Once the UFC finishes their card from the United Kingdom, MMA fans can head over to the NBC Sports Network to check out a loaded card from the WSOF. The main event of this show will be a heavyweight title fight as Blagoy Ivanov defends the gold against UFC veteran Shawn Jordan. Also, Lance Palmer will defend the featherweight title and the vacant bantamweight title will get a new owner.
Main Card
Main Event
WSOF Heavyweight Title Fight
Blagoy Ivanov (14-1-0-1NC) (Champion) vs. Shawn Jordan (19-7-0)
Ivanov will be making the third defense of his championship, as he previous title defenses came against Derrick Mehmen and Josh Copeland. Jordan is currently undefeated under the WSOF banner, having defeated Ashley Gocch at the WSOF 33. Ivanov also fought six times in the Bellator MMA promotion, where he holds a win over UFC veteran Lavar Johnson. Jordan won six of ten fights during his UFC tenure, with some big wins coming over Jared Cannonier, Pat Barry and Derrick Lewis.
Prediction: These two are going to swing away at each other until one goes down, Jordan tends to tire quickly and that’s when Ivanov pounces on him with strikes for a third round TKO win.
Co-Main Event
WSOF Featherweight Title Fight
Lance Palmer (11-2-0) (Champion) vs. Andre Harrison (15-0-0)
Palmer will be making the first defense of his championship (second reign), he defeated Alexandre Almeida to win the belt at the WSOF 32. Harrison has already earned a single victory under the WSOF banner, defeating Bruce Boyington at the WSOF 34. Palmer will be fighting for a seventh time under the WSOF banner, with five of those fights being title fights. Harrison is a former Titan Fighting Championships Featherweight Champion, a title he relinquished upon signing with the WSOF.
Prediction: This fight is an early candidate for the “Fight Of The Year,” this fight will be contested on the ground and on the feet, Palmer keeps his belt in a razor thin decision win.
WSOF Bantamweight Title Decision Fight
Bekbulat Magomedov (17-1-0) vs. Donavon Frelow (6-1-0)
Magomedov has won just one of two fights under the WSOF banner, defeating Jesse Brock and suffering a defeat to Josh Hill. Frelow has won three of four fights under the WSOF banner and he took this fight on less than two weeks’ notice. Magomedov started off his professional MMA career on a sixteen fight winning streak, which lasted a grand total of three-plus years. Frelow previously challenged for the WSOF Flyweight Title, losing to then champion Magomed Bibulatov at the WSOF 24.
Prediction: Magomedov has a strong wrestling game and Frelow had little time to prepare for the fight, Magomedov grounds and grinds out a decision here.
Preliminary Card Quick Picks
Abubakar Nurmagomedov over Matt Secor
Tom Marcellino over Bill Jones
Hakeem Dawodu over Steven Siler
Islam Mamedov over Natan Schulte
Alexandre Almeida over Steven Rodriguez
Emmanuel Walo over Andrew Nakahara
