UFC 258 Fight Previews and Predictions

(r/mma)

Kamaru Usman vs Gilbert Burns - UFC Welterweight Championship

Few storylines can compare to two former training partners going to battle. Usman and Burns trained together for a long time at Blackzilians, now called Sanford MMA, in Boca Raton, Florida. Burns began as a jiujitsu coach, Usman as a young All-American wrestler. The two were close, often sparring together once Burns turned to a career as a fighter. Burns was alongside Usman for the majority of his UFC run. Once Gilbert began picking up steam and getting closer to Usman’s strap, something had to change. In a rare move in the MMA world, the Champion was the one to leave the gym. Usman decided to move his training camps to Denver, Colorado and train with the widely admired Trevor Wittman. Wittman has been instrumental in the careers of former champions Rose Namajunas and Justin Gaethje. Burns remains at Sanford MMA, but his head coach Henry Hooft has opted out of coaching him due to his relationship with both fighters. Usman has likened the situation to Rashad Evans vs Jon Jones at UFC 145. Evans, a long time mentor of Usman, was forced to leave his longtime camp and fight his former teammate for the belt. Scary how these things play out sometimes. What’s even scarier is what might play out in the octagon. Both men will be looking to finish the other at all times. They are both solid strikers, but the stand up isn’t the preferred game for either. Usman is a control wrestler who beats you up on the ground and in the clinch. Not saying he can’t strike, because he certainly can, but look what he did to Masvidal. Enough said. Burns is a 3-time World Jiujitsu Champion with an incredibly aggressive style of grappling. He represents a challenge for Usman no matter where the fight goes. Kamaru has been so dominant in all areas of the fight. It will be interesting to see if Burns can put him in a bad spot. This fight is bonkers and one of the best main events we have gotten in a while. My crystal ball says Usman keeps the train going, but I’ve been wrong before.

(mmajunkie.com)

Prediction: Usman, Unanimous Decision

Maycee Barber vs Alexa Grasso - UFC Women’s Flyweight Bout

This co-main event is by far the biggest opportunity of both these fighter’s careers. Barber is one of the hottest prospects in the UFC and by far the hottest in her division. Grasso is a dark horse who has looked like a killer since moving up from Strawweight. This scrap screams fan friendly to me. While both women may lack power, as the lighter divisions usually do either male or female, they are both incredibly active with their strikes. The volume of both strikers is what they use to overwhelm their opponents. Low power doesn’t equal no finishes. Barber has finished 7 or her 8 wins with 5 TKOs. Grasso is more prone to a decision, but if you watched her absolutely piece up Ji Yeon Kim with beautiful, crisp boxing then you’d know watching her work for 15 minutes is not a bore. Grasso’s hand speed and pop to her shots is one of the best in the division. Barber is looking to get her hype train back rolling in the UFC. Her last fight was a setback, losing to Roxanne Modaferri and badly tearing her ACL in the fight. She has been off since that January 2020 appearance and is in need of a win to remain a contending name at Flyweight. Grasso is looking to score the biggest win of her career and steal the hype off Barber’s name. Maycee is going to want to keep this fight on the feet, and so will Alexa. I see this fight being dictated by Grasso’s ability to manage distance. Her octagon experience with top ranked fighters should allow her to feel comfortable in this big spot. Give me Grasso. I think her punches sting more and her hand speed is an absolute thrill to watch.

(mmaratings.net)

