UFC Fight Night: Lineker vs. Dodson (October 01, 2016)

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

Fox Sports 1, 11 p.m. ET
John Lineker vs John Dodson
Will Brooks vs Alex Oliveira
Sergio Pettis vs Louis Smolka
Josh burkman vs Zak Ottow

Fox Sports 2, 9 p.m. ET
Joachim Christensen vs Luis Henrique da Silva
Hacran Dias vs Andre Fili
Shamil Abdurakhimov vs Walt Harris
Keita Nakamura vs Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos

UFC Fight Pass, 7:15 p.m. ET
Nate Marquardt vs Tamdan McCory
Ion Cutelaba vs Jonathan Wilson
Curtis Blaydes vs Cody East
Kelly Faszholz vs Ketlen Vieira

[Hugo de Naranja]

Fox Sports 1, 11 p.m. ET
John Lineker vs John Dodson
Will Brooks vs Alex Oliveira
Sergio Pettis vs Louis Smolka
Josh burkman vs Zak Ottow

Fox Sports 2, 9 p.m. ET
Joachim Christensen vs Luis Henrique da Silva
Hacran Dias vs Andre Fili
Shamil Abdurakhimov vs Walt Harris
Keita Nakamura vs Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos

UFC Fight Pass, 7:15 p.m. ET
Nate Marquardt vs Tamdan McCory
Ion Cutelaba vs Jonathan Wilson
Curtis Blaydes vs Cody East
Kelly Faszholz vs Ketlen Vieira

Lineker!!!

[Hugo de Naranja]

Too bad Ortega got injured. That would have been an easy fight to bet and a fun one to watch.

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

Sergio Pettis is injured and has been forced out of his bout with fellow flyweight Louis Smolka

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

Brandon Moreno in for Pettis, meets Louis Smolka

[JIBBBY]

So this got next.. Jon Linker tough straight up fighter, John Dodson may just be a little too athletic and elusive for JL are my thoughts going in... I could be wrong though... Pretty sure my money will be on Dodson though and probably by decision..

Ill Wil Brooks against no ground game Cowboy Oliveria.. Gotta think Ill Wil with the wresting win this easily.. No way he stands and bangs this out for very long... Cowboy Cerrone tapped out Fake Cowboy Oliveria like he was a white belt... Money will be on Brooks for sure..

That's all I got off the top of my head for now.. Looking to rebound so will cap this event harder then ever!!!!

[JIBBBY]

Brandon Moreno in for Pettis, meets Louis Smolka

I would have faded Sergio against Smolka and sad this fight didn't happen at those opening odds.. Brandon Moreno fill in on short notice hmmmm?

[Thrilla]

- Joe Rogan previews the Fight Night Portland main event matchup between two of the most exciting prospects in the UFC bantamweight division when #3 ranked John Lineker takes on John "The Magician" Dodson.

[JIBBBY]

Not alot of interest with this event I see... Couple good fights on this card.. I may be out of town for this one but not sure yet??

Here is the prelim write ups anyways from MMAMANIA -

Part 1...





185 lbs.: Nate Marquardt vs. Tamdan McCrory
With five losses in his previous six fights, Nate Marquardt (34-16-2) appeared to breathe new life into his career with a stunning one-punch knockout of C.B. Dollaway. "The Great" couldn’t capitalize on the momentum, however, as he was blown out in the first round by Thiago Santos six months later.


The 37-year-old veteran has stopped his opponent in all but one of his wins since 2007.
After more than five years out of the sport, Tamdan McCrory (14-4) returned to the cage with two wins in a combined 1:27. He went on to submit Josh Samman upon re-signing with UFC, but suffered a surprise knockout loss to Krzysztof Jotko in June.
"Barn Cat" is four inches taller and eight years younger than Marquardt.


Even with the Jotko loss, I’m having a hard time picturing McCrory losing here. Marquardt is beyond shot. He was never a great technician and the grit and toughness that made "The Great" so fearsome in the past is gone. His wrestling hasn’t stood the test of time, either. McCrory’s length and power seem perfectly suited to handing Marquardt his fifth (technical) knockout loss in the last three years. He catches Nate early for the finish.
Prediction: McCrory via first-round knockout


