UFC Fight Night Raleigh: Main Card Predictions

By: Eagle Andersen

The UFC is heading to Carolina and there are five fights on the main card that are looking to knock your socks off!

I am going to briefly breakdown each of these bouts and give you the most likely winner based their history. Each MMA News Now team member will also be offering their predictions.

Jamahal Hill (6-0-0) v Darko Stosic (13-3-0)

This is one of those fights where it seems like the UFC is trying to showcase and get a young fighter over with the fans. Expect Jamahal Hill to try and capitalize on opportunity and secure impressive win to get onto the radar. We have seen many prospects fold in similar situations to this, so be ready to see an unpredictable fight.

Hannah Cifers (10-3-0) v Angela Hill (10-7-0)

All true MMA fans know that Angela Hill is always game to step into the octagon. Cifers is an up-and-comer looking to go on a three-fight winning streak. Both of these women will be coming out hard. Expect a hard-fought fight that will most likely be decided by the judges' scorecards.

Jordan Espinosa (14-6-0) v Alex Perez (22-5-0)

Both of these fighters are fairly well-rounded. With this being said, Perez is more experienced and seasoned in the octagon. He has been adamant that this bout "could be fight of the night" but we will have to wait to see. Look for Alex Perez to come out big after nearly a year off.

Rafael dos Anjos (30-12-0) v Michael Chiesa (16-4-0)

RDA may have lost 3 out of his last 4 but don't be fooled. The level of the competition that he lost to was extremely high. Chiesa is on the opposite spectrum in this regard. He is coming off of back-to-back wins over two veterans of the game in Diego Sanchez and Carlos Condit.

It is important to distinguish the fact that RDA is not in the same category as those two previously mentioned competitors. He is less worn down and more of a well-rounded fighter. RDA seems to be the more complete fighter when compared to Chiesa as well.

Chiesa's path to victory lies in his grappling. He will be looking to come out fast, take Dos Anjos down and put a submission on him. If RDA can avoid playing Chiesa's game he should be in the perfect position to secure a decision or get a late round stoppage.

Junior dos Santos (21-6-0) v Curtis Blaydes (12-2-0)

My heart tells me to pick JDS in this fight. Unfortunately for my heart, one of my New Years resolutions was to make all of my fight picks based on who I think will win. Everything leads me to believe that Blaydes will come out on top in this one.

Many experts predicted that Junior was on the way out after falling to champion Stipe Miocic during May of 2017 - they were wrong. JDS persevered and returned with resurgence in the following year, winning his next three bouts before receiving a patented Francis Ngannou knockout last June. At age 35, it is fair to believe that Junior might finally be past his best days.

Blaydes has been on the receiving end of two Ngannou which may have taken a toll on his chin. However, unlike Junior, he is on the has yet to hit year 30 and is coming off of a two fight win-streak. Blaydes was one of the best UFC fighters flying under the radar until he got a main event opportunity against Ngannou. Blaydes once again may be flying under the radar and should not be overlooked come Saturday.

This fight has the classic match-up dynamic - striker vs grappler. It's an obvious statement but whoever is able to implement their style should win. This fight will most likely go one of two ways: Junior pieces him up on the feet and gets the stoppage, or Blaydes drags him to the mat and chops a hole in his head via some brutal ground and pound. Both of their recent track records lead me to believe that Blaydes should be favored in this fight.

Team Predictions:

Eagle's (@AndersenEagle) Picks:

J. Hill

A. Hill

A. Perez

R. Dos Anjos

C. Blaydes

Mason's Picks:

D. Stosic

H. Cifers

A. Perez

R. Dos Anjos

J. Dos Santos

Buck's (@Nerd_MMA) Picks:

D. Stosic

A. Hill

A. Perez

M. Chiesa

C. Blaydes

Streeter's (@JoeStreeter92) Picks:

J. Hill

A. Hill

A. Perez

M. Chiesa

C. Blaydes

Unger's (@UngerJos) Picks:

D. Stosic

A. Hill

A. Perez

R. Dos Anjos

C. Blaydes

Zane's (@Farrow_Zane) Picks:

J. Hill

A. Hill

A. Perez

M. Chiesa

C. Blaydes

Aiden's (@DownToTheWire6) Picks:

J.Hill

H. Cifers

J. Espinosa

R. Dos Anjos

C. Blaydes

Cam's (@FfsCameron) Picks:

H. Cifers

A. Perez

R. Dos Anjos

C. Blaydes

Joe's (@TheCanvas4) Picks:

D. Stosic

A. Hill

A. Perez

R. Dos Anjos

C. Blaydes

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