UFC Fight Night 70: B/R Staff Main Card Predictions

UFC Fight Night 70 is limping toward the finish line, but it will nonetheless go down Saturday in Florida.

Headlined by Yoel Romero and Lyoto Machida, the card has gone through massive changes due to a problem in the visa system. So, fighters like Rani Yahya, Erick Silva and The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 4 finalists were unable to compete here, so they joined other cards.

The card may be lacking in star power, but there are some exciting matchups. Look no further on the main card than Thiago Santos vs. Steve Bosse and Lorenz Larkin vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio for fireworks.

With that, let's examine the main card. Per usual, James MacDonald, Scott Harris, Sean Smith, Craig Amos and myself, Riley Kontek, guide you through UFC Fight Night 70.

Staff Records

Reinhold Matay/Associated Press

Two are tied at the top. Two are far behind, taking up the rear.

There's a wide spectrum here, folks.

Polish-American hero Riley Kontek, who's oxymoronic because of his Irish first name, holds the top of the rankings with Scottish ace James MacDonald, who has proved his worth in 2015.

Americans hold the next two spots. Sean Smith and Scott Harris try to jockey for position like any horse trying to compete with American Pharoah.

Leading up the rear is the man from north of the border, Canadian crippler Craig Amos. He is dangerously close to a .500 record, which indicates he has to get his butt in gear.

Riley Kontek: 65-36

James MacDonald: 65-36

Sean Smith: 61-40

Scott Harris: 54-47

Craig Amos: 53-48

Levan Makashvili vs. Hacran Dias

Jason Silva-USA TODAY Sports

Kontek

I would love to take Levan Makashvili to prove how right I am about his being a top prospect at 145 pounds. That said, Hacran Dias has fought guys who are better and more experienced than Makashvili, which makes that too tough a pick to make. Dias will carbon-copy his performance against Darren Elkins in America this time.

Dias, Unanimous Decision

MacDonald

It’s hard to know what to make of Dias. It’s been one step forward, two steps back so far for the Brazilian. Still, he has plenty of ability and should negotiate his way past the more limited Makashvili.

Dias, Unanimous Decision

Harris

Dias is not young anymore, and he has yet to live up to the hype. Now Makashvili, a hot featherweight prospect on the global scene, is in that position. Maybe I'm just a sucker for a good prospect, but sign me up and sound the alarms. Dias hasn't shown he can stand up to a top-quality fighter, and Makashvili, with his 7-1 professional record, is just that.

Makashvili, Unanimous Decision

Smith

Makashvili will earn some brownie points with the UFC brass for stepping in to take this bout on short notice, but he doesn't have a chance to win. Coming off a win over Darren Elkins, Dias is one of the more underrated fighters in the 145-pound division. Coming off a split decision win over a mostly unproven Mark Eddiva, Makashvili has a lot of proving to do.

Dias, Unanimous Decision

Amos

Dias has posted some checkered results since joining the UFC ranks, but he's looked good over his last two outings. He fought Ricardo Lamas to a close decision and then bested Darren Elkins. Makashvili has some talent, but Dias will outwork him in this one.

Dias, Unanimous Decision

Thiago Santos vs. Steve Bosse

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Kontek

If Steve Bosse had been busy recently and not in retirement, I would have most definitely taken him in this bout. However, his time away from the cage makes me skeptical. Both men are strikers, which could make this a Fight of the Night contender. However, Thiago Santos will do enough to escape with a win in a fun bout.

Santos, Unanimous Decision

MacDonald

This one is variety versus power. Bosse can do plenty of damage with his strikes, but he doesn’t possess as many tools as Santos. I’ll go with the more diverse striker via decision.

Santos, Unanimous Decision

Harris

Santos brings all sorts of fun weapons to the cage, most notably his arsenal of kicks, which can close a curtain just about any time. Bosse, the famous hockey-brawling convert, will make this a fun fight but may not make it competitive, unless he lands a big uppercut. That's possible, but it's not where I'm laying my metaphorical betting units.

Santos, TKO, Rd. 1

Smith

I'm interested in Bosse's long-awaited UFC debut. However, he hasn't competed in more than two years, and that's going to hurt him against an improving Brazilian prospect with UFC experience under his belt. This one will be quick no matter the result, but Santos should get the finish.

Santos, KO, Rd. 1

Amos

This should be a fun fight. Santos has a more diverse attack, but Bosse is the harder hitter, so either man could come out with the win. But given that Bosse hasn't fought since 2013, and given all the different stuff Santos can throw at him, the former hockey player might be a little overwhelmed.

Santos, TKO, Rd. 2

Eddie Gordon vs. Antonio Carlos Jr.