205 lbs.: Jonathan Wilson vs. Ion Cutelaba

Jonathan Wilson (7-1) made quite the impression in his Octagon debut, knocking out Chris Dempsey in just 50 seconds. In his second Octagon appearance, "Johnny Bravo" slugged it out with Luis Henrique da Silva, who survived Wilson’s punches and put him away with ground-and-pound in the second.
Six of his profesional wins have come by knockout, five of them in the first round.
Moldova’s Ion Cutelaba (11-2) brought a seven-fight win streak, all by knockout, into his UFC debut opposite Misha Cirkunov. Cutelaba took him to the third round, but could not handle his fellow prospect’s grappling skills and wound up tapping to an arm-triangle.
All of his wins are by stoppage, seven of them inside one minute.
Oh, this is going to be good. Both Wilson and Cutelaba excel at early finishes and pack huge power in their hands. However long it lasts, it’s going to be absolutely wild and absolutely violent.
And then Cutelaba’s going to take his head off.
Against Henrique, Wilson ran out of steam after one competitive round. Cutelaba may not have had much success against Cirkunov, but he at least stayed in the fight for two rounds against a top prospect. When the fists start flying, I have more faith in Cutelaba’s ability to stand strong than in Wilson’s. The Moldovan pounds him out late in the first or early in the second.
Prediction: Cutelaba via first-round technical knockout


265 lbs.: Cody East vs. Curtis Blaydes

Another find from "Lookin’ for a Fight," Cody East (12-2) joined the world’s largest fight promotion with nine consecutive wins. Though favored against fellow slugger Walt Harris, "The Freight Train" succumbed to power punches late in the first round.
He has scored eight wins by knockout and three by submission.
Less than two months after his fifth knockout in five fights, Curtis Blaydes (5-1) stepped up on short notice to take on Cameroonian colossus Francis Ngannou in Zagreb. He managed to survive until the end of the second round, when a badly swollen eye forced the referee to call the fight.
He is one inch taller and three years younger than East.
Blaydes is still a solid prospect, honestly. He’s got a great wrestling base and showed impressive resilience against the nuclear fists of Ngannou. East will likely have difficulty staying off his back, especially since the streak that brought him to UFC featured a whopping zero quality takedown artists.
The power’s there for East, obviously, but if Ngannou couldn’t turn Blaydes’ light out, odds are "The Freight Train" can’t do it, either. Blaydes grinds him down for a decision victory.
Prediction: Blaydes via unanimous decision


135 lbs.: Kelly Faszholz vs. Ketlen Vieira

Once set to face current division standout Valentina Shevchenko under the Legacy FC banner, Kelly Faszholz (3-1) instead stepped up on short notice to take on Lauren Murphy in Pittsburgh. Though she came up short, she did manage to give the former Invicta standout a tough out and earn "Fight of the Night" honors in the process.
All three of her wins have come by submission.
Ketlen Vieira (6-0) has spent her two-year career entirely in Brazil, earning stoppages in her first five fights. She had to go the distance for the first time in February, but picked up the win over then-unbeaten Estafni Rodriguez.
"Fenomeno" has scored three submissions and two (technical) knockouts.
Vieira is game, aggressive, and a very willing brawler. She’s also very raw and has faced nobody of note, while Faszholz stood up to an extremely tough scrapper in Lauren Murphy who had been competitive with some of the division’s best.
If and when the two elect to trade hands, Faszholz figures to be crisper and might have a bit more power. Vieira’s likely to struggle with her takedowns as well, as Faszholz to deny Murphy’s wrestling offense for a good chunk of the fight. Faszholz just seems to have the edge everywhere; expect her to stay in control no matter where the fight goes and eventually walk away with the decision.
Prediction: Faszholz via unanimous decision

[Thrilla]

- John Dodson has shown over his career that he has serious one-punch knockout power. He'll go for another KO on Saturday in the main event of Fight Night Portland against John Lineker.

[TPowell]

Fasholtz and Walt Harris looking like solid plays at even money so far. Will probably lay off the Dodson/Lineker fight because I feel like Lineker can't keep taking heat EVERY fight like he has without getting rocked eventually.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Fasholtz and Walt Harris looking like solid plays at even money so far. Will probably lay off the Dodson/Lineker fight because I feel like Lineker can't keep taking heat EVERY fight like he has without getting rocked eventually.

I like Faszholz a lot here. With Harris, I think it makes the most sense to play the KO/TKO and R1 props since all of his 8 wins are by first round KO.

