UFC 260: Miocic vs. Ngannou 2 Staff Predictions

Tomorrow night at UFC 260, undisputed heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic will defend his title against Francis Ngannou in one of the most anticipated heavyweight fights of all time. Also in action will be former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley taking on Vicente Luque in the co-main event and the new season of “The Suga Show” kicking off as Sean O’Malley takes on Thomas Almeida.

The other two bouts on the main card will feature Jamie Mullarkey facing Khama Worthy and a women’s flyweight bout between Miranda Maverick and Gillian Robertson.

UFC 260: Miocic vs. Ngannou 2 PPV Main Card

  • UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic (c) vs. Francis Ngannou
  • Tyron Woodley vs. Vicente Luque
  • Thomas Almeida vs. Sean O’Malley
  • Miranda Maverick vs. Gillian Robertson
  • Jamie Mullarkey vs. Khama Worthy

UFC 260: Miocic vs. Ngannou 2 Predictions

MMA News is the place to be for all the latest UFC 260 updates. Myself, Doug Murray, Ed Carbajal, and Andrew Ravens have provided predictions for the card, which you can find below.

Khama Worthy vs. Jamie Mullarkey

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Clyde Aidoo: I’m going to go with Khama Worthy simply because he’s shown he can win in the UFC while Mullarkey, at 0-2 in the promotion, has not. Worthy has not only found success in the UFC, but he has wins over two fighters who have shown a lot of promise in Devonte Smith and Luis Peña. So because Worthy is a bit more proven and has more momentum, I’m giving him the nod here. (Prediction: Khama Worthy)

Andrew Ravens: Here is a sneaky good fight here. Worthy previously had his 7-fight winning streak broken after getting caught by Ottman Azaitar. On the flip side, Jamie is on a two-fight losing streak. I think Worthy went back to the drawing board after his last fight and has only gotten better. I’m high on this guy, and I think he’ll be a player in the next year or so. Worthy gets it done with a statement victory via decision. (Prediction: Khama Worthy)

Doug Murray: I think Worthy will come out measured in this fight and take his time. After the previous knockout loss to Ottoman Azaitar, I expect him to be a bit tentative but eventually snowball into all-action. Since Mullarkey is on a two-fight skid, my pick is Khama Worthy by unaninmous decision. (Prediction: Khama Worthy)

Ed Carbazel: When you have two fighters coming off of losses, a potential “Fight of the Night” could possibly happen. Looking at the record of both men, on paper, Mullarkey seems like he has the tools to hand Worthy another loss. But Worthy was riding a nice streak in popularity before picking up his last loss. Going to go with Worthy because he probably feels more pressure here. (Prediction: Khama Worthy)

Consensus: 4-0 Worthy

Gillian Robertson vs. Miranda Maverick

UFC 258: Gillian Robertson vs. Miranda Maverick canceled on fight day

Clyde Aidoo: Miranda Maverick had a very impressive UFC debut over Liana Jojua at UFC 254, and I expect her to bring her physical style with her against the more experienced Gillian Robertson. Robertson is one of the more experienced grapplers in the entire promotion, but she seems to struggle with fighters who can match or top her aggression and don’t allow Robertson to just steamroll. I think Maverick fits that description, so I’m going to pick her to remain undefeated in the UFC in this battle of the twenty-somethings. (Prediction: Miranda Maverick)

Andrew Ravens: Maverick is making a name for herself in the division with an 8-2 overall record and four straight wins while Robertson is 2-3 in her last five. Maverick has five submission wins thus far and I see her earning a sixth in the third round. (Prediction: Miranda Maverick)

Ed Carbazel: Maverick tore through her opponents at Invicta FC, and her focus will likely not be different in her second bout with the UFC. Robertson is a good challenge for her and can be a threat off her back if Maverick forces her wrestling on Robertson, so this fight is truly a coin-toss. Hard to pick, but for me, I think Maverick pulls off another win. (Prediction: Miranda Maverick)

Consensus: 3-0 Maverick

Thomas Almeida vs. Sean O’Malley

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Clyde Aidoo: Yeah, so if this were 2016, I think I’d go with Thomas Almeida. Not just because he’d still be winning fights but because O’Malley would only be about 22 years old. In 2021, however, unless Almeida pinpoints O’Malley’s peroneal nerve, I see O’Malley having a pretty good time here. If not, then his hype train has truly and officially been derailed. (Prediction: Sean O’Malley)

Andrew Ravens: Here’s a test for Sean as while Almeida is not the same fighter that his name has garnered in the past, he’s still a tough match-up. This should be a good solid performance by O’Malley, as on paper, Thomas is in Struggle City and some could say on his way out. O’Malley shuts up his critics with a second-round TKO win. (Prediction: Sean O’Malley)

Doug Murray: This is the fight of the night for me. Mainly because if O’Malley drops this one, I think most of his star power is gone. Despite that, I do think the lengthy striker will get the job done quick. With injuries to his legs constantly in the storylines, my thinking is he will go out and try to knock out Almeida quicker than Cody did when they fought a few years ago. (Prediction: Sean O’Malley)

