UFC Fight Night: Edson Barboza vs. Lerone Murphy Full Card Predictions

Check out predictions for every fight on this Saturday's UFC card.

The UFC is back at the Apex facility in Las Vegas this Saturday night, and MMA KO’s Drew Beaupré is here to provide predictions for the entire 12-fight card.

UFC Fight Night Preview: Edson Barboza vs. Lerone Murphy

Main Card

Edson Barboza vs. Lerone Murphy

Jul 22, 2023; London, UNITED KINGDOM; Lerone Murphy (red gloves) fights Josh Culibao (blue gloves). / Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

Fans have only gotten to see Murphy compete 6 times in the UFC since his 2019 debut, and this is the moment where he could finally break into the rankings and work his way towards title contention. Barboza put in a tremendous performance to rally back in his last main event against Sodiq Yusuff, but even though the Brazilian is a threat to end things at any moment I’ll back Murphy to take control as the fight goes on.

(Pick: Murphy)

Khaos Williams vs. Carlston Harris

Williams has shown more depth to his game after he joined the UFC with back-to-back knockouts, but on paper it does still feel like this fight comes down to if Harris is able to bring things to the mat. “The Oxfighter” probably won’t land a spinning kick like Shavkat Rakhmonov did on Harris in 2022, but I still think Williams has the power necessary to get things done here.

(Pick: Williams)

Ramiz Brahimaj vs. Themba Gorimbo

This is a difficult one to call given how long Brahimaj has been sidelined, and after going 2-2 through his first four UFC bouts a loss here could see him exit the promotion. Gorimbo’s inspiring personal journey has attracted major attention both inside and outside of the combat sports community, and I think “The Answer” will give Brahimaj a rude welcome back and collect his third win in a row.

(Pick: Gorimbo)

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Adrian Yanez vs. Vinicius Salvador

Jun 18, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Adrian Yanez (red gloves) reacts after his fight against Tony Kelley. / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

This is a pretty sizeable step back for Yanez after taking on ranked opposition in his last two bouts. Salvador will be desperate to keep his spot on the UFC roster after he’s gone 0-2 in the promotion so far, but this fight is Yanez’s chance to snap his losing skid and start working his way back towards the bantamweight rankings.

(Pick: Yanez)

Angela Hill vs. Luana Pinheiro

Fans know what to expect from Hill at this point, and “Overkill” should have a willing dance partner to trade strikes with in Pinheiro after the Brazilian suffered her first UFC loss against Amanda Ribas. Hill does hold a considerable edge in experience, and I’ll pick the fan favorite to put on another entertaining performance en route to her second win in a row.

(Pick: Hill)

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Preliminary Card

Oumar Sy vs. Tuco Tokkos

Oumar Sy will make his UFC debut this Saturday. / (X - @Oum93mma)

Sy was previously scheduled to take on two other opponents at this event before the UFC brought Tokkos in, and although the Road to UFC veteran could play spoiler this matchup looks tailor-made for Sy to score another big finish in his promotional debut.

(Pick: Sy)

Tom Nolan vs. Victor Martinez

Nolan was stopped in his UFC debut against Nikolas Motta but is currently a massive favorite to defeat Martinez, and although he can’t come in too overconfident “Big Train” should be able to collect his first UFC victory here.

(Pick: Nolan)

Tamires Vidal vs. Melissa Gatto

I’ll be curious to see how Gatto looks next to Vidal given that she’s moving up to bantamweight, but the 28-year-old has faced a higher level of competition so far and should be able to snap her current two-fight skid against her countrywoman.

(Pick: Gatto)

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Abus Magomedov vs. Warlley Alves

Nov 4, 2023; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Abus Magomedov reacts after losing to Caio Borralho (not pictured). / Jason da Silva-USA TODAY Sports

Magomedov’s 19-second UFC debut earned him high-profile matchups with Sean Strickland and Caio Borralho, but after lackluster performances in each of those fights the 33-year-old has quite a bit to prove against a longtime UFC veteran in Alves that’s currently on a three-fight losing streak.

(Pick: Magomedov)

Piera Rodriguez vs. Ariane Carnelossi

I have a feeling this fight is going to be a lot more entertaining than some fans may expect, and I’m backing Carnelossi to get back on track after falling short in a big step-up against Lupita Godinez in her last outing.

(Pick: Carnelossi)

Alatengheili vs. Kleydson Rodrigues

Rodrigues is almost certainly fighting for his UFC future here, and although I’m somewhat surprised to see him as a slight favorite I’ll pick the Brazilian to secure his place on the roster with a big win in what should be a fun fight.

(Pick: Rodrigues)

Emily Ducote vs. Vanessa Demopoulos

Dec 3, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Angela Hill (red gloves) fights Emily Ducote (blue gloves). / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The winner of this matchup will be on a two-fight win streak while the loser might find themselves in danger of being cut, and I’m siding with the slightly-younger Ducote to outwork Demopoulos and build off of her previous victory over Ashley Yoder.

(Pick: Ducote)

MMA KO will be providing comprehensive coverage for UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Murphy all throughout fight week, and be sure to check back on our homepage for a preview of the event as well as live results and highlights on fight night.

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