[Thrilla]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFC_Fight_Night:_Lineker_vs._Dodson

Background

The event will be the second that the organization hosted in Portland, with the first being UFC 102 in August 2009.^[2]

The event is expected to be headlined by a bantamweight bout between John Lineker and former two-time UFC Flyweight Championship challenger and The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller bantamweight winner John Dodson.^[3]

On September 9, two fighters pulled out from their bouts: Brian Ortega and Bobby Green were expected to face Hacran Dias and Joshua Burkman, respectively.^[4][5] Ortega was replaced by Andre Fili, while Green was replaced by promotional newcomer Zak Ottow.^[6][7]

Sergio Pettis was scheduled to face Louis Smolka at the event. However, Pettis pulled out of the fight on September 22 citing what his trainer described as "a minor injury".^[8] Smolka will remain on the card and is expected to face Brandon Moreno.^[9]

Official fight card

Bantamweight	John Lineker	vs.	John Dodson
Lightweight	Will Brooks	vs.	Alex Oliveira
Lightweight	Josh Burkman	vs.	Zak Ottow
Flyweight	Louis Smolka	vs.	Brandon Moreno
Light Heavyweight	Luis Henrique da Silva	vs.	Joachim Christensen
Featherweight	Hacran Dias	vs.	Andre Fili
Heavyweight	Shamil Abdurakhimov	vs.	Walt Harris
Welterweight	Keita Nakamura	vs.	Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Middleweight	Nate Marquardt	vs.	Tamdan McCrory
Light Heavyweight	Jonathan Wilson	vs.	Ion Cutelaba
Heavyweight	Cody East	vs.	Curtis Blaydes
Women's Bantamweight	Kelly Faszholz	vs.	Ketlen Vieira

^[10]

[Thrilla]

- Fightnetwork.com: Paul Shaughnessy (@PaulShag) and Cody Saftic (@CJSaftic) break down all the action from UFC Fight Night Portland including a main event tilt between former flyweights John Dodson vs. John Lineker.

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

Wow Marquardt nearly +200 against McCrory, both were ko'd in their last fights Tamdan brutally.

[JIBBBY]

Wow Marquardt nearly +200 against McCrory, both were ko'd in their last fights Tamdan brutally.

Tough fight to draw a beat on.. Both are almost cans at this point IMO.. May take Nate "the former Great" Marquardt at those odds..

Nate Marquardt just 2-6 in his last 8.. Granted he was fighting tough fighters though.. http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Nate-Marquardt-1712

McCrory nothing special and hasn't been a lights out fighter lately and or facing cream of the crop fighters himself.... http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Tamdan-McCrory-16470

Sat 10/1		1801 Nate Marquardt		+190	o1½ -105
8:30PM		1802 Tamdan McCrory		-230	u1½ -115

[PaperTrail07]

1. 10/1/2016 11:59 PM UFC Fighting 1001 John Dodson* -130 vs John Lineker
2. 10/1/2016 11:59 PM UFC Fighting 1102 Will Brooks* -280 vs Alex Oliveira
3. 10/1/2016 11:00 PM UFC Fighting 1302 Josh Burkman* -245 vs Zak Ottow
4. 10/1/2016 10:30 PM UFC Fighting 1402 Luis Henrique da Silva* -125 vs Joachim Christensen
5. 10/1/2016 10:00 PM UFC Fighting 1502 Hacran Dias* -175 vs Andre Fili
6. 10/1/2016 9:30 PM UFC Fighting 1602 Walt Harris* +100 vs Shamil Abdurahimov
7. 
   
   #1: Dodson will be 1 step with his speed....Love linekar but he will be swinging and missing a lot IMO....he manages to put Dodson to sleep (NICE WORK)--I'll take my chances w the guy that's winning rounds....He has the power to catch Linekar as well.....Amazing fight---cant wait
   
   #2: Speed Kills....Don't see a finish here either----Brooks Via Decision...
   
   #3: Burkman is just a solid vet and I am fading the UFC newcomer. While Ottow is tough, I think he loses this one before his first W in the UFC--Either Decision or Submission for Burkman
   
   #4: -Frankenstein is tough and I expect a 2nd round TKO--
   
   #5: I think the strength of Dias will be too much for Fili....Fili might catch him here and there but he will get the take down anyways....29-28 possibly 30-27
   
   #6: I just think Walt's competition early was just too much....this fight is perfect for him and I expect a late finish or decision for the Big ticket
   
   Thoughts on these?

[JIBBBY]

^^ I like em Paper.. Walt Harris not so sure about though.. I'm on all the same fighters myself except for Walt Harris.. ..

[JIBBBY]

Not alot of interest with this event I see... Couple good fights on this card.. I may be out of town for this one but not sure yet??

Here is the prelim write ups anyways from MMAMANIA -

Part 1...





