UFC Fight Night 138 - Canada Breakdown
When is UFC Fight Night 138? Sunday 28th October, 2018 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 138? Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
What channel is UFC Fight Night 138 on? BT Sport 3
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 138? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
Volkan Oezdemir vs Anthony Smith
The UFC makes another trip to Canada with an explosive main event. Volkan Oezdemir hasn’t fought in over nine months since his loss to Daniel Cormier due to injuries and visa issues. Meanwhile, Anthony Smith has fought three times, marking his light heavyweight entrance with huge knockouts over legends Rashad Evans and Mauricio Rua.
So, Smith has all the form but Oezdemir is a big and established light heavyweight with only two losses to his name. Smith is more seasoned with 43 fights (eight in the UFC) and has all the attributes to test the Swiss knockout artist.
PREDICTION
These two are expected to throw smoke. They have 28 knockouts between them earned by not just raw power but great technical ability. Although Smith has come up from middleweight, he boasts a reach advantage which will be crucial in landing his shots while avoiding the heavy hands of Oezdemir.
Oezdemir has more power while Smith has more speed but they know they just have to be patient to land those destructive shots so their striking accuracy will dictate the fight. As the fight is five rounds, their aggressive mentalities may force mini brawls where you will have to back the legitimate one-punch knockout power of the Swiss fighter.
Winner: Oezdemir via KO/TKO
Artem Lobov vs Michael Johnson
The rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s camps were set to continue with Artem Lobov and Zubaira Tukhugov scheduled to fight in the co-main but after that post-fight melee at UFC 229 where Tukhugov decided to jump in the cage and attack McGregor, he has been pulled from the fight.
Fortunately, Michael Johnson has stepped up on short notice and he isn’t an ideal opponent for somebody with a record of 13-14-1 (1). Nonetheless, Lobov will rise to the occasion and put on a show with the UFC veteran.
PREDICTION
Although Johnson is taking this fight on short notice, it should be a mismatch. Johnson is as well-rounded as he is experienced and the natural lightweight boasts a lot of power in his hands. However, so does Lobov who cares less for tactics and patience as he prefers to stand and bang until somebody falls.
Sparring with Conor McGregor regularly must give him confidence and especially in his chin, which has only failed him once in his 14 losses but if Johnson finds his rhythm and is not too drained from the weight cut, he should find the win.
Winner: Johnson via Decision
Misha Cirkunov vs Patrick Cummins
Another 205 lb showdown in Canada takes place between Misha Cirkunov and Patrick Cummins. These thick light heavyweights are desperate for a win as Cummins is coming off a loss to Corey Anderson and Cirkunov is coming off two losses to Glover Teixeira and Volkan Oezdemir. They both have tremendous power but their strengths lie in their grappling which makes this a fascinating match-up.
PREDICTION
They will try and test each other on the feet at first but will waste no time in trying to take the fight to the ground. Cummins is a NCAA Division 1 wrestler and Cirkunov is a gold medallist in Submission Wrestling with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which may just be the key difference in quality.
When two fighters have a high and similar skillset, it is common for strengths to cancel each other out and we may end up seeing a less convincing stand-up battle but let’s hope we see a grappling contest where Cirkunov will have the confidence of edging out Cummins on home soil.
Winner: Cirkunov via Decision
Gian Villante vs Ed Herman
Two veterans meet on the main card in Canada and they have a hefty 33 UFC fights between them. Gian Villante takes on Ed Herman who has been fighting since 2003. It’s great to see Herman back as he hasn’t fought for over 15 months and although he is past his prime, he is always looking to put on a show for the fans and he has a great match-up in Villante who shares the same desire. That said, they are both hungry to get back on a winning track.
PREDICTION
Expect everything in this fight – heavy exchanges of leather, wrestling, clinches and a lot of aggression. Herman is more comfortable on the ground and if he experiences any discomfort on the feet, expect him to try and take the fight to the ground.
However, Villante’s powerful boxing will be his best weapon against the weathered chin of Herman and will be confident of securing the finish.
Winner: Villante via KO/TKO
Andre Soukhamthath vs Jonathan Martinez
Andre Soukhamthath was scheduled to fight Gavin Tucker but he pulled out with an injury so the UFC have called up Jonathan Martinez for his debut. This is a great opportunity for Martinez whose only loss was a disqualification to Matt Schnell after an illegal knee and if he can get past Soukhamthath, his UFC career may just be in jeopardy so a lot is at stake for both men.
PREDICTION
Both men are very well-rounded bantamweights – they are rapid, powerful strikers with very competent ground games. This fight will mainly be contested on the feet as both men will try and prove they are the better striker while seeking that all-important knockout.
This fight could really go anywhere and although Soukhamthath has more experience against better fighters, Martinez has hardly been troubled so far in his career and has all the confidence in capturing another finish.
Winner: Martinez via KO/TKO
Alex Garcia vs Court McGee
Alex Garcia and Court McGee kick off the main card in Canada with both men coming off loses – all via decision. Garcia fell short against Ryan LaFlare and McGee was outpointed by Ben Saunders and Sean Strickland so there is a lot of pressure on them to find the win at UFC Fight Night 138.
PREDICTION
Both these welterweights are extremely powerful and always come in great condition, reaping success with a strong output. They both like to cause damage on the feet before mixing in takedowns to inflict more punishment on the ground and that is exactly what we expect to see but who gets the rub of the green is a close call. Garcia has the speed advantage but McGee has the reach and height advantage. Whoever utilises these assets the best will clinch the win.
Winner: McGee via Decision
Striking and grappling stats sourced via FightMetric.