John Dodson will return from a serious knee injury. | Photo: D. Mandel/Sherdog.com
FLYWEIGHTS
John Dodson (16-6, 5-1 UFC) vs. Zach Makovsky (19-5, 3-1 UFC): “The Ultimate Fighter 14” winner and former title challenger Dodson returns to action after nearly a year off due to a knee injury and draws former Bellator MMA bantamweight champion Makovsky in an outstanding flyweight fight. Dodson lost to Demetrious Johnson in January 2013 but has won two straight since then, knocking out Ulysses Gomez and busting up John Moraga’s face to place himself back in line for another shot; meanwhile, Makovsky rebounded from a loss to Jussier da Silva by beating Tim Elliott in February. Makovsky’s game is predicated on his slick wrestle-grappling arsenal, which features a quick single-leg, trips and hip tosses combined with solid top control, but he offers little on the feet and has next to no finishing ability. Dodson is the most potent striker in the division, a whirling southpaw dervish with ridiculous power in his left hand, unreal ability to cover distance and outstanding takedown defense. The only problem with Dodson’s game is his lack of output, but any landed strike could end the fight. This looks like a showcase for Dodson, as Makovsky will struggle to get the fight to the ground and lacks the firepower to keep up on the feet. The pick is Dodson by knockout in the second round.WELTERWEIGHTS
Dong Hyun Kim (19-3-1, 10-3 UFC) vs. Josh Burkman (27-10, 5-5 UFC): Two veteran welterweights meet in a solid clash, as South Korea’s Kim attempts to rebound from a devastating knockout loss to Tyron Woodley against Burkman, who saw his New Year’s loss to Hector Lombard turned into a no-contest due to a failed drug test by the Cuban. Kim was formerly a patient wrestle-grappler who emphasized the clinch and top control, but in his last three bouts, the southpaw has transformed himself into a guns-blazing pressure fighter for whom defense is an afterthought. Burkman can do a bit of everything but really excels as a range striker, with a nice arsenal of kicks and punching combinations from both stances. He is exceptionally durable and works at an excellent pace. This is a close fight, but I lean toward the American here due to his counter game and chin. The pick is Burkman by decision.MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Uriah Hall (10-4, 3-2 UFC) vs. Rafael Natal (19-6-1, 7-4-1 UFC): “The Ultimate Fighter 17” runner-up Hall draws Brazilian grappler Natal in a solid middleweight matchup. Hall lost a pair of close decisions in his first two UFC outings, killing most of his substantial hype, but he has strung together three straight victories since then. Natal, a Renzo Gracie disciple, has won two in a row against Chris Camozzi and Tom Watson. Hall is known as a flashy striker, but his bread and butter is a piercing jab and vicious right hand, which he supplements with a constant diet of snapping front kicks to the body and round kicks at all levels. There is nothing too complicated about Natal’s game. He uses his winging punches to set up his takedowns, clinch entries and the meat of his game, grinding top control, but he also packs a wallop in his leg and body kicks. If Hall does not land something substantial, this could be close, but Natal’s lack of a defined pressure game makes me think that Hall should be able to move around at will. The pick is Hall by decision.WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHTS
Rose Namajunas (2-2, 0-1 UFC) vs. Nina Ansaroff (6-4, 0-1 UFC): Former title challenger Namajunas draws Ansaroff in an excellent strawweight matchup. Namajunas tore through the “The Ultimate Fighter 20” lineup until she ran into Carla Esparza at the finale, and while raw, she is an undeniable talent. Ansaroff likewise dropped her promotional debut, losing a decision to Juliana Lima in November. Namajunas is a wild, pathologically aggressive and dangerous fighter both on the feet and on the mat, with potent kicks, an arsenal of spinning strikes and lethally quick submissions the second the fight hits the ground. Ansaroff is mostly a striker, with nice spinning kicks of her own and real power in her hands. I lean towards Namajunas here on the basis of her greater offensive output and grappling skills, though her utter lack of takedown defense is a concern. The pick is Namajunas by submission in the second round.WELTERWEIGHTS
Mike Pyle (26-10-1, 9-5 UFC) vs. Colby Covington (7-0, 2-0 UFC): This is a fantastic matchup between one of the division’s most accomplished gatekeepers and one of its brightest prospects. Pyle has fought a sterling array of competition over the years but appears to be close to the end of the line, with two knockout losses in his last three fights. Covington, a former Division I All-American wrestler, has blasted both of his UFC opponents into oblivion. Pyle can do it all, with one of the best clinch games in the division, solid kickboxing and slick submissions on the mat. Covington is still mostly a wrestler, though an exceptionally talented and explosive one with big power in his ground strikes and a nose for the submission. Pyle could easily catch him with a submission in transition or a knee on the level change, but with the veteran looking increasingly shopworn, I think Covington gets him down and beats him up. The pick is Covington by knockout in the first round.LIGHTWEIGHTS
Leo Kuntz (17-1-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Islam Makhachev (11-0, 0-0 UFC): North Dakota’s Kuntz welcomes Makhachev to the Octagon in both fighters’ UFC debut. The undefeated Makhachev, the former M-1 Global lightweight champion and a lifelong friend and training partner of Khabib Nurmagomedov, is as blue-chip as prospects get. Now training at the American Kickboxing Academy, Makhachev boasts a solid southpaw striking repertoire, exceptionally slick takedowns from the clinch and an opportunistic arsenal of submissions on the mat. Kuntz, who now works out of American Top Team, is a forward-moving brawler with some power in his hands and decent takedowns. Barring major improvements in Kuntz’s game, this is all Makhachev, and I expect him to drag the American to the mat and finish. The pick is Makhachev by submission in the first round.FLYWEIGHTS
Justin Scoggins (9-2, 2-2 UFC) vs. Josh Sampo (11-4, 1-2 UFC): Flyweights open the show as talented prospect Scoggins takes on Sampo in an intriguing fight. Scoggins had a ton of hype behind him, but a close decision loss to Dustin Ortiz and a submission at the hands of John Moraga have left his job in jeopardy, while Sampo has also dropped consecutive fights, most recently to Patrick Holohan. Both are wrestle-grappler types who like to work from the top, but Scoggins is the better athlete and has a more dangerous striking arsenal to back it up. I lean toward the younger fighter on that basis. The pick is Scoggins by wide decision.Follow Sherdog.com preview expert Patrick Wyman on Twitter.