Preview: UFC Fight Night ‘Mir vs. Duffee’

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FEATHERWEIGHTS

Sam Sicilia (14-5, 4-4 UFC) vs. Yaotzin Meza (21-9, 2-2 UFC): The bombing Sicilia takes on journeyman Meza in a decent featherweight matchup. Sicilia, a Washington native, has alternated wins and losses in the last several years and most recently knocked out Akira Corassani. Meza rebounded from a tough stretch with a win over Damian Stasiak in April. Sicilia is a puncher with a big right hand and decent setups for it, and he fills the spaces between combinations with takedowns and top control. Meza can do a bit of everything, but he prefers to grind in the clinch and work from top position, though he lacks a standout skill. The pick is Sicilia by knockout in the first round.

WOMEN’S BANTAMWEIGHTS

Jessica Andrade (12-4, 3-2 UFC) vs. Sarah Moras (4-1, 1-0 UFC): This should be a fun fight. Andrade is a rock ’em sock ’em robot trying to get back on the winning track after a surprise submission loss to Marion Reneau, while Moras is a blossoming action fighter coming off a win over Alexis Dufresne a year ago. The Brazilian is a high-output striker who loves to throw head-body combinations, has a nice array of throws in the clinch and owns a nice guillotine in transition. Moras is a willing striker with solid combination punching. If she can get the fight to the ground, she has a nice mixture of strikes, passes and submissions on the mat. The betting lines are probably giving Moras too little credit, but the matchup does favor the Brazilian. The pick is Andrade by decision.

BANTAMWEIGHTS

Rani Yahya (20-8, 5-2 UFC) vs. Masanori Kanehara (25-11-5, 1-0 UFC): Brazil’s Yahya meets Japan’s Kanehara in a potentially interesting bantamweight bout. Yahya has put together a solid record against middling competition, his most recent win a finish of Johnny Bedford in September; longtime veteran Kanehara debuted with an upset win over Alex Caceres in the same month. Kanehara has some pop in his hands but throws little volume, while he maintains a solid wrestle-grappling repertoire. The Brazilian is a grappler first and foremost, and a good one. He passes beautifully, scrambles well and has a nice submission arsenal that he has not employed as much in recent years. This is an even-money fight, but I favor Yahya’s superior grappling skills. The pick is Yahya by decision.

WELTERWEIGHTS

Igor Araujo (25-7, 2-1 UFC) vs. Sean Strickland (15-1, 2-1 UFC): Brazil’s Araujo takes on California native Strickland in a decent welterweight contest. Araujo won a pair of fights to open his UFC career but dropped his last outing to George Sullivan in September, while Strickland lost his most recent fight to Santiago Ponzinibbio. The Californian is only 24 and has excellent skills in all phases, with a crisp jab, good footwork, strong clinch takedowns and an excellent grappling game, but he seems to lack urgency and works slowly. Araujo is the prototypical grinder. He is a wild striker, wrestles with more enthusiasm than skill and has actual talent on the mat but struggles to get it there. This should be a showcase for the American if he finds a groove. The pick is Strickland by decision, with the strong possibility of a finish.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Kevin Casey (8-3, 0-1 UFC) vs. Ildemar Alcantara (21-7, 4-2 UFC): Casey returns from a yearlong suspension after failing a drug test at UFC 175 and draws Alcantara, who took an underwhelming decision from Richardson Moreira in January. The American was formerly a pure grappler -- and a good one, with strong control and decent submissions; however, he has improved his takedowns and added a potent combination punching game. Alcantara can strike just a bit, but he is mostly a grinder who prefers to work his opponent against the cage or drag them to the floor and suffocate them from the top. Casey will likely tire quickly, and the Brazilian is durable. The pick is Alcantara by decision.

WELTERWEIGHTS

Andrew Craig (9-3, 3-3 UFC) vs. Lyman Good (18-3, 0-0 UFC): Former Bellator MMA champion Good makes his UFC debut against Craig in a solid welterweight affair. Craig drops to 170 pounds for the first time and is likely fighting for his job here after coming up short in three of his last four, the last an underwhelming decision loss to Cezar Ferreira a year ago. Craig can do a bit of everything, with a decent striking repertoire on the feet, solid takedowns and good control on the mat. Good is also well-rounded, though he throws little volume on the feet and lacks urgency when he grapples. The pick is Good by decision in a slow-paced bout.

Follow Sherdog.com lead analyst Patrick Wyman on Twitter.