UFC 173: Predictions for Most Intriguing Preliminary Matchups
It's clear the UFC 173 main card has a good number of interesting bouts on tap. Who isn't interested in seeing Renan Barao take on TJ Dillashaw, the Daniel Cormier-Dan Henderson bout and the potentially explosive Robbie Lawler-Jake Ellenberger battle?
The preliminaries aren't going to be on par with that show, but there could be a few bright spots.
Anthony Njokuani will try again to capture and sustain the magnetic and brutal appeal he established in the WEC. He takes on Vinc Pichel as part of the UFC Fight Pass portion of the show.
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Chris Holdsworth, winner of The Ultimate Fighter 18, will take on tough veteran Chico Camus, and Michael Chiesa will test his grappling prowess against stocky and powerful Brazilian veteran Francisco Trinaldo.
Here's how we see each of those battles transpiring.
Holdsworth's Skills Will Overcome Camus' Aggression
Per MMA Junkie, Holdsworth says he believes Camus has a "streetfighter mentality," adding, "He goes in there and bangs it out."
Holdsworth is right to expect Camus to come at him full steam ahead. Essentially, that's the only way Camus knows how to fight. The young Holdsworth is ready for him.
With an impressive array of grappling and submission techniques, Holdsworth has an excellent base to build on. He's not quite where he needs to be as an all-around mixed martial artist, but his dominant ground game will be enough to subdue Camus.
Look for Holdsworth to score his sixth straight submissions victory.
Njokuani Will Smash Pichel
Through six UFC appearances, Njokuani has been unable to establish back-to-back wins.
During his days in the WEC, Njokuani once strung together three straight KO of the Night awards.
Here's what Duane Finley of UFC.com said about Njokuani's striking: "Njokuani is undoubtedly one of the premier strikers in the lightweight division and those skills have melted and crumbled more than a few notable fighters."
After knocking out Roger Bowling in spectacular fashion in April, Njokuani is back in search of a UFC win streak.
He'll be the longer, quicker man in the cage when he faces Vinc Pachel on Saturday, and that will make all the difference.
By beating Pachel to the punch and throwing his patented punch-kick combinations, he'll catch Pachel and stop him.
Trinaldo Will Trump Chiesa
Chiesa's ground game is very advanced, but Trinaldo is no slouch as a grappler. Five of his 14 wins have come by submission.
Still, Trinaldo is likely going to see the stand-up game as his best path to a victory.
Even if Chiesa tries to take him down, he's good enough off his back to survive and get back to a standing position. As a striker, he's quicker and more explosive than Chiesa.
The Brazilian will gain the upper hand after a strike and pound out his opponent on the ground.
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