UFC Fight Night 60: Main Card Staff Predictions
Don't pull the thread on the UFC Fight Night 60 card. You might unspool something you really didn't want to unspool.
The event, which goes down Saturday from Broomfield, Colorado, ended up looking kind of OK on paper, but not until it reached the end of a long and winding road of misfortune.
At first, a slugfest between Matt Brown and Tarec Saffiedine sat atop this particular mountain. Then that fell by the wayside. Then, it was a promising, if low-profile, affair between high-octane welterweight prospects Brandon Thatch and Stephen Thompson.
Of course, Thompson got injured. Stepping in to replace him? Only former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson.
And that, in a nutshell, is how we got here. It would be hard to reproduce the same way twice, for better or worse.
In any case, here are the staff predictions for the six main card fights. You know the drill. Riley "Kobra" Kontek. Sean "The Researcher" Smith. Craig "Live Blog" Amos. James "The Reminder" MacDonald. And yours truly, Scott Harris. Let's get it on.
Ray Borg vs. Chris Kelades
1 of 6
Craig Amos
Chris Kelades was terrific in his UFC debut last year, but Ray Borg has to rate as the more talented fighter. At 21, The Tazmexican Devil is an intriguing prospect with plenty of potential. He should get by Kelades and continue to progress up the flyweight ladder.
Borg, unanimous decision
James MacDonald
This is a great fight to kick off the main card. Both men are talented, but Borg looks like a future contender. His win over Shane Howell was a thing of beauty. I wouldn’t write Kelades off here, but Borg is the safe bet.
Borg, unanimous decision
Sean Smith
Judging by their most recent outings, Borg and Kelades are both likely to come into this bout looking to roll. Borg’s past three wins have come via submission, and Kelades also does his best work on the ground. I think Kelades is strong enough a grappler to avoid being submitted by Borg, but I give The Tazmexican Devil an advantage if this one does go to the canvas.
Borg, unanimous decision
Scott Harris
In his UFC debut, Kelades scored a big upset over Paddy Holohan. I'm not sure he has a repeat performance in him. Borg is a tough customer on the ground and should keep his momentum rolling.
Borg, unanimous decision
Riley Kontek
Borg has easily been one of the brightest flyweight prospects to shine in the UFC thus far, and he gets a good matchup here. Kelades shocked Paddy Holohan in his short-notice debut, but he will struggle here with Borg's ground attack. Borg will snag the victory and inch closer to the top end of the division.
Borg, submission, Rd. 1
Michel Prazeres vs. Kevin Lee
2 of 6
Amos
Both men prefer to fight on the mat, but Kevin Lee's strong wrestling game should ensure that he'll be on top for the better part of any ground exchanges. That's not the be-all, end-all of grappling, but top position certainly doesn't hurt when a fight goes to the scorecards. Besides that, Lee has more upside, so he may have some new tricks to show off on the feet.
Lee, unanimous decision
MacDonald
I don’t see either man having the potential to hit the elite level, but Lee appears to have a higher ceiling than Michel Prazeres. Lee has looked good in his short UFC career, even in defeat against Al Iaquinta. This fight probably won’t have the crowd on its feet, but Lee should come out on top in a grinding affair.
Lee, unanimous decision
Smith
These two are really evenly matched. Both debuted with competitive losses to solid UFC veterans, and both responded with a split-decision win over Jesse Ronson. This really could go either way, but the 22-year-old Lee will show more improvement than his Brazilian adversary and will gain the slightest of edges on the scorecards.
Lee, unanimous decision
Harris
Lee has the higher upside of the two and would probably prevail in a best-of-seven series. But this weekend I like Prazeres, a strong power grinder, to stub Lee out like a cheap cigar.
Prazeres, unanimous decision
Kontek
This is a coin toss. Kevin Lee's wrestling is going to be important here against a ground specialist in Michel Prazeres. Neither man's striking is going to set the world ablaze, but Lee's superior athleticism is going to make him the pick. And yes, I called tails on the toss.
Lee, unanimous decision
Dan Kelly vs. Patrick Walsh
3 of 6
Amos
Dan Kelly poses some interesting problems for Patrick Walsh, but he is the underdog in this fight for a reason. If Walsh can maintain control over the Aussie when the fight goes to the canvas, he should come out with the win.
Walsh, TKO, Rd. 2
MacDonald
Kelly didn’t show an awful lot during his time on The Ultimate Fighter, particularly given his credentials as a judoka. He is pushing 40, has a limited skill set and hasn’t really adapted his judo to MMA. I don’t expect this one to last long. Look for Walsh to end things early.
Walsh, TKO, Rd. 1
Smith
We’re really still learning who these guys are as fighters, so it’s surprising to see them on a main card already. If I had to choose which fighter looked more impressive in his recent UFC debut, I’d have to go with Kelly, who recorded an opening-round submission win over Luke Zachrich. Based on that and the fact that Walsh has shown holes in his submission defense, I’m giving the edge to Kelly in this matchup.
Kelly, Submission, Rd. 2
Harris
I really enjoy this photo. It has a very "quit hitting yourself" quality to it. Based on this photo, I don't think Walsh can be beaten. Give him a title shot. And a striking advantage in this matchup, as well.
