UFC Fight Night 26 Predictions

UFC Fight Night 26 is going to be aired for free on the brand new Fox 1 channel from Boston. The fight card is stacked this weekend and there is not a single fight that I’m not looking forward to on the extended main card. Below are my best bets from the entire fight card.

UFC Fight Night 26 Predictions

• Chael Sonnen -124 (Pinnacle) vs. Mauricio Rua

Chael Sonnen (27-13-1) has been relatively quiet leading up to this fight, but Rua has voiced his displeasure about the way Sonnen treats most of his opponents. I think Sonnen is taking this fight very seriously after losing his L2 title fights and he’ll get the win here.

Rua has never had great takedown defense and Sonnen will be able to frustrate him with endless takedowns. This main event may not be the most exciting fight, but getting Sonnen at close to even money is a gift. If you want better odds you could look at Sonnen to win by decision.

• Mike Pyle +140 (SportsInteraction) vs. Matt Brown

Mike Pyle (25-8-1) is on a 4-fight win streak and 3 of those wins were by TKO/KO. Pyle is on a roll right now, but he now faces a very tough test in Matt Brown (17-11) on the main card. Brown is on a 5-fight win streak right now and 4 of those fights were ended by TKO/KO.

I like Pyle in this fight because he has the ability to take the fight to the ground and win. Brown is a striker that loves to bang and Pyle could fall into the trap of trying to stand and bang with Brown, but I think it’s more likely he uses his strengths to his advantage and ground/pound.

• Overeem + Faber + McGregor + Lauzon Parlay +324 (Pinnacle)

My 1^st parlay this weekend is on some favorites that I like. Overeem was upset in his last fight by Silva, but as long as he’s focused he is one of the best power strikers in the game. Browne loves to stand and bang as well, so this fight favors Overeem who has the edge in striking.

Faber takes on Alcantara who can be a tough fighter to beat, but I think Faber has the definite edge. Alcantara struggles against fighters who can push the pace and work takedowns. Faber is explosive in all facets of his game and my money is on him to outwork Alcantara for the win.

Lauzon will have a lot of fans in the building this weekend, as he is a Massachusetts native. This fight seems too easy on paper. Lauzon has a lot more experience in the cage and is better than Johnson. Johnson is just 4-4 in the UFC with 2 straight losses and Lauzon will make it 3 in a row.

McGregor is also on my parlay and he’ll be fighting Holloway in what should be a great fight. Holloway isn’t going to overpower fighters in the cage, but he’s a tough fighter to finish, as he keeps going. McGregor was impressive in his debut and I’ll back him this weekend to win again.

I really think that Overeem could win the KOTN fight bonus this weekend, as him and Browne will exchange power bombs. I’m not sure who’ll win the SOTN. I haven’t decided on FOTN either, but right now it’s between McGregor/Holloway or Faber/Alcantara.