UFC 147 Prelims on FX: Preview & Predictions

UFC 147 comes to you live tonight on pay-per-view, but before you check out the main card, four of the prelims will take place on FX.

Headlining the FX portion of the event will be fellow grapplers and Team Belfort teammates Rodrigo Damm and Anistavio Medeiros will meet.

Let's take a look at the FX prelims and make some predictions.

Thiago Perpetuo vs. Leonardo Mafra

The first bout of the FX portion of the card is in the middleweight division, as Team Belfort's Thiago "Bodao" Perpetuo meets Leonardo "Macarrao" Mafra of Team Silva.

A striker by trade, Perpetuo is 8-1-1 with six knockout wins. On the show, he went 2-1, falling in the semifinals. He decisioned Joao Paulo de Souza and made Francisco Drinaldo give up between rounds before falling to a vicious knockout at the hands of Cezar Ferreira.

As for Mafra, he is also a striker and holds a 5-0 record (three knockouts). Mafra was 1-1 on the show, defeating Samuel Trindade by decision, before falling victim to a submission against Cezar Ferreira.

Both men will look to make this a striking affair, so expect a knockout. My money is on Perpetuo, who is more experienced and looked more impressive on the show.

Prediction: Perpetuo def. Mafra via knockout 

John Teixeira vs. Hugo Viana

In the next bout on FX, featherweight counterparts Hugo "Wolverine" Viana (Team Belfort) and John "Macapa" Teixeira (Team Silva) meet for a chance to earn a tenure with the UFC.

Viana is young in his MMA career, holding a 5-0 record with five decision wins. He made it to the semifinals of the show, before being ousted by Rony Jason. Previous to that, Viana knocked out Alexandre Ramos and earned a decision against Marcos Vina.

Teixeira is far more experienced, holding a 13-0-1 record with nine submissions. Going 1-1 on the show, Teixeira submitted Giovanni da Silva Santos Jr. before dropping a close decision to Rodrigo Damm.

The grappling in this fight will be an interesting matchup, as Viana is a heavy wrestler while Macapa is a technical submission fighter. Expect striking to be key in this fight.

Prediction: Viana def. Teixeira via decision

Delson Heleno vs. Francisco Drinaldo

Team Silva teammates collide in the next bout, as usual welterweight Delson "Pe de Chumbo" Heleno meets usual lightweight Francisco "Massaranduba" Drinaldo.

Heleno is a long-time veteran of the sport, possessing a 23-6 record. He holds notable wins over Yuya Shirai, Waachim Spiritwolf, LeVon Maynard, Tyler Stinson and Jake Ellenberger. He is a submission specialist, as he has tapped 12 opponents out.

On the show, Heleno went 1-1. He earned a decision victory over Gilberto Galvao to get into the house, before losing by submission to Sergio Moraes.

Meanwhile, Drinaldo 10-1 in his career with four knockouts and three submissions. His stint on the show saw him win his first fight against Charles Maicon by knockout before retiring in his second fight against Thiago Perpetuo.

If Heleno gets the fight down, he may use his superior grappling to control Drinaldo. Otherwise, Drinaldo may control the fight with his better striking ability.

Prediction: Heleno def. Drinaldo via decision 

Anistavio Medeiros vs. Rodrigo Damm

In the final fight on FX, Team Belfort castmates and two men who dislike each other in Rodrigo Damm and Anistavio Medeiros are set to collide. 

Medeiros is only 24 years old, but has already participated in 22 professional fights. At 15-7, he has finished every fight by tapout or knockout (12 submissions, three knockouts). On the show, he beat Rafael Bueno by decision before having his arm broken by Rony Jason's armbar.

Damm is a big-fight veteran, having fought in Sengoku, Strikeforce and Bodog Fight. At 9-5, Damm has won five times by submission and twice by knockout. On the show, Damm would have been a semifinalist, but a health issue made him back out of the competition.

Both are great grapplers, but Damm is likely better in every area the fight could go. Expect a tough fight from Medeiros though.

Prediction: Damm def. Medeiros via submission