Said Nurmagomedov vs. Muin Gafurov: 

The opening fight of the main card will be between two bantamweights, looking to make a statement to potentially earn them a ranked opponent in their next fight. Do not be confused by his last name because Said Nurmagomedov isn't related to the former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, but he is still looking to make an impact in the division. Even though he lost his last fight to a great opponent in Jonathan Martinez, in what was a very close fight, look for Said to make an impact in this fight by using his flashy striking techniques and great grappling to have a successful night. Watch out for Nurmagomedov's guillotines, as three of his five submission wins have come by guillotine choke. Muin Gafurov on the other hand is coming off a loss in his UFC debut. Having won 56% of his bouts by knockout or TKO, I think it's safe to assume that he is going to want to keep the fight standing. 

Ikram Aliskerov vs. Warlley Alves:

The next fight on the card is between two middleweights, it was not what was originally planned for the card but still should be a good fight. Ikram Aliskerov is a multiple-time Sambo champion whose only loss was outside the UFC and it happened to come from surging prospect Khamzat Chimaev. In Aliskerov's only UFC fight, he won by devastating first-round knockout. Look out for his power as he has shown to have great power punches that can put out any opponent. Warlley Alves is currently on a two-fight losing streak, but don't underestimate him in this fight. An ultimate fighter champion, Alves has fought a lot of high-level competition including a submission win over Colby Covington, and has also fought to a decision against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. Alves is a very well-rounded fighter who will make this a competitive fight, but I do believe it won't be enough for Aliskerov and I predict that Ikram will be able to win this fight by decision.

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker:

The third fight of the card will be a banger that can potentially propel either of these two fighters to a title shot for the light-heavyweight belt. The multi-time sambo champion, Magomed Ankalaev is coming off a controversial title fight against Jan Blachowicz that was scored as a split draw. He is looking to bounce back and get another shot at the title that many could argue is deservedly his. Magomeds’ wrestling is very dangerous and is probably one of the best wrestlers in the division, but his striking is also deadly. His combos are slick and his striking game is very well-rounded, so you can expect a lot of kicks being set up by his already powerful punches. Johnny Walker on the other hand is one of the most dynamic strikers in this already packed division. He throws a lot of unorthodox shots that can put away an opponent viciously. He is currently on a three-fight win streak beating contenders like Paul Craig and Anthony Smith. Even though Walker has polished his striking a lot more over time, still watch out for moves such as a spinning back fist or even flying knees. Even though this fight has a lot at stake for both fighters and both will be well prepared, I think Ankalaev will get the win, and do not be surprised if he gets a finish against Johnny Walker. 

Kamaru Usman vs. Khamzat Chimaev:

The co-main event should be insane as the former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman is making his middleweight debut on a week's notice to face off against the surging contender in Khamzat Chimaev, in a fight that Dana already confirmed that the winner will be fighting Sean Strickland for his middleweight title. A Division II wrestler, Usman has already cemented himself as one of the best welterweight fighters of all time, and now with this fight, he seems to be chasing a legacy fight as he has the potential to become a two-division champion with a win over Chimaev. The former champ is also an Ultimate Fighter winner and has built up his resume so much with wins over fighters such as the current champions in Leon Edwards and Sean Strickland, Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, and the list goes on. Even though he is currently on a two-fight losing streak, don't let that dictate what Usman could potentially do in this fight. Usman's wrestling is his biggest strength, but his striking has vastly improved over the years and it will be interesting to see what type of gameplan he will implement against Khamzat since they are both great wrestlers. Chimaev also has great wrestling accolades in Sweden and has currently taken the UFC by storm with his dominant wins. He has already beaten the likes of Gilbert Burns and Kevin Holland within his 6 fight-winning streak in the UFC. His wrestling has proven to be dominant, but his striking is also very powerful as he displays great power punches. I think that this fight does have a huge chance of going to a decision as both fighters are well prepared and just complete dogs, but my pick is that Khamzat will overwhelm Usman in the first round and get himself a finish (I'd say submission to be safe, but I could also see it being a TKO).

Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski:

This main event will surely be the most exciting fight by far and it will pit two pound-for-pound champions in a rematch that will determine not only bragging rights but also history will be made. The lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev is the real deal as he is ranked #3 in the pound-for-pound rankings and has gotten a huge win over Charles Oliveira and a close fight over Alexander Volkanovski. He is such a well-rounded fighter who finds success in his striking but prefers to use his wrestling to take you down and could rather dominate with strikes, or submit you. Islam's takedowns are dangerous and if he can pressure Volk against the cage, it will be a huge problem for Volk. The featherweight champion, however, has fought Islam already and has found a lot of success in their previous fight. Alexander Volkanovski is on pace to become the greatest featherweight of all time and has already beaten the likes of Max Holloway, Jose Aldo, and Yair Rodriguez. Volk is also a well-rounded fighter but his striking is his strong suit. He implements so many feints with his strikes and his footwork is currently one of the best in the fight game. If Volk can pressure Islam and stay away from the cage, he could potentially outstrike Islam and prove that he is deserving of double champ status. This is going to be another war just like the first fight, but I have to double down and pick Islam Makhachev to win by a close decision.