185 lbs.: Nate Marquardt vs. Tamdan McCrory
With five losses in his previous six fights, Nate Marquardt (34-16-2) appeared to breathe new life into his career with a stunning one-punch knockout of C.B. Dollaway. "The Great" couldn’t capitalize on the momentum, however, as he was blown out in the first round by Thiago Santos six months later.


The 37-year-old veteran has stopped his opponent in all but one of his wins since 2007.
After more than five years out of the sport, Tamdan McCrory (14-4) returned to the cage with two wins in a combined 1:27. He went on to submit Josh Samman upon re-signing with UFC, but suffered a surprise knockout loss to Krzysztof Jotko in June.
"Barn Cat" is four inches taller and eight years younger than Marquardt.


Even with the Jotko loss, I’m having a hard time picturing McCrory losing here. Marquardt is beyond shot. He was never a great technician and the grit and toughness that made "The Great" so fearsome in the past is gone. His wrestling hasn’t stood the test of time, either. McCrory’s length and power seem perfectly suited to handing Marquardt his fifth (technical) knockout loss in the last three years. He catches Nate early for the finish.
Prediction: McCrory via first-round knockout


205 lbs.: Jonathan Wilson vs. Ion Cutelaba

Jonathan Wilson (7-1) made quite the impression in his Octagon debut, knocking out Chris Dempsey in just 50 seconds. In his second Octagon appearance, "Johnny Bravo" slugged it out with Luis Henrique da Silva, who survived Wilson’s punches and put him away with ground-and-pound in the second.
Six of his profesional wins have come by knockout, five of them in the first round.
Moldova’s Ion Cutelaba (11-2) brought a seven-fight win streak, all by knockout, into his UFC debut opposite Misha Cirkunov. Cutelaba took him to the third round, but could not handle his fellow prospect’s grappling skills and wound up tapping to an arm-triangle.
All of his wins are by stoppage, seven of them inside one minute.
Oh, this is going to be good. Both Wilson and Cutelaba excel at early finishes and pack huge power in their hands. However long it lasts, it’s going to be absolutely wild and absolutely violent.
And then Cutelaba’s going to take his head off.
Against Henrique, Wilson ran out of steam after one competitive round. Cutelaba may not have had much success against Cirkunov, but he at least stayed in the fight for two rounds against a top prospect. When the fists start flying, I have more faith in Cutelaba’s ability to stand strong than in Wilson’s. The Moldovan pounds him out late in the first or early in the second.
Prediction: Cutelaba via first-round technical knockout


265 lbs.: Cody East vs. Curtis Blaydes

Another find from "Lookin’ for a Fight," Cody East (12-2) joined the world’s largest fight promotion with nine consecutive wins. Though favored against fellow slugger Walt Harris, "The Freight Train" succumbed to power punches late in the first round.
He has scored eight wins by knockout and three by submission.
Less than two months after his fifth knockout in five fights, Curtis Blaydes (5-1) stepped up on short notice to take on Cameroonian colossus Francis Ngannou in Zagreb. He managed to survive until the end of the second round, when a badly swollen eye forced the referee to call the fight.
He is one inch taller and three years younger than East.
Blaydes is still a solid prospect, honestly. He’s got a great wrestling base and showed impressive resilience against the nuclear fists of Ngannou. East will likely have difficulty staying off his back, especially since the streak that brought him to UFC featured a whopping zero quality takedown artists.
The power’s there for East, obviously, but if Ngannou couldn’t turn Blaydes’ light out, odds are "The Freight Train" can’t do it, either. Blaydes grinds him down for a decision victory.
Prediction: Blaydes via unanimous decision


135 lbs.: Kelly Faszholz vs. Ketlen Vieira

Once set to face current division standout Valentina Shevchenko under the Legacy FC banner, Kelly Faszholz (3-1) instead stepped up on short notice to take on Lauren Murphy in Pittsburgh. Though she came up short, she did manage to give the former Invicta standout a tough out and earn "Fight of the Night" honors in the process.
All three of her wins have come by submission.
Ketlen Vieira (6-0) has spent her two-year career entirely in Brazil, earning stoppages in her first five fights. She had to go the distance for the first time in February, but picked up the win over then-unbeaten Estafni Rodriguez.
"Fenomeno" has scored three submissions and two (technical) knockouts.
Vieira is game, aggressive, and a very willing brawler. She’s also very raw and has faced nobody of note, while Faszholz stood up to an extremely tough scrapper in Lauren Murphy who had been competitive with some of the division’s best.
If and when the two elect to trade hands, Faszholz figures to be crisper and might have a bit more power. Vieira’s likely to struggle with her takedowns as well, as Faszholz to deny Murphy’s wrestling offense for a good chunk of the fight. Faszholz just seems to have the edge everywhere; expect her to stay in control no matter where the fight goes and eventually walk away with the decision.
Prediction: Faszholz via unanimous decision

PART 2 -

205 lbs.: Luis Henrique da Silva vs. Joachim Christensen
Luis Henrique da Silva (11-0) has made a habit of ending things early, stopping all 11 of his opponents by form of knockout. In his UFC debut, Brazil's "Frankenstein" out-slugged Jonathan Wilson and ultimately put him away with second-round ground-and-pound.


