The UFC returns with another Sunday Afternoon event, this time it comes in the form of UFC Fight Night: Glasgow. The event is going to be headlined by a key welterweight division fight as Gunnar Nelson takes on Santiago Ponzinibbio. Also, Cynthia Calvillo faces Joanne Calderwood and Neil Seery is competing for the final time in his native country.
Main Card
Main Event
UFC Welterweight Division Fight
Gunnar “Gunni” Nelson (16-2-1) vs. Santiago “Gente Boa” Ponzinibbio (24-3-0)
Nelson is going to be entering the fight riding a two fight winning streak, having defeated the duo of Albert Tumenov and Alan Jouban. Ponzinibbio in competing in his first ever UFC main event fight and he has already won six bouts under the UFC banner. Nelson is actually winless in UFC main event fights, having dropped a decision to Rick Story at UFC Fight Night 53. Ponzinibbio enters the fight riding a four fight winning streak, last defeating Nordine Taleb at UFC Fight Night 105.
Prediction: Ponzinibbio has a great striking game that is going to give Nelson fits, but Nelson eventually gets the fight to the ground and taps Ponzinibbio late in the fourth round.
Co-Main Event
UFC Women’s Strawweight Division Fight
Joanne “JoJo” Calderwood (11-2-0) vs. Cynthia Calvillo (5-0-0)
Calderwood has won three of five fights in the UFC thus far, with those three wins coming over Seo Hee Ham, Cortney Casey and Valerie Letourneau. Calvillo has already earned two victories in the UFC, defeating Amanda Bobby Cooper and Pearl Gonzalez. Calderwood won the first ever women’s flyweight division fight in the UFC, defeating Valerie Letourneau at UFC Fight Night 89. Calvillo also won a total of five fights as an amateur, including a win over UFC fighter Aspen Ladd in her final amateur bout.
Prediction: Calderwood could use her range to keep Calvillo at a distance and get the decision, Calvillo will eventually drag Calderwood to the ground and submit her in the second round.
UFC Lightweight Division Fight
Stevie “Braveheart” Ray (21-6-0) vs. Paul “The Irish Dragon” Felder (13-3-0)
Ray is going to be entering the fight on the strength of a two fight winning streak, having defeated Ross Pearson and Joe Lauzon. Felder has won three of his last four under the UFC banner, with the notable wins coming over Josh Burkman and Daron Cruickshank. Ray is also a former Cage Warriors Lightweight Champion, defeating UFC veteran Curt Warburton to win the gold at CWFC 69. Felder is a longtime veteran of the Cage Fury Fighting Championships promotion, where he defeated TUF alumni Julian Lane.
Prediction: These two are excellent strikes, but Ray’s biggest advantage is the wrestling game and he uses that to grind out a decision win.
UFC Middleweight Division Fight
Jack “Hammer” Marshman (21-6-0) vs. Ryan Janes (9-2-0)
Marshman has won just one of two under the UFC banner, defeating Magnus Cedenblad and suffering a defeat to Thiago Santos. Janes has also won just one of two in the UFC, defeating Keith Berish and suffering a defeat to Gerald Meerschaert. Marshman is also a veteran of the Cage Warriors promotion, where he holds a win over UFC veteran Che Mills. Janes is also a former Battlefield Fight League Middleweight Champion, defeating Brendan Kornberger to win the gold in 2015.
Prediction: Janes is going to want to ground Marshman, but Marshman is excellent with using his strikes to avoid the ground and he does just that to finish Janes in the first round.
UFC Light Heavyweight Division Fight
Khalil “The War Horse” Rountree (5-2-0) vs. Paul “Bearjew” Craig (9-1-0)
Rountree has won just one of three fights under the UFC banner, with that lone win coming over Daniel Jolly at UFC Fight Night 104. Craig is going to be looking to rebound from his first professional MMA defeat, which came to Tyson Pedro at UFC 209. Rountree was a cast member on the UFC Ultimate Fighter 23, making it to the semi-finals of the reality show. Craig has yet to see any of his professional MMA fights go the distance and only two of his fights have gone to the second round.
Prediction: Craig has an excellent ground game and Rountree has issues on the ground, Craig gets the first round submission win here.
UFC Heavyweight Division Fight
James Mulheron (11-1-0) vs. Justin Willis (4-1-0)
Mulheron is going to be making his UFC debut in this fight and he does so while on the strength of a four fight winning streak. Willis is also going to be making his UFC debut in this fight and he hasn’t suffered a defeat in just over five years. Mulheron also competed once in the Bellator MMA promotion, defeating Neil Grove by unanimous decision at Bellator 158. Willis last competed at the World Series Of Fighting 31, where he defeated Juliano Coutinho by TKO at the WSOF 31.
Prediction: Willis has a good striking game, but Mulheron is great at grounding opponents before grounding and pounding them, Mulheron gets a late stoppage win here.
Preliminary Card Quick Picks
Danny Roberts over Bobby Nash
Alexandre Pantoja over Neil Seery
Galore Bofando over Charlie Ward
Daniel Teymur over Danny Henry
Brett Johns over Albert Morales
Leslie Smith over Amanda Lemos
