UFC FIGHT NIGHT 66: EDGAR VS FABER

UFC FIGHT NIGHT 66: EDGAR VS FABER MAIN CARD BREAKDOWN/PREDICTIONS

By: Dylan Smith @FightMartian

The UFC makes its debut in Manilla, Philippines this Saturday hoping to create its own "Thrilla in Manilla" and recapture some of the magic brought on by one of the most classic boxing matches of all time, Ali vs Frazier III.  The main event features former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie "The Answer" Edgar taking on former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah "The California Kid" Faber. This should be an action packed main event that should end up as a classic of its own and the fact that it's free makes it even better. 

Rounding out this six fight main card the UFC looks to showcase its talent recruited from Asia and establish a loyal fanbase even further across the world. However, if you want to watch the card in its entirety you will have to get up bright and early as the time difference has the prelims starting here in America at 8AM ET, and main card at 10AM ET. I will be breaking down the main card and making my predictions below. 

 

Mark Ediva (6-1) vs Levan "The Hornet" Makashvili (6-1)

Opening the main card is a featherweight contest between two prospects looking to make a name for themselves. Ediva is coming off the first loss of his career just over a year ago, and looks to rebound with a win over the well rounded Makashvili who makes his UFC debut after having his previous bout against Nik Lentz cancelled at the last second. This should be a competitive fight that will most likely take place everywhere, I favor Makashvili in this one because I think he is the more complete fighter with a background in wrestling and solid technique in his striking. He will most likely look to use his grappling to control the fight against Ediva who's trained in the Chinese martial art of Wushu but also has a few submissions on his record to compliment his striking background. Makashvili has shown low output in past fights and could get caught early if he starts slow, but I think his grappling will ultimately make the difference and will win him this fight.

Prediction: Makashvili by Decision

Phillipe "Super" Nover (10-5) vs Yui "The Korean Bulldozer" Chul Nam (18-4)

After his first stint in the UFC from 2008-2010 which ended with him going 0-3 and being cut, Phillipe Nover returns to the octagon to showcase his improvements as he takes on South Korea's Yui Chul Nam who is on a four fight winning streak. Nam is known as the "Korean Bulldozer" and for good reason, as his heavy hands have got him eight KO's in his pro career and his striking is the best asset of his game. Nover however, is a BJJ specialist and has held a black belt since 2008 and will not hesitate to pull guard if he finds himself in trouble on the feet. "Super" will most definitely look to get this fight to the ground and test the submission defense of his opponent. However, I think the power of Nam will be the deciding factor in this fight as he is very active on his feet and lands over 5 significant strikes per minute according to UFC.com. As long as Nam doesn't get over aggressive he should be able to stop the takedown/guard attempts of Nover and win the fight by TKO.

Prediction: Yui Chul Nam by TKO

Hyun-Gyu "The Ace" Lim (18-4-1) vs Neil Magny (14-3)

In this welterweight clash Neil Magny puts his six fight win streak on the line against Korean veteran Hyun-Gyu Lim. Lim favors his striking, as he brings 10/13 of his wins by way of KO and will look to test the chin of Magny early. He also possess a good grappling base which he uses defensively to keep fights on the feet. Magny on the other hand is a very well rounded fighter and likes to use his striking from a distance and sets up takedowns by clinching opponents against the fence and working for takedowns from there. This is a very close match up between two of the bigger welterweights in the division and will really show who is ready to take the next step up in competition. I think Magny will use a smothering style to stifle the striking of Lim, he will push him against the cage and use his grappling advantage to wear down the Korean along with dirty boxing in the clinch to soften him up. Magny has been on a tear lately, showing his evolution as a fighter beating opponents of different styles during his win streak and will give the UFC no choice but to give him a top-10 opponent if he is able to impressively win this fight.

Prediction: Neil Magny by Decision

Mark "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" Munoz (13-6-1) vs Luke "Bigslow" Barnatt (10-2)

In what will be the final fight of Mark Munoz' career, he will be taking on TUF alum Luke Barnatt who will look to get back in the win column after suffering the first two losses of his career. Munoz is a former NCAA National Champion wrestler for Oklahoma State University, and while he also possess knockout power, the former Cowboy will look to use his bread and butter wrestling skills to secure a win in his final fight. This is easier said than done however, as Barnatt is 6'6 and will look to use his range to keep Munoz on the outside. This is a classic striker vs grappler matchup and with both fighters willing to lay it all on the line, you can expect someone to go out on their back in this one. Even though my heart wants to root for Munoz to get a win in his final fight as he is one of the good guys of the sport, my brain says all signs point to Barnatt winning here. Munoz has not looked impressive in a fight since he beat Tim Boetsch in 2013, he has been knocked out or subbed in his three fights since. Meanwhile, Barnatt has been competitive in his losses and is a finisher when he wins. I think Barnatt will be able to utilize his lengthy frame and strike from the outside while using his superior footwork to avoid takedown attempts and power strikes from Munoz. If he uses his speed advantage and is able find his timing and rhythm, "Bigslow" should be able to find the diminished chin of Munoz and look for an early finish.

