UFC Fight Night 98 Predictions: Main Card Staff Picks
UFC Fight Night 98 is here after an extended break due to UFC Fight Night 97's cancellation in October.
Headlining will be a possible lightweight title eliminator between Rafael dos Anjos and Tony Ferguson. The stakes are incredibly high with Conor McGregor's shot at history looming on November 12. These are just two of a growing list of contenders looking to make an impression to get the coveted shot at either Eddie Alvarez or McGregor.
Also on the card are Diego Sanchez, Charles Oliveira, Ricardo Lamas and Beneil Dariush. And UFC newcomers Marcin Held and Alexa Grasso make their debuts as well. It's a fantastic card to lead into the UFC 205 fight card. And we are here to debate who we think gets their hand raised for all six main card bouts.
B/R luminaries Craig Amos, Steven Rondina, Scott Harris and Nathan McCarter are on the call.
Who dissents and where are the consensus picks on the card? It's time to find out.
Alexa Grasso vs. Heather Jo Clark
1 of 6
Craig Amos
There's some potential for Clark to pull off the upset, as Steven noted, but I'm a believer that Grasso will at least make a minor impact in the UFC, at the very least. The Mexican will outpace her opponent and rack up points on the scorecards to pull out the decision.
Grasso, unanimous decision
Nathan McCarter
Clark has improved a bunch since coming off The Ultimate Fighter, but she's not on Grasso's level. Grasso has sharp, quick hands and a credible ground game. Look for her to keep this fight standing to avoid Clark's strength. She'll bust up Clark en route to a referee stoppage.
Grasso, TKO, Rd. 2
Steven Rondina
Clark is a tricky veteran and is perfectly positioned to nix the Grasso hype in the bud with a long, boring, ugly decision win. Still, I'm picking Grasso to overcome and outwork Clark enough to win over the judges.
Grasso, unanimous decision
Scott Harris
I'll grant that Clark has name recognition, but more importantly, Grasso has next-level talent. She has the striking to have her way with Clark and that's what she'll do in her UFC debut. The future is bright.
Grasso, TKO, Rd. 2
Diego Sanchez vs. Marcin Held
2 of 6
Craig Amos
Sanchez stopped winning fights awhile ago, but until Joe Lauzon stopped him in July he retained a certain aura of invincibility. Now that that's gone there is no reason to give this one a second thought. Held is a quality fighter and should outpoint Sanchez.
Held, unanimous decision
Nathan McCarter
Sanchez is well past his prime, and Held is a solid lightweight. I won't go as far as saying Held will blow the doors off of Sanchez, as the matchup should give Sanchez a chance to unleash his flurries early. If Held survives, he'll get a submission in the second.
Held, submission, Rd. 2
Steven Rondina
Look, Held is a better fighter than the 2016 version of Sanchez. I don't think any of you will disagree. But there isn't a judge in the world immune to Nightmare's charm. Held will probably control the majority of the fight, but I think Sanchez will snarl and whiff his way into yet another controversial split-decision win.
Sanchez, split decision
Scott Harris
If you're Diego Sanchez, you have to watch out for those leg locks and so forth. Held is a nasty young fighter and he has a lot to prove after heading over to the UFC from Bellator. But while he may have the submission game, Sanchez is still Sanchez. He'll do enough damage in brawls and use his wrestling to steer clear of a tapout. YES!
Sanchez, unanimous decision
Ricardo Lamas vs. Charles Oliveira
3 of 6
Craig Amos
Even in a losing effort against Anthony Pettis, Oliveira raised his stock. He finally seems to have made good on his potential, and while he might not be at a championship level, he's close. But so is Lamas, which is what makes this fight tough to call. Lamas' best chance to win is to put Oliveira on his back and grind out a decision, but the Brazilian is so crafty that he is nearly as dangerous from there as when he's standing. Oliveira just has too many weapons.
Oliveira, unanimous decision
Nathan McCarter
Love this fight, and I'll fall in line with the boys here. Lamas is most effective when he can wrestle, but Oliveira's ground game will cause him to be overly cautious. Oliveira will be able to use his length on the feet to stay out of danger of a big right hand. The frustration will get to Lamas, who'll charge in and get caught in a guillotine.
Oliveira, submission, Rd. 2
Steven Rondina
Oliveira suffered a disappointing loss to Anthony Pettis not long ago, but he's still an exceptional fighter. Unless Lamas can surprise him with a smooth punch, I'm expecting Oliveira to outwork him early, and make him tap late.
