WSOF 18 Preview and Predictions

On Thursday night, World Series of Fighting 18 will be live on NBC Sports with an interesting card from Canada. In a WSOF Bantamweight Championship match, Marlon Moraes will be looking to defend his belt against The Ultimate Fighter 18 veteran Josh Hill on Hill's home turf.

Also on the card are several Canadian talents who will be attempting to make names for themselves in America. Many of these men are prospects, which will give fans some insight about the fighters emerging from that country.

Without further ado, here are the predictions for WSOF 18.

Preliminary Card Predictions

Gregory Payan/Associated Press

Preliminary Card Predictions

170: Andrew McInnes def. Cody McKenzie

170: Spencer Jebb def. Mark Drummond

155: Dan Lariviere def. Garret Nybakken

185: Ali Mokdad def. Matt Baker

185: Marcus Hicks def. Graham Park

Hakeem Dawodu vs. Tristan Johnson

We kick things off in the featherweight division, where undefeated Hakeem Dawodu meets veteran Tristan Johnson in a battle of Canadians. 

Dawodu is a muay thai stylist who is just 3-0 in his pro MMA career. He is incredibly explosive and technical, which has led to three knockout wins in 2014, all under the WSOF banner.

He quickly knocked out Behrang Yousefi in his debut before plastering Jake MacDonald, which earned him an upgrade from WSOF Canada to the mother promotion. His most recent bout saw him hand Mike Malott his first loss when he put him down with strikes in the first round.

As for Johnson, the 14-fight veteran will have the edge in terms of experience. Johnson has fought some tough competition in his time, as the striker has been in the cage against the likes of Rick Glenn, Rob Font and Jesse Gross.

Johnson is looking to build on his most recent outing, a win over Keven Morin, which reversed a devastating knockout loss to Font. Johnson has the tools to match up with Dawodu, though implementing a ground attack would be smarter.

Johnson needs to stay away from the power of Dawodu, but Dawodu is too quick. He will stick and move, peppering Johnson with big shots before eventually scoring the finish.

Prediction: Dawodu def. Johnson via TKO

Mukai Maromo vs. Jose Rodriguez

Next up are the lightweights. Former MFC star Mukai Maromo looks to end a two-fight skid when he meets up with the gritty Jose Rodriguez.

Maromo is a muay thai striker whose ground game has been exploited in the past. That being said, he is a treat to watch on the feet due to his technical skills and power. 

He has lost two in a row via submission against Kurt Southern and Graham Spencer. Those losses halted a five-fight winning streak, which brought Maromo fans and fortune in the world of Canadian MMA.

As for Rodriguez, he is a well-rounded fighter who has fought around the Canadian regional scene to some success. That being said, Maromo is one of the toughest fighters he has fought to date, which will show us if Rodriguez is a legit lightweight prospect.

Maromo needs to avoid the takedown here, as he is clearly the better, more technical striker. He will take a stick-and-move strategy and will outpoint Rodriguez to get back to the win column.

Prediction: Maromo def. Rodriguez via decision

Shane Campbell vs. Derek Boyle

A welterweight bout is the co-main event, as top Canadian fighter Shane Campbell looks to continue his winning ways against 19-fight veteran Derek Boyle.

Campbell is well-rounded, though his top game on the ground is something to watch out for. He has good striking as well, though a lot of it serves to set up clinch work, at which he is also solid.

Campbell is on a two-fight surge right now, and his latest win showed us a lot about him. He was down early against Marcus Edwards before he came back and earned a stoppage from strikes.

Boyle has seen mixed results in his career thus far but has been a staple of the Canadian scene for a while. He is a striker with spotty submission defense, something Campbell must look to exploit here.

Campbell is the better fighter, plain and simple. He will outhustle Boyle in this fight and end him on the ground, continuing to build momentum to bigger things.

Prediction: Campbell def. Boyle via submission

Marlon Moraes vs. Josh Hill

The main event will see the WSOF Bantamweight Championship on the line, as champion Moraes looks to retain his crown against Hill.

Moraes is a muay thai stylist with excellent takedown defense, thunderous kicks and powerful hands. He is possibly the best bantamweight outside the UFC, holding a strong resume and an impressive skill set.

He has gone 6-0 in his time under the WSOF banner. He owns decision wins over Miguel Torres, Brandon Hempleman and Josh Rettinghouse as well as finishes of Tyson Nam, Carson Beebe and Cody Bollinger.

As for Hill, the former TUF competitor is a ground specialist and a grinder, using wrestling and takedowns to control opponents. A lot of his wins come by decision, though he does have some solid ground striking and submissions in his arsenal.

He has yet to face an official defeat in his pro career, and he owns wins over John Fraser and Mike Adams. He will need to use his wrestling effectively if he plans on taking the belt from Moraes.

Moraes needs to be cautious here, as Hill will be looking for takedowns left and right. However, once he softens Hill's lead leg, it should be easier to defend them and use his striking to retain.

Prediction: Moraes def. Hill via decision