Picking & Grinning: UFC Fight Night ‘Lewis vs. Abdurakhimov’

A four-fight winning streak has Derrick Lewis on the cusp of contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division.

The former Legacy Fighting Championship titleholder will toe the line against Shamil Abdurakhimov in the UFC Fight Night 102 main event on Friday at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York. Meanwhile, the once-beaten Francis Ngannou faces Anthony Hamilton in the heavyweight co-headliner. The rest of the four-fight main card features a pair of light heavyweight tilts, as Corey Anderson locks horns with Sean O'Connell and Gian Villante confronts undefeated newcomer Saparbek Safarov.

Ahead of UFC Fight Night “Lewis vs. Abdurakhimov,” members of the Sherdog.com staff swallowed their pride and put their reputations on the line with bold predictions:

THE LINEUP

265: Derrick Lewis (16-4) vs. Shamil Abdurakhimov (17-3)
265: Francis Ngannou (8-1) vs. Anthony Hamilton (15-5)
205: Corey Anderson (8-2) vs. Sean O'Connell (17-8)
205: Gian Villante (14-7) vs. Saparbek Safarov (8-0)
115: Justine Kish (5-0) vs. Ashley Yoder (5-1)
170: Randy Brown (8-1) vs. Brian Camozzi (7-2)
185: Joe Gigliotti (7-1) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (24-8)
185: Andrew Sanchez (8-2) vs. Trevor Smith (14-6)
145: Tiago dos Santos e Silva (20-5-2) vs. Shane Burgos (7-0)
155: Frankie Perez (10-2) vs. Marc Diakiese (10-0)
185: Keith Berish (5-0) vs. Ryan Janes (8-1)
115: Juliana Lima (8-3) vs. J.J. Aldrich (4-1)

STANDINGS

Tristen Critchfield (139-80-4)
Jordan Breen (137-82-4)
Brian Knapp (132-87-4)
Mike Fridley (131-88-4)
Mike Sloan (129-90-4)

THE PICKS

Tristen Critchfield: Lewis, Ngannou, Anderson, Villante, Kish, Brown, Meerschaert, Sanchez, Burgos, Diakiese, Janes, Lima

Jordan Breen: Lewis, Ngannou, Anderson, Villante, Kish, Brown, Meerschaert, Sanchez, Burgos, Diakiese, Berish, Lima

Brian Knapp: Lewis, Ngannou, Anderson, Villante, Kish, Brown, Meerschaert, Smith, Burgos, Diakiese, Janes, Lima

Mike Fridley: Lewis, Ngannou, Anderson, Safarov, Yoder, Brown, Meerschaert, Smith, Silva, Diakiese, Berish, Lima

Mike Sloan: Lewis, Ngannou, Anderson, Safarov, Kish, Camozzi, Meerschaert, Sanchez, Burgos, Diakiese, Janes, Lima