UFC Denver, Namajunas vs. Cortez Full Fight Night Predictions

Quickfire predictions for UFC Denver.

Mathew Riddle | Jul 10, 2024

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It's UFC Denver fight week, and despite a slew of cancellations, the card holds up. Fans will be pleased to see a roster of dynamite matchups, most of which feel like guaranteed finishes.

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MMAKO's Mat Riddle is here with his quickfire predictions for the card. (Subject to author opinion)

UFC Denver Full Card Quickfire Predictions

Josh Fremd vs. Andre Petroski

Despite recent losses to the rising stars of the middleweight division, Andre Petroski still possesses solid grappling skills for his division, and mixes it up well on the feet. Fremd, tall for the division, is quite awkward on his feet and throws a lot of strikes that leave him open for takedowns. Being the smaller man, Petroski will probably crash into range and take Fremd to the ground early. Here, he'll either dictate the fight, submit Fremd, or gas out for a late Fremd finish. (Pick: Petroski)

Montel Jackson vs. Da'Mon Blackshear

Again, Blackshear's only losses are closely-contested decisions to some of the best fighters at bantamweight. I rate Blackshear highly, but his best work comes in round one and he seems to fatigue a lot. I feel like Jackson's range and quickness on the feet will pay dividends as Blackshear has a lazy guard and leaves his chin open on entries. (Pick: Jackson)

Luana Santos vs. Mariya Agapova

I think this is going to be a sloppy fight. Santos looks better on the feet, and Agapova looks better on the ground, but Santos has the Judo advantage. I don't lean in favor of either fighter, but I'm going to pick Santos. (Pick: Santos)

Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Fatima Kline

Judging by Kline's pedigree on the regional circuit, I'm looking for her to put on a dominant performance. That said, MMA is unpredictable, and Jasudavicius is no pushover. I'll err on the side of caution and pick Kline for the win, but this is one of those 'I'll believe the hype when I see it' situations. (Pick: Kline)

Joshua Van vs. Charles Johnson

This is a high-level fight. I believe Van has the striking advantage with his pace and bodywork, but Johnson is a live underdog. Despite Johnson's renewed urgency in his fights, he's still only edging out decisions against guys like Jake Hadley and Azat Maksum. If he pushes the pace against Van in this fight, he's a problem, but historically, he doesn't do this, so I'm picking Van. (Pick: Van)

Cody Brundage vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan

On paper this is a difficult fight for Alhassan. Despite possessing so many first round finishes, he's quite a reserved fighter - until he loads up on big punches. Brundage works best on the ground, and I can definitely see him shooting for Alhassan's hips on one of those big movements. I think it snowballs from here as a fatigued Alhassan is half as dangerous. (Pick: Brundage)

Christian Rodriguez vs. Julian Erosa

Erosa is dangerous, so it's not safe to pick either man. However, Rodriguez has solid fundamentals and puts on a good enough pace where I believe he can control Erosa against the cage or on the ground for a comfortable decision. (Pick: Erosa)

Gabriel Bonfim vs. Ange Loosa

Bonfim's aggression can pay off early against Loosa, who showed he could be bullied by larger opponents against Brian Battle. Now, Bonfim's aggression is his flaw because he gases and fades, but I believe he takes this in round one. (Pick: Bonfim)

Drew Dober vs. Jean Silva

This fight boils down to two factors: It's at elevation, and Jean Silva is moving up a weight class on short notice. Dober trains at elevation, and is a native lightweight. I give Dober an edge in the cardio and gunfighting ability, but I'm not counting Silva out. (Pick: Dober)

Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Muslim Salikhov

I expect Ponzinibbio to apply the pressure early and work Salikhov at range. Salikhov is 40 now, and doesn't have the urgency he used to in previous fights. I wouldn't be shocked if this is a slow-pace decision for either man. (Pick: Ponzinibbio)

Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez

Same as Dober vs. Silva. Namajunas trains at elevation, and Cortez is taking the fight on short notice. With Namajunas' championship experience, she's the safe pick. (Pick: Namajunas)