Eight of his 11 knockouts have come in the first round.
The latest Danish import to join the UFC, Joachim Christensen (13-3) enters the Octagon on a five-fight win streak. Said streak includes wins over former M-1 champion Stephan Puetz, Swedish prospect Max Nunes, and Bellator veteran Jonas Billstein.
He has earned four wins by knockout and five by submission.


All signs point to Christensen being a real handful for Henrique. The Dane has never been stopped and actually has experience going three rounds. He’s also significantly more proven against high-level opposition. Indeed, Henrique’s best wins came over Wilson -- who gassed out early -- and Ildemar Alcantara, who was giving him the business before being stopped.
Barring Octagon jitters, this looks like an eminently winnable fight for Christensen. He controls the striking at range and sneaks in a few takedowns to break da Silva down and eventually pound him out.
Prediction: Christensen by third-round technical knockout


145 lbs.: Hacran Dias vs. Andre Fili

Following a 1-2 start to his UFC career, Hacran Dias (23-4-1) righted the ship with consecutive wins over fellow grinders Darren Elkins and Levan Makashvili. Ten months after the latter fight, he survived two knockdowns, but ultimately lost a decision against Cub Swanson.
"Barnabe" will give up two inches of height to the 5’10" Andre Fili (15-4).
Fili’s three-year UFC career has seen him alternate wins and losses en route to a 3-3 promotional record. Most recently, he took on Yair Rodriguez in April and wound up on the wrong end of a flying switch kick knockout.
He replaces the injured Brian Ortega on three weeks notice.
Fili may have a near-supernatural propensity for getting stopped in incredible fashion, but he’s the better striker of the two by a fair margin and ought to have the wrestling to shut down Dias’ grapple-heavy onslaught. There’s also Fili’s speed advantage to consider, an advantage he didn’t have against "Pantera."
Dias’ limited striking arsenal and lack of finishing ability will be his undoing. Fili steadily shuts down his wrestling game en route to a decision win.
Prediction: Fili via unanimous decision


265 lbs.: Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Walt Harris

Nine wins in his previous 10 fights brought Shamil Abdurakhimov (16-3) to UFC, where he fell to first-round ground-and-pound against Timothy Johnson in his debut. Ten months later, he stepped back into the Octagon and took a decision over Anthony Hamilton in Pittsburgh.
"Abrek" has seven wins by form of knockout and four via submission.
Walt Harris (8-4) went two-and-out in his first UFC stint, then fell to Soa Palelei in his short-notice Octagon return. In April, he finally managed to pick up his first win in the promotion by knocking out Cody East in the first round.
All eight of his wins have come by first-round knockout.
Harris’ size, athleticism and power are all impressive, but he seems to run out of ideas if he can’t put his man away in the first round. He let the slow and awkward Jared Rosholt off the hook after dropping him early and even the aforementioned Palelei, notorious for being dead on his feet after the first five minutes, managed to overpower him well into the second round.
Considering Abdurakhimov has only one (technical) knockout loss on his record, which came from ground-and-pound, that’s not a good flaw to have. "Abrek" is the cleaner striker and ought to be able to withstand Harris’ early onslaught. Expect him to steadily pick Harris apart the way he did Hamilton, possibly stopping "The Big Ticket" late.
Prediction: Abdurakhimov via unanimous decision


170 lbs.: Keita Nakamura vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos

Seven years after his exit from UFC, Keita Nakamura (32-7-2) returned to the promotion with a comeback submission of Jingliang Li at Saitama Super Arena. "K-Taro" then lost a decision to Tom Breese before dropping and stopping Kyle Noke in July.
Fifteen of his wins have come by rear-naked choke.
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (15-5) saw his four-fight win streak come to an end in his Octagon debut, where he fought Nicolas Dalby to a split decision in Goiania. Next time out, he overcame an early deficit to knock out Omari Akhmedov and earn "Fight of the Night" in the process.
Brazil’s "Capoeira" has knocked out 10 opponents and submitted another two.
"Capoeira" is the faster of the two and by far the bigger hitter on the feet, but his lacking takedown defense got him in trouble in both of his UFC fights. Nakamura is terrific on the mat, a far better finisher there than Dalby and Akhmedov -- if he gets Zaleski to the mat, he’s not getting back up.
While Zaleski will have a clear striking advantage, Nakamura hasn’t been stopped by strikes since 2008 and absorbed some heavy shots from Li without falling. Expect him to stand up to Zaleski’s power, capitalize on his aggression and drive him to the mat for the eventual rear-naked choke finish.
Prediction: Nakamura via second-round submission

