Corey Anderson and Jan Blachowicz square off for a second time vying for a shot at the light heavyweight title at UFC Rio Rancho. Cageside Press has its picks set.
| Staff Writers | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jay Anderson (12-3) |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Ryan Fortune (12-3) | | | | | | |
| Keith Shillan (11-4) | |  | | | | |
| Heath Harshman (11-4) | | | | | | |
| Michael Lynch (11-4) |  | | |  | |  |
| Joe McDonagh (11-4) | | | | |  | |
| Jason Payne (10-5) | | | | | | |
| Chris Prawdzik (10-5) | | | | | | |
| Mike McClory (7-4) | | | | | | |
| Dan Doherty (9-6) | | |  | | | |
| Dylan Bowker (9-6) | | | | | | |
| Josh Evanoff (8-7) | | | | | | |
Five years after their first battle, Corey Anderson and Jan Blachowicz headline UFC Rio Rancho with a possible shot at the light heavyweight title on the line. Anderson comes in on a four-fight win streak while Blachowicz has won six of his last seven fights. All but two writers picked Anderson to get another big win.
The co-main event is an old school vs. new school matchup of sorts, with Diego Sanchez taking on Michel Pereira. Sanchez is not as wild as he once was, using veteran savvy to get by two of his last three opponents. Pereira is known for his high-flying style that puts fans on their feet, but is coming off a disappointing loss to the debuting Tristan Connelly. Cageside Press is split down the middle in this contest.
Promising flyweights Montana De La Rosa and Mara Romero Borella square off on the UFC Rio Rancho main card. De La Rosa had a three-fight win streak in the UFC snapped by Andrea Lee last time out. Borella is an even 2-2 in the Octagon looking to bounce back from a loss to Lauren Murphy. All but one writer picked De La Rosa.
Brok Weaver makes his UFC debut against Rodrigo Vargas. Weaver is on a seven-fight win streak following his Contender Series appearance. Vargas is 11-3 and is looking to rebound from a loss in his promotional debut. All but two writers picked Weaver.
Ray Borg will look to overcome his weight-cutting troubles against Rogerio Bontorin. Bontorin is 2-0 in the Octagon after an impressive performance on the Contender Series. Borg returns to flyweight after a two-fight bantamweight stint, having defeated Gabriel Silva last time out. All but two writers picked Borg.
Lando Vannata and Yancy Medeiros will bring the excitement to start the UFC Rio Rancho main card. Vannata has one of the more odd records with the promotion at 2-4-2, coming off a loss to Marc Diakiese. Medeiros is back at lightweight after a 3-1 stint at welterweight, but lost in his return to 155 against Gregor Gillespie. Eight of 12 writers picked Medeiros.
