This article is part of our Drake's Takes series.
Mario Bautista (8-2-0) v. Jay Perrin (10-4-0)
Fight Analysis: Bautista was on the wrong end of a slugging match last fight, losing in knockout fashion at the beginning of Round 2. He is a powerful striker with a knack for finishing fights, solid defense, and is well-versed in grappling and submissions. Perrin will be making his debut after winning back-to-back fights on Cage Fighters and CES MMA, respectively. He is a decent striker with an excellent ground game, takedowns and submissions.
DFS Perspective: Bautista will have an advantage on the feet, and should it stay there, I see him getting his hand raised for a win by knockout. Perrin will want to get this fight to the mat and look to control or take the back of Bautista for a choke. However, he will need to be careful since Bautista is no slouch on the mat.
My Pick: Bautista
Jonathan Pearce (11-4-0) v. Christian Rodriguez (7-0-0)
Fight Analysis: Pearce lost his UFC debut but has since rattled off consecutive wins, both by an early finish. He is a solid striker with what seems like endless cardio and can chain takedowns to tire fighters out and score an early knockout or submission. Rodriguez is an up-and-coming prospect with six finishes in seven professional wins. He features a good all-around game with quick, technical striking, solid takedowns and considerable power.
DFS Perspective: Debutants lately have not fared well, and Rodriguez gets a tough matchup for his. Pearce is relentless and will apply constant pressure until the fight is over. Rodriguez will need to time his counters and avoid getting taken down if he wants to pull this one out. I expect Pearce to be amped up and ragdoll Rodriguez until he finds an early finish.
My Pick: Pearce
Chad Anheliger (11-5-0) v. Jesse Strader (5-2-0)
Fight Analysis: Strader was off to a fast start in his debut but was ultimately knocked out early in Round 1 to kick off his UFC career. He is a strong striker who attacks the body, throws a lot of kicks and is a solid finisher. Anheliger is making his UFC debut after a questionable split decision win on the Contender Series that pushed his professional winning streak to nine. He is a well-rounded fighter with considerable power, solid movement and excellent guillotines.
DFS Perspective: Anheliger is undoubtedly the better overall fighter of the two and should win. However, if Strader can attack the body and slow Anheliger down, he could wind up with an early finish and voluminous decision.
My Pick: Anheliger
Diana Belbita (14-6-0) v. Gloria De Paula (5-4-0)
Fight Analysis: After starting with two consecutive losses to begin her career, Belbita scored her first win last time out, winning unanimously after 15 minutes. She is a high-volume striker with excellent forward pressure, fast hands and powerful leg kicks. De Paula has not had the UFC start she had hoped for, losing both fights with the most recent by knockout in the first 60 seconds of the contest. Nevertheless, she is a solid striker with good forward momentum, quick hands and decent striking defense.
DFS Perspective: De Paula has solid striking and has a good chance to win if she can keep this on the feet and out of the clinch. Belbita will likely be the one pushing forward with higher volume and looking for a takedown where she can control and potentially find an early finish.
My Pick: Belbita
Chas Skelly (18-3-0, 1NC) v. Mark Striegl (18-3-0, 1NC)
Fight Analysis: Skelly stretched his UFC record to 7-3-0 (1NC) after a close decision victory last time out. He is a strong grappler with decent striking, great movement and commendable defense. Striegl had an unsuccessful UFC debut about 16 months ago, getting knocked out in less than 60 seconds in the first round. He is an elite grappler with technical striking, excellent takedowns and phenomenal submissions.
DFS Perspective: This is a battle between two strong grapplers. I expect most of this fight to take place on the mat, and it will come down to who controls better. Striegl is the better striker and will be the stronger of the two, making him more likely to snare a submission.
My Pick: Striegl
Jessica-Rose Clark (11-6-0, 1NC) v. Stephanie Egger (6-2-0)
Fight Analysis: Clark upped her winning streak to two in her last fight, scoring a unanimous decision over 15 minutes. She is a high-volume striker with excellent forward pressure, takedowns and overall defense. After earning a knockout in round two of her last fight, Egger evened out her UFC record to 1-1. She is a well-rounded fighter with solid power, movement and strong grappling.
DFS Perspective: Both ladies have a good overall game, but I think Clark edges Egger anywhere this goes. She should be the one pushing the pace and landing far more volume. Egger's best path would be to get the fight in a controllable position on the mat.