[PaperTrail07]

Don't like their breakdown at all lOL....is what it IS

PART 2 -

205 lbs.: Luis Henrique da Silva vs. Joachim Christensen
Luis Henrique da Silva (11-0) has made a habit of ending things early, stopping all 11 of his opponents by form of knockout. In his UFC debut, Brazil's "Frankenstein" out-slugged Jonathan Wilson and ultimately put him away with second-round ground-and-pound.


Eight of his 11 knockouts have come in the first round.
The latest Danish import to join the UFC, Joachim Christensen (13-3) enters the Octagon on a five-fight win streak. Said streak includes wins over former M-1 champion Stephan Puetz, Swedish prospect Max Nunes, and Bellator veteran Jonas Billstein.
He has earned four wins by knockout and five by submission.


All signs point to Christensen being a real handful for Henrique. The Dane has never been stopped and actually has experience going three rounds. He’s also significantly more proven against high-level opposition. Indeed, Henrique’s best wins came over Wilson -- who gassed out early -- and Ildemar Alcantara, who was giving him the business before being stopped.
Barring Octagon jitters, this looks like an eminently winnable fight for Christensen. He controls the striking at range and sneaks in a few takedowns to break da Silva down and eventually pound him out.
Prediction: Christensen by third-round technical knockout


145 lbs.: Hacran Dias vs. Andre Fili

Following a 1-2 start to his UFC career, Hacran Dias (23-4-1) righted the ship with consecutive wins over fellow grinders Darren Elkins and Levan Makashvili. Ten months after the latter fight, he survived two knockdowns, but ultimately lost a decision against Cub Swanson.
"Barnabe" will give up two inches of height to the 5’10" Andre Fili (15-4).
Fili’s three-year UFC career has seen him alternate wins and losses en route to a 3-3 promotional record. Most recently, he took on Yair Rodriguez in April and wound up on the wrong end of a flying switch kick knockout.
He replaces the injured Brian Ortega on three weeks notice.
Fili may have a near-supernatural propensity for getting stopped in incredible fashion, but he’s the better striker of the two by a fair margin and ought to have the wrestling to shut down Dias’ grapple-heavy onslaught. There’s also Fili’s speed advantage to consider, an advantage he didn’t have against "Pantera."
Dias’ limited striking arsenal and lack of finishing ability will be his undoing. Fili steadily shuts down his wrestling game en route to a decision win.
Prediction: Fili via unanimous decision


265 lbs.: Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Walt Harris

Nine wins in his previous 10 fights brought Shamil Abdurakhimov (16-3) to UFC, where he fell to first-round ground-and-pound against Timothy Johnson in his debut. Ten months later, he stepped back into the Octagon and took a decision over Anthony Hamilton in Pittsburgh.
"Abrek" has seven wins by form of knockout and four via submission.
Walt Harris (8-4) went two-and-out in his first UFC stint, then fell to Soa Palelei in his short-notice Octagon return. In April, he finally managed to pick up his first win in the promotion by knocking out Cody East in the first round.
All eight of his wins have come by first-round knockout.
Harris’ size, athleticism and power are all impressive, but he seems to run out of ideas if he can’t put his man away in the first round. He let the slow and awkward Jared Rosholt off the hook after dropping him early and even the aforementioned Palelei, notorious for being dead on his feet after the first five minutes, managed to overpower him well into the second round.
Considering Abdurakhimov has only one (technical) knockout loss on his record, which came from ground-and-pound, that’s not a good flaw to have. "Abrek" is the cleaner striker and ought to be able to withstand Harris’ early onslaught. Expect him to steadily pick Harris apart the way he did Hamilton, possibly stopping "The Big Ticket" late.
Prediction: Abdurakhimov via unanimous decision


170 lbs.: Keita Nakamura vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos

