UFC 190 Preliminary Card Predictions
The UFC returns to Brazil on Saturday, as the anticipated UFC 190 comes to fans live on pay-per-view. Headlined by female bantamweight ace Ronda Rousey and top contender Bethe Correia, the card boasts a seven-fight main card that will bring extra action for the fans.
Before that we have the preliminary card, which is strong on talent. Guys like former Strikeforce champion Rafael Cavalcante, UFC title challenger Demian Maia and rising star Warlley Alves all grace the undercard, making the prelims just as must-see as the main card.
Last weekend was not a great one for the prelim picks here, so this writer hopes to improve this time around. We are nearly eight months into the year, and we hope to push the winning percentage higher than it is.
With that, let's examine the prelims and make some picks for this Saturday's event.
2015 Riley's Record: 93-58
Last Event: 3-5 (UFC on Fox 16)
Hugo Viana vs. Guido Cannetti
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Kicking things off are the bantamweights, as Argentina's Guido Cannetti invades the homeland of Hugo "Wolverine" Viana in search of his first UFC win.
Viana, a member of the original The Ultimate Fighter Brazil, is a power-punching grinder with good takedowns and strong top position. When he's not grappling, he has immense power in his hands for a 135-pound fighter, which allows him to stop a fight with one strike.
Since entering the UFC, he is 3-2, with his knockout of Reuben Duran being the highlight of his tenure. However, in his last three, he has dropped two fights, including finishes at the hands of elite fighters TJ Dillashaw and Aljamain Sterling.
As for Cannetti, he was a member of the original TUF Latin America, where he competed on the non-Mexican team. He prefers to stand up with his opponents, though his chin has come into question in recent fights.
Since coming to the UFC, he has yet to win a fight on either the main roster or TUF. He took losses on the reality show to Marco Beltran and Alejandro Perez and got choked out by Henry Briones in his official roster debut.
Cannetti is simply not ready for the UFC, while Viana has proved he can hang. That's what makes this an easy pick, as Wolverine should be able to finish the Argentine with relative ease.
Prediction: Viana def. Cannetti via KO
Vitor Miranda vs. Clint Hester
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Next up are the middleweights, as Brazil's Vitor Miranda faces Clint Hester in an early Fight of the Night affair.
A muay thai specialist, Miranda is a striking coach at Team Nogueira and has a lot of experience in combat sports. There is no secret as to what he likes to do in fights, as he uses stout takedown defense and dangerous striking technique to look for knockouts.
He made the UFC after a spectacular run on TUF Brazil 3, where he made the finals. While he failed to win against season winner Antonio Carlos Jr., he came back strong in his next bout, knocking out Jake Collier in the first round.
As for Hester, he is an athletic, explosive boxer with immense power in his hands. He has added some kicks to his arsenal, but it's his movement, accuracy and damage infliction that make him such a dangerous adversary on the feet.
He entered the UFC on a strong note, winning his first four bouts with the company over Bristol Marunde, Dylan Andrews, Andy Enz and Antonio Braga Neto. However, in his most recent offering, Hester's winning streak came to an end, as the streaking Robert Whittaker stopped him.
These two will stand and bang, much to the delight of fans. Based on his natural gifts and power, Hester will do more damage and walk away as the winner.
Prediction: Hester def. Miranda via decision
Iuri Alcantara vs. Leandro Issa
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Moving forward we head to the bantamweight division, as Brazilians Iuri Alcantara and Leandro Issa are set to do battle.
Alcantara is a longtime UFC veteran who has looked to improve himself by moving over to Jackson-Winklejohn MMA in New Mexico with his brother. He is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt but likes to use his striking more nowadays, as he is powerful with his punches and kicks.
He is 6-3 with the UFC overall and 3-1 in his last four. Despite getting outwrestled to a decision in his most recent fight with Frankie Saenz, he beat Wilson Reis, Vaughan Lee and Russell Doane in that stretch, showing Alcantara is still hanging around the title picture.
