mma / Columns
411’s MMA Roundtable Preview – UFC Fight Night: Cyborg vs. Lansberg
WELCOME:
Cris Cyborg returns for her second UFC appearance to battle Lina Lansberg in the main event of UFC Fight Night! In the co-main event, former bantamweight champion Renan Barao looks for a better result in his second foray into the featherweight ranks when he takes on Phillipe Nover. At heavyweight, divisional mainstays Roy Nelson and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva clash. In lightweight action, Francisco Trinaldo faces Paul Felder. Plus, Thiago Santos fights Eric Spicely, Godofredo Pepey vs. Mike De La Torre, and more!
THE STAFF:
Preliminary Card
UFC Fight Pass
Lightweight Bout: Glaico Franca vs. Gregor Gillespie
Welterweight Bout: Vicente Luque vs. Hector Urbina
Lightweight Bout: Alan Patrick vs. Stevie Ray
Fox Sports 1
Welterweight Bout: Erick Silva vs. Luan Chagas
Flyweight Bout: Jussier Formiga vs. Dustin Ortiz
Bantamweight Bout: Rani Yahya vs. Michinori Tanaka
Lightweight Bout: Gilbert Burns vs. Michel Prazeres
THE MAIN CARD:
Featherweight Bout: Godofredo Pepey vs. Mike De La Torre
Robert Winfree: Godofredo Pepey, Decision
Lorenzo Vasquez III: Mike De La Torre, TKO, Round 1
Jeffrey Harris: Godofredo Pepey, TKO, Round 1
Dan Plunkett: Pepey, Submission, Round 2
The staff picks Godofredo Pepey, 3-1.
Middleweight Bout: Thiago Santos vs. Eric Spicely
Robert Winfree: Thiago Sangos, TKO, Round 2
Lorenzo Vasquez III: Thiago Santos, TKO, Round 1
Jeffrey Harris: Thiago Santos, TKO, Round 1
Dan Plunkett: Santos, TKO, Round 1
The staff picks Thiago Santos, 4-0.
Lightweight Bout: Francisco Trinaldo vs. Paul Felder
Robert Winfree: This should be a pretty good fight, both of these gentlemen are strikers by trade and both love to actually engage in a fight. Francisco Trinaldo has quietly put together a six fight winning streak, incredibly impressive in any division but even more so at lightweight. Trinaldo is more of a one or two blow at a time striker and not much for stringing together long combinations, he’s also a southpaw and likes to use the power left kick to the body to open up his slightly looping punches. Paul Felder is more of a flashy striker who employs spinning techniques but has solid fundamentals. Felder tends to use more straight punches than Trinaldo does, he’s younger and generally more dynamic leading me to believe he’ll out work and out point Trinaldo here.
Winner: Paul Felder, Decision
Lorenzo Vasquez III: Of the both fighters, Felder is the more polished and technical guy. However, Trinaldo has been on quite the impressive run. He lacks technical brilliance but makes up for it with grit and a determination to throw and move forward. His jab flies straight down and the straight follows all adding up to some thunderous punishment for who ever is on the receiving end. Defensively, he needs work but, he is getting better and his counters seem to be landing cleaner. Felder is primarily a counter fighter. He likes to move around and wait for the prefect opportunity to throw and land strikes. Felder needs to work on his offensive output to win this one. Trinaldo needs to slide in and light up Felder and then slide out to regain his composure much like he did against Yancy Mederiros. While, you shouldn’t be surprised if Felder gets the win, expect Trinaldo to walk away with another solid victory.
Winner: Francisco Trinaldo, Decision
Jeffrey Harris: Francisco Trinaldo at 38 years old has been having a nice run for himself as of late. Paul Felder is on the rebound winning his last two fights. Felder’s fights tend to always be very competitive and also exciting. Trinaldo is a tough and game veteran for him though. I believe Felder’s dynamic striking game is going to give Trinaldo problems, as he’s been susceptible to that in the past. Felder picks up another win here.
Winner: Paul Felder, TKO, Round 2
Dan Plunkett: This is going to be a fun striking battle. Massaranduba is the better all around fighter, but he’s had some gas tank issues. I think Felder will tough it out in the last round.
Winner: Felder, TKO, Round 3
The staff picks Paul Felder, 3-1.
Heavyweight Bout: Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva
Robert Winfree: These two are a combined 2-8 over their last five fights, both being 1-4, making this quite possibly the highest profile fight ever between fighters with such dismal records. At this point all it takes to beat Antonio Silva is the ability to stand upright and make a fist, the man simply has no recuperative powers left and the forces being generated at heavyweight do him no favors. Last I checked Roy Nelson can still stand and make a fist.
Winner: Roy Nelson, KO, Round 1
Lorenzo Vasquez III: I’m thinking is a simple pick. Nelson has tremendous power and can take a tremendous amount of punishment. And, he’ll grapple you down and hold you there if that is what he needs to do to win. Silva is a shell of his former self. He knows how throw crisp and technical bombs and he has some heavy duty power. But, unlike Nelson, he can no longer handle heavy punishment. Don’t get me wrong. Silva can make something happen. The land of the giants is probably the most unpredictable division in MMA. Still, Nelson is definitely the favorite. His durability and power make him a huge threat for someone who has become one of the most fragile heavyweights currently on the UFC roster. Nelson takes this one by first knockout.