Seven years after his exit from UFC, Keita Nakamura (32-7-2) returned to the promotion with a comeback submission of Jingliang Li at Saitama Super Arena. "K-Taro" then lost a decision to Tom Breese before dropping and stopping Kyle Noke in July.
Fifteen of his wins have come by rear-naked choke.
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (15-5) saw his four-fight win streak come to an end in his Octagon debut, where he fought Nicolas Dalby to a split decision in Goiania. Next time out, he overcame an early deficit to knock out Omari Akhmedov and earn "Fight of the Night" in the process.
Brazil’s "Capoeira" has knocked out 10 opponents and submitted another two.
"Capoeira" is the faster of the two and by far the bigger hitter on the feet, but his lacking takedown defense got him in trouble in both of his UFC fights. Nakamura is terrific on the mat, a far better finisher there than Dalby and Akhmedov -- if he gets Zaleski to the mat, he’s not getting back up.
While Zaleski will have a clear striking advantage, Nakamura hasn’t been stopped by strikes since 2008 and absorbed some heavy shots from Li without falling. Expect him to stand up to Zaleski’s power, capitalize on his aggression and drive him to the mat for the eventual rear-naked choke finish.
Prediction: Nakamura via second-round submission

[JIBBBY]

Patrick has been a little off lately.. .Still some good points he makes in the short write ups.. Again I don't tail him and just grab bits and pieces of information from each write up... I do often find myself playing alot of the same prop predictions though after my capping is done....

Take what you want from it Paper, not alot of short write ups out there circulating better then his and this guy does have a winning prop record every year.... Remember props are usually at +odds every time so I can't bash this dude even if he ends up batting .500 when it's all said and done..

[PaperTrail07]

I enjoy reading them-dont get me wrong-appreciate the post......and HELL if I had a crystal ball I could argue w him but I don't....

Patrick has been a little off lately.. .Still some good points he makes in the short write ups.. Again I don't tail him and just grab bits and pieces of information from each write up... I do often find myself playing alot of the same prop predictions though after my capping is done....

Take what you want from it Paper, not alot of short write ups out there circulating better then his and this guy does have a winning prop record every year.... Remember props are usually at +odds every time so I can't bash this dude even if he ends up batting .500 when it's all said and done..

[Snowball]

this is an exciting card, I plan to do my homework.
After Duke Saturday, this is where i concentrate,
will call that guy I know to see who he likes also.
let's make some $.

[Hugo de Naranja]

Lineker by Slay-and-Prey!

[Hugo de Naranja]

3 fighters miss weight for UFC Portland:
Lineker (136.5)
Dias (148.5)
Oliveira (161.5!!)

[PaperTrail07]

161.5 MY GOD....Smart move by Linekar....

3 fighters miss weight for UFC Portland:
Lineker (136.5)
Dias (148.5)
Oliveira (161.5!!)

[UncleChael]

I know he's your boy Hugo but good chance Godson takes this one..

[PaperTrail07]

will be blown away if he walks down and KO's dodson...

Lineker by Slay-and-Prey!

[PaperTrail07]

Cowboy just gave up the cut LMAO...

[Hugo de Naranja]

161.5 MY GOD....Smart move by Linekar....

Crazy for Oliveira to miss by that much. He is pretty big for 170 and that's really where he should be fighting.

[Hugo de Naranja]

I know he's your boy Hugo but good chance Godson takes this one..

Either guy could definitely get KO'ed. I've got no illusions about Lineker's striking defense and Dodson hits very hard. That said, I think Lineker will be able to drag Dodson into a brawl and Lineker pretty much always wins that type of fight.

[JIBBBY]

Lineker by Slay-and-Prey!

Would you care to let me try and win my bet points back on another friendly bet point wager..I got Dodson you got Lineker?

120 bet point wager? I give you 120 points the day of the fight if I lose, you give me 2 points a day for 2 months... Let me know Hugo?

[Hugo de Naranja]

Would you care to let me try and win my bet points back on another friendly bet point wager..I got Dodson you got Lineker?

120 bet point wager? I give you 120 points the day of the fight if I lose, you give me 2 points a day for 2 months... Let me know Hugo?

I've got a counter-offer. Just 50 bet points straight up this time. I'll give them the day of the fight if I lose. Would that work?