Prediction: Barnatt by TKO

Gegard "The Dreamcatcher" Mousasi (36-5-2) vs Costa Philippou (13-4-1)

The co-main event features two middleweight fighters looking to build on the momentum of winning their last fights and establish themselves as contenders in the division. Gegard Mousasi is one of the most experienced fighters on the UFC roster with over 40 professional fights on his record, he is a very complete fighter who brings a savvy submission game and high level kickboxing into the octagon. Mousasi will have an advantage in the grappling department in this fight but it remains to be seen if he will take advantage of that as he usually prefers to strike. Mousasis opponent, Costa Philippou is a powerful striker with heavy hands who is always looking for the knockout. He will try to pressure Mousasi by controlling the center of the octagon and backing him up to the cage where he can throw powerful combos and look to test his opponents chin. 

Both these fighters have been pretty inconsistent thus far in their respective UFC careers, but one thing is for certain and that is Mousasi is a step up in competition for Philippou. I think Mousasi will be able to control this fight as he has fought many dangerous strikers throughout his career and will be able to nullify the aggressive style of Philippou using his well rounded game to mix things up and frustrate his opponent. 

Prediction: Mousasi by Submission

Frankie "The Answer" Edgar (18-4-1) vs Urijah "The California Kid" Faber (32-7)

In the main event of UFC Fight Night 66 we get a highly entertaining featherweight showdown between two former world champions. This should an epic scrap between two of the UFC's toughest fighters and definitely one you don't want to miss.

  Frankie Edgar comes into the bout riding a three fight win streak since losing his bid at the title in his featherweight debut against Jose Aldo in 2013. Edgar has the skill set of a truly elite MMA fighter, possessing great technical boxing and some of the best footwork in the sport, he also has a top-notch grappling base as a former Division-1 wrestler and is trained in BJJ by legend Renzo Gracie. Edgar's ability to blend his striking with his takedowns is also some of the best in the business and I think that will be a major tool for him to utilize in this fight. "The Answer" is also know for his legendary heart, his will to win is only exceeded by his toughness and he has shown in past fights that he is able to take a punch from the best of them. 

Urijah Faber moves up in weight to take this fight as he is currently ranked the #3 bantamweight in the world but has previously won a world championship in the WEC at featherweight, which is where this fight will be taking place. Faber is a true veteran of the sport, fighting professionally since 2003 and has fought the who's who of the bantamweight/featherweight division. "The California Kid" has solid boxing that is enhanced by his speedy hands but his base is in wrestling and he uses it to take down opponents and is very active with his top game, usually staying in his opponents full guard and using ground and pound to try and end the fight. He also has a very good submission game and is best known for his chokes which he has used with great success in the past.

This is a no brainier for the Fight Of The Night award in my book. Both fighters have high output styles and I can't remember the last time I saw either one of these guys in a boring fight. On paper, Frankie Edgar possess an edge anywhere the fight goes and that is backed up by the odds on this fight as he has grown to be a 5-1 favorite. However, Urijah Faber shouldn't be written off so easily as he has the skills and experience to pull off an upset here and with this being his 40th pro fight I don't think Edgar will show him anything he hasn't seen before. I think this fight will be a lot more competitive than people and the oddsmakers are expecting, as I can definitely see Faber hanging with Edgar for the first 2-3 rounds, keeping it close by winning some scrambles and using his speed/strength to throw Edgar off. However, once it gets into the later rounds of the fight that is Edgar's world. I think this is when we will start to see Edgar take over, not because Faber will be fatigued but because Edgar gets better as his fights go on. I think he will be able to take the smaller Faber down in these rounds and impose his will and dominate the later rounds by mixing up his boxing with takedowns to keep Faber guessing and go on to win a unanimous decision.

Prediction: Frankie Edgar by Decision