MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main card for UFC Fight Night 210.
UFC Fight Night 210 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.
Last event’s results: 4-1
Overall picks for UFC main cards in 2022: 93-55-1
Welcome to MMAJunkie’s Quick Picks and Prognostications, where I’ll be giving brief, fight-day breakdowns for UFC main cards.
With that in mind, I hope these write-ups don’t come off as curt or dismissive. My goal here is to offer quick picks and analysis in a digestible format. All odds listed are provided by Tipico Sportsbook.
If you’d like more detailed analysis from me, then feel free to check out my weekly show, The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.
So, without further ado …
Anthony Hernandez (-220) vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (+170)
Even though there are fine featherweight offerings who would’ve fit perfectly in this slot, the main card on ESPN+ starts off with a middleweight matchup between Anthony Hernandez and Marc-Andre Barriault.
Barriualt has made some solid improvements since moving from Canada to the recently rebranded Kill Cliff FC and won his first fight with the gym by submission.
That said, I’m not sure Barriualt will be able to deter the aggressive grappling of Hernandez inside of the smaller octagon, so I’ll semi-reluctantly take the American to grind his way to a decision win on the scorecards.
Tanner Boser (-190) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (+145)
In their defense, this bout between Tanner Boser and Rodrigo Nascimento should be an action-heavy affair despite having all the feels of an IFL undercard attraction.
I’m a big fan of Boser’s attitude and fleet-of-foot fighting style, which should serve him well against a more plodding and less-proven heavyweight in Nascimento. I’ll take Boser’s process to produce a finish on a fading Nascimento come the end of Round 2.
Alen Amedovski (+370) vs. Joe Pyfer (-550)
Serving as another middleweight offering on the main card is a bout between Alen Amedovski and Joe Pyfer.
Although part of me is rooting for Amedovksi to show off some of the improvements he’s made while training at Xtreme Couture, I suspect a competent grappler and counter puncher with knockout power makes for an uphill battle for the Macedonian.
For that reason, I’ll officially pick Pyfer to survive the early storm in order to deliver a knockout in the first round.
Andre Fili (-130) vs. Bill Algeo (+102)
Despite this fight not getting its proper placement as a main-card opener, I’m still incredibly excited to see this featherweight booking between Andre Fili and Bill Algeo.
I’m a big fan of both fighters’ styles and swagger, whether we’re talking about Fili’s offensive boxing improvements or Algeo’s deceptive counters and gamesmanship.
Algeo definitely is a live dog in this spot, especially if he can stun Fili early and build off of the success. However, between Algeo’s lack of first-round finishes and the fact he’s stepping in for Lando Vannata on semi-short notice, I can’t help but side with Fili – who probably utilizes his underrated wrestling to secure a hard-fought win on the scorecards.
Chidi Njokuani (-135) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (+105)
The co-main event in Las Vegas features a fun middleweight matchup between Chidi Njokuani and Gregory Rodrigues.
Even though this has all the makings for a violent striking affair, I can’t help but wonder if “Robocop” Rodrigues will bust out his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills opposite a fighter like Njokuani.
Despite earning a black belt of his own (under Sergio Penha, no less), Njokuani has been susceptible to being grinded on in earlier chapters of his career. Nevertheless, I have a sneaking suspicion the speed changes and checking shots of Njokuani will prove to be stylistic kryptonite for Rodrigues.
I officially take Njokuani to win by first-round knockout.
Cory Sandhagen (-210) vs. Song Yadong (+160)
The main event on ESPN+ features a fantastic pairing at bantamweight between Cory Sandhagen and Song Yadong.
As I said in my in-depth breakdown, this fight smacks of Max Holloway’s first meeting with Jose Aldo from a stylistic standpoint.
Song is an explosive athlete and a powerful counterpuncher, but I suspect the Chinese fighter still needs his pockets to recoup from a pacing perspective. For that reason, I’ll pick Sandhagen to build down the stretch and force a standing stoppage by the fifth round.
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