Heavyweights
Rodrigo Nascimento Ferreira (8-0) vs. Chris Daukaus (9-3)It may not be pretty to watch, but this encounter between heavyweight prospects should at least answer some questions going forward. Brazil’s Ferreira at least has a powerful top game on which to hang his hat, but getting there is an adventure. While he can sometimes make things happen on his own, a large part of Ferreira’s success has come when opponents decide to clinch with him before he turns the tide and takes over. He looked good in his UFC debut against Don'Tale Mayes in May and looks to keep his undefeated run going against Daukaus. While Daukaus’ pre-UFC career was a bit worrying—he wore himself out and got finished by Azunna Anyanwu in his only real test—the Philadelphia native had an impressive UFC debut in August by those standards, quickly knocking out a tough veteran in Parker Porter. Daukaus has the requisite amount of heavyweight power to end this at any moment, but he is yet another Ferreira opponent that often crashes into the clinch. That should lead him right into the Brazilian’s wheelhouse. The pick is Ferreira via first-round submission.
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