UFC on ESPN 13: Kattar vs Ige Prelims Undercard Betting Odds and Predictions

Calvin Kattar and Dan Ige will headline the second installment of the UFC’s Fight Island on July 16, 2020, at the Flash Forum in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

Kattar and Ige are in the Top 10 of the UFC’s featherweight division and a win by either fighter will put the victor one step closer to getting a shot at the UFC gold, currently held by Alexander Volkanovski who successfully defended the belt last weekend at UFC 215.

Before the UFC on ESPN 13 main card, a loaded prelims undercard will open the show. The prelims features some of the promotion’s young prospects and little known veterans who are looking to make a name for themselves.

John Phillips vs Khamzat Chimaev

John Phillips is the former BAMMA middleweight champion who also fought for Cage Rage and Cage Warriors. This former Rage in the Cage middleweight champion dropped his first three Octagon appearances but is coming off a win over Alen Amedovski. The 35-year old from Wales stands 5-11 with a reach of 75 inches and is a southpaw fighter. He has a record of 22-9 with 20 knockouts and two wins via submission.

Khamzat Chimaev is a training partner of Alexander Gustaffson who fought for Brave FC. This Swedish fighter stands 6-2 tall with a reach of 75 inches and is an orthodox fighter. He ran over his opposition, ending his first six bouts inside two rounds. Chimaev has a record of 6-0 with three knockouts and three wins via submission.

Phillips relies too much on his punching power that he has not developed the other parts of his game. Chimaev meanwhile is known for his wrestling and crisp stand up. Even if he doesn’t turn out to be the highly touted prospect that many think he is, I think he has enough skills to beat Phillips. Sure, he is taking this fight on short notice and moving up in weight but I think he takes Phillips to the mat and win the fight on the ground.

Prediction: Khazmat Chimaev (-340)

Ricardo Ramos vs Lerone Murphy

Ricardo Ramos is the former EFC bantamweight champion who earned his UFC contract via Dana White’s Looking for a Fight series. He stands 5-9 tall with a reach of 72 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance. Ramos is 6-1 inside the octagon and he has an overall record of 14-2 with three knockouts and seven wins via submission. He submitted Luiz Garagorri in his bantamweight debut last November 2019.

Lerone Murphy fought for FCC and Celtic Gladiator before heading to the UFC last year. In his debut, he suffered an early knockdown but came back to earn a split draw against Zubaira Tukhugov. He stands 5-9 tall with a reach of 73 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance. Murphy has a record of 8-0 with five knockouts.

Ramos is a good wrestler with a nice submission game. Even if he isn’t a physically dominant fighter, he’s a longtime bantamweight and I think he has what it takes to put Murphy on his back and win from there. Sure, Murphy is the better striker but Ramos is also decent on his feet. Unless Murphy catches Ramos with something big, the Brazilian is going to take Murphy down and possibly choke him out.

Prediction: Ricardo Ramos (-170)

Modestas Bukauskas vs Andreas Michailidis

Modestas Bukauskas is the former Cage Warriors champion who also fought for UCMMA. The 26-year old from Lithuania is a switch hitter who stands 6-3 tall and has a reach of 78 inches. He has a record of 10-2 with seven knockouts and two wins by submission. He has won six straight bouts, all by stoppage.

Andreas Michailidis was supposed to challenge for the Cage Warriors Middleweight title but the bout was scrapped due to the current pandemic. He takes this fight on two weeks’ notice after Vinicius Moreira tested positive for COVID-19. This orthodox fighter stands 6-0 tall with a reach of 70 inches. His record stands at 12-3 with seven knockouts and four submission victories.

Michailidis is a natural middleweight so the fact that Bukauskas is undersized is not an issue here. The Greek has good wrestling and a decent ground game but his lack of cardio and Bukauskas’ scrambling ability should offset Michalidis’ strengths. The Lithuanian has the edge in speed, cardio, and striking ability. Unless Michailidis gets an early finish, he can’t compete with Bukauskas on the feet. Bukauskas survives Michailidis’ early grappling and outlasts him on the feet.

Prediction: Modestas Bukauskas (-170)

Chris Fishgold vs Jared Gordon

Chris Fishgold is the former Cage Warriors lightweight champion who made three successful title defenses before heading to the UFC. This 28-year old from Liverpool is 5-8 tall with a reach of 68 inches and is an orthodox fighter. He has a record of 18-3 with two knockouts and 13 wins via submission. He is 1-2 inside the UFC octagon.

Jared Gordon is the former Cage Fury Fighting Championship featherweight champion and Duelo De Gigantes lightweight champion. This 31-year old from Queens, New York stands 5-9 tall with a reach of 68 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance. He has a record of 15-4 with six knockouts and two wins via submission. He is 3-3 inside the octagon and has dropped three out of his last four bouts, all by knockout.

This could be the closest fight in the undercard. Gordon has good cardio and he produces high output and that could be problematic against a fighter like Fishgold who relies on his explosiveness. However, Fishgold is also a terrific wrestler and a potent submission artist. Gordon is 1-3 in his last four bouts with all his losses coming via knockout. This bout is also at featherweight and the last time Gordon fought at this weight class, he weighed in at 149 pounds. I think Fishgold secures an early takedown and then works his way to Gordon’s neck.

Prediction: Chris Fishgold (+123)

Diana Belbita vs Liana Jojua

Diana Belbita fought for RXF and KSW. She won four fights in a row, heading to her octagon debut against Molly McCann. She lost that bout by the decision and she has an overall record of 13-5 with six knockouts and four wins via submission. She stands 5-7 tall and has a reach of 68 inches and fights as an orthodox fighter.

Liana Jojua fought for Kunlun Fight and Fight Night Global. This 25-year old from Russia stands 5-4 tall with a reach of 62 inches and is an orthodox fighter. She has a record of 7-3 with one knockout and five wins via submission. She is coming off a knockout loss to Sarah Moras in he UFC debut last September 2019.

Jojua underperformed in her UFC debut but that was probably because she was undersized as a bantamweight. This bout is at 125 pounds and I expect her to fare better. However, Belbita has a three-inch height advantage and a six-inch reach edge that should be a problem for Jojua. The Warrior Princess is also hard to hold down, as we saw against McCann. Unless she can take this fight to the ground, Jojua is going to struggle here. I think Belbita wins this fight on the feet.

Prediction: Diana Belbita (-185)

Jack Shore vs Aaron Phillips

Jack Shore is a former Cage Warriors bantamweight titleholder who joined the UFC last year. He won his Octagon debut, defeating Nohelin Hernandez by submission. Shore stands 5-8 tall with a reach of 71 inches and is an orthodox fighter. His record stands at 12-0 with four knockouts and seven wins via submission.

Aaron Phillips is making his second UFC tour of duty. Phillips fought for World Fighting Championships after he was let go by the UFC after back to back losses. He won four in a row after losing his WFC debut and is getting a second chance in the UFC. Phillips is a southpaw who stands 5-9 with a reach of 71 inches. His record is 12-3 with six knockouts and two wins via submission.

In his first stint with the UFC, Phillips got taken down 11 times in a total of 30 minutes. When he returned to the regional scene, he struggled with wrestlers and got dropped in the process. Shore is a highly touted prospect who has the skills to keep up with Phillips on the feet and can demolish him on the mat. I think he takes this fight down and brutalizes Phillips with a vicious ground and pound.

Prediction: Jack Shore (-700)

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