UFC on ABC 4 Preview and Predictions
The UFC is heading to Charlotte, North Carolina, for UFC on ABC 4. Since the card will be aired on ABC, the UFC stacked the card with fun fights. The card features Jailton Alemeida’s first main event against heavyweight veteran Jairzinho Rozenstruik while the co-main features notable light heavyweight Johnny Walker and Anthony Smith. The remainder of the card promises entertainment as well. Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict the main card. You can find our prediction records below.
James: 43-30-2
Garrett: 45-28-2
Jerry: 27-30-1
Anthony: 34-24-1
Tim Means vs. Alex Morono (Welterweight)
James: The UFC on ABC 4 main card will start with a welterweight bout between Tim Means and Alex Morono. At this point in their careers, both are well-established UFC fighters. Means, 39, is the elder of the two and has tallied a 14-11 UFC record. Morono, 32, has gone 11-5 with one no-contest in the UFC.
Means is known to be a tough and durable fighter, but his age is beginning to show. Recently, he has not looked as durable as he has in the past. Still, he can strike at a high volume and he is great at striking in the clinch. In this fight, Morono will be more than willing to entertain Means’ striking exchanges. Morono is a well-rounded striker with impressive kicks and solid boxing. In fights, he can find a lot of success with his jab, straight, and leg kicks.
This fight will be a little volatile because both fighters have chin concerns. Still, Morono is the better striker, has more power and has taken far less damage. I will take Morono by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Morono via decision
Anthony: Morono via decision
Carlos Ulberg vs. Ihor Potieria (Light Heavyweight)
James: At UFC on ABC 4, Carlos Ulberg will fight Ihor Potieria. Aside from losing his UFC debut, Ulberg has only impressed in the octagon. At 3-1 in the promotion, he bounced back from his only loss and has established himself as a solid prospect in the light heavyweight division. The obvious flaw with Ulberg is his lack of MMA experience as his record sits at 7-1.
Potieria has picked up a lot of notoriety as of late as well; however, it has been for very different reasons. In his last fight, Potieria knocked out Mauricio Rua in his retirement fight. It is safe to say fans did not appreciate his post-fight celebration. Outside of that, Potieria has not accomplished much. After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, he has gone 1-1 in the UFC.
This fight will probably take place on the feet since Ulberg and Potieria each tend to strike. In that type of fight, Ulberg will be at a massive advantage since he is simply far better from a skill perspective. Ulberg has great technical kickboxing and the power to finish fights. That is not to say Potieria is bad, he just is not on the level of Ulberg. Plus, he gets hit too much. I will take Ulberg by first-round knockout.
Garrett: Ulberg via TKO
Anthony: Ulberg via decision
No. 15 Daniel Rodriguez vs. Ian Machado Garry (Welterweight)
James: At UFC on ABC 4, Ian Machado Garry, one of the UFC’s biggest hype trains, will be fighting his No. 1-ranked opponent, Daniel Rodriguez. Machado Garry has looked outstanding this far into his career. In the UFC, he is 4-0 with two knockouts. Overall, he sits at 11-0 with seven finishes. Rodriguez will be the best fighter that Macado Garry has fought in his career. At 7-2 in the UFC, Rodriguez has shown solid skills while beating several highly respected fighters.
Machado Garry’s skills match the hype. On the feet, he is a quick and technical striker. He has great boxing combinations and can throw kicks to all three levels. Machado Garry is still relatively untested against UFC-caliber grapplers though. That should not be a problem against Rodriguez as his skills are centered around his boxing. Therefore, this fight should largely stay on the feet. That said, Machado Garry has been hit hard on several occasions. If anything presents him an issue in this fight, it will be that.
I really like Machado Garry in this fight. His striking defense presents concerns, but Rodriguez is more of a volume striker, so I do not think he has the power to punish Machado Garry if he makes a mistake. I think Rodriguez will make a strong showing of himself, but I do not think he has the technique or striking diversity to beat Machado Garry. I will take Machado Garry by decision.
Garrett: Machado Garry via TKO
Anthony: Machado Garry by decision
No. 5 Anthony Smith vs. No. 7 Johnny Walker (Light Heavyweight)
James: The co-main event of UFC on ABC 4 is set to feature top-ranked light heavyweights Anthony Smith and Johnny Walker. Smith is a long-time UFC veteran that has achieved a promotional record of 11-7. In his last bout, Smith lost to Magomed Ankalaev after breaking his ankle early in the fight.
Prior to that, he was riding a three-fight win streak. Meanwhile, Walker is in the midst of a career resurgence. In the middle of his UFC run, Walker hit a rough patch and lost four fights in a five-fight stretch. Although, he has bounced back from that low point as he has won his last two fights. In total, he sits at 6-4.
This is an interesting fight as both Smith and Walker are fairly inconsistent. On any given night, either of these two fighters can look like one of the best light heavyweights on the roster. At the same time, they could be swiftly finished. As far as skills go, Walker is a long and powerful striker with an unorthodox offensive skill set. The issue is that he has suspect striking defense and an awful chin. Meanwhile, Smith is one of the toughest fighters on the UFC roster and can get the job done with his boxing and BJJ. His problems arise in takedown defense and pacing.
In this fight, I lean toward Walker. On the surface, he has the skills to get the job done. More importantly, he is younger, more athletic and has absorbed less damage in his career. Not to mention, this will be Smith’s return from injury. All of those factors push me in favor of Walker. I will take Walker by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Smith via decision
Anthony: Smith via submission
No. 9 Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. No 12 Jailton Almeida (Heavyweight)
James: In the main event of UFC on ABC 4, Jairzinho Rozenstruik will fight Jailton Almeida. Almeida is an elite prospect in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. This fight against Rozenstruik will be the toughest test of his career. At 4-0 in the UFC, he deserves an opportunity to fight a top-ten heavyweight. Thus far into his career, Rozenstruik has gone 7-4 and established himself as a solid UFC heavyweight. If Almeida can pick up a win, he will be on a great path to climbing the heavyweight rankings.
This fight is a simple one to break down. Almeida is one of the best grapplers in the heavyweight division, led by his outstanding BJJ. In fights, he lands takedowns and uses punches to set up submissions. Not to mention, he is one of the best athletes in the heavyweight division. Rozenstruik, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. The majority of his skill set is centered around his kickboxing, counterstriking and absurd power. On the ground, he has average takedown defense but struggles once the fight gets down to the ground.
In this fight, Almeida will probably start the action by throwing a kick and then attempting a takedown- as he does in every bout. If he gets to Rozenstruik’s hips he will probably land the takedown and find a submission. That said, Rozenstruik will have a chance to land a one-punch knockout as Almeida pressures. The latter would be quite a surprise and is far less of an achievable game plan. I will take Almeida by first-round submission.
Garrett: Almeida via submission
Anthony: Rozenstruik via knockout
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