‘The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3’ Finale Preview

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Welterweights

Paulo Thiago (15-6, 5-6 UFC) vs. Gasan Umalatov (14-3-1, 0-1 UFC): Once ranked among the top 10 welterweights in the world, Thiago has now lost five of his last seven bouts, albeit against tough competition. Thiago is a skilled grappler capable of throwing punches with malicious intent. The Brazilian has suffered a couple nasty KO losses in the past two years at the hands of Brandon Thatch and Siyar Bahadurzada. Umalatov is coming off a disappointing showing in his debut against Neil Magny, as he struggled to navigate his opponent’s height and reach. Thiago takes this one by decision.

Lightweights

Rodrigo Damm (12-6, 3-1 UFC) vs. Rashid Magomedov (16-1, 1-0 UFC): Damm entered his season on “The Ultimate: Brazil” having lost four of his previous five fights. In the UFC, however, the Brazilian has been quietly successful, besting Anistavio Medeiros de Figueiredo, Mizuto Hirota and Ivan Jorge during his promotional tenure. A former M-1 Global champion, Magomedov earned his ninth straight victory by outpointing Tony Martin in his Octagon debut at UFC 169. Magomedov wins by decision.

Lightweights

Ernest Chavez (7-0, 1-0 UFC) vs. Elias Silverio (10-0, 2-0 UFC): Chavez relied on takedowns and top control to capture a split decision against Yosdenis Cedeno in his Octagon debut at UFC 170. Meanwhile, Silverio, a former Jungle Fight welterweight champion, put his massive size advantage to use in a dominant triumph over Isaac Vallie-Flagg. Silverio’s size and strength negates what Chavez does well and allows the Brazilian to win via decision or late TKO.

Featherweights

Edimilson Souza (14-3, 1-0 UFC) vs. Mark Eddiva (6-0, 1-0 UFC): The former Jungle Fight 145-pound champion, Souza possesses good, rangy striking, which he used to help him defeat Felipe Arantes in his UFC debut. Eddiva, who took a unanimous verdict over Jumabieke Tuerxun in March, will have to get inside against his taller Brazilian opponent. Souza wins by KO or TKO.

Bantamweights

Matt Hobar (8-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Pedro Munhoz (10-1, 0-1 UFC): Munhoz, a highly touted bantamweight prospect, jumped right into the deep end of the pool for his UFC debut, losing a unanimous decision to title contender Raphael Assuncao. Munhoz was at a sizeable disadvantage in the striking department, but his future remains bright. Hobar has competed primarily for the Texas-based Legacy Fighting Championship organization, capturing its bantamweight title along the way. While Hobar has a wrestling base, Munhoz is probably too dynamic on the ground for him. Munhoz wins by decision or submission.

Heavyweights

Richardson Moreira (7-1, 0-0 UFC) vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima (11-2-1, 0-0 UFC): De Lima has competed as low as middleweight in the past and, like many others on the show, is probably best suited for a UFC career at 205 pounds. He owns a notable victory over Paulo Filho and also battled Mike Kyle to a unanimous decision defeat under the Strikeforce banner. A Team Nogueira product, Moreira owns five of his career wins by submission. He will want to neutralize de Lima’s formidable muay Thai skills by getting this to the ground as soon as possible. Moreira takes it by submission.

Middleweights

Ricardo Abreu (4-0, 0-0 UFC) vs. Francisco Wagner Mergulhao da Silva (3-0, 0-0 UFC): Wand Fight Team’s Abreu has three TKO victories in less than a minute, but he went the distance twice on “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 3.” However, as a two-time world jiu-jitsu championship silver medalist, “Demente” might be better known for his grappling acumen. Abreu should have the edge against Silva, a Tata Fight Team product who was submitted by Warrley Alves in “The Ultimate Fighter” semifinals. Abreu wins by submission or TKO in round three.

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TRACKING TRISTEN

2014 Record: 102-65-1
Career Record: 369-223-2
Last Event (UFC 173): 6-6
Best Event (UFC Fight Night “Minotauro vs. Nelson”): 7-0
Worst Event (UFC Fight Night “Shogun vs. Henderson 2”): 1-9-1