[Hugo de Naranja]

UFC Fight Night 96 Picks:
Kelly Faszholz Round 2 Submission
Curtis Blaydes Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)
Ion Cutelaba Round 2 TKO
Nate Marquardt Round 1 KO
Keita Nakamura Round 2 Submission
Walt Harris Round 1 TKO
Hacran Dias Unanimous Decision (29-28 x3)
Luis Henrique da Silva Round 2 TKO
Louis Smolka Round 2 Submission
Josh Burkman Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)
Will Brooks Unanimous Decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)
John Lineker Unanimous Decision (49-46 x2, 48-47)

[Hugo de Naranja]

UFC Fight Night 96: Lineker vs. Dodson

Fight #1: Faszholz vs. Vieira (DEBUT):
Faszholz (-115) 4.6u to win 4u
Faszholz -3.5 (+170) 1u
Faszholz ITD (+317) 1u
Faszholz Submission (+610) .5u
Faszholz Round 2 (+750) .25u
Faszholz Round 3 (+1200) .25u

Hedge(s):
Vieira KO/TKO (+650) 1u
Vieira Round 2 (+1050) .25u
Vieira Round 3 (+1700) .25u

Fight #2: Blaydes vs. East:
East (+200) 1u
Blaydes vs. East Over 1.5 Rounds (-110) 1.1u to win 1u

Hedge:
Blaydes Decision (+380) .5u

Fight #3: Wilson vs. Cutelaba:
Wilson KO/TKO (+310) 1u

Hedge:
Cutelaba Round 2 (+475) .5u

Fight #4: Marquardt vs. McCrory:
Marquardt (+190) 1u
Marquardt KO/TKO (+400) .5u
Marquardt Decision (+760) .25u

Fight #5: Nakamura vs. Zaleski dos Santos:
Nakamura (-140) 2.8u to win 2u
Nakamura (-115) 1.15u to win 1u
Nakamura -3.5 (+130) .5u
Nakamura Round 2 (+550) 1u
Nakamura Round 3 (+1000) .5u
Nakamura Decision (+325) 1u

Hedge(s):
Zaleski Scorecards = No Action (+174) 1u
Zaleski ITD (+359) 1u
Zaleski Round 3 (+1500) .25u

Fight #6: Harris vs. Abdurakhimov:
Harris (+110) 1u
Harris Round 1 (+300) 1u

Hedge:
Abdurakhimov Decision (+350) .5u

Fight #7: Fili vs. Dias:
Fili Round 3 (+2250) .25u

Fight #8: Henrique Da Silva vs. Christensen (DEBUT):
Da Silva (-125) 3.75u to win 3u
Da Silva -3.5 (+135) 1u
Da Silva KO/TKO (+325) 1u
Da Silva Round 2 (+650) .5u

Hedge:
Christensen Decision (+465) 1u

Fight #9: Smolka vs. Moreno:
Smolka Round 2 (+275) .75u
Smolka Round 3 (+600) .5u

Hedge(s):
Moreno KO/TKO (+1425) .25u
Moreno Submission (+2285) .25u
Moreno Round 1 (+2000) .25u

Fight #10: Burkman vs. Ottow (DEBUT):
Burkman Submission (+518) .5u

Fight #11: Brooks vs. Oliveira:
Brooks Decision (-125) 3.75u to win 3u
Brooks -3.5 (+110) 1u
Brooks Round 3 (+1250) .75u

Hedge(s):
Oliveira Scorecards = No Action (+160) 1u
Oliveira KO/TKO (+775) .5u
Oliveira KO/TKO (+710) .25u

Fight #12: Lineker vs. Dodson:
Lineker Scorecards = No Action (-142) 1.42u to win 1u
Lineker Scorecards = No Action (+102) 2u
Lineker (+100) 2u
Lineker (+110) 1u
Lineker Round 1 (+400) .5u
Lineker Decision (+700) .5u
Lineker Unanimous Decision (+1300) .25u
Lineker Submission (+1500) .5u

Hedge(s):
Dodson Decision (+367) 1u
Dodson Unanimous Decision (+530) .5u

Straight Parlays:
Brooks+Oliveira Go Distance/Smolka+Moreno Won't Go Distance (+147) 1u

Prop Parlays:
Brooks+Oliveira Go Distance/Smolka -3.5 (+105) 1u
Faszholz -3.5/Dodson KO (+899) .75u
Smolka Decision/Brooks Decision (+951) .25u
Harris Round 1/Lineker+Dodson Won’t Start Round 2 (+1148) .25u
Faszholz Decision/Nakamura Decision (+1250) .5u
Blaydes+East Go Distance/Abdurakhimov Decision (+1319) .5u
Harris Round 1/Nakamura Round 1 (+1900) .25u
Harris Round 1/Lineker Round 1 (+2025) .25u
Marquardt KO/Zaleski ITD (+2081) .5u
Cutelaba Round 2/Da Silva Round 2 (+4213) .25u

Multi-Event Parlays:
Lineker KO/Henderson KO (+1344) .25u