Picking & Grinning: UFC Fight Night ‘Bader vs. Nogueira 2’

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira figures to walk off into the sunset sooner rather than later, and Ryan Bader would like nothing more than to speed up the process for the 40-year-old Brazilian.

Nogueira will rematch Bader in the UFC Fight Night 100 headliner on Saturday at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he seeks to avenge a September 2010 decision loss to the two-time NCAA All-American wrestler. In the bantamweight co-main event, Thomas Almeida locks horns with the unbeaten Albert Morales in a showdown between two of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s most promising young talents at 135 pounds.

Ahead of UFC Fight Night ‘Bader vs. Nogueira 2,’ members of the Sherdog.com staff swallowed their pride and put their reputations on the line with bold predictions:

STANDINGS

Tristen Critchfield (107-62-4)
Jordan Breen (105-64-4)
Mike Fridley (103-66-4)
Brian Knapp (100-69-4)
Mike Sloan (97-72-4)

THE LINEUP

205: Ryan Bader (21-5) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (22-7)
135: Thomas Almeida (20-1) vs. Albert Morales (6-0-1)
115: Claudia Gadelha (13-2) vs. Cortney Casey (6-3)
185: Thales Leites (26-6) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (18-1)
170: Warlley Alves (10-1) vs. Kamaru Usman (8-1)
170: Sergio Moraes (10-2-1) vs. Zak Ottow (14-3)
185: Cezar Ferreira (10-5) vs. Jack Hermansson (14-2)
205: Marcos Rogerio de Lima (14-3-1) vs. Gadzhimurad Antigulov (18-4)
135: Johnny Eduardo (27-10) vs. Manny Gamburyan (15-9)
265: Luis Henrique Barbosa de Oliveira (9-2) vs. Christian Colombo (8-1-1)
135: Pedro Munhoz (12-2) vs. Justin Scoggins (11-2)
205: Francimar Barroso (18-5) vs. Darren Stewart (7-0)

THE PICKS

Tristen Critchfield: Bader, Almeida, Gadelha, Jotko, Usman, Moraes, Hermansson, Lima, Eduardo, Oliveira, Scoggins, Barroso

Jordan Breen: Bader, Almeida, Gadelha, Leites, Usman, Moraes, Hermansson, Antigulov, Eduardo, Oliveira, Munhoz, Barroso

Mike Fridley: Bader, Almeida, Gadelha, Jotko, Alves, Moraes, Hermansson, Lima, Eduardo, Oliveira, Munhoz, Barroso

Brian Knapp: Bader, Almeida, Gadelha, Leites, Usman, Ottow, Hermansson, Lima, Eduardo, Oliveira, Munhoz, Barroso

Mike Sloan: Bader, Almeida, Gadelha, Jotko, Alves, Moraes, Hermansson, Lima, Eduardo, Oliveira, Munhoz, Stewart