Champion Joshua “The Fearless” Van (16-2) Vs Tatsuro “The Best” Taira (18-1), UFC Flyweight Championship, 5 Rounds
This will be the fight of the night. Van will have a chance to show his championship mettle to those who thought his title win last December was a fluke. It will be a tough task against title challenger Taira, coming off his biggest win over former division champ Brandon Moreno. Van is confident in his fast hands and big power for a 125-pound fighter. Expect constant forward pressure, looking to capitalize on any opening. Taira’s strength lies more in grappling, with elite skill at taking opponents down and controlling them on the ground. It can go either way, as both fighters will have their chances to finish. Van will edge this one out by the accumulation of damage he will inflict over five hard-fought rounds. Prediction: Van By Split-Decision
Champion Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev (15-0) Vs Sean Strickland (30-7), UFC Middleweight Championship, 5 Rounds
Who can beat Chimaev at this point? “Borz” might be the best grappler in the UFC, averaging 5 takedowns per 15 minutes of fight time. His opponents know the game plan, but he still gets them down and maintains top control until he can get a submission. He will repeat it every round without any resistance. There is a path to victory for the former champ Strickland, as he has the cardio and striking advantage to make things interesting. Chances are, he will be taken down multiple times, but can he get back up to avoid Chimaev getting in dominant positions? If he can keep it standing for most of the fight, his forward pressure and defense will make things uncomfortable for the champion the longer the fight goes on. Still, expect Chimaev to force the challenger to grapple and eventually get the submission. Prediction: Chimaev by third submission