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Kontek

Eddie Gordon is failing to live up to expectations as a TUF winner. Another problem for him in this fight is that he will not be the bigger fighter as he normally is in his bouts. If he loses, he's cut. That's where Antonio Carlos Jr. comes in. I have high hopes for the Brazilian, and his world-class grappling skills should be on display here.

Carlos Jr., Submission, Rd. 2

MacDonald 

I wasn’t overly impressed with Gordon on TUF, and nothing since his official UFC debut has altered my view of him. Carlos Jr. has his limitations, but he’s a monster at the weight who will outgrapple Gordon and secure a submission.

Carlos Jr., Submission, Rd. 2

Harris

Gordon hasn't looked good since he left the cozy confines of The Ultimate Fighter 19. He's a decent wrestler-boxer but might be in deep waters against Carlos, a jiu-jitsu world champion. Nova Uniao bests Team Serra-Longo this time.

Carlos Jr., Unanimous Decision

Smith 

To be perfectly honest, Gordon didn't look like a fighter who belonged on the UFC roster in his most recent loss to Chris Dempsey. He was really sloppy, and I have serious doubts that he'll make the necessary adjustments only two months later. Carlos Jr. has had more time to improve, and it should show at UFC Fight Night 70.

Carlos Jr., Unanimous Decision

Amos

Gordon has struggled since claiming a TUF title, losing his last two outings. Carlos could potentially send him packing from the UFC by adding a third straight tally to the loss column. The Brazilian will handle himself well enough on the feet and get the takedowns when he needs them, plying his outstanding grappling skills to notch a finish.

Carlos Jr., Submission, Rd. 3

Lorenz Larkin vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Kontek

OK, this could be the Fight of the Night. Both men are power strikers who put on great shows every time they compete. The difference is that Lorenz Larkin has been doing it at a higher level than Ponzinibbio. That's why you have to go with him.

Larkin, TKO, Rd. 3

MacDonald

Ponzinibbio is no pushover, but Larkin looks like a different fighter at welterweight. He is no longer at a size and strength disadvantage, and he should fare much better in any grappling exchanges. Look for Larkin to let loose with his arsenal of strikes and end the fight early.

Larkin, TKO, Rd. 1

Harris

Ponzinibbio has proved he's a fun guy to watch. But so has Larkin, who was powerful in his welterweight debut earlier this year in a first-round knockout of John Howard. This could be Fight of the Night, and Larkin has the more developed game to get it done.

Larkin, TKO, Rd. 2

Smith

Ponzinibbio has some dangerous power that Larkin will need to keep on his mind. However, Larkin is the more fluid and diverse striker in this matchup. The Strikeforce veteran will patiently cruise to a decision win and take another step closer to getting a shot at a ranked welterweight.

Larkin, Unanimous Decision

Amos

Larkin went from prospect to busted prospect and now back to prospect after dropping to welterweight. His 170-debut was terrific, and a win here would consolidate that recovered momentum. Ponzinibbio surprised a lot of people when he beat Sean Strickland, but Larkin's quick hands are an entirely different challenge.

Larkin, TKO, Rd. 2

Lyoto Machida vs. Yoel Romero

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Kontek

I dislike this matchup because it will halt the momentum of a marketable, new title challenger in Yoel Romero. Wrestling needs to be his focus, but the elusiveness and superior striking of Lyoto Machida will make that tough. The Cuban gold medalist will do down via knockout.

Machida, TKO, Rd. 2

MacDonald

This isn’t an easy fight to call. Despite Romero’s success, it’s tough to shake the image of him hanging on by a thread against Tim Kennedy, and only doing so by breaking the rules. I’m not convinced by his chin, either. So, I have to give the edge to Machida. The Brazilian will connect with counters and eventually pounce for the finish.

Machida, TKO, Rd. 3

Harris

These guys have a combined age of 75. That's pretty old; I just wanted to point that out. In any case, Machida will use his time-honored defensive game to thwart most of Romero's takedown shots and all of those big bombs he throws. The Dragon grabs an uneventful decision.

Machida, Unanimous Decision

Smith

Romero's aggressive striking won't work against Machida, and the Cuban doesn't use his elite wrestling enough in MMA settings. Before he realizes that he'll need takedowns to win, Romero will wear himself down. The Dragon could cruise to a decision win at that point, but he'll be looking to make a statement following his submission loss to Luke Rockhold.

Machida, TKO, Rd. 2

Amos

Romero plays a power game, so he might run into issues against a defensive wiz like Machida. If the Brazilian can make it out of the first couple of rounds—and he will—he'll rack up points en route to a unanimous-decision win.

Machida, Unanimous Decision