My Pick: Clark
Gabriel Benitez (22-10-0) v. David Onama (8-1-0)
Fight Analysis: Benitez dropped his UFC record to 6-5 after his previous contest, getting knocked out late in Round 3. He is an experienced vet with strong technical striking, fast hands and excellent movement. Onama took the loss in his UFC debut, losing a close unanimous decision after 15 minutes. He is a great striker with tremendous power, quick hands and great chokes.
DFS Perspective: Onama has huge power and could end this fight as quickly as it starts, and Benitez has been knocked out before. That said, Benitez has fought the better competition and has a nasty counter. I think he avoids the knockout and grinds his way to a tough decision.
My Pick: Benitez
Joaquin Buckley (13-4-0) v. Abdul Razak Alhassan (11-4-0)
Fight Analysis: Buckley got himself back into the win column last time out, scoring a late knockout in the third round. He is a low-volume, flashy striker with considerable power, elite takedown defense and excellent footwork. Alhassan snapped his three-fight losing streak with a nasty 17-second knockout in his last contest. He is a powerful striker with tremendous power and a knack for knockout blows, with 11 in 11 wins.
DFS Perspective: Both guys are killers, and I expect one to get dropped early. Alhassan will likely be the aggressor in the first round but could tail off in the later rounds, giving the advantage to Buckley. This match is close to a 50-50, and either could end it at any time.
My Pick: Alhassan
Jim Miller (33-16-0, 1NC) v. Nikolas Motta (12-3-0)
Fight Analysis: Miller will be making his 39th UFC appearance on Saturday and comes in having lost three of the last five. He is a dangerous grappler with power in his hands, excellent movement and good forward pressure. After having his fight pushed back twice due to various reasons, Motta finally gets to make his debut after a successful fight on the Contender Series. He is a powerful striker with quick hands, excellent takedown defense and great footwork.
DFS Perspective: Miller's cardio is nearly nonexistent at this point in his career, and he will likely need to find a submission in the first round. If he is unable, the fight should swing in favor of Motta, who could quickly put the fatigued Miller away.
My Pick: Motta
Parker Porter (12-6-0) v. Alan Baudot (8-3-0)
Fight Analysis: Baudot has struggled since debuting in the UFC, losing both fights by knockout. He is a high-volume heavyweight with quick hands and movement but poor defense. After suffering a knockout loss in his debut, Porter has won back-to-back fights unanimously after 15 minutes. He is a high-octane fighter who throws with enormous volume, has decent takedowns and can finish the fight in any way.
DFS Perspective: Baudot is quick out of the gate and does have the power to end the fight early. However, he is not a UFC-caliber fighter, so as long as Porter avoids the kill shot, he should win relatively easily.
My Pick: Porter
Kyle Daukaus (10-2-0, 1NC) v. Jamie Pickett (13-6-0)
Fight Analysis: Daukaus enters the night on the heels of a loss and no-contest in his previous two fights, bringing his UFC record to 1-2-0 (1NC). He is a great all-around fighter with solid striking, takedowns and defense. Moreover, he has excellent cardio and constantly seeks control to outlast opponents. Pickett has found himself with a two-fight winning streak, winning back-to-back unanimous decisions. He is a rangy, technical striker who likes to do work from the clinch and shoot for takedowns looking for top control.
DFS Perspective: I favor Daukaus everywhere this fight goes. He should be the one pressuring, better with control and have the cleaner striking. Pickett would be wise to keep the fight at range, but he tends to fight in the pocket or clinch instead.
My Pick: Daukaus
Johnny Walker (18-6-0) v. Jamahal Hill (8-1-0, 1NC)
Fight Analysis: Walker steps back into the ring after suffering a tough-fought unanimous decision loss in his last contest. He is a wild striker with flashy power, crazy but great footwork, and penchant for big knockout victories. After his last fight, Hill moved to 3-2 in the UFC, scoring a knockout win to bounce back after his opponent broke his arm in the fight before. He is a high-volume, technical striker with scary power, excellent pressure and solid fight IQ.
DFS Perspective: Hill enters as the favorite based on his last win, but Walker has easily fought the better overall competition and has a great chance to score the upset win. Walker can be tricky to deal with given his odd movement and striking. Hill stands tall and can be easy to hit at times but always comes out with a solid game plan. Both guys have questionable chins, and both have commendable power to end the fight at any time. I do not expect this to see the scorecards, and I like Walker to score another big win and move him back up the rankings.
My Pick: Walker
