UFC 206: Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony Johnson 2 Main Card Preview and Predictions

UFC 205 was a special night, but, alas, normalcy returns at UFC 206. The card was an ugly thing from top to bottom, with an unexciting main event and little else of value behind it, but some shake-ups to the UFC 205 card saw a few interesting names added. 

The full lineup of fights is as follows:

• Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony Johnson
• Max Holloway vs. Anthony Pettis
• Donald Cerrone vs. Matt Brown
• Tim Kennedy vs. Rashad Evans
• Cub Swanson vs. Dooho Choi
• Nikita Krylov vs. Misha Cirkunov
• Zach Makovsky vs. Dustin Ortiz
• Valerie Letourneau vs. Viviane Pereira
• Jordan Mein vs. Emil Weber Meek
• John Makdessi vs. Lando Vannata
• Jason Saggo vs. Rustam Khabilov
• Chad Laprise vs. Li Jingliang
• Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Drew Dober
• Mitch Gagnon vs. Matthew Lopez

Naturally, Bleacher Report is here to give you an early look at the card. So buckle in and read on.

Nikita Krylov vs. Misha Cirkunov

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Division: Light Heavyweight 
Records: Nikita Krylov (21-4), Misha Cirkunov (12-2)

Two light heavyweights. Eleven combined UFC fights. Zero decisions. Five submissions. Four knockouts.

Nikita Krylov vs. Misha Cirkunov is guaranteed fireworks, ladies and gentlemen. 

Both men are exciting, younger light heavyweights who have carved out niches as exciting action fighters, but neither has had the chance to shine against established opposition. Unfortunately for the fighters, that doesn't change at UFC 206. Fortunately for the fans, they will face off in the favorite for Fight of the Night.

This one is a toss-up. Both men are capable of ending a fight on their feet or on the mat. The only question is which can land earlier.

The slight favorite—in this writer's book, at least—is Cirkunov. Really, though, this is a coin flip.

Misha Cirkunov def. Nikita Krylov by TKO in Round 3

Cub Swanson vs. Dooho Choi

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Division: Featherweight
Records: Cub Swanson (23-7), Dooho Choi (14-1)

High-quality MMA can take many forms. 

Sometimes, it's amazing takedown defense setting up a crisp jab and hard leg kicks. Sometimes, it's a good power double into ground-and-pound. 

And sometimes, like with this fight, it's kickboxing that comes straight out of a movie.

Despite debuting as a long, strong submission wizard in the WEC, Cub Swanson became a striking dynamo when he made the jump to the UFC. His ability to attack with punches and kicks from a variety of angles set him apart from a division full of generic "wrestleboxers," and his sheer grit made him a top-10 featherweight and nearly saw him earn a crack at the title with a six-fight winning streak from 2012 to 2014.

A speed bump in the form of back-to-back losses opposite Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar threatened his career, but he has since returned to form in 2016.

Dooho Choi, however, hasn't hit any speed bumps yet. The Korean Superboy rose to prominence as the toast of the modern Japanese circuit, and his success there has translated to the UFC thus far. He debuted in 2014 with an 18-second demolition of Juan Puig and has blown up Sam Sicilia and Thiago Tavares since then. 

Both men have fearsome skills and a lot on the line entering 206. The winner will cement his place in the top 10, while the loser will be left without a clear place in the division. 

This one is a toss-up on paper, but when in doubt over a fight between two flashy strikers, err on the side of youth.

Prediction: Dooho Choi def. Cub Swanson by TKO in Round 3

Donald Cerrone vs. Matt Brown

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Division: Welterweight
Records: Donald Cerrone (31-7 (1)), Matt Brown (20-15)

Donald Cerrone and Matt Brown are moving in different directions. 

Cerrone is a hot upstart at 170 pounds but has looked phenomenal to date. With three impressive wins to his name already, he is close to breaking into the top 10 and may even be just a fight or two away from a title shot.

Brown, meanwhile, has been there already...but isn't there any longer. Despite remaining a fan favorite, the veteran welterweight is 1-4 over his last five. Most recently, Jake Ellenberger knocked him out at UFC 201. It's not clear how much time he has left at this point, but his career would be reinvigorated in a big way with a win here.

