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Fighter 1: Nunes - Fighter 2: Spencer
We believe this main event will not disappoint. Felicia Spencer lacks experience but has aggression seeping out her ears. As for Nunes – what can we say about “The Lioness”? She is a legend-slaying menace that appears as hungry as ever. The champ’s last fight was a tough one though and she showed spots of vulnerability in a 5-round decision over Germaine de Randamie. Spencer comes in at a green 8-1-0 and is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu artist. Her past fights have shown off her ability to maul her opponents once the action goes to the mat. A chink in her armor got exposed when she fought Cyborg and was unable to keep the veteran fighter off her. Nunes is 19-4-0 and holds belts in two different weight classes. Her 72 percent KO rate is scary, and she lands 4.62 significant strikes per minute. Spencer has submitted 57 percent of her competition in her short run as a pro. Our prediction is the heavy favorite Amanda Nunes.
Fighter 1: Assuncao - Fighter 2: Garbrandt
This fight should be action-packed between a former title holder and a fighter that is always in the championship conversation. Cody Garbrandt is 11-3-0, with all three losses coming in his last three outings. Raphael Assuncao has been in 20 more fights than his foe, compiling a 27-7-0 record. To get a win over the dangerous Garbrandt (with his 82 percent KO rate), the Brazilian fighter will have to use every ounce of that experience. Both men land similar amounts of significant strikes in the 3.5/minute range. Our prediction is Assuncao. Note that two of our computer models picked Garbrandt.
Fighter 1: Sterling - Fighter 2: Sandhagen
Here we have a battle between #2-ranked Sterling and #4 Sandhagen. The lanky New Yorker, Aljamain Sterling, is coming off a war with Pedro Munhoz in which Sterling got the decision. Hailing from Colorado, Cory Sandhagen will try and snap his adversary’s four-fight win streak. He’s relentless in the octagon, but not as flashy as Sterling. If the fight goes long, advantage Sterling, as he averages over twelve minutes per fight, compared to Sandhagen’s six-minute average. Too close to call? Not for our emotionless AI – Sandhagen gets the win.
Fighter 1: Magny - Fighter 2: Martin
Two tough guys are going into this battle with different games. Magny, 22-8-0, has his fair share of knockouts to his credit, while Martin can take you out with submissions. The grappling edge goes to Magny which may offset the submission attempts by his rival. Both fighters sport similar defensive stats. But if this one ends early it’s not likely Anthony Martin (only 6 percent KOs) gets his hand raised. We look for a longer fight and Martin winning, improving upon his 17-5-0 record.