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UFC 258 is tonight from the APEX in Las Vegas. The headliner is UFC Welterweight Champion Kamura Usman defending against top contender Gilbert Burns. Kamura has been tabbed the most well-rounded Welterweight since GSP while Burns is 19-3 and a winner of 6 straight. All signs point to this one being a classic.
The main event is just one of many great fights set to take place on Saturday Night. With Mega Millions fever still running wild all over America, I thought I’d give you my own Pick Four of winners below as well. Enjoy the fights and we will see you cageside!
Gillian Robertson vs Mirando Maverick
Location – Early Prelims on ESPN Plus
Summary – Robertson was 3-2 when she entered the Ultimate Fighter house in 2017 and 9-3 ever since. The UFC has brought out the best in her and I fully expect this contender to continue to climb the ranks. With wins over Molly McCann, Cortney Casey and Poliana Botelho, she is not to be taken lightly. She is coming off a loss to Talia Santos however, so it will be interesting to see who she bounces back.
Miranda Maverick comes in red hot, winning her last four straight with three of those brutal finishes. She is 8-2 overall but with only 1 of those wins coming the UFC over Liana Jojua. When she has a chance to get behind her opponent and lock in that rear naked, its all over quickly. As mentioned, this will only be her second fight in the UFC and she will need to step it up to another level.
Prediction – Maverick by submission
Belai Muhammad vs Diego Lima
Location – Normal Prelim on ESPN
Summary – Diego Lima is the younger brother of Bellator Welterweight champion Douglas Lima. Unlike his brother however, Diego has not had the easiest path as he tries to climb the ranks. He is only 15-7 and has lost 3 of his last 6, and 5 of his last 10 after starting his career 9-1. Lima has won his last three however and will need to find a way to keep that going at UFC 258.
Belai Muhammad is a different breed and has taken a different route. He too is a winner of his last 3, but he is also 17-3 overall. Unlike Lima who can end a fight quickly and violently, Muhammad has a way of grinding things out with 12 of his 17 wins coming by decision.
Prediction – Muhammad by decision
Ian Heinisch vs Kelvin Gastelum
Location – Main Card
Summary – Gastelum has been one of the biggest enigma’s the UFC has seen in many years. You try to get a straight answer on his career, because we can’t! He entered the UFC Ultimate Fighter House at 5-0, and would end up winning the show.
He would go on to win his first 5 fights in the UFC, and at 10-0, it appeared that Championship Gold was a sure thing for this future. Even after extremely close split decision losses to Neil Magny and Tyron Woodley, he still defeated Nate Marquardt, Johnny Hendricks and Tim Kennedy handily during that stretch as well.
At 13-2 it looked like the sky was the future for Gastelum. It really looked that way when he won his next fight against Vitor Belfort by TKO. It was then that everything changed for him however. He failed a drug test that cost him that victory and has since lost 4 of his last 6, including 3 straight. Gastelum is in full desperation mode as he tries to save his UFC career.
On the flip side, Heinisch has only had 6 fights in the UFC, and is still growing his craft. At 14-3 he has unlimited potential to continue to climb. However, his only opponent of note, Derek Brunson, he lost to by decision. This is a gigantic step up in class against Gastelum.
Prediction – Gastelum by KO
Kamura Usman defends his UFC Welterweight Championship vs Gilbert Burns
Location – The Main Event!
Summary – I’m on record saying Usman is the most complete Welterweight since GSP. He can stand and strike but his ground game is top notch and one of the very best. He doesn’t allow himself to get taken down and has a way to damage to his opponent while on top.
Usman is 17-1, and a winner of 16 straight fights including 12 in the UFC. He got his start by winning The Ultimate Fighter and hasn’t slowed down yet. Those wins include dominant victories over Sean Strickland, Demian Maia, Rafael dos Anjos, Tyron Woodley, Colby Covington and most recently Jorge Masvidal. While most have come via decision, it doesn’t really matter as none of the fights have even been close. Much like, GSP.
Speaking of decision wins, Burns last victory was this past May over former champ Tyron Woodley in convincing decision fashion. He hasn’t fought since, but is the type of well-conditioned fighter I wouldn’t expect to see too much rust from. He is 19-3 overall, and a winner of 6 straight.
He has plenty of talent, and may pull off the upset, but this is far too much of a step up in class. I’m not sure he can handle this.
Prediction – Usman by decision
