UFC Fight Night 99 and 100 Predictions: Main Card Staff Picks
The UFC is prepped for a busy Saturday this weekend, with a pair of shows happening on two continents. UFC Fight Night 99, hosted by Northern Ireland, will start things off in the afternoon (12:15 p.m. ET) and conclude around the time that Fight Night 100 begins (6 p.m. ET) in Brazil.
The respective cards will be headlined by Gegard Mousasi and Uriah Hall, and Ryan Bader and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Interestingly, both headliners are rematches.
While the quality of the main events and overall cards might feel underwhelming in the shadow of last weekend's landmark UFC 205 event, the pair of Fight Nights certainly lack nothing in the quantity department. All told, the two fight cards offer fans a total of 22 bouts, including 10 main card showdowns, so clear your schedule.
As is our custom here at Bleacher Report, we've assembled the usual team of Scott Harris, Nathan McCarter, Steven Rondina and Craig Amos to prognosticate the outcomes of each main card match. Read on for our collective insight into Saturday's unrelenting action.
Fight Night 99 Main Card
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Because the UFC will be hosting two events on the same day, we're providing an abridged version of the lesser half (in terms of quantity) before getting more analytical with the greater bit.
The following chart displays each writer's pick for the four UFC Fight Night 99 main card bouts:
Artem Lobov vs. Teruto Ishihara | Ross Pearson vs. Stevie Ray | Timothy Johnson vs. Alexander Volkov | Gegard Mousasi vs. Uriah Hall | |
| Nathan McCarter | Ishihara | Pearson | Volkov | Mousasi |
| Scott Harris | Ishihara | Ray | Johnson | Mousasi |
| Steven Rondina | Ishihara | Pearson | Volkov | Mousasi |
| Craig Amos | Ishihara | Pearson | Volkov | Mousasi |
There's quite a bit of consensus here, except from known renegade Scott Harris. He went solo with his belief that Stevie Ray will defeat Ross Pearson, and also avoided backing Alexander Volkov as an apparently popular underdog choice.
But that's Harris for ya, man. He always has to be different.
Now on to UFC Fight Night 100.
Sergio Moraes vs. Zak Ottow
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Nathan McCarter
Moraes is one of the most happy people on the planet. He'll be very happy with a first-round submission in the opening main card tilt. Ottow looked good against Josh Burkman, but I'm not buying in just yet. Moraes is quicker than Burkman, and that's the difference here. Moraes pounces on a choke and wins.
Moraes, submission, Rd. 1
Scott Harris
Moraes is a journeyman's journeyman coming off a draw in a May bout with Luan Chagas, also in Brazil. That sums it up. Ottow earned some fans with an upset of Josh Burkman in his last bout, but that was only the wrestler's first UFC bout. He'll need to journey a lot more than that if he wants to hang with The Panther.
Moraes, TKO, Rd. 2
Steven Rondina
Moraes isn't quite good enough for this to be a squash match, but this fight was made with one outcome in mind. The Brazilian will pick up a feel-good win in front of his countrymen.
Moraes, unanimous decision
Craig Amos
Ottow handled Josh Burkman well in his UFC debut, but Moraes is a tougher opponent. Both fighters specialize in finishing foes via submission, but Moraes is altogether better at it than Ottow. The Brazilian is more well-rounded and possesses more high-level experience as well, so this one will go his way.
Moraes, submission, Rd. 2
Warlley Alves vs. Kamaru Usman
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Nathan McCarter
I love this matchup, but I am predicting this to have an abrupt ending. This could be a great fight between two high-level prospects for 15 minutes—could be. It won't be. Usman is going to rely too heavily on his wrestling and eat a knee or uppercut from Alves. Huge knockout in the first couple minutes.
Alves, knockout, Rd. 1
Scott Harris
Buckle up for a striker-grappler special. Alves is a berserker, and Usman is about as methodical as it gets. Given respective respect for the other's game, each fighter will have a feeling-out process that may go beyond what we've come to expect. However, it will get going, and when the smoke clears the wrestler will be 4-0 in the UFC.
Usman, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
Maybe I'm being a bit too hard on him, but Alves' loss to Bryan Barberena cemented him as a regional-level fighter. I wouldn't be shocked if he pulls this off, but I'm feeling Usman here.
Usman, unanimous decision
Craig Amos
Alves has taken turns looking spectacular and uninspired. His recent loss to Bryan Barberena is especially concerning given the way you can expect Usman to consistently wear him down over the course of the fight. Usman has a sizable wrestling edge and will use that to outpoint Alves.
