacked to the brim with seven excellent matchups that should provide an evening’s worth of entertainment.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Watch UFC 167 preliminary fights on Sportsnet 360 Saturday starting at 8 p.m. EST and catch three bonus prelims on sportsnet.ca at 6:45 p.m. EST
Here’s my predictions for the UFC 167 preliminary card, which could end up being one of the most memorable prelim cards of the year if things go the way I am predicting them to.
Lightweight bout: Donald Cerrone vs. Evan Dunham
In a lightweight bout that is the headliner of the Sportsnet 360 prelims, Donald Cerrone takes on Evan Dunham in a fight between two of the best 155-pounders in the world. This is an excellent matchup on paper and I expect it to play out that way in the cage as I see both men standing in the centre of the Octagon and going toe-to-toe for 15 minutes. It will be close, but I think that Dunham is going to land more strikes and mix in a few takedowns and eventually, after three rounds of action, be declared the winner by unanimous decision in what I believe will be the “Fight of the Night” at UFC 167.
Prediction: Dunham via decision
Middleweight bout: Ed Herman vs. Thales Leites
In a middleweight bout, veterans Ed Herman and Thales Leites do battle in a matchup that is critical for both men, as each are at the crossroads of their career. The winner of this fight will stay relevant in the UFC middleweight division, while the loser may be released, making it important for both to show up and give their best. This could be a sleeper for “Fight of the Night” as it will likely be very back-and-forth, but I’ll lean towards Leites here as I think he’ll be able to grind out the decision on the judges’ scorecards.
Prediction: Leites via decision
Welterweight bout: Brian Ebersole vs. Rick Story
In a welterweight bout, Brian Ebersole returns to the cage after a year-long-plus layoff to take on Rick Story, who desperately needs a win to save his MMA career. Both of these guys are in a bad spot, as the loser of the bout may very well get cut, and I see both of them trying very hard to get the win. It’s a close fight and Ebersole may pull it off, but I’ll lean slightly towards Story here to get a decision win. But it’s not a lock by any means.
Prediction: Story via decision
Bantamweight bout: Edwin Figueroa vs. Erik Perez
In a bantamweight bout that will kick off the televised prelims, Edwin Figueora takes on Erik Perez. Perez was rising up the 135-pound ladder until he lost a close split decision to Takeya Mizugaki in his last fight, and now he looks to get on track against one of the division’s weaker fights in Figueroa.
This is a set-up fight from the UFC to get Perez back on track. Look for him to dominate from the opening bell and win the fight with a first-or second-round TKO.
Prediction: Perez via TKO
Welterweight bout: Jason High vs. Anthony Lapsley
In a welterweight bout, veteran Jason High welcomes Anthony Lapsley to the UFC. You may remember Lapsley from his stint in Bellator where he lost controversially to Jay Hieron, but he’s earned himself a chance now to fight with the best of the world in the UFC and I expect him to be hungry. Still, I don’t think it’ll be enough, as I think High is the better fighter. While Lapsley may be scrappy, I see High sneaking in his signature guillotine choke and getting the submission win.
Prediction: High via submission
Light heavyweight bout: Gian Villante vs. Cody Donovan
In a light heavyweight bout, Gian Villante takes on Cody Donovan. This is probably the worst fight on the prelim card as neither guy has too much potential, but in saying that, I still think it ends inside the distance. Since Villante has shown more toughness in his UFC career, I’ll say he takes advantage of Donovan’s weak chin and finishes the fight via KO.
Prediction: Villante via KO
Bantamweight bout: Sergio Pettis vs. Will Campuzano
In a bantamweight bout that will kick off the preliminary card on Facebook, UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis’s younger brother Sergio makes his Octagon debut against Will Campuzano, who earned his way back to the UFC with five straight wins on the regional circuit.
Campuzano is a tough dude but Pettis is a special prospect. I think he dominates this fight, and I think he ends it in highlight-reel fashion with either a knockout or submission finish. I’ll go with a knockout, and I’ll say Pettis lands a head kick.
Prediction: Sergio Pettis via TKO