That's unlikely to happen, though. With Cerrone looking better than ever physically, stylistically and mentally, this is likely going to be a "passing the torch" kind of moment.

Prediction: Donald Cerrone def. Matt Brown by TKO in Round 2

Tim Kennedy vs. Rashad Evans

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Division: Middleweight
Records: Rashad Evans (19-5-1), Tim Kennedy (18-5)

UFC 205 was supposed to play host to a scrap between former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans and top-10 middleweight Tim Kennedy, but an issue with the NYSAC saw the fight scrapped just a few days before the event. What is that issue? That's unknown at this time, but it was apparently minor enough that the UFC felt confident rescheduling the fight for UFC 206. 

Despite the delay, all the variables remain the same.

Evans was one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in MMA at one point, combining natural striking skills with well-honed wrestling. An ill-fated title fight opposite Jon Jones in 2012, however, sent him into a career tailspin that has seen him go 2-4 in his last six. With a 2007 win over middleweight champ Michael Bisping in his pocket and a bit of name value left, however, he's just a win away from finding new life at 185 pounds.

That win won't come easily, though.

Kennedy's recent career has been defined by two things: his ongoing head-butting with the UFC over the Reebok deal and, likely as a direct result, inactivity. He was last seen in the Octagon at UFC 178, where he lost to Yoel Romero in controversial fashion, but before that, he took a clean win off Bisping at the TUF: Nations finale. Those two fights give Kennedy a unique place in the middleweight title picture and could theoretically put him into the title picture (assuming he doesn't get the runaround from bitter UFC decision-makers).

This is an interesting fight in an amorphous division and a critical one for both men. 

It's tough to predict how this one could shake out given the two-year layoff for Kennedy, but Evans' recent struggles loom large here. Kennedy may have lost a step since his last fight, but even if he has, that doesn't necessarily mean he won't be able to beat the 2016 model of Suga. 

Prediction: Tim Kennedy def. Rashad Evans by Unanimous Decision

Max Holloway vs. Anthony Pettis

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Division: Featherweight
Records: Max Holloway (16-3), Anthony Pettis (19-5)

Max Holloway has been on fire for so long that it's impressive he's not just a pile of ash at this point. After a rocky 3-3 start to his UFC career, Holloway's game seemingly came together overnight. A TKO of former top prospect Will Chope was followed by a steady rise through the ranks. Today, the young Hawaiian is riding an astounding nine-fight winning streak with a slew of top-10 names.

He looks the part of a downright dominant fighter and finally has the chance to work against a name opponent at UFC 206. That name opponent is former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis.

Known for his high-flying fighting style, Pettis is one of the biggest names in the featherweight division despite his well-established inability to stay healthy. He recovered from an ugly three-fight losing streak in August by defeating Charles Oliveira and could jump directly into the featherweight title picture by knocking off a top-three name in Holloway.

That makes this one of the most interesting and electrifying fights on the card. Both men are fan-friendly strikers, and the winner will have a strong claim to a title shot, whether that comes against Jose Aldo or Conor McGregor. 

Holloway is the safer bet given his consistently over the last three years, but Pettis can't ever be counted out. 

Prediction: Max Holloway def. Anthony Pettis by Unanimous Decision

Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony Johnson 2

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Division: Light Heavyweight
Records: Daniel Cormier (18-1), Anthony Johnson (22-5)

Eighteen months separated from their first fight, Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson are still the same fighters.

Cormier remains one of the most technically sound wrestlers in MMA, with an Olympic background that has been brilliantly adapted to fit the cage. Johnson remains a whirlwind of violence and is capable of leveling a man in an instant with his unnaturally powerful fists. He also remains the man who wilted underneath Cormier's wrestling, tapping to a third-round rear-naked choke.

It's easy to both buy into Johnson and completely dismiss him in this fight. Johnson is arguably the scariest fighter in MMA today and has the explosiveness and pop to put anyone to sleep in a blink. If he can't do so quickly, however, he tends to slow down, turtle up and accept defeat.

That basically leaves this fight with two possible outcomes: an early knockout by Johnson or a late submission by Cormier. The latter already happened, and a repeat is more likely than not.

Prediction: Daniel Cormier def. Anthony Johnson by Submission in Round 4