Preview: UFC 188 ‘Velasquez vs. Werdum’

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FLYWEIGHTS

Henry Cejudo (8-0, 2-0 UFC) vs. Chico Camus (14-5, 3-2 UFC): Olympic gold medalist Cejudo draws tough veteran Camus in a solid flyweight bout. Cejudo has been nothing short of dominant in his two UFC outings, crushing Dustin Kimura and former title challenger Chris Cariaso in brutal fashion. Meanwhile, Camus beat Brad Pickett in his last outing. The Olympian, surprisingly enough, has relied on his striking rather than his wrestling to win fights. He cracks away with potent punch-kick combinations, blasts away with knees in the clinch and can still hit the occasional high-amplitude throw or slam when the mood strikes. Camus is well-rounded and sneaky good, with slick in-and-out combination striking, solid wrestling chops and a decent top game. I expect Camus to be a solid and underrated test for Cejudo, but the Olympian’s off-the-charts athleticism and wrestling will eventually prevail in a tight scrap. The pick is Cejudo by decision.

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Efrain Escudero (23-9, 4-5 UFC) vs. Drew Dober (15-6, 1-2 UFC): “The Ultimate Fighter” winner Escudero is now in his third stint with the UFC and draws Dober in a potentially fun matchup of lower-tier, meat-and-potatoes lightweights. Escudero’s victory over Rodrigo Goiana de Lima in his last fight snapped a four-fight losing streak in the promotion, while Dober’s most recent bout was overturned to a no-contest following a bizarre “submission” stoppage against Leandro Silva. Dober’s game revolves around his southpaw combination striking and serviceable takedown defense, while Escudero is a good combination puncher, solid wrestler and decent grappler without any real holes in his game. This seems relatively evenly matched, but I like Dober’s volume and consistent improvements. The pick is Dober by decision.

BANTAMWEIGHTS

Patrick Williams (7-4, 0-1 UFC) vs. Alejandro Perez (15-5, 1-0 UFC): “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” winner Perez gets a soft step up in competition against former Arizona State University wrestler Williams, who dropped his UFC debut to Chris Beal more than a year ago. Perez is reasonably well-rounded, with crisp hands, solid kicks and some wrestling ability. Williams fights with an offbeat rhythm and a lot of circular movement, and he transitions nicely between striking, wrestling and grappling. Unless Perez has made substantial improvements to his takedown defense, which is a real possibility, Williams should be able to get him to the mat with ease. The pick is Williams by decision.

LIGHTWEIGHTS

Frank Trevino (12-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Johnny Case (20-4, 2-0 UFC): This is a potential barnburner of a matchup. Trevino debuted more than a year ago and took a decision from Renee Forte, and Case has won both of his UFC bouts, the most recent a third-round TKO against Frankie Perez in January. Case is huge for the division at 6-foot-1 and is extremely well-rounded, with a nice combination striking arsenal, good submissions in transition and a solid wrestling game. Trevino is mostly a striker, and though he can hit takedowns of his own, he occasionally struggles to keep it standing. I think this matchup favors Case everywhere, and a combination of rangy striking, wrestling and top-control grappling should get it done. The pick is Case by submission in the second round.

WELTERWEIGHTS

Cathal Pendred (16-2-1, 3-0 UFC) vs. Augusto Montano (15-1, 1-0 UFC): Ireland’s Pendred takes on Mexico’s Montano in a solid clash. Pendred has won three straight in the UFC, the last two by controversial decision, while Montano debuted with a devastating first-round knockout of Chris Heatherly in November. The Irishman is a big, strong, plodding grinder who is durable and game but limited and hittable on the feet, while Montano is a wild brawler with decent power and good cardio. Although Montano could catch Pendred and will likely get a home-crowd advantage if it goes to the cards, I think the Irishman will repeatedly take him down and grind this out. The pick is Pendred by decision.

FEATHERWEIGHTS

Clay Collard (14-5, 1-1 UFC) vs. Gabriel Benitez (17-4, 1-0 UFC): “The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America” competitor Benitez draws action fighter Collard in an under-the-radar but potentially fun featherweight scrap. Collard lost a short-notice debut to Max Holloway but rebounded with an entertaining decision win over Alex White in December, while Benitez defeated Humberto Brown Morrison in November. The American is a quick-paced combination striker with decent offensive wrestling to back it up and a pathologically aggressive streak that defines his style. Benitez is a solid southpaw striker with a crisp straight left and a decent submission game in transition. Barring major improvements from Benitez, Collard should overwhelm him with pressure, volume striking and a few takedowns to seal the deal. The pick is Collard by decision.

WELTERWEIGHTS

Albert Tumenov (15-2, 3-1 UFC) vs. Andrew Todhunter (7-0, 0-0 UFC): Rising Russian talent Tumenov draws late-notice replacement Todhunter, who steps in for the injured Hector Urbina, in the curtain-jerker. Todhunter was a staple in the Legacy Fighting Championship organization but has yet to face high-level competition. Tumenov dropped his debut to Ildemar Alcantara but has since run off three straight, most recently taking a wide decision from Nicholas Musoke in January. The Russian is a talented striker with vicious high kicks, a killer left hook and slick counters to go along with a rugged wrestling game. Todhunter is an enormous wrestle-grappler with ridiculous strength and decent combinations, and I doubt whether he will be able to make 170 pounds without serious trouble. While Todhunter’s size and suffocating approach could give Tumenov problems early, eventually I expect the Russian to take over. The pick is Tumenov by knockout in the second round.

Follow Sherdog.com preview expert Patrick Wyman on Twitter.