#8 Gegard Mousasi (38-6-2) vs. #15 Thiago Santos (13-3-0)
After the injury to Derek Brunson, Thiago Santos jumped into this fight, and he looks to continue his flashy winning streak after knocking out 3 of his last 4 opponents. However, none of Santos’ prior victims can truly compare to Mousasi in terms of chin. While Mousasi was knocked out by Uriah Hall recently, that was also Mousasi’s first knockout defeat in 44 professional fights, and I’m not quite ready to believe that type of ending will become a pattern for Mousasi. Not to mention the fact that Mousasi will likely have the advantage when it comes to technical striking, and I expect him to dominate once he’s able to close the distance and get past Santos’ length and kicks. Add in the fact that Mousasi could decide to take Santos to the ground, where he’d enjoy a large advantage as well, and it becomes difficult to foresee a successful strategy for Santos in this one.
Prediction: Mousasi picks up the win by decision
