Predictions! UFC Atlantic City ‘Prelims’ Preview - Pt. 2

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing more “Prelims” fights to ESPN+ this weekend (Sat., March 30, 2024) when UFC Atlantic City: “Blanchfield vs. Fiorot” returns to UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. MMAmania.com’s Patrick Stumberg continues the UFC Atlantic City “Prelims” party with the second (and final) installment of a two-part undercard preview series below.

Women’s Flyweight gets the spotlight once again this weekend (Sat., March 30, 2024) when top-ranked contenders Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot battle it out inside Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Also on tap are a potentially explosive Welterweight scrap pitting Vicente Luque vs. Joaquin Buckley and Chris Weidman’s latest grasp for glory against the vicious Bruno Silva.

Four UFC Atlantic City “Prelims” undercard bouts remain (check out the first batch here), so let’s not tarry ...

145 lbs.: Nate Landwehr vs. Jamall Emmers

Despite suffering two knockouts via knees in his first three UFC bouts, Nate Landwehr (17-5) battled his way back into the picture with three straight wins, among them massive upsets of Ludovit Klein and David Onama. Then came Dan Ige, who out-struck “The Train” en route to a unanimous decision win.

He’s knocked out eight professional opponents and submitted two others.

Jamall Emmers (20-7) rode an 8-1 streak into his 2020 UFC debut, the sole blemish a knockout loss to Julian Erosa on Contender Series. He’s since alternated losses and wins, most recently stopping Dennis Buzukja in just 49 seconds.

“Pretty Boy” steps in for Pat Sabatini on less than one month’s notice.

On paper, this is all Emmers. Landwehr is far too crude on the feet to get through Emmers’ long-range offense and lacks the wrestling chops necessary to put Emmers on his back. “The Train” will have a hell of a time implementing his usual attrition-heavy gameplan, especially since Emmers’ cardio has yet to fail him.

Emmers does admittedly love finding ways to lose, from indulging Giga Chikadze on the feet to inexplicably starting a leg lock battle with Pat Sabatini. I can absolutely picture him playing Landwehr’s game for too long and dropping another controversial decision. That said, there’s way too much going Emmers’ way in this matchup. He either smokes Landwehr in the first three minutes or out-classes him at range for the full 15 minutes.

Prediction: Emmers via first round technical knockout

115 lbs.: Virna Jandiroba vs. Lupita Godinez

Virna Jandiroba (19-3) entered the Octagon as an undefeated (14-0) Invicta champion, only to fall to long-time standout, Carla Esparza, in her 2019 UFC debut. She now sits at 5-4 in the world’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion, entering the cage this Saturday on the heels of back-to-back wins over Angela Hill and Marina Rodriguez.

Thirteen of her 14 professional finishes have come via submission.

Questionable tactics held Lupita Godinez (12-3) to a 3-3 UFC start as she gave up huge upsets to Jessica Penne, Luana Carolina and Angela Hill. She’s since found her footing, dispatching Cynthia Calvillo, Emily Ducote, Elise Reed and Tabatha Ricci in the span of seven months.

“Loopy” stands one inch shorter than Jandiroba and gives up three inches of reach.

As with virtually all of Godinez’s fights, this one boils down to whether she can keep her head on straight. Jandiroba possesses one of the division’s best top games, but with the exception of the undersized Kanako Murata, has struggled to impose her will on skilled grapplers in the Octagon. Godinez’s takedown defense looks up to the task of keeping it standing, where her boxing skills far outstrip “Carcara’s.”

We’ve seen Godinez strike when she should have wrestled and wrestle when she should have struck, however, and Jandiroba’s not someone she can afford to be sloppy against. Considering the ease with which she shut down Ricci’s grappling and Jandiroba’s own questionable decision-making, though, I’m confident Godinez can sprawl-and-brawl to victory.

Prediction: Godinez via unanimous decision

145 lbs.: Julio Arce vs. Herbert Burns

Julio Arce (18-6) followed his Contender Series beatdown of Peter Petties with one-sided Octagon victories over Dan Ige and Daniel Teymur. His subsequent seven fights saw him alternate losses and wins, culminating in a decision defeat to Montel Jackson at UFC 281.

This marks his first bout in 16 months.

Herbert Burns (11-4) needed less than a round apiece to dispatch Darrick Minner on the Contender Series, Nate Landwehr in his Octagon debut, and Evan Dunham in his sophomore effort. He subsequently missed weight en route to a knockout loss against Daniel Pineda, spent nearly two years on the sidelines, then suffered a rare technical knockout because of exhaustion against Bill Algeo in July 2022.

All of his wins since Dec. 2014 have come inside of two rounds.

It’s a bit surreal to see a fighter of Burns’ pedigree listed as a 4:1 underdog, but the argument is sound. You just can’t trust someone who’s imploded so quickly in two consecutive fights, especially not against a well-rounded and well-conditioned fighter like Arce.

Burns’ one saving grace here is that he should be the larger man — he can barely make 145 pounds and Arce has been a Bantamweight for the last several years. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to outweigh everything else. In short, Arce’s top-notch takedown defense keeps things on the feet as he systematically breaks down Burns with strikes en route to a late finish.

Prediction: Arce via third round technical knockout

145 lbs.: Dennis Buzukja vs. Connor Matthews

Though Dennis Buzukja (11-4) failed to claim a UFC contract in his second Contender Series bout, he successfully extended his win streak to seven before a short-notice UFC debut against Sean Woodson. “The Great” wound up missing weight and losing a unanimous decision, then succumbed to Jamall Emmers’ power less than one minute into their Nov. 2023 bout at UFC 295 (watch highlights).

He is the taller man by one inch, but gives up a half-inch of reach.

Connor Matthews (7-1) likewise fell short in his first Contender Series bout, dropping a one-sided decision to Francis Marshall in 2022. After rehabbing with a win in New England promotion Combat Zone, he returned to the program in Oct. 2023 to upset undefeated Jair Farias and secure a berth in the Octagon.

All six of his professional finishes have come in the first round, five of them via submission.

It’s clear at this point that Buzukja doesn’t know how to deal with skilled long-range strikers. Luckily for him, Matthews doesn’t fit that bill. Indeed, “The Controller” is the sort of straightforward, defensively lax fighter who Buzukja shines against.

Matthews does admittedly have some decent takedowns at his disposal, but isn’t much of a threat from the top. Buzukja’s defensive grappling should be sufficient to keep it in his wheelhouse — so as long as the Emmers fight didn’t shatter his confidence — expect his superior technique to win the day.

Prediction: Buzukja via unanimous decision

UFC Atlantic City features a quality main event, at least. See you Saturday, Maniacs.

Current Prediction Record for 2024: 48-21

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Atlantic City fight card right here, starting with the ESPN2/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance on ESPN (simulcast on ESPN+) at 10 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Atlantic City: “Blanchfield vs. Fiorot” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.