Walsh, unanimous decision
Kontek
Kelly's UFC debut was impressive no doubt, and his judo credentials are almost second-to-none. However, the ground is his sanctuary, and he is going against a good power wrestler in Walsh. There is nothing flashy about Walsh, and his strategy is going to be shoot and hold. That's what he does en route to victory.
Walsh, unanimous decision
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Neil Magny vs. Kiichi Kunimoto
4 of 6
Amos
Both men enter this contest on win streaks, so someone is going to lose a lot of momentum. That man is likely to be Kiichi Kunimoto. Neil Magny has been impressive of late, and I expect him to continue to do so and earn a more high-profile contest sometime this summer.
Magny, unanimous decision
MacDonald
This is a decent contest between a couple of in-form fighters. However, Magny is just that little bit better than Kunimoto. The TUF veteran has improved significantly over the last couple of years. Look for him to control the fight on the feet and tough out a decision.
Magny, unanimous decision
Smith
Both Magny and Kunimoto head into this weekend with a lot of momentum. At 27 years old, Magny seems to be trending upward a bit more than the 33-year-old Kunimoto, though. He’s shown some real improvement over the course of his current five-bout winning streak and should continue to display advancement in a decision win against Kunimoto.
Magny, unanimous decision
Harris
The real question here is: What does Neil Magny have to do to get a big-time opponent? He's already won five in a row. No disrespect to a fine veteran in Kunimoto, but Magny will use his cagey kickboxing—punctuated by his ungodly reach—to extend his streak to six straight.
Magny, unanimous decision
Kontek
My gut is telling me that Kunimoto may score the upset here, but given Magny's recent run, that is no easy thing to do. Magny is a grinder who is continually improving, and his reach will affect the Japanese fighter's strategy.
Magny, unanimous decision
Max Holloway vs. Cole Miller
5 of 6
Amos
Miller is a tough guy who has been around for a while now, but he meets Holloway at a time when the young Hawaiian really seems to be hitting his stride. Holloway will make it five straight wins by taking out Miller with superior striking.
Holloway, Rd. 2, TKO
MacDonald
This is an interesting clash of styles. Miller excels on the floor, while Holloway is an excellent striker. The outcome may depend on whether the TUF veteran can get the fight to the ground consistently. I just don’t see it happening, though.
Holloway, unanimous decision
Smith
With four consecutive wins, Holloway seems to be hitting his stride inside the Octagon. Miller has a wealth of experience, but Holloway has quickly racked up 10 UFC appearances before his 24th birthday. Miller could cause problems for Holloway on the ground, but Miller’s wrestling is lacking, and he’s been unable to effectively utilize his huge reach at 145 pounds. Holloway keeps it standing and picks the TUF 5 contestant apart.
Holloway, TKO, Rd. 2
Harris
It all comes back to Conor McGregor right now in the UFC featherweight division. Holloway just lost to the Irish sensation, and Miller likes to talk stuff about him. That makes it all clear, at least to me. The young Holloway will outpoint the veteran grappler on the feet and out-athlete him in the event of a ground exchange.
Holloway, unanimous decision
Kontek
I'm sure a ton of people will be taking Holloway, and I can't blame him. The kid has looked impressive recently. However, his ground game still has some question marks, and that is not the type of style you want if you are fighting Miller and his submission prowess. Holloway goes back to the drawing board with motivation to get better on the mat.
Miller, submission, Rd. 2
Brandon Thatch vs. Benson Henderson
6 of 6
Amos
Any time a high-profile fighter like Henderson jumps up in weight, it makes for intrigue. How will he accommodate the weight? How will he deal with an opponent who is significantly larger than what he is used to? But not everything is about Henderson—Thatch has looked stellar during his brief UFC tenure. He'll make Henderson think twice about dipping his toe in the welterweight waters a second time.
Thatch, TKO, Rd. 2
MacDonald
It was a brave choice by Henderson to take this fight. Thatch is a monster and has future champion written all over him, assuming he becomes more active. Additionally, Henderson will probably be at a significant size disadvantage for the first time in his career, so he’s ice skating uphill in this one. Thatch is too big and has too many tools for the former 155-pound champ to deal with.
Thatch, TKO, Rd. 3
Smith
Henderson could be solid at 170 pounds, but he needs proper time to put on some muscle in order to deal with a big welterweight like Thatch. Having competed at lightweight less than a month ago, Henderson will be seriously undersized, which will hurt him in a matchup where he’ll need takedowns. Thatch keeps this standing long enough to stop Henderson with strikes.
Thatch, TKO, Rd. 1
Harris
I'm a big Thatch supporter, but come on. It's Benson Henderson. I realize it's short notice and a higher weight class and all that. Nevertheless, the size differential won't be egregious (remember what a massive lightweight Bendo makes for), and Henderson will stifle Thatch's muay thai with clinches and rock-solid striking defense. I have to go with the ex-champ here. If he was really as unprepared as people were making him out to be, he wouldn't have taken the contest.
Henderson, unanimous decision
Kontek
I really want to take Brandon Thatch. He is seriously good. However, a former UFC titleholder on short notice (albeit short notice for Henderson)? I'm not a fan of those odds given Thatch's layoff. Watch the grinding match fall in Bendo's favor. I hope I am wrong, since I like violent knockouts.
Henderson, unanimous decision
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