Oliveira, submission, Rd. 3
Scott Harris
Lamas is the favorite and that's who I'm going with, even despite Oliveira missing weight (again) and perhaps having an even more pronounced size advantage. Lamas is too smart to walk into a trap on the feet or the ground, and I think his wrestling will eventually grind down the younger man.
Lamas, unanimous decision
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Martin Bravo vs. Claudio Puelles
4 of 6
Craig Amos
Steven raised a good point about the strength of schedule each fighter has had to navigate through to this point. Add in the element of Bravo fighting on home soil, and he's the smart pick in my book.
Bravo, TKO, Rd. 2
Nathan McCarter
I did not watch a single second of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America. Thus, I had to do a bit of digging before making a selection. You know what conclusion I came to after all the research? That this fight is razor-thin, and I may be more confused than if I just picked someone at random. Bravo should probably be a small favorite given his level of competition and being a touch more mature, but give me the youngster from Peru.
Puelles, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
You can always get a good feel for how legit these regional guys are by looking at the records of their competition and their methods of victories. Both guys have been finishing the opposition left and right, but Bravo has been beating rank-and-file journeymen while Puelles has been fighting the most tomatoey of cans. Bravo gets the nod here, but expect this to be a downright awful fight.
Bravo, unanimous decision
Scott Harris
Gotta go with Puelles, bro. The 20-year-old came into this season of TUF with more hype than anyone else in the cast, and he saw it through with a knockout, submission and decision win to reach the final. Bravo is fun but Puelles seems to have all the skills and momentum to grab that big ol' contract.
Puelles, TKO, Rd. 2
Beneil Dariush vs. Rashid Magomedov
5 of 6
Craig Amos
There are a few tough picks for this card, and this might be the toughest. Magomedov has been the more consistent fighter, but Dariush has shown the higher ceiling. He's also mixed it up with tougher opponents. It's one that could certainly go either way, but I'm taking the underdog in a closely contested decision.
Dariush, unanimous decision
Nathan McCarter
Stylistically, I think this is a matchup where Dariush can excel. Magomedov isn't as wiry or dangerous, from a finishing perspective, as Michael Chiesa. Dariush's systematic striking and ground work should carry him to a clean sweep on the scorecards.
Dariush, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
So is Beneil Dariush the guy that manhandled Daron Cruickshank, or the one that got worked by Michael Chiesa? I don't know, honestly...but his impressive win over James Vick has me feeling just bullish enough to pick him over Magomedov.
Dariush, unanimous decision
Scott Harris
We have a good old-fashioned striker-grappler matchup here. Dariush is brilliant on the ground and seems to be coming into his own. Magomedov has been out for more than a year but has the knockout power to bang the ring rust into the third row. Give me the Dagestani and the mild upset.
Magomedov, TKO, Rd. 1
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Tony Ferguson
6 of 6
Craig Amos
Ferguson is perhaps the most underappreciated lightweight on the UFC roster. Or maybe it's Dos Anjos? Both are phenomenal talents, and this match should be outstanding. I'm going with the former champ because while Ferguson's takedown defense isn't terrible, I view it as something Dos Anjos will exploit to edge out the victory.
Dos Anjos, unanimous decision
Nathan McCarter
This is Ferguson's fight to lose. If he fights smart, he wins. If not, he loses. Ferguson embraces slugfests, and he gets wild with his striking at times. That's the perfect way to get beat by Dos Anjos. I don't believe that will be how Ferguson fights on Saturday. Knowing the danger, he will be more composed and use his reach. That negates Dos Anjos' grappling. Jabs and knees will steadily sap Dos Anjos until a third-round TKO.
Ferguson, TKO, Rd. 3
Steven Rondina
Ferguson is an amazing fighter, but his greatest tool is his finishing skills. That's just not ideal against a steely fighter like Dos Anjos. Unless El Cucuy can secure an early stoppage, I think the former champ is going to control the center of the cage and leverage that into a 49-46 scorecard.
Dos Anjos, unanimous decision
Scott Harris
Very, very difficult fight to call and a terrific scrap to headline this underrated card. I think Dos Anjos is simply too well-rounded and too cool-headed to fall into a frenetic brawl with the hot-tempered Ferguson. Dos Anjos thinks and works his way to a clear decision victory.
Dos Anjos, unanimous decision
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