UFC Fight Night Chicago Predictions: Experts Pick Holly Holm Fight, Others On Card

This weekend, the UFC rolls into the United Center for a stellar card on FOX. The main event takes place in the women’s bantamweight division, as Holly Holm begins her path to another title shot when she faces Valentina Shevchenko. Let’s take a closer look at that fight and a few others to keep your eyes on.

DARREN ELKINS VS. GODOFREDO PEPEY
We start in the featherweight division with Darren Elkins and Godofredo Pepey. Elkins’s recent move to Team Alpha Male has paid dividends. He’s won his last two fights over Chas Skelly and Robert Whiteford and looks to run that streak to three in a row.

After losing three of his first four UFC fights, Pepey is another fighter who has turned things around. He has three straight first-round finishes, including a submission win over TAM’s Andre Fili his last time out.

These are two very different fighters. Pepey is low volume, but he goes for home runs. Flying knees, spin kicks and jumping submission attacks are but a few of the techniques he’ll unleash. Elkins, on the other hand, is a grinding wrestler who commentators would call “workmanlike.” He clinches, searches for bodylock takedowns and wears opponents out over the course of a fight.

Elkins uses his cardio as a weapon, but seeing that Pepey hasn’t been out of the first round in his last five fights, it’s hard to see how the Brazilian will react. While Elkins is effective at smothering opponents, he does absorb a lot of damage on the way in. He has the clear wrestling advantage, but Pepey is very dangerous off his back.

Elkins will get hurt as he tries to push Pepey against the cage. Stunned, he’ll go for the takedown to give himself time to recover, but he’ll find no quarter. Pepey by first-round armbar.