UFC on ESPN 13 - Fight Island Breakdown & Predictions
When is UFC on ESPN 13? Thursday 16th July, 2020 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 13? Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE
What channel is UFC on ESPN 13 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 13? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ which can you sign up to here!
Calvin Kattar vs Dan Ige
Featherweights Calvin Kattar and Dan Ige head to Fight Island to stake a claim a number one contender spot for Alexander Volkanovski’s title.
Kattar responded perfectly to his second UFC loss. He took on the highly touted Zabit Magomedsharipov back in November last year and missed out on a decision but finished stronger and likely would have beat the Russian if it was a five-round fight. He then took on UFC vet Jeremy Stephens and turned the lights off a beautiful elbow to climb back up the featherweight form table to #24.
Ige is in the form of his life right now sitting at #7 after winning his last six fights. He has also been extremely active, and this will be his third fight this year. He is coming off two hard-fought split decisions. Firstly, against Mirsad Bektic and then claimed the biggest scalp of his career against Edson Barboza but he was very lucky to get the nod from two of the judges.
PREDICTION
This should be a aggressive and technical battle. Ige gives up four inches in height but only one in reach but is still expected to try and close the distance to avoid Kattar’s hands. He will hope to tie Kattar up and if he can drag him to the ground he will look for a submission.
Kattar has exceptional hands but absorbs a lot of shots. He will also have to be wary of Ige setting up level changes with punches but his boxing is at such a level he will back himself to follow Ige’s chin and land a big shot.
If Kattar can keep the fight on the feet, he will wear Ige down with his jab and overwhelm him with his power. They are both very durable and excel in five round fights which should create an exciting scrap. Ige will be full of confidence after edging past Barboza but we are backing Kattar’s power and output on the feet to be too much over the five rounds.
Winner: Kattar via Decision
Tim Elliott vs Ryan Benoit
Tim Elliott and Ryan Benoit brace the heat on Fight Island desperate for a win as Benoit heads back down to flyweight to take on the veteran.
Elliott has lost five of his last 10 fights and is coming off three losses on the bounce. After not fighting for two years, Elliott got submitted by Deiveson Figueiredo. He then met Russian prospect Askar Askarov losing a decision and then got submitted again in his last outing against Brandon Royval which sees him slumped at the bottom of the flyweight form table.
Benoit has also lost five of his last 10 failing to string two wins together. He has also only fought twice since 2016 – a brilliant head kick knockout over Askhan Mokhtarian in November 2017 but is coming off a loss and split decision against Alateng Heili which was at bantamweight.
PREDICTION
Benoit has shown little consistency in the octagon but if his win/loss streak continues he will be looking at a win. However, despite Elliott’s dire form, he is a wily old veteran who still has the skills. In particular, his grappling which should be enough to shut Benoit down and earn a decision.
Winner: Elliott via Decision
Jimmie Rivera vs Cody Stamann
Two bantamweight barrels in the shape of Jimmie Rivera and Cody Stamann duke it out on Fight Island but step up to featherweight for this scrap.
Rivera is in the unfamiliar territory of losing his last two fights. He only has four losses on the record but three of them have come in his last four fights which has seen him drop down the bantamweight form table to #54. After Marlon Moraes handed Rivera his first loss in 20 with that monstrous head kick, he bounced back with a decision over John Dodson but is coming off two decision losses. However, they were to the newly crowned champion Petr Yan and his soon-to-be challenger Aljamain Sterling.
Contrastingly, Stamann has only lost one in his last 14 fights. That was also to Sterling who tangled him up with an amazing Suloev stretch. He then outpointed Alejandro Perez and then fought to a draw with Song Yadong and in his last fight he moved up to featherweight with Brian Kelleher and put on the best performance of his career. Not just by outclassing an in-form Kelleher but doing so while dealing with the recent death of his brother.
PREDICTION
Just by looking at their finishing record it will be surprising if we see a finish. It is important to note they are fighting up at featherweight but are both expected to drop back down. This means we should see them at their best without giving up any power or durability.
They are very closely matched, and the stand-up battle will be a gritty contest with neither man giving an inch. However, the difference could come in Stamann’s grappling if he can mix takedowns in with his strikes and not solely rely on it.
This is bound to be a close fight right until the bell with Stamann’s takedowns making the difference.
Winner: Stamann via Decision
Molly McCann vs Talia Santos
The meatball returns to the octagon as Molly McCann takes on Talia Santos on Fight Island.
After that heart-breaking loss on her UFC debut in Liverpool to Gillian Robertson, she has got back to winning ways. She has responded with three unanimous decision wins over Priscila Cachoeira, Ariane Lipski and Diana Belbita to become the fourth most in form flyweight.
Santos suffered her first career loss in her last outing which was her UFC debut. She took on Italian, Mara Romero Borella and fought to a very close split decision. Despite only losing once, she slips down to #20 in the form table with no UFC wins under her belt.
PREDICTION
That is the question mark with Santos. She came to the UFC 15-0 but the standard of her opponents were not UFC calibre. That said, 10 of those wins have come via knockout and she is clearly a threat on the feet with a diverse arsenal.
If McCann can stay patient and keep moving to avoid that threat, she is expected to implement her game plan and overwhelm Santos with her output and mixing in takedowns and clinches.
They are both very tough and durable so we may not see a knockout, but it should be a violent scrap with McCann’s output and volume sealing a decision.
Winner: McCann via Decision
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs Mounir Lazzez
The main card for UFC on ESPN 13 will be ignited with fireworks as Abdul Razak Alhassan welcomes fellow weapon Mounir Lazzez for to the UFC.
Thankfully Alhassan returns to the octagon after sitting 2019 out dealing with some serious allegations outside the cage. His last appearance was in September 2018 where he put Niko Price to sleep in the first round, but this is the only way he knows how to win. He has one decision loss which was to Omari Akhmedov but he has won all 10 of his other bouts via a first round knockout.
Excitingly this UFC debutant is also a knockout artist winning eight of his nine wins via knockout. Lazzez has fought for a variety of organisations and his sole loss to Eldar Eldarov came under the Brave CF banner. He bounced back with a TKO over Sasha Palatnikov for ADW and is coming off another TKO over Arber Murati which was for Probellum MMA in Dubai.
THE PREDICTION
Be sure not to blink in this one. Alhassan has ungodly power and requires just a touch of leather to render his opponent unconscious.
Lazzez will try and be more technical and look to counter the Ghanaian. We are not certain what his reach is but he likes to strike from range setting up devastating head kicks.
However, Lazzez tends to engage in a brawl and if you start exchanging in the pocket with Alhassan you will most likely wake up to a doctors flashlight.
Winner: Alhassan via KO/TKO