UFC 140 Predictions: Brian Ebersole vs. Claude Patrick

Fans will be treated to a welterweight encounter between hometown hero Claude Patrick and Brian Ebersole at UFC 140 this weekend. 

A crafty submission specialist, Patrick is entering this bout with a lot of momentum and a home-field advantage on his side. The Mississauga, Ontario native is currently riding a three-fight win streak and has remained undefeated in the UFC thus far, earning victories over James Wilks, Daniel Roberts and Ricardo Funch. Should Patrick get a fourth straight victory inside the Octagon, he will begin to establish himself as one of the most promising fighters at 170 pounds. 

Ebersole is a longtime veteran who possesses efficient grappling skills and is one of the most unorthodox and unpredictable fighters in the welterweight division. At 31 years old, Ebersole holds a lot of experience having competed in over 60 professional bouts. With wins over Dennis Hallman and Chris Lytle, Ebersole has quickly risen throughout the rankings and is looking to maintain a perfect UFC record with a victory over Patrick.

This bout will be an interesting test for both competitors, as both Patrick and Ebersole are quite efficient and technical with their grappling skills. Also, Ebersole's unpredictable offense makes him difficult to prepare for.

Patrick's grappling and submission skills are most effective when he inside the clinch with his opponents, but Ebersole's dynamic skills and work rate could frustrate the Canadian for a majority of the bout. 

While Patrick might fare well for a good duration of the bout, ultimately Ebersole's experience and wide variety of offense should be enough to keep Patrick hesitant and on the losing end of the judges' scorecards. 

Prediction: Brian Ebersole by unanimous decision.