The UFC heads to San Antonio, TX this week for the third edition of Noche UFC, and MMA KO’s Drew Beaupré is here to provide predictions for all 14 fights on the card.
The event is headlined by a pivotal featherweight clash between top contenders Diego Lopes and Jean Silva. “Lord” is undefeated since joining the UFC, while Lopes is coming off a failed bid to claim the vacant featherweight title against divisional great Alexander Volkanovski.
The night’s co-main event will see Rob Font try to earn a third-straight victory against David Martinez, who steps up for a huge opportunity against a long time staple of the UFC bantamweight Top 15.
Diego Lopes vs. Jean Silva
Diego Lopes (blue gloves) reacts after losing to Alexander Volkanovski (not pictured) during UFC 314 at Kaseya Center. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
I’m a bit surprised to see Lopes lined as around a 2-1 underdog in this fight. Even though Silva has obviously been on an incredible run, I still have to side with the fighter that’s only lost to Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev since joining the UFC.
(Pick: Lopes)
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Rob Font vs. David Martinez
David Martinez knocked out Saimon Oliveira in his UFC debut. / (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
I was fully prepared to pick Font to defeat Raul Rosas Jr. in the original co-main event for Noche UFC before Rosas Jr. withdrew. This fight is a massive step up for Martinez, but I’m going to pick “Black Spartan” to take full advantage of this opportunity and vault into the UFC bantamweight rankings.
(Pick: Martinez)
Jared Gordon vs. Rafa Garcia
Jared Gordon (red gloves) fights Mark Madsen (blue gloves) during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Gordon has flashed some unexpected knockout power in his last two wins. While don’t expect him to stop Garcia here, I do think he should be able to stifle the Mexican’s grappling in what should hopefully be a back-and-forth scrap.
(Pick: Gordon)
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
Kelvin Gastelum (red gloves) fights Joe Pyfer (blue gloves) during UFC 316 at Prudential Center. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
I would still have picked Gastelum here even before he missed the middleweight limit by several pounds, and now it’s just a question of how impressively he’ll need to defeat Stoltzfus in order to keep his place on the UFC roster after yet another weigh-in mishap.
(Pick: Gastelum)
Alexander Hernandez vs. Diego Ferreira
Grant Dawson (red gloves) fights Diego Ferreira (blue gloves) during UFC 311 at Intuit Dome. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Hernandez’s up-and-down UFC career hit another high just three weeks ago when he knocked out Chase Hooper in a sizeable upset. Even though “The Great Ape” is now on a three-fight win streak, Ferreira is the kind of well-rounded veteran that’s capable of halting that momentum.
(Pick: Ferreira)
Santiago Luna vs. Quang Le
Quang Le (blue gloves) defeats Gaston Bolanos (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Wells Fargo Arena. / Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Luna steps in here on short notice after David Martinez was moved to the co-main event, and unless “Borderboy” connects with something big then I think Le should be able to spoil the Mexican’s promotional debut.
(Pick: Le)
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José Medina vs. Duško Todorović
Christian Leroy Duncan (red gloves) fights Dusko Todorovic (blue gloves) during UFC 286 at O2 Arena. / Per Haljestam-Imagn Images
Both of these men enter the night in desperate need of a win following three-straight losses, and Todorović has the finishing skills necessary to get back on track in this matchup and likely end Medina’s time with the UFC.
(Pick: Todorović)
Claudio Puelles vs. Joaquim Silva
Dan Hooker (red gloves) and Claudio Puelles (blue gloves) during UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden. / Jessica Alcheh-Imagn Images
This is one of the more underrated fights at Noche UFC, and I’m going to slightly lean with Puelles to snap his current two-fight skid and pick up his first victory since 2022.
(Pick: Puelles)
Tatiana Suarez vs. Amanda Lemos
Tatiana Suarez (blue gloves) celebrates the win by submission over Jessica Andrade (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Bridgestone Arena. / Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
Even though they both got largely dominated by UFC Strawweight Champion Wili Zhang, I have no idea what this matchup is doing on the prelims. I don’t love how big of a favorite Suarez is, but she should be able to get the job done and start working back towards another title shot.
(Pick: Suarez)
Jesus Aguilar vs. Luis Gurule
Jesus Aguilar (blue gloves) reacts to defeating Shannon Ross (red gloves) during UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Aguilar had a three-fight win streak snapped in his last outing against Rafael Estevam, and I think he’ll return to the win column here and spoil Gurule’s efforts to pick up what would be his first win in the UFC.
(Pick: Aguilar)
Zach Reese vs. Sedriques Dumas
Zachary Reese (red gloves) fights Cody Brundage (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Moody Center. / Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images
I’m a little surprised that Dumas is still on the roster after the circumstances that forced him out of his last booking against Jackson McVey. Then again, the matchmakers have now given him a matchup with a dangerous finisher in Reese after Dumas was stopped in all three of his UFC losses.
(Pick: Reese)
Alessandro Costa vs. Alden Coria
Alessandro Costa (red gloves) fights against Kevin Borjas (blue gloves) during UFC 301 at Rio Arena. / Jason Silva-Imagn Images
It’s good to see Costa finally returning to action after more than a year on the sidelines, although it’s a shame that he’s now facing a promotional debutant in Coria instead of Edgar Cháirez.
(Pick: Costa)
Alice Pereira vs. Montserrat Rendon
Montserrat Rendon during her fight with Tamires Vidal. / (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
The UFC is already pretty clearly invested in Pereira’s storyline as the youngest female fighter to ever compete in the promotion. She’ll still have plenty of time to develop, but I have to side with Rendon to at least temporarily halt the 19-year-old’s rise.
(Pick: Rendon)
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Rodrigo Sezinando vs. Daniil Donchenchko
Rodrigo Sezinando and Daniil Donchenko will finally close out Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter. / (Zuffa LLC/ESPN)
This rebooked welterweight final for The Ultimate Fighter 33 was supposed to take place a month ago at UFC 319, and I still like Donchenko to get things done after having to wait a few extra weeks for the fight to happen.
(Pick: Donchenko)
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