After a 14-fight card takes place in Belfast on Saturday afternoon, the scene will shift to Sao Paulo, Brazil for another 13-fight offering from the UFC. That’s right, 27 UFC fights are scheduled for one day. Last week, the odds were released for the top five fights on UFC Fight Night 100, and they see Ryan Bader sitting as a -350 favorite over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. The remaining lines for four of the other five main card bouts included fighters such as Thomas Almeida (-320 over Albert Morales), Claudia Gadelha (-450 against Cortney Casey), Thales Leites (-155 versus Krzysztof Jotko), and the only other Brazilian underdog at the moment, Warlley Alves (+180 to Kamaru Usman). Today, MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas opened the remaining lines for the Sao Paulo card at Several Bookmakers sportsbook. The final main card bout is a welterweight bout between grappling ace Sergio Moraes and Zak Ottow, who looks to build off of his UFC debut win against Josh Burkman. Perhaps the top bout on the preliminary card is the bantamweight showdown between Pedro Munhoz and Justin Scoggins. Both men are looking to establish themselves among the Top 10 at 135. Munhoz gave rising star Jimmie Rivera his toughest test thus far in the UFC in a split-decision loss while Scoggins put an end to the streaking Ray Borg’s rise through the division. Middleweight Cezar Ferreira looks to match the three-fight winning streak he began his UFC career with, as he’s become a much smarter fighter of late, taking decision over Oluwale Bamgbose and Anthony Smith in his two appearances in 2016. He’ll be tasked with Jack Hermansson, who looked impressive in his UFC debut victory over Scott Askham. Another bantamweight bout features veterans Manny Gamburyan and Johnny Eduardo in what could be a last stand for either. UFC Fight Night 100 will also provide a stage to see the continued development of 23-year-old heavyweight prospect Luis Henrique, as he faces Dane Christian Colombo. Finally, the only two UFC debuts on this card are in the light heavyweight division, as Marcos Rogerio de Lima welcomes Gadzhimurad Antigulov to the Octagon, and Francimar Barroso provides the first test for undefeated Brit Darren Stewart. Check out the opening odds for the full slate of bouts on UFC Fight Night 100 below: ——————– UFC Fight Night 100: Bader vs. Nogueira NOVEMBER 19, 2016 Ibirapuera Gymnasium | Sao Paulo, Brazil FOX Sports 1 MAIN CARD (Fox Sports 1, 10 p.m. ET)
——————– PRELIMINARY CARD (Fox Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)
——————– PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 7 p.m. ET)
——————– Brad’s Analysis: Moraes has often run into problems implementing his grappling in MMA. His wrestling simply isn’t as effective as it needs to be, especially later on in the fight. That could be a problem here, as the striking Ottow showed in his UFC debut is far more crisp than anything Moraes has ever displayed, and he has his own wrestling background. I think Ottow’s matchups have been quite favorable early in his UFC career, and that results in a second consecutive upset here. Ferreira has been the beneficiary of some very clear stylistic tests in his recent fights. Both Bamgbose and Smith were dangerous on the feet without offering a ton on the mat or in the wrestling department, so he was able to control them to decisions. I don’t think that will be the case against Hermansson, who has a background in Greco-Roman wrestling, which has proven good enough to keep him off of his back in most fights. Should that happen here, Hermansson’s pressure striking will give Mutante fits, and judging by the way he has reacted to getting hit in the past, will likely result in a stoppage victory. Antigulov brings a 12-fight winning streak into his UFC debut, and he’s done it in a balanced way. Strikes and submissions are a part of his arsenal, and he can maintain a decent pace if need be as well. That cardio could be the key for him against de Lima, who is an absolute terror early in fights, but fades as they get deeper. I still think that the combination of de Lima at home and Antigulov travelling from Russia for his UFC debut will be too much to overcome, but de Lima isn’t a fighter I’m interesting in laying any juice on here. Eduardo should have the combination of striking and takedown defense to give Gamburyan trouble, but he’s now 36 and one of the most inactive fighters in the UFC. That makes him incredibly difficult to trust, even against a fighter in Gamburyan, who hasn’t looked particularly effective in several years. This is a fight to stay away from for me. Colombo’s size might give Luis Henrique some issues early on, but I think Henrique’s superior skills and cardio should come into play as the fight drags on, and the youngster will pick up his second consecutive UFC win. This is the type of heavyweight fight that screams over to me, if you can get a decent number on the total. Munhoz versus Scoggins is an excellent fight in the bantamweight division and honestly the best fight on this entire card. The number is interesting, especially given that this will be Scoggins’ debut at 135. In terms of height and reach, the jump in division won’t put Scoggins at a size disadvantage, but we’ll see if or how he’s added muscle to his frame to adapt to fighting stronger competition. Scoggins will have an advantage if he can maintain his distance, but Munhoz has more power in the pocket and a submission advantage — particularly with a guillotine Scoggins has already fallen prey to in his UFC career. I don’t think Munhoz will stand on the outside and just let Scoggins poke his way to victory in this one, and that should allow the Brazilian to put this fight in his realm where he’ll be able to earn a victory. I’ve long said that Stewart is undersized as a light heavyweight. That hasn’t mattered yet, but it will soon, and it could even be in this fight. Barroso can be effective (if you want to call it that) by putting his opponent against the cage and slowing the pace, and that’s certainly a possibility against Stewart. The Brit has shown some surprisingly effective wrestling, but the level of that competition simply hasn’t been there thus far, and takedown defense is one of Barroso’s best attributes. If Stewart wins this fight, it’s because his pace is something Barroso can’t sustain and he takes over for a decision or scores a late round TKO. Click below to bet the fights now!
