UFC 220: Analysis and Predictions for the Main event and co-main event

UFC 220 marks the kick-off of the year-long celebration of 25 years of the world's most well-known fight promotion and it will be doing so, with the two most prestigious titles of the promotion being on the line.

It is quite a bit that a heavyweight title fight with this much intrigue is happening on the UFC's watch and it is to the company's credit that they put this together so quickly.

The co-main event is a solid fight itself, with a champion attempting to bring some legitimacy to both the title and his reign as champion, by taking on the clear number one challenger in the division at this point.

All that will happen as a huge shadow of the former champion Jon Jones looms over the divisional happenings, and let's take a closer look at both the fights set to take place this weekend.

Daniel Cormier vs Volkan Oezdemir

As Cormier has repeatedly said in the buildup to this fight, there's a stench surrounding both his reign as champion and the best overall, as a result of the Jon Jones situation following their fight last July. And I wholeheartedly agree with him that the only way to get rid of the stench is with the belt being defended against the best possible contender.

Volkan Oezdemir burst onto the UFC Light Heavyweight scene while everyone was watching, but not necessarily paying attention. Following three wins last year, the latter two being via quick knockouts, he established himself as the clear no.1 contender in the division, a division which most certainly needed fresh blood.

What we have seen so far from him definitely points to the fact that the Swiss have uncanny power in his hands. But the quick nature of his wins also leaves a lot of aspects unknown about his game, which we can be rest assured, the champ will be looking to test. 

How does he fare on the ground with an Olympic level wrestler, will he retain his power if the fight goes into the later rounds, how will he react when his punches don't send DC down?

The answers to all these questions can only be found for certain on Saturday night, but if history is any indication, Cormier is unbeaten outside of his losses against Jones.

He also isn't someone who hasn't fought opponents the likes of Oezdemir, most recently tapping out Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson, the former training partner of the current title challenger. While DC has fought the likes of Oezdemir throughout his career, the reverse isn't true and that will be a big factor in this fight. As Cormier said emphatically at the press conference, “there are levels to this game”. And I'm not sold on Oezdemir being at that level...yet.

Prediction: Daniel Cormier wins via TKO, 2nd round.

Stipe Miocic vs Francis Ngannou

Coming off four 1st round finishes, which included capturing the biggest prize in the world of combat sports and defending it successfully a couple of times, you would think that Stipe Miocic is a real monster right?

Say that to the challenger for the belt this weekend, Francis Ngannou, and he'll say “Don't lie, Stipe. Don't lie.” :P

It's hard to call anyone else a monster when comparing them to Francis Ngannou, a 6'4, 270 lbs power machine who made the whole world sit up and take notice of him, following a devastating KO win over Alistair Overeem, a highly decorated veteran and former UFC title challenger, last December.

While there's not a dearth of power punchers in the Heavyweight division of the UFC, there's something particularly devastating about the way the Cameroon-born Ngannou goes about his business. 

Unlike a Mark Hunt or a Derrick Lewis, we are also not talking about a lumbering big man with a big right or a left hand. The flagbearer of the UFC Performance Institute is as good a pure athlete as there can be, with terrific reflexes and an impressive spatial awareness.

But, the reality we spoke about with Volkan Oezdemir also has to apply to the hulking giant, as Ngannou too hasn't seen the end of the bell in a while now and while his cardio isn't a big question, we definitely can't talk about it unless we see it.

Miocic is among the most well-rounded fighters in the division, with a background in both amateur wrestling and boxing. Very rarely does he though engage his opponents with his wrestling, choosing to stand with them, usually coming out on top. But with a freakish athlete like Ngannou, that approach may cost him dear and I do feel like we'll see Miocic try to employ his wrestling a bit in this fight.

The big African has been taken down in his previous fights but has shown an impressive ability to get back up amidst scrambles. Anf if we know anything about scrambles, they're opportunities for Francis to land one of his scud missiles, and all it takes is one.

Prediction: Francis Ngannou by KO, 1st round

UFC 220 will be broadcasted on Sony Ten 3 SD & HD. Watch all the action live on Sunday at 8:30 AM