UFC Sao Paulo brings fans a great card from Brazil as an appetizer for the highly anticipated UFC 229, and Cageside Press has their picks set.
| Staff Writers | Markos vs. Rodriguez | Barao vs. Ewell | Alvey vs. Nogueira | Oliveira vs. Pedersoli | Santos vs. Anders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heath Harshman (92-49) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Dan Doherty (92-55) |  | | | | |
| Paarth Pande (88-55) | |  | | | |
| Eddie Law (78-52) | | | | | |
| Mike Straus (87-60) | | |  | | |
| Jesse Gillette (81-56) | | | |  |  |
| Josh Evanoff (41-29) | | | | | |
| Jay Anderson (83-64) | | | | | |
| Gabriel Gonzalez (75-61) | | | | | |
The main event is as exciting as it gets, with Eryk Anders facing knockout artist Thiago Santos. Anders is coming off a beautiful head kick KO over Tim Williams to rebound from a loss to Lyoto Machida. Santos has won five of his last six fights and has won by knockout in eight of his 10 UFC victories. Seven of nine writers selected Santos.
In the co-main event, Alex Oliveira gives Carlo Pedersoli a step up in competition. Pedersoli defeated Bradley Scott in his promotional debut and has won by stoppage in seven of his 11 victories. Oliveira has won four of his last six (one being a no-contest) and is looking to build upon a submission victory over Carlos Condit. All but one writer picked Oliveira.
Sam Alvey faces the legendary Antonio Rogerio Nogueira on the UFC Sao Paulo main card. Alvey is 2-0 since moving up to light heavyweight including a knockout. Little Nog has not fought since 2016 and is returning from both an injury and a suspension for the bout. Alvey was given a slight 5-4 advantage over Little Nog by the staff.
Renan Barao looks to get his career back on track against Andre Ewell. Since losing the title, Barao has gone 2-4, losing his last two fights to Aljamain Sterling and Brian Kelleher. Ewell is making his UFC debut and has won by stoppage in 11 of his 13 victories. Six of nine writers selected the former champion Barao.
Opening up the UFC Sao Paulo main card is Randa Markos taking on Contender Series alum Marina Rodriguez. Markos has alternated wins and losses in her last eight fights, most recently falling to Nina Ansaroff. Rodriguez is making her promotional debut with a 10-0 record, winning six times via stoppage. Markos is favored by a 6-3 margin.
