Preview capsules for UFC Fight Night 99
UFC FIGHT NIGHT 99 MATCHUPS
A breakdown of the fights on the main card of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 99 card in Belfast, Northern Ireland:
Gegard Mousasi (40-6-2) vs. Uriah Hall (13-7)
· CLASS: Middleweight
· LINE: Mousasi -530
· STORYLINE: This is a fight that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for Mousasi except for the fact he wants to avenge the loss to Hall. Mousasi has won five of his last six and is nearing the top of the rankings. This fight is more personal to him and he should be entirely focused. Hall is capable of ending the fight at any moment as one of the most dynamic strikers in the entire organization, just as he did in the first meeting. He has been plagued by inconsistency, however, as evidenced by the two consecutive losses since the win over Mousasi. The line is probably way too high and a bet on the favorite is very risky, but it’s very tough to pick against Mousasi.
· PICK: Mousasi by decision
Ross Pearson (21-11, 1 No Contest) vs. Stevie Ray (19-7)
· CLASS: Lightweight
· LINE: Pearson -115
· STORYLINE: Ray, who won his first three fights in the UFC before dropping a unanimous decision to Alan Patrick in September, will get a big opportunity here against a struggling big-name opponent. Pearson has lost three of his last four fights and appears to be showing signs of all the battles he has been in throughout his career. Ray is a former Cage Warriors champion who is capable of winning fights both standing up and on the ground. He may use his grappling edge over Pearson to neutralize his aggression.
· PICK: Ray by decision
Timothy Johnson (10-2) vs. Alexander Volkov (26-6)
· CLASS: Heavyweight
· LINE: Johnson -140
· STORYLINE: Johnson was an accomplished collegiate wrestler that has added powerful striking to that base to become a threat in the heavyweight division. A loss to Jared Rosholt in August 2015 snapped an 8-fight winning streak, but Johnson rebounded to beat Marcin Tybura in April. Volkov, a Russian knockout artist and former Bellator heavyweight champ, finally makes his UFC debut. This is a tossup fight and while the advantage might ordinarily fall to Volkov’s superior power, Johnson’s experience in the octagon may be the tiebreaker.
· PICK: Johnson by second-round knockout
Artem Lobov (13-12-1, 1 No Contest) vs. Teruto Ishihara (10-2-2)
· CLASS: Featherweight
· LINE: Ishihara -240
· STORYLINE: Lobov, a friend and training partner of Conor McGregor, finally got his first UFC victory with a unanimous decision victory over Chris Avila in August. The problem is it was one of the worst fights in recent memory, but it was enough to earn him at least one more shot in the organization. This could be his last shot. Ishihara is a decent prospect with eight knockouts among his nine victories. He could be in trouble if Lobov is able to get him to the mat, though Lobov hasn’t really been much of a threat at all during his time in the UFC. His back is against the wall, so it’s now or never.
· PICK: Ishihara by first-round knockout
