The UFC returns to ESPN this weekend as former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar takes on Pedro Munhoz in the main event of UFC on ESPN 15 which will be held at the UFC’s APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This fight was originally booked for the UFC’s Fight Island Series last July at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. However, Munhoz tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and the bout was removed from its original event. With Munhoz getting a clean bill of health, the pair will finally collide on Saturday night.
Pedro Munhoz is the 5th ranked bantamweight in the UFC. The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance bantamweight champion joined the UFC in 2014 and is 8-4-1 inside the octagon. The 33-year old from Brazil is an orthodox fighter who stands 5-6 tall with a reach of 65 inches. He has a record of 18-4 with four knockouts and nine wins via submission. He is coming off a loss to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 238.
Frankie Edgar is the former UFC lightweight champion and the #8 featherweight contender in the UFC who will be making his featherweight debut here. Edgar owns notable wins over former champions like Sean Sherk, Hermes Franca, B.J. Penn, and Urijah Faber. The 38-year old from New Jersey has lost three out of his last four bouts and has a record of 23-8 with seven knockouts and four wins via submission. Edgar is also an orthodox fighter who stands 5-6 tall with a reach of 68 inches.
Edgar is a tempting pick here with the plus money. He’s the more experienced fighter here and is more technically skilled. Getting this legend at twice the bet is very enticing however, he hasn’t been consistent in his last bouts Munhoz has the harder punches and he has a submission game that can match Edgar’s elite wrestling. Deep inside, I’m rooting for Edgar but my money goes with Munhoz.
Prediction: Pedro Munhoz
Ovince Saint Preux is a veteran who has competed since 2008. Saint Preux fought for promotions like Shark Fights, XFC, and Strikeforce before joining the UFC in 2013. He challenged for the interim UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 197 but lost to Jon Jones. OSP fought at heavyweight in his last bout but dropped a split decision to Ben Rothwell. He is 24-14 with 11 knockouts and 8 wins via submission. Saint Preux is a southpaw who stands 6-3 tall with a reach of 80 inches.
Alonzo Minefield fought for Bellator and Legacy Fighting Alliance before coming to the UFC via the Contender Series. The 32-year old from Los Angeles has a record of 9-1 with eight knockouts and one win via submission. He stands six feet tall with a reach of 76 inches and is an orthodox fighter. He heads to this fight after losing to Devin Clark at UFC 250 last June.
This one’s a tough call as Saint Preux has been incredibly inconsistent that you don’t know which version will shop up on fight night. The good news here is that he’s fighting again at 205-pounds where he’s found success throughout his career. OSP is the more balanced fighter between these two and Minefield has conditioning issues. If Saint Preux can survive the initial salvo, I can’t find a reason why he won’t win this bout.
Prediction: Ovince Saint Preux
Marcin Prachnio heads to this fight after a 23-month layoff. The 32-year old from Warsaw, Poland fought for FFC and One Championship before making the leap to the UFC. He is 0-2 in the UFC with a pair of KO losses. He is 13-4 with 10 knockouts and one loss via submission. He stands 6-3 tall with a reach of 74 inches and is an orthodox fighter.
Mike Rodriguez is a veteran of the CES MMA promotion who got signed by the UFC via the Contender Series in 2017. Rodriguez has won just once in four UFC bouts and is coming off a knockout loss to Da Un Jung. He stands 6-4 tall with a reach of 82 inches and is a southpaw fighter. Rodriguez is 10-4 with right knockouts and two wins via submission.
Prachnio is a Kyokushin karate specialist and he knocked out some good fighters at the One Championship. But when he joined the UFC, Prachnio’s displayed some sloppy striking that has led to losses. Between him and Rodriguez, he’s faced better opposition. Rodriguez is explosive and a good counter puncher but we haven’t seen him fight consistently. He has better technique but Prachnio is the more proven fighter and I don’t trust Rodriguez’s defense.
Prediction: Marcin Prachnio
Daniel Rodriguez fought for Combate Americas, Bellator, and KOTC. He was a product of the Contender Series and is 2-0 in the UFC including a win over Tim Means. The 33-year old from California has a record of 12-1 with six knockouts and four wins via submission. He stands 6-1 tall with a reach of 74 inches and is a southpaw fighter. In his last bout, Rodriguez outpointed Gabriel Green last May 30th.
Takashi Sato fought mostly at Pancrase and once challenged for the Pancrase welterweight title. This 30-year old Japanese is 2-1 inside the octagon with his loss coming at the hands of Belal Muhamad. Sato has a record of 16-3 with 11 knockouts and two wins via submission. He stands 5-10 tall with a reach of 73 inches and is a southpaw fighter.
Rodriguez packs serious power and in his fight against Tim Means, he displayed good head movement and fought well on his back foot. Sato is a skilled striker but his two wins have been against unknowns and his loss was to a Top 10 fighter in Belal Muhamad. This should be a fun fight between two strikers. Rodriguez is more durable but Sato is faster. His jab-pull-jab should catch Rodriguez somewhere in the fight and produce a knockout.
Prediction: Takashi Sato
Mizuki Inoue is a former kickboxer who fought for the J-Girls and kickboxing promotions and Jewels MMA promotion in Japan. She is the former Deep: Jewels lightweight champion who also fought for Invicta FC. The 26-year old stands 5-3 tall with a reach of 65 inches and is an orthodox fighter. She has a record of 14-5 with nine wins via submission.
Amanda Lemos fought for Jungle Fight in Brazil before joining the UFC in 2017. She’s fought just twice in the last three years and her last bout was a submission win over Miranda Granger in December 2019. Lemos stands 5-4 tall with a reach of 65 inches and is a southpaw fighter. She has a record of 7-1 with five knockouts and two wins via submission.
Inoue hasn’t fought in a year as he March bout against Tecia Torres was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lemos has fought just four minutes in the last two years, mainly because of a two-year anti-doping suspension. She has skill and power but the question about Lemos is her cardio. That could be a problem against a high-volume striker like Inoue who may have the better striking than her. I think Inoue has the edge wherever this fight goes.
Prediction: Mizuki Inoue
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