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Max Holloway defends his UFC featherweight belt against former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 240 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Canada. But while the showdown between Blessed and The Answer is the main dish for the event, it’s fight card is equally an exciting one, filled with up and comers and newcomers who could carry the UFC’s banner in the coming years.
Let’s take a look at the undercard bouts for UFC 240 which is slated for July 27, 2019:
Geoff Neal vs Niko Price
Geof Neal was signed via Dana White’s Contender series and is 3-0 inside the UFC octagon. He has won five in a row since losing to UFC middleweight Kevin Holland and is coming off a January decision win over Belal Muhammad. Neil is 5-11 with a reach of 75 inches while fighting as a southpaw.
Niko Price is one of the more exciting fighters in the UFC. He is fresh off a spectacular knockout of Tim Means at UFC Wichita. Last year, Price also scored a KO win over Randy Brown. He is 13-2 with one no-contest. His two losses were a KO to Abdul Razak and a submission defeat to Vicente Luque. Price is 6-0 with a reach of 76 and fights as an orthodox fighter. Both fighters are coming off their biggest wins ever but I think Price has more experience between the two and is slightly the bigger man in this fight. Prediction: Niko Price
Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs Arman Tsarukyan
Olivier Aubin-Mercier will be fighting in Canada for the third time. The 30-year old from Quebec has lost two in a row and has a record of 12-4 with one knockout and 8 wins by submission. He stands 5-9 with a reach of 70 inches and is a southpaw. He trains at Tri-Star and has a background in Judo, Taekwondo, and BJJ.
Aubin-Mercier
+170
Tsarukyan
-223
Odds were taken from Titanbet.com as of 7/22/19
Arman Tsarukyan saw his 12-fight winning streak end during his UFC debut when he was outpointed by Islam Makhachev. Tsarukyan stands 5-9 with a reach of 72 inches while fighting as an orthodox fighter. He is only 22 years of age but already owns notable wins over UFC veterans likes Felipe Olivieri, Junior Assuncao, and Takenori Sato. He is 13-2 with five knockouts and five wins by submission. This is going to be a fun fight between finishers but I think Tsarukyan is more experienced despite his age and he is the more well-rounded fighter between the two. Prediction: Arman Tsaruykan
Marc-Andre Barriault vs Krzysztof Jotko
Marc-Andre Barriault was a two-division champion in Canada’s TKO organization. He made his UFC debut last May against Andrew Sanchez and saw his 8 fight win streak end, He is 11-2 with 8 knockouts. Barriault stands 6-1 with a reach of 74 inches while fighting as an orthodox fighter. Barriault is a heavy-handed fighter who likes to brawl and go for the finish.
Barriault
+135
Jotko
-175
Odds were taken from Titanbet.com as of 7/22/19
Jotko is 20-4 with 6 knockouts and 1 win by submission. The 29 years from Poland lost three in a row to David Branch, Uriah Hall, and Brad Tavares before sitting out a year and returning last April with a UD win over Alen Amedovski. Jotko doesn’t have the same power as Barriault but he’s a veteran who’s faced much better competition. As long as Jotko survives the first assault, he’s going to settle down and grind a victory here with his three-inch reach advantage. Prediction: Krzysztof Jotko
Alexis Davis vs Viviane Araujo
Alexis Davis is the 125-pound division’s #7 ranked fighter but is coming off back to back decision losses. The 34-year-old veteran from Canada has a record of 19-9 with two knockouts and 8 wins by submission. She stands 5-6 with a reach of 68 inches while fighting as an orthodox fighter. Davis is a BJJ black belt and is an excellent submission artist.
Davis
+210
Araujo
-275
Odds were taken from Titanbet.com as of 7/22/19
Viviane Araujo moved down to flyweight after winning her UFC debut at bantamweight and taking the fight on four-days notice. Araujo stands 5-4 with a reach of 68 inches and fights as an orthodox fighter. She has won four in a row, with all wins coming by way of knockout. I think the younger and stockier Araujo has natural punching power I think she controls this fight on her feet and beats Davis in a stand-up battle while avoiding getting taken down. Prediction: Vivian Araujo
Hakeem Dawodu vs Yoshinori Horie
Canadian featherweight Hakeem Dawodu gets another fight in his homeland. He is 9-1-1 overall with six knockouts and 2-1 in the UFC with all of his three fights happening in Canada. He’s a 5-8 orthodox who has a 73-inch reach. Dawodu is a striker who always enters his bouts with the idea of finishing his opponent. Dawodu is heavy-handed but can give up his back rather easily. His lone loss was via a guillotine choke against Danny Henry.
Dawodu
-400
Horie
+295
Odds were taken from Titanbet.com as of 7/22/19
Yoshinori Horie is a promotional newcomer who most recently fought at Pancrase promotion. In his last bout, he finished Hiroshige Tanaka in the first round at Pancrase 303. This top Japanese prospect has won five out of his last six bouts by knockout, including four in round one. Both these fighters possess knockout power and I don’t think this is going the distance. This may not go past round one. Horie may have faster hands but I think Dawodu packs the heavier. That’s all you need in a brawl like this. Prediction: Hakeem Dawodu
Alexandre Pantoja vs Deiveson Figueiredo
Flyweight Alexandre Pantoja is currently on his best run in the UFC. The 29-year-old Brazilian has won three fights in a row, including the first-round stoppage wins over Wilson Reis and Ulka Sasaki. The former TUF 24 contestant has won five of his last six bouts since the show. He has a record of 21-3 with 7 knockouts and 8 submissions. He stands 5-5 with a reach of 67 inches and fights as an orthodox fighter. Pantoja is a well-rounded fighter who can win on his feet and the ground.
Pantoja
-112
Figueiredo
-112
Odds were taken from Titanbet.com as of 7/22/19
Deiveson Figueiredo is coming off his first loss to Jusser Formiga last March. Figueiredo was on a fought bout winning streak in the UFC, including a knockout win over John Moraga. The 31-year-old Brazilian stands 5-5 with a reach of 68 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance. The “god of war” won three out of his first four UFC bouts. Figueiredo is also a well-rounded fighter who can win on his feet or the mat. The UFC betting gods are calling this an even fight and I agree that either fighter can win this bout. However, I think Figueiredo has more polished skills and has heavier hands. Prediction: Deiveson Figueiredo
Tanner Boser vs Giacomo Lemos
Tanner Boser is from Bonnyville in Alberta, Canada. The 27-year-old stands 6-2 and weighs in at 258 lbs. Boser has a record of 16-5-1 with 8 knockouts and 2 wins by submission. Unline most heavyweights, Boser doesn’t have that one-punch knockout power. However, he does have good cardio for a big guy. But because he doesn’t have that KO power, he is a “point fighter” and is often engaged in “boring fights”.
Boser
-182
Lemos
+140
Odds were taken from Titanbet.com as of 7/22/19
Giacomo Lemos is your typical heavyweight. The 29-year-old Brazilian has knockout power although most of his stoppages have come via ground and pound where he truly excels right now. On his feet, he uses his kicks well and mixes them up good with punches. But he lacks technique, is slow and doesn’t have good cardio. Against Boser, he’s going to struggle with the Canadian’s pace. I think this is going to be a back and forth affair but once we go to the later rounds, Boser’s going to take over and win another “boring fight”. Prediction: Tanner Boser
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