Issa is a BJJ expert who is most comfortable when he's fighting on the mat. He trains with Evolve MMA in Southeast Asia, which explains why he was in One FC before he came to the UFC.
Since coming to the UFC, he has gone 2-1. Though he lost to the aforementioned Doane in his debut, he earned submission wins over Tuerxun Jumabieke and Yuta Sasaki, showing he now has his feet under him.
Issa presents a great challenge for Alcantara on the ground, but he won't be able to get him there. Alcantara will keep this upright and punish Issa with his powerful striking.
Prediction: Alcantara def. Issa via TKO
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Warlley Alves vs. Nordine Taleb
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We head to the welterweight division next, as French Canadian Nordine Taleb meets up with TUF Brazil 3 winner Warlley Alves.
Alves is a top prospect out of Brazil who is well-rounded and likes to finish fights, whether it's with his hands or submissions. He would prefer to get this to the ground, especially in this fight, as striking with Taleb is probably not the best idea.
Alves won TUF Brazil 3 in impressive fashion, choking out Marcio Alexandre in his official debut. He followed that up with a decision victory over Alan Jouban, though it was a contentious decision that many fans panned.
A Bellator veteran, Taleb is a kickboxer who likes to use his strikes, as well as clinch against the cage. He has been known to grind guys out as well, as he is a physical specimen and powerful in terms of strength.
He is 3-0 with the UFC after failed runs on TUF 19 and TUF Nations. In his current tenure, he has won three decisions over Vik Grujic, Jingliang Li and Chris Clements.
This is a much closer fight than people think, which should make this a strategic chess match. Alves has more upside at this point, which is why he will slide by in a nail-biter.
Prediction: Alves def. Taleb via decision
Rafael Cavalcante vs. Patrick Cummins
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The light heavyweights are set to square off next, as Brazil's Rafael Cavalcante takes on Patrick Cummins in a pivotal bout at 205 pounds.
Cummins is a Reign MMA gym member who is trying to work his striking to complement his already strong wrestling base. He is athletic and explosive on the shot, and he needs to get this fight to the mat if he wants to be successful against Cavalcante.
Cummins is 3-2 in the UFC against solid competition. He fell to Daniel Cormier (on short notice) and Ovince Saint Preux but scored victories over Roger Narvaez, Kyle Kingsbury and Antonio Carlos Jr. so far in his tenure.
As for Cavalcante, he is the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion and a standing member of Team Nogueira. He is known for his technical and powerful striking, which allows him to batter opponents in the stand-up.
Since coming to the UFC, he is just 1-2 and has not competed in more than a year. Though he does have a win over Igor Pokrajac, he has fallen to both Thiago Silva and Ryan Bader, so he needs a victory to stay relevant here.
A lot of people have cooled on Cummins, and I understand why. However, Cavalcante hasn't done much lately to instill a lot of confidence in him, so I will pick the wrestling of the world's baddest barista.
Prediction: Cummins def. Cavalcante via decision
Demian Maia vs. Neil Magny
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Capping off the prelims are the welterweights, as longtime Brazilian contender Demian Maia looks to halt the crazy momentum of Neil Magny.
Maia is widely known as one of the best BJJ practitioners in the game. He has greatly improved his striking in recent times, but it's his mat work that is the most feared part of his overall approach.
He is on a two-fight winning streak, earning unanimous-decision wins over Ryan LaFlare and Alexander Yakovlev. His current streak reversed a losing streak, as the former title challenger fell on hard times against Rory MacDonald and Jake Shields.
As for Magny, he is a long, lengthy fighter with good hands, strong takedown defense and a grinding approach. He has greatly improved since his time on TUF 16, where he didn't win the show but has been the best fighter to come from it.
He is riding an unprecedented seven-fight winning streak, but his best work has come recently. His last three fights have all been finishes, as he knocked out William Macario and Hyun Gyu Lim and submitted Kiichi Kunimoto.
Magny has surprised many of us lately, but he probably doesn't have one of those surprises in store for us here. Maia is world-class and will show him why by tapping Magny out.
Prediction: Maia def. Magny via submission
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