Prediction: Grasso, Unanimous Decision

Kelvin Gastelum vs Ian Heinisch - UFC Middleweight Bout

Kelvin Gastelum vs Ian Heinisch is a veteran looking to prove himself against a young, hungry lion. Even though Heinisch is actually 3 years older than Gastelum, Kelvin is a certified UFC veteran. Ian, not so much. This will be the biggest spot of Heinisch’s career by far, but he’s ready for the challenge. This man has been through it all before even stepping into the octagon. You can read my fighter previews for his whole story, but quick recap. He was in jail in Spain for selling drugs, came back to America and ended up at Rikers. Yeah pretty badass. Maybe he met DMX. Since joining the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series, Heinisch is 3-2. His two losses came to top 15 mainstays Derek Brunson and Omari Akhmedov. Ian has been just good enough to keep his name in the conversation, but hasn’t walked out of a big fight with his hand raised. After being scheduled to fight another up and comer, Brendan Allen, twice to no avail, he has been given his chance to break into the top 10. Gastelum is in need of a win maybe more than anybody in the whole promotion. And no, I’m not exaggerating. This man lost a chance at the belt when Robert Whittaker had to have emergency surgery the morning of the fight. Both men had already made weight and they still didn’t fight. Since then, Gastelum has lost 3 straight and was never awarded his shot at the belt. His last loss, a 1:18 heel hook submission to Jack Hermansson has a lot of fans writing him off in the division. I still believe Gastelum can compete with the best in the world. He recently has had incredibly close fights against Champion Isreal Adesanya and Darren Till. He holds wins over over “Jacare” Souza, Tim Kennedy, and former Champion Michael Bisping. Gastelum looked in great shape and was winning the first minute of the Hermansson fight. I believe Kelvin can get back on the board Saturday. The step up in competition seems a bit steep for Heinisch and Kelvin needs a win before Bellator starts calling.

(AP)

Prediction: Gastelum, KO/TKO, Round 1

Ricky Simon vs Brian Kelleher - UFC Featherweight Bout

Ricky Simon and Brian Kelleher have been bumped up to the main card after Bobby Green vs Jim Miller was cancelled late Friday night. Green was the last to weigh in and collapsed in the back after stepping on the scale. Simon and Kelleher will get the opportunity to show the world what they've got. Both men have been connected to each other for a while. This matchup has been booked 3 times at Bantamweight and Featherweight. They have now finally made it to the last 24 hours before the fight. Kelleher and Simon have both performed in high profile spots before. Kelleher got a finish over Ode Osbourne on the main card of UFC 246. This will be Simon's 3rd time on a UFC PPV. He is 2-0 in past fights. Each man is dangerous everywhere the fight goes. Kelleher has submission and flatline KO wins in the UFC over tough opponents. Simon is more of a ground fighter, but he is much stronger and does carry good power. This fight will mark which former bantamweight may be able to make a splash in the new division. I think Simon has been the more consistent and frankly the better fighter over his run. I do like me some "Baldy Ed," but give me Simon and the mullet for the win.

(Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC. via Getty Images)

Prediction: Simon, Unanimous Decision

Julian Marquez vs Maki Pitolo

Two middleweight prospect looking to make a name for themselves will open up the main card. Julian Marquez burst onto the scene with a slick head kick KO on Dana White’s Contender Series. Since then, Marquez has looked impressive going 1-1 in his first two fights. Now I’m not the first one to call robbery on a close fight. I think it's the most overused term in the sport today. But I will be the first one to call out shitty judging. Every MMA fan knows it too well and it happened again in Marquez’s only UFC loss to Alessio Di Chirico by Split Decision. Marquez has proved himself to be a possible top 15 guy in the division. A win over Maki Pitolo puts him in the right frame on mind after such a disappointing L. For Maki, this is the biggest opportunity of his career. It is the first time he will be featured on a UFC PPV main card. His start in the UFC hasn’t been so hot. Maki is 1-3 will losses to Callan Potter and Darren Stewart. He has shown flashes of big power, but hasn’t been able to put it together for 3 rounds. To me, this looks like a fight to get Marquez back on track. Look for him to control the fight with his pace and power punching.

Prediction: Marquez, Submission, Round 1

Prelim Quickies:

Rodolfo Vieira vs Anthony Hernandez - UFC Middleweight Bout

The featured prelim of the night features too very high level Brazilian Jiujitsu artists. Rodolfo Vieira is a former BJJ World Champion and has been touted by Dana White has potentially having “the most dangerous ground game in the sport.” Anthony Hernandez 5 submissions in his 7 MMA wins. I think Vieira is on another level and so does Dana.

Prediction: Vieira, Submission, Round 1

Dhiego Lima vs Belal Muhammad - UFC Welterweight Bout

This is a sneaky Fight of the Night pick and is probably better than a couple of the main card fights. Both these guys have been hovering around the top 15 for a while. Muhammad has won 7 of his last 8 and thinks he has earned a ranking. I would probably agree. Lima is a veteran that has also won 3 in a row since coming off The Ultimate Fighter: Redemption. I honestly think Belal can hold his own against the top 15 and think he’ll set himself up nicely for a shot after this fight.

Prediction: Muhammad, Unanimous Decision

Hoops and Hooks Prediction 2021 Record: 3-4 (I'm Feeling a Hot Week)