UFC 240 is upon us. The event will be held inside Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada tomorrow night (July 27). Headlining the card will be a featherweight title bout between champion Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar. Taking the co-main event spot will be a women’s featherweight showdown between former champion Cris Cyborg and Felicia Spencer.
MMA News continues to keep you posted on the latest UFC 240 updates. Earlier today, we covered the weigh-ins, which you can see the results for here. Myself, Ed Carbajal, and Andrew Ravens have once again linked up to provide main card predictions for UFC 240.
Take a look at the bouts set for the main card:
- Max Holloway (c) vs. Frankie Edgar – for featherweight title
- Cris Cyborg vs. Felicia Spencer
- Geoff Neal vs. Niko Price
- Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Arman Tsarukyan
- Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Krzysztof Jotko
Max Holloway vs. Frankie Edgar
Fernando Quiles Jr.: Frankie Edgar certainly has a chance in this fight. His durability as well as his ability to mix up his striking and wrestling is always a threat. With that said, I see Max Holloway keeping his distance and being able to pick Edgar apart at times on the feet. I think Edgar hangs tough, but loses via decision. (Prediction: Max Holloway)
Ed Carbajal: Full fanboy pick here. Edgar is the underdog in this fight with a disadvantage in height and reach but considering his history in the sport, that’s nothing new. However, when you factor in Holloway’s experience and recent wins, that is what makes him a heavy favorite. Holloway fought a war in his last fight against Dustin Poirier and fighters lose a bit of themselves in battles like that. Is there more fire in Holloway for another war? Edgar will likely have “The Answer.” (Prediction: Frankie Edgar)
Andrew Ravens: As much as it would be a special moment to see Edgar as the champion, I don’t think that will happen as Holloway, who is coming off a loss at lightweight, is still the king of the featherweight division and simply in the prime of his career. This is a matchup that could make for a fun fight and a candidate for “Fight of the Night.” The bigger question is after this fight what does Holloway do next? Does he continue to defend his title or try to avenge his previous outing at lightweight. Holloway gets it done by decision. (Prediction: Max Holloway)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Max Holloway
Cris Cyborg vs. Felicia Spencer
Fernando Quiles Jr.: Felicia Spencer’s grappling is not to be played with, the problem here is Cris Cyborg is a bull. While I can see Spencer bringing Cyborg to the mat, I can’t imagine that she keeps her there. Cyborg has showcased a great ability to return to her feet in short order and that’s bad news for Spencer. I think Cyborg bombs on her with punches, leading to a TKO. (Prediction: Cris Cyborg)
Ed Carbajal: There’s more than a fight between two former champions here. Cyborg is coming off a loss to Nunes and being vocal about her upcoming free agency, and Spencer hungry to make more than a statement facing Cyborg. A win for Cyborg puts her in a strong bargaining position for her last fight on her contract. If Spencer wins, she will likely get the push from the UFC for a shot at Nunes. Whether or not Cyborg stays in the UFC, she will likely want to make a bigger statement with a win. (Prediction: Cris Cyborg)
Andrew Ravens: While Spencer is a talented fighter and someone who has a high ceiling in the sport, Cyborg is just simply a better fighter. Cris has been dominant for so many years and despite the fact that she lost to Amanda Nunes in her latest outing, it doesn’t take away from the top tier talent that she is. Cyborg walks away with the second-round TKO win. (Prediction: Cris Cyborg)
CONSENSUS: 3-0, Cris Cyborg
Geoff Neal vs. Niko Price
Fernando Quiles Jr.: This certainly has the makings to be a fun fight. Niko Price can be unpredictable in his fights, but the one constant is that he’s always looking for the finish. Ultimately, I believe Geoff Neal will showcase patience and avoid being clipped to get in the cleaner shots. (Prediction: Geoff Neal)
Ed Carbajal: Neal is coming off of a three-fight win streak but Price is bringing a high knockout rate into this fight. While Neal carries his own knockout finishes on his record, Price might have just enough motivation to not want to be a notch on a “Contender Series” signee’s belt. Since they both seem to like winning on their feet, they may just want to test out their skills on the ground. The one that initiates that action could be the one that wins. Price possibly has an edge on the ground. (Prediction: Niko Price)
Andrew Ravens: Both fighters have high potential in the sport and with both fighters finding success, it should make for a fun fight. I like Price in this fight as he’s 5-2, 1 NC under the UFC banner entering this fight. It’ll be a close fight but I have Price grabbing the split decision win. (Prediction: Niko Price)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Niko Price
Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Arman Tsarukyan
Fernando Quiles Jr.: Arman Tsarukyan had a fantastic bout with Islam Makhachev, which turned into a grappling contest. While Tsarukyan dropped a unanimous decision, he did not make things easy for Makhachev. I think he’s going to frustrate Olivier Aubin-Mercier with his pressure en route to a unanimous decision victory. (Prediction: Arman Tsarukyan)
Ed Carbajal: Both men are coming off of losses here with Aubin-Mercier riding two in a row. He likely wants to break that streak and is probably motivated to do so with the fight on his turf. Tsarukyan lost his UFC debut and probably is on alert to not pick up any more losses in his career. That with 10 of his 13 wins being finishes makes him dangerous. Still, Aubin Mercier training at home with Tristar will probably be able to pick up a win. (Prediction: Olivier Aubin-Mercier)
Andrew Ravens: Although Aubin-Mercier is a name that most fight fans know, I don’t like his chances against Tsarukyan in this bout. Aubin-Mercier suffered two straight losses in his previous outings coming into this fight and that recipe doesn’t add up to a win here over Tsarukyan, who has a ton of upside. (Prediction: Arman Tsarukyan)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Arman Tsarukyan
Krzysztof Jotko vs. Marc-Andre Barriault
Fernando Quiles Jr.: Krzysztof Jotko desperately needed a win and he pulled through against Alen Amedovski. Marc-Andre Barriault didn’t have an ideal UFC debut, losing to Andrew Sanchez via unanimous decision. Under the bright lights in his home country against the more experienced Jotko, I think Barriault falls short. (Prediction: Krzysztof Jotko)
Ed Carbajal: Both men are 29-years-old but Jotko has almost double the wins than his opponent. Barriault is coming off of a loss from his UFC debut and likely wants to win in his second fight in the promotion while competing in his neck of the woods. Barriault may not have as much experience as Jotko, but he certainly has a lot of finishes by knockout in his record. As the first fight on the main card, Barriault could look to make a statement. (Prediction: Marc-Andre Barriault)
Andrew Ravens: Talk about fireworks to open the main card. I don’t see a finish coming in this fight but rather going the distance. Fans shouldn’t put much stock into Jotko right now despite winning his latest fight after dropping three straight. Barriault should get past him easily in a dominating performance. (Prediction: Marc-Andre Barriault)
CONSENSUS: 2-1, Marc-Andre Barriault
That’ll do it for the UFC 240 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 240.
