Predictions for each main card combat at UFC Chicago

The UFC heads to Chicago this weekend for an motion-packed experience headlined by using a ladies's bantamweight clash between former champion Holly Holm and seventh-ranked Valentina Shevchenko.
Holm is coming off a fifth-circular submission loss to Miesha Tate in her first title defense and is desirous to get returned in position to challenge for the belt once more. Shevchenko is asking to rebound from a loss to now-champion Amanda Nunes, and regardless of her ranking, can propel herself into the title dialog with a win over Holm.

The co-leading adventure facets an outstanding scrap between lightweight contender Edson Barboza and former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez in a bout that has combat of the night written all over the place it. As we gear up for the unique adventure, let's a take a closer appear in any respect 4 fights on the UFC on FOX in Chicago leading card and make some predictions. Two of the most advantageous strikers within the women's bantamweight division face off typically event as former 17-time boxing champion Holly Holm battles former 10-time Muay Thai titleholder Valentina Shevchenko.

This fight has very little possibility of hitting the canvas, and it will be entertaining to see which contrasting stunning fashion emerges victorious. Holm lands 3.46 strikes per minute (UFC regular = 2.5) but most effective lands her tremendous strikes at a 35 p.c clip (forty two percent). Like many a hit boxers, despite the fact, Holm has become extraordinarily productive at now not getting hit. "The Preacher's Daughter" has been in a position to fend off sixty seven.9 % of the strikes thrown her means.

Shevchenko is an attractive prolific striker herself. The Russian fighter racked up a 61-2 kickboxing listing and has constructed a recognition for herself in the UFC due in part to her precise and dynamic incredible. via two UFC bouts, she'd laded fifty four.1 p.c of her thrown-enormous strikes. Holm will deserve to use her outstanding footwork and two-inch reach potential to locate her range and hold Shevchenko from working the battle into the clinch. If she can do this, I foresee Holm winning the miraculous exchanges, as a result the combat.

Prediction: Holm by way of unanimous resolution like the main experience, the co-leading experience battle between Barboza and Melendez features two of the most reliable strikers the division has to present. Barboza, prevalent for his dynamic capability on the combat, is statistically superior than Melendez in strikes landed per minute, spectacular accuracy and defense. he's coming off a real self belief builder against Anthony Pettis, the place he landed seventy three colossal strikes, the second-most ever landed against the previous champion.

However Melendez isn't any slouch. "EL Nino" has thrown down with the better of them, frequently coming away triumphant. He entire just about half of his 22 wins and has no problem standing and trading with anyone. Melendez hasn't fought in a yr, although, and hasn't gained due to the fact a unanimous determination over Diego Sanchez in 2013, and that issues me. I suppose Melendez maintains it interesting within the first but Barboza pulls away in the second and third rounds.

Prediction: Barboza via unanimous resolution
Other than Derrick Lewis, Francis Ngannou might be the scariest up-and-coming heavyweight on the UFC roster. Ngannou's two fights inner the Octagon -- both second-circular stoppages -- have been pure violence, and he makes his UFC leading-card debut in opposition t UFC newcomer Bojan Mihajlovic. Mihajlovic has won 10 straight fights since 2006 after dropping his first three fights. Three of his last 4 wins have come by the use of first-round knockout.

I'm bound Mihajlovic is online game, but Ngannou and his 5-inch peak, 10-inch attain and 15-pound weight abilities may still don't have any difficulty on Saturday night.

Predictions: Ngannou with the aid of first-round knockout
the first battle of the UFC on FOX in Chicago main card pits two scrappy strawweights in opposition t one yet another, each desirous to crack the excellent 15 rankings. Herrig, a Chicago native, is 1-1 inner the Octagon and is calling to get again in the win column after sitting on the sidelines for greater than a yr following a loss to Paige VanZant. Herrig's output inside the Octagon has been low, as evidenced by means of her simply 1.fifty six strikes landed per minute but is among the division's most correct strikers (59 %).
Her struggles, despite the fact, are Curran's strengths.

The "Lil' Bulldog" handiest defends 26.eight percent of strikes thrown her approach, with the intention to pose an issue in opposition t Curran, who has typical accuracy (forty five percent), however throws punches in bunches (3.68 strikes landed per minute). Herrig also has a tricky time defending takedowns all the way through her time within the Octagon while Curran has thrived on getting her opponent to the canvas, landing eight over three fights within the UFC.