UFC Fight Night 137 Predictions: Main Card Staff Picks
The UFC returns to Sao Paolo, Brazil, this Saturday for UFC Fight Night 137.
It's a small wonder that the UFC could limp into town at all. Several fights were changed or canceled thanks to the injury bug, including the original main event featuring light heavyweight contenders Glover Teixeira and Jimi Manuwa.
The new headliner has fewer immediate stakes but is still interesting enough, pitting former Alabama linebacker and fast-rising knockout artist Eryk Anders and super-aggressive Brazilian Thiago Santos.
There are five fights on the main card, which airs Saturday on Fox Sports 1. As usual, the B/R picks team of Matthew Ryder, Nathan McCarter, Steven Rondina and Scott Harris is here to break it all down and offer predictions.
Let's get it on.
Randa Markos vs. Marina Rodriguez
1 of 5
Matthew Ryder
Randa Markos has developed nicely over the course of her UFC career in terms of skill, but inconsistent results have marred her rise through the ranks. Based on her remarkable consistency in winning one then losing one, though, she's due to take a W here. That makes as much sense as anything when predicting MMA, so it works for me.
Markos, unanimous decision
Nathan McCarter
Markos is fairly underrated, but her inconsistencies make it hard to buy in. Rodriguez got the call-up after the Contender Series victory. Is she new blood? Perhaps, but I'm going to stick with Markos. She is the more proven commodity against better competition.
Markos, unanimous decision
Steven Rondina
Rodriguez's TKO win over Maria de Oliveira Neta on the Contender Series convinced me she's legit...but not legit enough to get past Markos. Markos isn't necessarily championship material, but she's tough, scrappy, physical and has the wrestling chops to make every fight an ugly one. She'll get enough takedowns and maintain dominant clinch position long enough to take this one on the score cards.
Markos, unanimous decision
Scott Harris
It's a clean sweep. Rodriguez has a fun UFC-related win on her resume, but Markos is an underrated veteran who should use her wrestling to win.
Markos, unanimous decision
Renan Barao vs. Andre Ewell
2 of 5
Ryder
It’s weird to think Renan Barao was once considered an unstoppable, unbeatable, irresistible force. Yet here he is fighting Andre Ewell on an FS1 card from the depths of Brazil. Look for some flashes of the old Barao, enough for a win if not a stoppage.
Barao, unanimous decision
McCarter
This should be all Barao, but he has fallen on hard times. Ewell is a good fighter to gauge exactly what he has left in the tank. I'm guessing it's enough to get a finish.
Barao, submission, Rd. 1
Rondina
Barao isn't so far gone that I'm going to pick him to lose against a UFC debutant. It might not be pretty, but I'm expecting him to take this one.
Barao, unanimous decision
Harris
Barao has dropped two straight and four of five, so he's in rather glaring need of a win here. The champion is still in there somewhere, and he'll flash his muay thai for an emphatic finish.
Barao, TKO, Rd. 1
Sam Alvey vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
3 of 5
Ryder
Sam Alvey has been making a career out of pasting elder MMA statesmen, and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is an elder MMA statesman. No secret how this ends.
Alvey, TKO, Rd. 1
McCarter
I'm still not sold on Alvey as a light heavyweight, but I'm also not sold on Nogueira in 2018. This is just a gut call. My gut says to stick with Lil Nog. His boxing should still be crisp enough to compete, while Alvey won't want to make this a grappling affair. Brazil should get to cheer one of its legendary names on Saturday.
Nogueira, unanimous decision
Rondina
Lil Nog has a way of overachieving against these mid-level dudes who are supposed to win based on their relative youth, but he can't possibly do it again, right? He's been out too long. Alvey's hands are too heavy. There's no way he can do it again, right?
Nogueira, unanimous decision
Harris
As painful as it may be to acknowledge, Lil Nog simply isn't relevant anymore. He's here to help put Alvey over. He'll use his clinch and ground skills to stave off a stoppage, but it won't be enough to get a win.
Alvey, unanimous decision
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Alex Oliveira vs. Carlo Pedersoli
4 of 5
Ryder
The other Cowboy is on a bit of a run, stopping Carlos Condit via guillotine last time out after putting on a Fight of the Year in a late-2017 loss to Yancy Medeiros. Carlo Pedersoli is a nice prospect but unproven at this level, and you can expect Alex Oliveira to exploit that.
Oliveira, TKO, Rd. 2
McCarter
Cowboy should roll to a victory. Favorable, home-field matchmaking at its finest.
Oliveira, TKO, Rd. 1
Rondina
This may or may not fit your definition of a squash match, I don't know. But it's definitely a fight that was made to help the hometown fighter look good.
Oliveira, submission, Rd. 2
Harris
Not so fast, my friend. Pedersoli is a 25-year-old up-and-comer. His last two wins came over proven vets in Nicolas Dalby and Bradley Scott. He can finish the fight on the feet or on the ground. Sound the upset alarms.
Pedersoli, unanimous decision
Eryk Anders vs. Thiago Santos
5 of 5
Ryder
I really like the dynamic of a late replacement fighting an even later replacement fighter. Pretty much sums up the modern UFC, with perhaps the only thing missing being that someone dropped out of an early-morning weigh-in to make this all possible.
The fight itself? I dunno. Thiago Santos? He's been preparing for a fight for slightly longer, so even though the opponent has switched on him, he should be able to handle the wrestling and athleticism of a half-ready Eryk Anders.
Santos, TKO, Rd. 1
McCarter
I'm usually against picking late replacements against top competition like Santos, but this seems tailormade for Anders. Santos gets wild, doesn't have the best gas tank and is fairly inconsistent. If the Machida fight did anything for Anders, it proved he could hang for 25 minutes and not get reckless.
Santos won't have too many opportunities to put Anders away, and it will give the American the time to wear on Santos. Look for a late-round stoppage.
Anders, TKO, Rd. 4
Rondina
Santos is a known commodity at this point. He's a top-20 kind of middleweight who will stomp on anybody below him and get run over by anyone above him. He's a perfect gatekeeper.
What makes it tough to pick here is that we don't know how good Anders is. He has the tools to be a top-10 middleweight, but is he at that point now? And can he show that on such short notice? In hostile territory? Maybe, but I'm not expecting it.
Santos, unanimous decision
Harris
Santos is an insanely aggressive fighter, and that alone makes this appointment television. But you get the sense Anders is in this for the long haul. His massive strength edge should be apparent despite the short notice, and he'll use it to make for a dull but impressive victory.
Anders, unanimous decision
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