Winner: Roy Nelson, KO, Round 1
Jeffrey Harris: This is really the gimme win of all gimme wins that Roy Nelson can get at this point. Then again it is Roy Nelson, and he could make a mistake or two easily. Regardless, Antonio Silva’s chin seems completely shot at this point. If Nelson can land his overhand right, I think this is all over.
Winner: Roy Nelson, TKO, Round 1
Dan Plunkett: I have a bad feeling this will be a sad fight. Silva has suffered first round knockouts in four of his last five fights (and in 7 of his last 11). Roy Nelson has fallen off too, but he’s a tough matchup for the Brazilian here. It will be tough for Silva to get Nelson to the ground and avoid Big Country’s right hand. I don’t like Bigfoot’s chances.
Winner: Nelson, TKO, Round 1
The staff picks Roy Nelson, 4-0.
Featherweight Bout: Renan Barao vs. Phillipe Nover
Robert Winfree: It’s hard to believe that former bantamweight champion Renan Barao is now just struggling for relevance in the sport. Fortunately for Barao he’s drawn as close to a gimme fight as he’ll get at featherweight in the form of Philipe Nover. Nover’s only UFC win was a somewhat Clucky influenced decision to kick off his second UFC run and he followed that up with a loss. Barao should be the better fighter everywhere, brawling, technical striking, wrestling, and overall grappling skill. Barao has a pretty good chin at featherweight, he withstood some of the cannon fire that Jeremy Stephens slings around, and I don’t think Nover is good enough to capitalize on the openings in Barao’s game.
Winner: Renan Barao, Submission, Round 3
Lorenzo Vasquez III: Barao is making his second trip into featherweight territory after a close decision loss to Jeremy Stephens. Barao looked good early on. He meanly fought from the outside and used his speed and movement to make Jeremy chase. He also likes to plant his feet and throw strikes with little foot and head movement. Ultimately, this cost him his featherweight debut. Nover seems to like to fight from the outside, as well. He knows the game and is good in all areas but, he is either striking or grappling, and can hardly ever put it together. Barao will take easy advantage of this. If Nover can use his kicks and speed to keep Barao at range and out point him, Barao will take the fight to the ground and catch Nover during a transition. Likewise, if Nover can’t out strike Barao, he is in for a long night as Barao batters him with hard punches and kicks. Nover could make this a fight but, he is no Jeremy Stephens. Barao wins via stoppage in the second or third.
Winner: Renan Barao, TKO, Round 2
Jeffrey Harris: Renan Barao has not looked the same in quite a long time. Ever since he got knocked out by TJ Dillashaw, he’s looked different. He’s been more gun shy and he hasn’t looked like the unbeatable monster he used to be. Don’t forget, Barao went undefeated in about 10 years and was on a huge winning streak before the loss to Dillashaw. That includes numerous fights over top-level fights in the WEC and UFC. Nover is for all intents and purposes an absolute gimme win for Barao. He should have no problem beating him up here. This is really a win to get Barao’s confidence back and to keep him on the roster. Nover has never pulled off a legitimate win in the UFC, and I just can’t buy into him winning this fight at all.
Winner: Renan Barao, TKO, Round 1
Dan Plunkett: Finally Phillipe Nover gets a chance back in the spotlight to fulfil his destiny as the next Anderson Silva or Georges St-Pierre. Unfortunately, it’s against Renan Barao. That’s not to say Nover doesn’t have a chance – the fact that he’s a much larger fighter isn’t negligible. However, Barao is simply the better fighter.
Winner: Barao, TKO, Round 2
The staff picks Renan Barao, 4-0.
Catch-weight (140 lbs.) Bout: Cris Cyborg vs. Lina Lansberg
Robert Winfree: Well the woman known as Cyborg gets a can to crush here. Lina Lansberg has a good recent record but unless the weight cut goes catastrophically bad for Cyborg, and even then I don’t like Lansberg’s chances, Cyborg should have another impressive first round finish under her belt after this one.
Winner: Cris Cyborg, TKO, Round 1
Lorenzo Vasquez III: Cyborg is set to make her second UFC appearance at a catch-weight of 140-pounds. Just as before, this is a fight Cyborg should win and look impressive in doing so. Lanberg is a Muay Thai fighter. She appears to work good in the clinch and her striking seems sound. Overall, technically, she isn’t too bad of a stand-up fighter and, with the exception of her size, she may be able to make Cyborg work early in their fight. Nonetheless, Cyborg will have the better game, be the better athlete, and have a size and strength advantage. Cyborg has steadily improved her game. Her footwork and head movement looked better in her last outing and her counters were on point. Cyborg is a sound kickboxer and a good wrestler with solid jiu jitsu. And, not to mention, her physicality is on a whole another level. Unless, there is something special about Lansberg I have no clue about, Cyborg should get the finish late in the first or sometime in the second.
Winner: Cris Cyborg, TKO, Round 1
Jeffrey Harris: On an emotional level, I’m rooting for Lina Lansberg. However, logistically and my gut all say that Cris Justino wins out again here. Now Cyborg could be affected by her massive weight cut and trying to hit 140 pounds again. That appears to be a struggle for her. Ultimately, I see Cyborg’s power winning her the day yet again.
Winner: Cris Cyborg, TKO, Round 1
Dan Plunkett: Another one bites the dust.
Winner: Cyborg, TKO, Round 1
The staff picks Cris Cyborg, 4-0.
Remember to join 411’s coverage of UFC Fight Night: Cyborg vs. Lansberg!
