UFC Vegas 93 picks and predictions

See who we think will win in the UFC Octagon on Saturday night.

Knees are for dinner. Art by Chris Rini.

While the world’s attention is on Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight boxing title, the UFC has a show on at the APEX featuring at least one guy you’ve heard of.

Edson Barboza, owner of some of MMA best KOs ever, is main eventing UFC Vegas 92 this weekend opposite the undefeated Brit Lerone Murphy. Our co-main event will probably feature a finish, with the heavy-handed Khaos Williams and Carlston Harris going at it. Deeper down the card we have Angela Hill taking on Luana Pinheiro and Abus Magomedov fighting Warrley Alves (remember him?).

We’ve looked over these match-ups, which we are definitley watching on Saturday night, and come up with who we think is going to win.

As you can see all but Zane believe Barboza will continue the recent (and probably short lived) trend of vets beating their younger challengers. Scroll down to check out the rest of our picks and don’t forget to tell us yours in the comments.

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Edson Barboza vs. Lerone Murphy

Dayne: It’s a joy to scout Murphy. It isn’t hard to see what a fighter tends to do well, so what I generally tend to do is try to focus on where a fighter is exposed. There isn’t any one place where Murphy is lacking. He can hang in there on the feet with the best of them, there aren’t too many fighters who can resist his takedowns if he really wanted to get an opponent to the mat, he has a solid chin, his technique is sound, he’s a plus athlete… there isn’t a major weakness in his game in the least.

However, there also isn’t any one area where I feel he can turn if he’s on his heels, hoping to immediately turn the tide should it feel like he’s beginning to drown. Barboza, for all his flaws, has that. One of the UFC’s all-time great strikers, there may not be anyone in the history of the organization with a more impressive highlight reel than Barboza. Opponents can’t take Barboza for granted, knowing he can end a fight in a split second if they attempt to rest for just a moment. Undefeated, Murphy has the swagger that comes with being an undefeated fighter… the type of swagger that saw Vitor Petrino pay a heavy price to Anthony Smith earlier this month.

Barboza’s flaws are easy to spot, but he has also shored up his takedown defense from his youthful days, has proven he can fight efficiently over five rounds, and has the veteran composure that can only be gained from having been there and done that. Those factors have smoothed out the formerly glaring holes in Barboza’s game. Murphy won’t have anything for him that he hasn’t seen. The same can’t be said on the flip side. This may be Barboza’s last hurrah given his advanced age, but I’m still going with despite the advanced age. Barboza via decision

Chris: Barboza found the fountain of youth, and after this comeback performance against Sodiq Yusuff, I suspect this is going to be another reckoning for a prospect who’s good but not yet great

Zane: Has a very good chance of being a very very tough fight for Lerone Murphy, who doesn’t always keep the pressure on as high as he should. Still, it’s hard for me to think of Barboza very nearly getting KO’d multiple times early against Sodiq Yusuff and feel like Murphy can’t have some of that success while also not getting quite as predictable as Yusuff does. Lerone Murphy via KO, Round 2

Tim: Aldo, Smith and Lewis have me sold. Cage craft doesn’t go anywhere with age. And I think Barboza still has the athleticism to pair with it. Murphy might be a good fighter, but he’s no killer. I think Barboza is going to be able to edge out in a close kickboxing match. Edson Barboza via unanimous decision.

Picking Barboza: Stephie, Dayne, Nate, Kristen, Chris, Ben, Eddie, Tim
Picking Murphy: Zane

Khaos Williams vs. Carlston Harris

Dayne: This is one of the most difficult fights to pick on the card. Williams hits like a Mack truck, possessing true one-punch power, meaning he’s never out of a fight. But he also has moments in fights that leave his overall fight IQ as something worth questioning. He hasn’t made the type of blunders that would garner him a reputation along the lines of Michael Johnson, but the right type of opponent certainly could expose that.

Enter Harris. Getting his UFC start perhaps after he had already passed his physical peak, he also entered far more seasoned than your average newcomer and has managed to secure finishes in three of his four UFC wins. If he can get Williams to the mat, Harris is likely to find a submission. Granted, getting Williams to the mat hasn’t been an easy task, but Williams hasn’t spent a significant amount of time in the cage with someone as wily as Harris. I like the elderly vet to teach Williams a lesson or two. Harris via submission of RD2

Chris: I was high on Khaos Williams earlier in his career but when he was unable to beat early-UFC era Michel Pereira, my hopes were dashed. Harris by turn is another middle of the pack fighter who hasn’t shown that next level athleticism and skill that’s can use Williams as a stepping stone. 

Zane: I have no faith at all in Harris’ wildman antics. If he can’t hurt Williams bad enough to end this fight, I have a lot more reason to think Williams hurts him. Khaos Williams via KO, round 1.

Tim: I like Williams’ volume here against Harris, who has shown he can be hit. And I don’t think Harris will be able to take Williams down to change the tenor of the fight, once he does start getting hit. Khaos Williams via TKO, round 2.

Picking Williams: Kristen, Chris, Zane, Tim
Picking Harris: Stephie, Dayne, Nate, Ben, Eddie

Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Themba Gorimbo

Dayne: The UFC wants Gorimbo to win. He’s been a good story thus far, immigrating over from Africa, gaining a new home from The Rock, and picking up a pair of wins after dropping his UFC debut. He’s got some natural skills too, plus an enthusiasm for the sport that tends to fade by the time fighters make it to the UFC. But stylistically, Brahimaj is a nightmare for him. Gorimbo struggled with the wrestling of AJ Fletcher. Brahimaj isn’t as explosive as Fletcher, but he is certainly more technical and I like his submission arsenal far more than Fletcher’s. Brahimaj via submission of RD1

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Chris: I read what Dayne wrote and am convinced: Brahimaj

Zane: Kind of a vibes pick. Most of what Gorimbo does is incredibly sloppy. He’s a guy that loves to wrestle and grapple but isn’t actually a good wrestler. He’ll throw the hell out of some wild strikes, but is defensively wide open. Still, he is fast and has power and has a ton of self belief. Brahimaj is a great back take artist, but the man also got out-kickboxed by Court McGee. Themba Gorimbo via decision.

Tim: Brahimaj has been out for a long time, due to a serious injury, and I don’t think this is a good match-up for him to return to. I think Gorimbo will be able to punish him with his reach and use his wrestling to aboid Brahimaj’s submission game. Themba Gorimbo via TKO, round 3.

Picking Brahimaj: Dayne, Nate, Chris, Ben
Picking Gorimbo: Stephie, Kristen, Eddie, Zane, Tim

Adrian Yanez vs. Vinicius Salvador

Dayne: I was worried the UFC might have been doing Yanez’s development wrong. He went from Tony Kelley to Rob Font in one fight. Granted, he had scored a win over Davey Grant prior to the Kelley fight, but that’s still a big jump. Thus, he wasn’t remotely competitive with Font, nor was he competitive with Johnathan Martinez, his “step down” following the loss to Font. Martinez is better than we all thought, but it was also a very exposing loss as Yanez had no answer for the leg kicks.