UFC 178 Preliminary Card Predictions
We are back to pay-per-view with an awesome card, as UFC 178 returns to Las Vegas this Saturday. Headlined with a title fight between Demetrious Johnson and Chris Cariaso, the lineup is loaded from the top to the bottom.
Before that, we have some great prelim fights. They feature guys like Patrick Cote, Jorge Masvidal and Dominick Cruz.
The prelim predictions for myself have been great recently, and we continue to look for that here. Japan gave me reason to celebrate, as the picks I made were solid.
Here are the prelim predictions for UFC 178.
2014 Riley's Record: 132-78
Last Event: UFC Fight Night 52 (4-2)
UFC Fight Pass Early Prelims
1 of 5
Manny Gamburyan vs. Cody Gibson
Manny Gamburyan has always been an inconsistent fighter, sometimes looking like a contender and other times looking completely lost. This drop to bantamweight is another move in weight classes that is attempting to get him on the right track. However, Cody Gibson is very underrated and scrappy. His striking and wrestling should be enough to make Gamburyan uncomfortable from the onset.
Gibson, Unanimous Decision
Jon Tuck vs. Kevin Lee
This is really a sleeper matchup because both guys are low on the foot chain but could bring some fun action. Kevin Lee's unimpressive performance against Jesse Ronson concerns me, especially because Jon Tuck has better takedown defense than Ronson and likely is a better striker than Lee. That will lead him to a victory over the young UFC star.
Tuck, Unanimous Decision
John Howard vs. Brian Ebersole
2 of 5
We open up the Fox Sports 1 prelims in the welterweight division, as John Howard looks to jump back into the win column against grisly veteran Brian Ebersole.
Ebersole is a wrestler who has shown a trickle of activity in recent times. He hasn't fought as much, which could have to do with age and career longevity.
He has run into a losing streak, something that will weigh on him in this bout. He will need to close the distance and get Howard down early and often in this bout.
Howard's return to the UFC has been very good thus far, as a stint in the regionals looks to have been the medicine for Howard's slumping ways. Though he is coming off a loss to Ryan LaFlare, he did score wins over Uriah Hall and Siyar Bahadurzada in his first two bouts of this stint.
Howard's striking, explosiveness and athleticism are going to be major keys in this fight. It will cause some problems for Ebersole, who gets his walking papers with a loss.
Prediction: Howard def. Ebersole via decision
Patrick Cote vs. Stephen Thompson
3 of 5
Next up, we have more welterweights, as Canadian veteran Patrick Cote takes on hungry young gun Stephen Thompson.
Thompson is a high-level kickboxer, which shows when he steps in the cage door. The young fighter has only gotten better as well, knocking out and besting better opponents every time he fights.
His recent wins over Chris Clements and Robert Whittaker were very impressive. In those fights, he outstruck fellow strikers and put them down with extreme prejudice.
As for Cote, the Canadian has continued to evolve in the late stages of his career. In fact, he is no longer just a brawler, as he has added a wrestling wrinkle to his game.
He currently finds himself on a three-fight surge, including a well-balanced attack and decision of Kyle Noke. His wrestling is something he will have to incorporate here.
If Cote comes in with another balanced game plan with clinch and takedowns, he should be able to surprise the young American. He is too experienced and seasoned to fall into any trances.
Prediction: Cote def. Thompson via decision
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Jorge Masvidal vs. James Krause
4 of 5
Next up, we have a barnburner in the lightweight division, as Jorge Masvidal looks to continue his march toward the title as he takes on the scrappy James Krause.
Masvidal is a guy we have seen evolve right before our eyes from a brawling boxer to a well-rounded mixed martial artist. This has been the most apparent from his time with the UFC so far, where he has surprised everybody with his increase in skill and performance.
Other than a hiccup against Rustam Khabilov, Masvidal has handily defeated the rest of his competition, from Michael Chiesa to Daron Cruickshank to Pat Healy. In that time, he has shown an increased ground game as well as improved takedown defense.
As for Krause, he has seen some good with some bad in his UFC tenure. Other than a TKO loss to Bobby Green, he has choked out veteran Sam Stout and broke the ankle of Jamie Varner with a well-placed kick.
Krause is definitely a good fighter, but Masvidal is simply on another level here. He will use a balanced approach to make Krause uncomfortable from the onset, earning a finish in the process.
Prediction: Masvidal def. Krause via TKO
Dominick Cruz vs. Takeya Mizugaki
5 of 5
Capping off the prelims are the bantamweights, as Dominick Cruz looks to shake off the rust and get into the title picture when he fights Japanese star Takeya Mizugaki.
Cruz was champion before an over two-year layoff stripped him of his championship. Before that, he was a dominant champion, beating all comers from Urijah Faber to Demetrious Johnson (his last fight in 2011).
It will be interesting to see if his footwork and speed are still there, especially since his knees are what were banged up in his layoff. He also has wrestling he can rely on if needed.
Mizugaki has gone on a five-fight win streak, a streak that reversed a long pattern of shuffling wins and losses. His improvements have been visible, as the Japanese fighter has used solid takedown defense and striking to gain those victories.
Cruz may have been on the shelf for a long time, but he is simply one of the best around. He will return to his glory with a win here, and if he's impressive enough, he will earn a title shot.
Prediction: Cruz def. Mizugaki via decision
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