MMA Event Breakdown - UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Craig
The octagon is back in the comfortable confines of the UFC Apex for an afternoon of fights headlined by an all-action middleweight affair. With fourteen fights on the slate to break down, there is no time to delay. Let’s start with a closely lined flyweight scrap.
MMA DFS Picks: Event Breakdown for UFC Fight Night – Allen vs. Craig
Charles Johnson vs. Rafael Estevam
Fight Odds: +125 Johnson vs. -150 Estevam
Weight Class: 128lb. (Flyweight Catchweight Bout)
Rafael Estevam missed weight for this bout by two pounds, a bad sign for the debutant, who has now failed to make the mark on the scale twice. In May, a scheduled bout against Zhalgas Zhumagulov was scrapped after Estevam botched his weight cut. Estevam will have to get his weight management sorted if he wants to have a future with the company. Speaking of fighters who need to course correct to have a future with the organization, enter Charles Johnson, a scrappy, experienced fighter who has failed to break through with a signature win or performance inside the octagon save for a win against an overmatched Jimmy Flick returning off a long layoff. Otherwise, Johnson has spent the vast majority of his bouts in a defensive, reactive posture and trying to fend off attacks from his opponents. If you allow Johnson to take the initiative, he can shine. He is durable, tough, and has a solid cardio base, so he can stick around late in fights and expose opponents who aren’t cut out for deep waters. Estevam is a BJJ black belt from Nova Uniao with a penchant for violently eliminating opponents on the mat. If he has the cardio to fight fifteen hard after missing weight, I think he should defeat Johnson.
Prediction: Rafael Estevam defeats Charles Johnson via SDEC