Usman, unanimous decision
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Thales Leites vs. Krzysztof Jotko
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Nathan McCarter
Jotko can announce himself as a serious contender with a win, but Leites is a tough out. It's in that toughness where I lean toward the Brazilian. He'll weather an early storm, rebound in the second and get the tap with a superior jiu-jitsu game.
Leites, submission, Rd. 2
Scott Harris
Leites and his jiu-jitsu are still formidable weapons, even as the The Ultimate Fighter veteran passes his 34th birthday. Jotko can be fun, but he won't have enough for the hometown fave.
Leites, submission, Rd. 2
Steven Rondina
Careerwise, Jotko is coming and Leites is going, and they're going to meet somewhere in the middle. I'd guess that Leites still has enough left to make this competitive, and the Brazilian judging will almost certainly break in his favor.
Leites, unanimous decision
Craig Amos
Jotko has quietly reeled off four straight wins inside the Octagon. That's no small feat, but it should be mentioned that those wins have not come against elite competition. In fact, Leites marks a considerable step up from anyone Jotko has prevailed over. So will the Pole rise to the occasion and take the next stride in his career? Probably not. Leites will wear him down and finish with a late submission.
Leites, submission, Rd. 3
Claudia Gadelha vs. Cortney Casey
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Nathan McCarter
This is arguably the best fight of the entire weekend. Gadelha is the second-best fighter in the strawweight division, and Casey has looked outstanding recently. Casey is a good athlete, which is important against Gadelha. She won't get outmuscled. If she has a chance, it will be all about how much she has progressed technically.
Gadelha, unanimous decision
Scott Harris
Don't sleep on Cortney Casey. She'll be in a Karolina Kowalkiewicz mold—winning fans with gameness. Gadelha's not going to be denied, though.
Gadelha, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
Unless Gadelha's recent camp shakeups have hurt her performancewise, I don't think this will be an especially close fight. Gadelha will work the clinch, keep the action along the cage and take it by decision.
Gadelha, unanimous decision
Craig Amos
I'm not convinced there is a strawweight in the world that can beat Gadelha, this side of Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and that includes Cortney Casey. The American showed impressively by submitting Randa Markos, but that's not nearly enough to convince me that she is ready for the likes of Gadelha.
Gadelha, unanimous decision
Thomas Almeida vs. Albert Morales
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Nathan McCarter
Almeida gets a favorable matchup in his return. He'll add a little something to his highlight reel by getting a first-round TKO. I'd give Almeida the edge just about everywhere this fight goes. I don't anticipate this being competitive.
Almeida def. Morales, TKO, Rd. 1
Scott Harris
This is the first time Almeida's fighting since getting pasted by Cody Garbrandt. He's still (presumably) megatalented, and he'll get back on the right side of the ledger against Morales.
Almeida, TKO, Rd. 2
Steven Rondina
Almeida is still a fighter with long-term value for the UFC, and they're not going to derail his career by giving him a tough fight after an ugly loss. He'll win this one, and probably without much difficulty.
Almeida, TKO, Rd. 1
Craig Amos
This is a tough draw for Morales. He is young and skilled, but looks to be plainly overmatched in this fight. Though Cody Garbrandt's fists may have knocked some of the shine from Almeida, the Brazilian remains one of the best up-and-comers in the UFC. Morales' aggression might pose some early problems, but Almeida will figure it out and win inside the distance.
Almeida, TKO, Rd. 2
Ryan Bader vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
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Nathan McCarter
Bader is a much better fighter than when these two first met six years ago, and Nogueira is significantly slower. And Bader won that fight. Bader is going to finish this fight with his improved striking. Even if Nogueira can avoid the KO blow, Bader will just revert to his wrestling. All Bader in this one.
Bader def. Nogueira, TKO, Rd. 2
Scott Harris
This fight is not tickling the old fancy here. With Bader at 33 years old and Nogueira at 40, even the youngest man is a grizzled veteran, and both are shopworn beyond even those notable numbers. I'm expecting a methodical wrestlefest unless a flash knockout deems us worthy of redemption.
Bader, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
This one will probably be tough to watch at points. Bader's not a world-beater but think back to his fight with Rashad Evans in 2015 and imagine what he'll do to an older, slower, less-savvy fighter.
Bader, TKO, Rd. 2
Craig Amos
I, too, am less than enamored with this matchup. Bader has a clear edge with power and wrestling, and I imagine he'll mix his takedowns and strikes well, beating Nogueira up for the better part of the match.
Bader, unanimous decision
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