UFC Fight Night 63: Preliminary Card Predictions

On Saturday, the UFC returns from a weekend off with a matinee card, as UFC Fight 63 touches down in Virginia. Headlined by Chad Mendes vs. Ricardo Lamas, it promises to be a strong card that fans can enjoy in the morning and afternoon, as opposed to the normal evening showcase.

Outside of Mendes vs. Lamas, the card is home to strong names such as Jorge Masvidal, Al Iaquinta, Clay Guida and Dustin Poirier. Those men will create fireworks on the main portion of the card, but the prelims have big names as well, such as Liz Carmouche, Gray Maynard and Lauren Murphy.

UFC Fight Night 62 was good for my record, as it ended a subpar run. We look to continue that momentum on this four-fight prelim card.

With that, let's take a look at the prelims and make some picks. 

2015 Riley's Record: 36-19

Last Event: UFC Fight Night 62 (5-1)

We kick the card off in the middleweight division, as fellow one-time UFCers Ron Stallings and Justin Jones compete for their first win in the Octagon.

Jones, a veteran of the RFA promotion, is just 3-1 in his career but has shown great promise thus far. He normally fights at welterweight, but this is his second fight outside the weight class with the UFC.

He earned a late-notice fight with Corey Anderson in his UFC debut on the heels of an upset of John Hackleman Jr. in RFA. However, he was completely outsized by the light heavyweight and overwhelmed, dropping a unanimous decision to The Ultimate Fighter 19 champion.

As for Stallings, the Lloyd Irvin disciple fights close to home, as the Maryland native will have a short trip to his Virginia destination. He is fairly well-rounded, though he can be inconsistent from fight to fight.

His UFC debut came on short notice against top middleweight Uriah Hall. He looked good early on, but Hall opened a gigantic cut on his forehead, forcing the doctor to step in and call the fight.

Jones is still fighting outside of his weight class here, but his chances are likely better than in his debut. That said, Stallings will win by using a sprawl-and-brawl approach, showing us the promise he once had after his close bout with Adlan Amagov a few years back.

Prediction: Stallings def. Jones via decision 

The big boys are set to make their respective UFC debuts next, as Russian standout Shamil Abdurahimov looks for a victory on American soil against Timothy Johnson, who fights in his home country. 

Johnson is a wrestler and makes no secret of that in his fights. A massive body, he relies on closing the distance by leaning on guys, dropping them to the canvas and beating them up on the ground, a strategy that has rarely failed him.

Johnson is 8-1 while fighting in the northern United States regional scene. His last four wins have all shown why he deserves a shot in the UFC, as he beat the likes of Bellator vets Travis Wiuff and Kevin Asplund, as well as regional staples Brett Murphy and Brian Heden.

Then you have Abdurahimov, a smaller, more agile heavyweight who actually could probably be a better fit at light heavyweight. He is a well-rounded fighter, though he also prefers matwork where he can hammer opponents from top position and search for submissions.

His resume is also decent, as he owns wins over Rameau Sokoudjou (when he was noteworthy), Kenny Garner, UFC vet Neil Grove and Jeff Monson. Those wins prove that he does have some good experience against tough guys.

This fight will come down to cardio, and given the speed advantage that Abdurahimov has in theory, he should use that to tire out Johnson. The Russian should be victorious, although Johnson could drag Abdurahimov to the mat and beat him up.

Prediction: Abdurahimov def. Johnson via TKO

A pair of lightweights fighting for their lives will do battle next, as former UFC title challenger Gray Maynard looks to halt his recent skid against Russian Alexander Yakovlev.

Yakovlev is a grinder who is known for using takedowns and top pressure to wear on opponents. His stand-up is still developing as of right now, as he tends to use it for setups only.

He was billed as a top prospect coming into the UFC but has failed to live up to that hype in two outings. He was thrown in the deep end against Demian Maia in his debut, where he was decisioned. In this last fight, Nico Musoke outhustled him thoroughly and beat him on the scorecards. 

As for Maynard, he is similarly a wrestler who has shown vast improvements in his striking before his recent skid. The knock on The Bully these days is that his chin has vastly deteriorated, something that may have come as a result of his rivalry with Frankie Edgar.

He is 1-4 in his last five, with all four losses coming by way of knockout. Edgar, TJ Grant, Nate Diaz and Ross Pearson blasted him, with two of those KOs occurring in the first round (Grant and Diaz).

If Yakovlev can find a way to heave a haymaker at Maynard's jaw and connect, he can certainly win this bout. However, his run in the UFC has been disappointing thus far, and there is no evidence that suggests he will beat a former top dog like Maynard, no matter how unimpressive The Bully has been.

Prediction: Maynard def. Yakovlev via decision

The main attraction of the undercard will be the ladies, as former title challenger Liz Carmouche looks to halt her losing streak when she takes on former Invicta champion Lauren Murphy.

Carmouche is a grinder who is known for her tremendous strength, takedown ability and top game. She is at her best when she's bullying the opposition, using superior position and ground-and-pound to soften fighters up.

After unsuccessfully challenging champion Ronda Rousey in her UFC debut, she has gone just 1-2 since. She did finish Jessica Andrade, but in follow-up bouts, Alexis Davis and Miesha Tate bested her.

As for Murphy, she has a similar style to Carmouche, in that she loves the ground and grappling. Her striking is around the same skill level as Carmouche's, but she prefers using those hammers on the ground to weaken opponents.

After going undefeated outside the UFC, including an Invicta title win over Miriam Nakamoto, Murphy entered the UFC to fight Sara McMann. In a closely contested battle, which many thought Murphy pulled off, McMann walked away the victor, but Murphy gained a ton of eyes in the process.

This should be a close fight. Their grappling styles may cancel out here, turning this into a stand-up war. If that's the case, Murphy should take the victory, as she has improved by leaps and bounds.

Prediction: Murphy def. Carmouche via decision