Ed Carbazel: O’Malley is a young talented martial artist. That seems to go under the radar when his antics on social media and outside of fighting take light off of his fights. Almedia is just as tough as O’Malley but does not have the popularity that O’Malley has, and that might be his strength in this match. He has a lot to win and nothing to lose. Still, O’Malley has already proven to be pretty good. And coming off a loss, a statement might be made here. (Prediction: Sean O’Malley)

Consensus: 4-0 O’Malley

Tyron Woodley vs. Vicente Luque

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Clyde Aidoo: I don’t think Tyron Woodley is the same fighter, and I ‘ve learned not read much if anything at all into his pre-fight rhetoric that tries to convince the public otherwise. Stylistically and historically, this would be Tyron Woodley’s fight to lose in any of the recent years prior to 2019. Not just because of his championship pedigree but because he has more paths to victory, a higher fight IQ, and can even match Luque in KO power. In 2021, frankly, and I mean no disrespect to the former champ, but I think he’s broken. And Vicente Luque beats a broken fighter. That said, this is the perfect fight for Woodley to make a resurgent if not unexpected return to form to the surprise of naysayers like myself. (Prediction: Vicente Luque)

Andrew Ravens: Well, we all know Luque is the real deal, and Woodley is clearly out of his prime. It’s a fight, so if Woodley decides to revert back to what brought him to the dance, then he should win here. I have to take Woodley here because I think he uses his wrestling and gets a decision in a boring, safe fight. (Prediction: Tyron Woodley)

Doug Murray: With Woodley’s back against the wall, this is a do-or-die fight for what was once considered the best 170er on the planet. I think the damage he took in all of his losses (emotional damage too) has accumulated to a point where he doesn’t engage enough standing. I see Luque cruising to a unanimous decision, similar to the way the Gilbert Burns fight went with Woodley. (Prediction: Vicente Luque)

Ed Carbazel: Woodley has done enough to cement himself as one of the top welterweights in the division, and he can get there again if he is focused on his craft the way he was when he got his title the first time. However, it’s hard to pick him because that focus seems to have gone despite him claiming otherwise. As much as I would like to pick him, I can’t. (Prediction: Vicente Luque)

Consensus: 3-1 Luque

Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou

UFC 260 video: Stipe Miocic, Francis Ngannou press conference faceoff

Clyde Aidoo: In my humble opinion, this is the biggest heavyweight title fight of all time. I think Ngannou has resurrected his initial hype if not surpassed it. Plus, hype or not, I believe that with three years of extra experience and training, he could not help but have improved his overall game. The problem is that he’s too busy knocking out elite fighters like Cain Velasquez and Curtis Blaydes within seconds for people to get the chance to see it. The question in this fight is not whether or not Francis Ngannou has improved. The real question is whether his improvements will alter the outcome at all. Or will Miocic prove to still be too good and one step ahead?

If you’re asking me to make a prediction, then I’ve got news for you. Francis Ngannou could lose to the same fighter three times, and I’d still bet on him to knock him out the fourth time. That’s just how convincing this guy’s KO ability is. Would it surprise me if Stipe again proved the oddsmakers wrong? Absolutely not. But how do you pick against a guy who knocked out Cain Velasquez, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Junior dos Santos, and Curtis Blaydes under a total time of three minutes!?!? (Prediction Francis Ngannou)

Andrew Ravens: The big question here will be Francis’ wrestling takedown defense and whether he has improved it since their first fight. If he hasn’t, then it’s going to be a replay of their first fight. I think he will impress people with his defense, but not stuff every attempt. I know some will see this as a one-sided fight for either man, as Stipe could dominate just like before or Francis could knock him out of the Octagon. It’s a real pick-em, but I have to side with Stipe here getting it done by decision. (Prediction: Stipe Miocic)

Doug Murray: For me, the question isn’t if Miocic can beat Ngannou; it’s more about if the heavyweight champ can beat Father Time. I feel the back-and-forth striking exchanges in the DC trilogy only helped out Miocic’s evasiveness, which he will need in spades in a fight against a knockout artist like Ngannou. Also, I think Miocic’s ground and pound has evolved in time. Just like the first pairing, it will be a nail-biter, and I’m taking Miocic to defeat Ngannou by 4th-round TKO (Prediction: Stipe Miocic)

Ed Carbazel: This is a rematch, and if anyone has a puncher’s chance, Ngannou does.  However, Miocic has proven time and time again, especially when he’s the underdog, he should not be counted out. Of course, if Ngannou lands his power, he can drop him, but one of the reasons Miocic keeps getting counted out is that it seems his calculation and durability is always overlooked. (Prediction: Stipe Miocic)

Consensus: 3-1 Miocic

That’ll do it for the UFC 260 predictions. Do you agree with the MMA News staffers? Who do you think will emerge victorious on the main card? Give us your predictions in the comments below and be sure to stick with us for live coverage of UFC 260! from UFC Apex Las Vegas!

UFC 260 Undercard

  • Fabio Cherant vs. Alonzo Menifield
  • Jared Gordon vs. Abubakar Nurmagomedov
  • Modestas Bukauskas vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
  • Omar Morales vs. Shane Young
  • Abu Azaitar vs. Marc-Andre Barriault
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