The UFC goes overseas once again, this time with a fight night to Abu Dhabi where we will see a main event featuring two of the biggest contenders in the bantamweight division with Umar Nurmagomedov taking on Cory Sandhagen in a clash which has title implications as it is very likely that the winner of this bout will go up against the winner of the UFC 306 main event between Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili. Another highly touted clash in the bantamweight division will take place between Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera and Deiveson Figueiredo which places either fighter one more fight away from a title shot. Tony Ferguson returns maybe for the last time to take on Michael Chiesa in a clash between two veterans which fans will love to see.

Cory Sandhagen vs Umar Nurmagomedov

Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov will finally step into the octagon with each other after the fight was cancelled previously before due to Umar having an injury which caused him to pull out of action. Both Cory and Umar will be looking for a title shot after this fight with both believing that they are the next bantamweight champion in the making. This fight is very interesting as Cory Sandhagen has developed exceptional ground game and grappling since his defeat to Aljamain Sterling which he says was the real catalyst for these changes in his game. Meanwhile, Umar has shown a real sense of discipline in his striking and comfortable striking that we have not seen in the UFC by someone in Team Khabib. However, both Cory and Umar are more comfortable in their opposite fields of MMA which will make this a dynamic clash between two of the most well rounded fighters in the sport.

Prediction – Umar Nurmagomedov via Decision

I believe that Umar Nurmagomedov will get the victory in this fight via decision which will make him the rightful number one contender in the division. I believe Umar will win the early rounds and will come close to some submission attempts which Cory will negate with his brown belt in BJJ however, the early rounds are enough for Umar to get the win. We have not seen the extent of Umar’s cardio which may be an issue for him in this fight but I believe he will have good enough cardio for him to last and implement his gameplay.

Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera vs Deiveson Figueiredo

Another fight in the bantamweight division is the clash between Chito Vera and Deiveson Figueiredo which will have either fighter one more win away from a title shot. Chito is coming off that loss in his last bout against the champion Sean O’Malley and Deiveson is coming off his submission victory against Cody Garbrandt. Stylistically, this is a very interesting fight as Chito is very poised and calm in his approach meanwhile Figueiredo is far more aggressive especially early in the fight. This fight has the potential to be the fight of the night between the two talented bantamweights.

Prediction – Deiveson Figueiredo via submission

I believe Figueiredo will get the victory early in this fight. I think he will rock Chito early which will cause Chito to be in position to get submitted by Deiveson who has proven that he is an elite threat in the jiu jitsu department. Deiveson has shown how dangerous he is since he has made that move up from flyweight and I don’t see him stopping now and I think a potential fight between Figueiredo and Umar in the future will be huge for the UFC.

Tony Ferguson vs Michael Chiesa

Tony Ferguson is back this weekend against Michael Chiesa and fans have been wanting Tony to get back to winning ways for the longest time and potentially this will be the fight. Tony has not won in his last 7 fights which is not something anyone expected from someone with the talent and skill of ‘El Cucuy.’ Tony goes up against another veteran in the sport in Michael Chiesa who is also coming off a 3 fight losing streak so this may a win or retire fight for either fighter. The odds makers have seriously underestimated Tony in this fight, having him at a +350 underdog. Regardless of the result, Tony Ferguson is a legend of the sport and has provided us with multiple quality moments in the sport.

Prediction – Tony Ferguson via submission

Having said all of that, I still believe in Tony Ferguson. I think Tony wins this fight and rides off into the sunset on a high leaving the sport of MMA with a victory. I believe that Chiesa will try to take Tony down in the fight and he will get caught by Tony in a classic Tony Ferguson d’arce choke giving Tony the perfect sendoff.

Let us know what you think of my predictions and who do you think is going to win this weekend at UFC Abu Dhabi live on TNT Sports here in the UK.