UFC on ESPN 15: Munhoz vs Edgar Prelims Undercard Betting Odds and Predictions

Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 15 will be headlined by former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and Pedro Munhoz with Ovince Saint Preux fighting Alonzo Minefield in the co-main event. But before the big names step inside the octagon, the event will be preceded by a six-fight prelims undercard which is loaded with veterans and newcomers who are looking to make a name for themselves inside the UFC octagon.

Let’s take at the prelims and pick which fighters will emerge victorious:

Mariya Agapova vs Shana Dobson

Mariya Agapova fought in Kazakhstan then went to Fight Night Global in Russia before making an appearance at the Contender Series where she lost to Tracy Cortez via decision. Agapova won two fights at Invicta FC before she was signed by the UFC this year. She submitted Hannah Cifers in her UFC debut and has a record of 9-1 with three knockouts and four wins via submission. She stands 5-6 tall with a reach of 68 inches and is a southpaw fighter.

Shana Dobson was featured in The Ultimate Fighter 26. She fought for Xtreme Knockout before joining the TUF competition and was signed despite losing in the preliminary round. Dobson is 31-year old and she stands 5-6 tall with a reach of 69 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance. She heads to this fight with three consecutive losses including a 40-second KO loss to Priscilla Cachoeira last February.

Dobson has a one-inch reach advantage here but she doesn’t have the craft to take advantage of that nor does she have what it takes to out-muscle and out-hustle Agapova in their grappling exchanges. Agapova has the potential but she is still raw. The Kazakh however has the power and aggression to beat Dobson. I think this will be a comfortable win for Agapova.

Prediction: Mariya Agapova

Austin Hubbard vs Joe Solecki

Austin Hubbard is the former Legacy Fighting Alliance lightweight champion. The 28-year old from Illinois joined the UFC in 2019 and has alternated losses and wins in four UFC appearances. Hubbard is 5-10 tall with a reach of 71 inches and fights out of the orthodox stance. He has a record of 12-4 with five knockouts and two wins via submission. Hubbard is coming off a TKO win over Max Rohskopf.

Joe Solecki fought for CFFC and ROC before appearing in the Contender Series in July 2019 where he submitted James Wallace inside the first round. Solecki undefeated in two octagon bouts and he has a record of 9-2 with one knockout and submission wins. He stands 5-9 tall with a reach of 70 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance.

Hubbard’s best chance here is to wear down Solecki with a consistent striking attack. But whatever edge he has on the feet isn’t much compared to his deficiencies on the ground. Solecki has enough experience to stay with him on the feet and when the stand up isn’t going his way, he has the wrestling and submission skills that Hubbard will succumb to. Hubbard doesn’t possess the punching power to knock Solecki out nor does he enough wrestling to stop his takedowns and submission attempts. It’s going to be a long night for Hubbard.

Prediction: Joe Solecki

Dwight Grant vs Calen Born

Dwight Grant fought for Reality Fighting, GKO, and Conqueror Fighting Championship. He also had a one-fight stint with Bellator before knocking out Tyler Hill on the Contender Series in 2018. Grant is 2-1 inside the octagon and he has an overall record of 10-2 with seven knockouts. He is a switch hitter who stands 6-1 tall with a reach of 76 inches. He defeated Alan Joubain via split decision in his last bout at UFC 236 in April 2019.

Calen Born is a late replacement for Gooden. He fights out of Chute Box in Kansas City and has a record of 7-1 with two knockouts and four wins via submission. He has fought for Shamrock FC and Legacy Fighting Alliance. In his last bout, he submitted Craig Farley at Shamrock FC 238. He stands 5-8 tall with a reach of 72 inches and is a switch hitter.

Grant is known as the Body Snatcher but he rarely goes for the body shots. He however has good power and he hasn’t needed too many punches to stop his opponents. This is Grant’s first bout in almost a year and a half so that has to be a factor here. The good thing for him is that Born isn’t a difficult target. He doesn’t use a lot of head movement and he doesn’t have good technique. He leaves himself wide open when he throws his punches. As long as Grant pushes the pace here, I think he beats Born  who can’t fight well on his back foot.

Prediction: Dwight Grant

Isaac Villanueva vs Jorge Gonzales

Isaac Villanueva is a veteran who has fought for Bellator, Legacy Fighting Alliance, and Fury FC. The 36-year old from Houston, Texas has seen his last five bouts end in a knockout inside two rounds and has won four of those bouts. Villanueva is 16-10 with 13 knockouts He stands 6-1 tall with a reach of 73 inches and is an orthodox fighter.

Jorge Gonzales will be making his UFC debut in this bout. The native of Mexico City has fought for promotions like Xtreme Kombat, Jasaji Fighting League, and UWC in Mexico. He has a record of 16-5 with 12 knockouts and four wins via submission. Gonzales stands 6-2 tall with a reach of 76 inches and is an orthodox fighter.

Villanueva doesn’t possess the wrestling and submission skills that will put Gonzales in trouble. However, he has an advantage over the Mexican slugger on the feet. Villanueva has the hand speed, punch combinations, and counter-punching skills that should punish a wild swinger like Gonzales. The latter has a one-inch advantage in height and three inches advantage in reach against Villanueva but I don’t think he’s polished enough to use it against the better striker.

Prediction: Isaac Villanueva

Carlton Minus vs Matthew Semelsberger

Carlton Minus fought most of his career for AFC before trying his luck at The Professional Fighting League where he lost to Rick Story. The 27-year old from Anchorage, Alaska has a record of 10-1 with six knockouts and one submission victory. He stands 5-10 tall with a reach of 74 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance.

Matthew Semelsberger has spent most of his fighting career for Shogun Fights. The 27-year old Maryland native has a record of 6-2 with four knockouts and one submission victory, Semelsberger stands 6-1 tall with an undisclosed reach. In his last bout, Semelsberger picked up a first-round knockout win over Richard Patishnock at AOW17.

Minus is taking this fight on just over a week’s notice but he’s happy to take this fight because Semelsberger doesn’t have the ability to exploit his wrestling issues the same way Rick Story did. Smelsberger is a willing banger who likes to be aggressive and that puts him in the harm’s way of Minus’ jabs and counters. Minus isn’t hard to hit and Semelsberger has some pop in his punches. However, Minus has the better striking skills and is much sharper on the feet.

Prediction: Carlton Minus

Timur Valiev vs Mark Striegl

Timur Valiev is a former Pankration European and World champion. The 30-year old from Dagestan fought for the WSOF then later at the Professional Fighting League. Valiev has a record of 16-2 with five knockouts and two wins via submission. The Dagestani will be making his octagon debut here.

Mark Striegl was a superstar at URCC, PXC, and he also made appearances for One Championship. The 32-year old from Baguio City in the Philippines has a record of 18-2 with 16 wins via submission. Striegl has not lost since getting submitted by Reece McLaren in 2015. He stands 5-8 tall with an undisclosed reach while fighting out of the orthodox stance.

Striegl is known for his wrestling and submission skills but his stand up game has improved over the years. Unfortunately for him, Valiev has the scrambling game to prevent Striegl from controlling top position, much more pull off his submission moves. On his feet, Valiev has a fast-paced offense that could trouble Striegl. And yes, don’t forget that the last time Striegl fought at 135, he gassed in the second round and suffered his last defeat to Reece McLaren. I think Valiev uses the entire octagon and takes a points win over Striegl.

Prediction: Timur Valiev

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