Youssef Zalal’s second UFC stint has been glorious as he moves to 3-0 with three submissions since returning to the promotion in March.
[autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag] continues to prove himself reinvented.
On the UFC Fight Night 246 prelims Saturday at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Zalal (16-5-1 MMA, 6-3-1 UFC) won his third fight since being brought back to the promotion for a second stint. It was arguably his biggest and best performance to date as he submitted [autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag] (17-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) by arm-triangle choke at 0:59 of Round 2.
Prior to the submission sequence, Zalal blasted Shore with a massive standing knee that floored the Welshman to the canvas. Shore recovered but ultimately became a victim of some slick jiu-jitsu from the Moroccan.
Zalal went 3-3-1 over seven fights prior to his UFC departure in 2022. After three MMA wins and a total of five combat sports victories on the regional scene, Zalal was brought back on short notice in March to fight Billy Quarantillo, who he submitted. He then tapped Jarno Errens in August. Saturday made it 3-0 in the UFC with three submissions.
After a 16-0 start to his pro MMA career, Shore has lost three of his most recent four outings and two fights in a row.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 246 results include:
Youssef Zalal def. Jack Shore via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 0:59
Check out the best photos from Youssef Zalal’s second-round submission win over Jack Shore at UFC Fight Night 246.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Youssef Zalal[/autotag]’s second-round submission win over [autotag]Jack Shore[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photos by Perry Nelson, USA TODAY Sports; MMA Junkie; UFC)
Check out the best photos from Alexandr Romanov’s unanimous decision win over Rodrigo Nascimento at UFC Fight Night 246.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Alexandr Romanov[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Rodrigo Nascimento[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photos by Perry Nelson, USA TODAY Sports; MMA Junkie; UFC)
Check out the best photos from Cody Gibson’s unanimous decision win over Chad Anheliger at UFC Fight Night 246.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Cody Gibson[/autotag]’s unanimous decision win over [autotag]Chad Anheliger[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photos by Perry Nelson, USA TODAY Sports; MMA Junkie; UFC)
Check out the best photos from Jamey-Lyn Horth’s split decision win over Ivana Petrovic at UFC Fight Night 246.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Jamey-Lyn Horth[/autotag]’s split decision win over [autotag]Ivana Petrovic[/autotag] at UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photos by Perry Nelson, USA TODAY Sports; MMA Junkie; UFC)
Mike Malott and Trevin Giles are both looking to get back on track in Canada. Which welterweight will kick off the main card with a win?
[autotag]Mike Malott[/autotag] and [autotag]Trevin Giles[/autotag] meet Saturday in the main card opener of UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.Â
Last event: 1-4 UFC main cards, 2024: 90-85-3
Mike Malott vs. Trevin Giles UFC Fight Night 246 preview
Malott (10-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) returns for his second fight of 2024, looking to erase the sting of a frustrating loss to Neil Magny in January. The result was the Dana White’s Contender Series veteran’s first loss in the UFC. Malott won his first three fights in the promotion. … Giles (16-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC) has never lost three in a row, and enters his second fight of the year on a two-fight skid. Prior to being finished by Gabriel Bonfim and Carlos Prates, Giles picked up a pair of decisions over Louis Cosce and Preston Parsons.
Mike Malott vs. Trevin Giles UFC Fight Night 246 expert pick, prediction
Despite having guaranteed, high-level action fights like Victor Henry vs. Charles Jourdain on the prelims, the UFC matchmakers decided to kick off the main card with a welterweight matchup between Malott and Giles.
In the matchmakers’ defense, whenever they disrespectfully go against Joe Silva’s tried and true method of booking lighter-weight men’s divisions to set proper entertainment tones, they at least pick welterweight or middleweight fights that have a high potential for finishes.
From a stylistic perspective, there are potential finishing points across the board in this fight between Malott and Giles.
Giles is the more experienced of the two, but he is also the type of fighter who can surprise you with how good he looks until spontaneously combusting at the hands of an opponent.
Whereas Malott, who can find finishes out of nowhere, is also not beyond going from cruise control to internal combustion in the blink of an eye.
Still, even though you can argue either party is untrustworthy, I can’t help but pick Malott to rise to the occasion in this spot.
The pick is Malott to score a club-and-sub in Round 2.
Mike Malott vs. Trevin Giles UFC Fight Night 246 odds
The oddsmakers and the public favor the Canadian fighter, listing Malott -310 and Giles +240 via FanDuel.
Mike Malott vs. Trevin Giles UFC Fight Night 246 start time, how to watch
As the main card opening bout, Malott and Giles are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8:05 p.m. ET (5:05 p.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+.
Marc-Andre Barriault and Dustin Stoltzfus both need wins. Which middleweight will get back on track at UFC Fight Night 246?
[autotag]Marc-Andre Barriault[/autotag] and [autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.Â
Last event: 1-4 UFC main cards, 2024: 90-85-3
Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC Fight Night 246 preview
Barriault (16-8 MMA, 5-7 UFC) will look to get back on the winning track after dropping his last two outings. Prior to a split decision loss against Chris Curtis and a first-round finish by Joe Pyfer, Barriault won back-to-back fights against Julian Marquez and Eryk Anders. … Stoltzfus (15-6 MMA, 2-5 UFC) will also look to return to the win column in Edmonton. The Pennsylvania native struggled to gain momentum since joining the UFC in 2020, only recording two wins in seven appearances.
Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC Fight Night 246 expert pick, prediction
God forbid we have a main card without a middleweight fight on it, as Barriault vs. Stoltzfus appears to be the bout to scratch the UFC matchmaker’s itch this week.
Barriault, to his credit, is a fairly dependable action fighter whose durability and output tend to bring out the dog in his opposition. Stoltzfus, on the other hand, is a hit-or-miss overachiever who continues to make efforts to improve each time out.
I believe Stoltzfus will have an edge if this hits the floor, but I’m not sure his wrestling is reliable enough to get in there.
Add in the fact that Stoltzfus is making a fast turnaround on what was a vicious knockout loss last June, and I can’t help but side with Barriault in this spot.
This fight probably goes to a decision more often than not, but I’ll take Barriault to force a stoppage via strikes by Round 3.
Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC Fight Night 246 odds
The oddsmakers and public favor the Canadian fighter, listing Barriault -198 and Stoltzfus +166 via FanDuel.
Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC Fight Night 246 start time, how to watch
Barriault and Stoltzfus are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8:35 p.m. ET (5:35 p.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+.
Caio Machado and Brendson Ribeiro are both hunting for their first UFC win. Which light heavyweight has the edge in Edmonton?
[autotag]Ciao Machado[/autotag] and [autotag]Brendson Ribeiro[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.Â
Last event: 1-4 UFC main cards, 2024: 90-85-3
Ciao Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro UFC Fight Night 246 preview
Machado (8-3-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC) makes a move to light heavyweight after losing his first two fights in the UFC at heavyweight. The Dana White’s Contender Series veteran dropped unanimous decisions to Mick Parkin and Don’Tale Mayes, and will now hunt for his first UFC win in a new weight class. … Ribeiro (15-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC) is also in search of his first win in the promotion. Another DWCS veteran, Ribeiro was finished by Mingyang Zhang in his debut, followed by a majority decision loss against Magomed Gadzhiyasulov.
Ciao Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro UFC Fight Night 246 expert pick, prediction
Filling out the main card in Edmonton is a battle between two light heavyweights on losing skids, Machado and Ribeiro.
Despite having a trio of exciting bantamweight fights featuring local talent on the prelims to pick from, the UFC matchmakers are back to drowning us with lower-level big guys on the main cards.
Although Machado received a harsh grade from me in his Contender Series contest, the Brazil-born Canadian showed some quiet improvements in what were two competitive losses on the scorecards.
Whereas Ribeiro, who received a solid grade due to the nature of having a fast finish, has since shown a lack of depth and suspect staying power in his game.
This fight could go several ways, but I sadly see it as a slower, drawn-out affair that favors the southpaw Machado.
The official pick is Machado by decision.
Ciao Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro UFC Fight Night 246 odds
The oddsmakers and public are favoring the older fighter, listing Machado -148 and Ribeiro +126 via FanDuel.
Ciao Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro UFC Fight Night 246 start time, how to watch
Machado and Ribeiro are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 9:35 p.m. ET (6:35 p.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+.
How will Erin Blanchfield respond after her first UFC loss in the UFC Figtht Night 246 co-main event against former champion Rose Namajunas?
[autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] and [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] meet Saturday in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.Â
Last event: 1-4 UFC main cards, 2024: 90-85-3
Erin Blanchfield vs. Rose Namajunas UFC Fight Night 246 preview
Blanchfield (12-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) returns to action after her first loss in the UFC, which came against Manon Fiorot in a March main event clash. The flyweight title hopeful won her first six UFC bouts, including stoppages of JJ Aldrich, Molly McCann and former strawweight champ Jessica Andrade. … Standing in Blanchfield’s way will be another former 115-pound champ, Namajunas (13-6 MMA, 11-5 UFC). “Thug’s” last loss also came against Fiorot last September in her flyweight debut. Since then, Namajunas rebounded with a pair of unanimous decision wins over Amanda Ribas and Tracy Cortez, bringing her 125-pound UFC record to 2-1.
Erin Blanchfield vs. Rose Namajunas UFC Fight Night 246 expert pick, prediction
The co-main event in Canada is an important women’s bantamweight bout between Blanchfield and Namajunas.
Despite one fighter coming off a win and the other coming off of a loss, I like the matchmaking here.
Namajunas has looked much healthier up at flyweight, so I’m still leaving some room to be surprised about having a statement performance in this division.
Blanchfield, on the other hand, is coming off her first loss in a long time and will be looking to show out in an important bounce-back spot.
From a stylistic perspective, I believe Blanchfield should have a straightforward path in this fight.
As long as Blanchfield doesn’t get stuck outside of Namajunas’ jab, then the New Jersey native’s consistent work rate and grappling pressure should be able to tip the tempo and scorecards in her favor.
Namajunas has the striking and wrestling to keep Blanchfield off of her, but the former strawweight champ still shows some lapses in focus during five-round affairs.
The pick is Blanchfield by decision.
Erin Blanchfield vs. Rose Namajunas UFC Fight Night 246 odds
The oddsmakers and public favor the younger fighter, listing Blanchfield -138 and Namajunas +112 via FanDuel.
Erin Blanchfield vs. Rose Namajunas UFC Fight Night 246 start time, how to watch
As the co-main event, Blanchfield and Namajunas are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:05 p.m. ET (7:05 p.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+.
