Preview of UFC Fight Night 126 main card bouts

A breakdown of the fights on the main card of UFC Fight Night 126 on Sunday at Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, with picks from the Review-Journal’s Adam Hill and Heidi Fang:

Donald Cerrone (32-10, 1 No Contest) vs. Yancy Medeiros (15-4, 1 No Contest)

Class: Welterweight

Line: Cerrone -160

Storyline: This is a matchup of two fighters headed in the opposite direction. That’s what makes the line a bit mystifying. “Cowboy” Cerrone has accomplished just about everything he possibly could in the sport outside of winning a world title, but the fan favorite has fallen on hard times. After winning the first four fights after his move up to welterweight in 2016, he has dropped three straight with two by knockout. The notoriously active veteran might be feeling the effects of the wear and tear on his body. Medeiros is a talented fighter who seems to be coming into his own at 30. The Hawaiian has won his last three fights since making a similar move up to welterweight and is poised for a big move up in the rankings should he score a main event win over a big-name foe such as Cerrone.

Hill’s pick: Medeiros by decision

Fang’s pick: Medeiros by third-round knockout

Derrick Lewis (18-5, 1 No Contest) vs. Marcin Tybura (16-3)

Class: Heavyweight

Line: Tybura -150

Storyline: Lewis was one of the most promising heavyweight stars to emerge in some time before he was derailed by the fists of Mark Hunt in June. The knockout loss snapped a six-fight winning streak and appeared to send Lewis reeling. He immediately announced his retirement, then decided to return in October against Fabricio Werdum only to pull out of the fight hours before it was scheduled to take place. Tybura did much of his damage on the mat during his early days fighting in Europe, but has become a knockout artist in the UFC. While Lewis can match power with anyone, his cardio can be a concern.

Hill’s pick: Lewis by second-round knockout

Fang’s pick: Lewis by decision

James Vick (12-1) vs. Francisco Trinaldo (22-5)

Class: Lightweight

Line: Vick -225

Storyline: A matchup of two kickboxers that are fairly large for the 155-pound division, albeit in different ways. Vick is one of the taller lightweights in the UFC, and Trinaldo is more stout. Both have been on good runs, but one will leave the cage as a contender. Their physical description should serve as an indicator of their strengths. Vick is comfortable picking apart opponents from the outside and throws with impressive volume. Vick will be at an advantage if he can use the first round to wear Trinaldo down and then exploit the cardio edge. Trinaldo might be able to win in the clinch and even secure a takedown or two, but it might tire him out too much.

Hill’s pick: Vick by third-round knockout

Fang’s pick: Vick by third-round knockout

Thiago Alves (27-11) vs. Curtis Millender (14-3)

Class: Welterweight

Line: Alves -170

Storyline: Alves hasn’t fought since April and has been in action just twice since May 2015. That’s after fighting two times from 2012 to 2014. He’s still capable of delivering violence. It’s an intriguing matchup to welcome Millender, who has had success in Bellator and Legacy, to the UFC. Both are more comfortable as strikers, though Alves is vicious with his leg kicks and Millender has knocked out his last two opponents with head kicks. Before that, he had been known as more of a point-striker with nine of his previous 12 wins by decision.

Hill’s pick: Alves by second-round knockout

Fang’s pick: Alves by decision

Steven Peterson (15-6) vs. Brandon Davis (8-3)

Class: Featherweight

Line: Davis -175

Storyline: An opportunity for one of these featherweights to make a splash after the fight was promoted to the main card when Jessica Aguilar’s fight against Livia Renata Souza was canceled. It’s probably more important to Davis, who dropped his UFC debut to Kyle Bochniak less than a month ago. The fact Davis agreed to the bout less than a week ago is further evidence of his desire to wipe out that loss. Peterson was supposed to make his UFC debut against Humberto Bandenay on this card, but Davis stepped in when Bandenay had visa issues.

Hill’s pick: Davis by decision

Fang’s pick: Peterson by decision

Sage Northcutt (9-2) vs. Thibault Gouti (11-3)

Class: Lightweight

Line: Northcutt -280

Storyline: It’s no secret the UFC would like Northcutt to do well, and he is being set up for success with this matchmaking. Gouti dropped his first three fights in the organization before probably saving his job with a surprising first-round knockout of Andrew Holbrook in September. He’s capable of pulling the upset here, but it would be a huge setback for Northcutt. While Northcutt seems to have all the physical tools and is basically a human Ken doll and a marketing dream, he is still learning how to put his skills together. The amazing thing is that while he’s had six fights in the UFC, he’s still just 21.

Hill’s pick: Northcutt by second-round submission

Fang’s pick: Northcutt by second-round knockout

More MMA: Follow all of our MMA and UFC coverage online at CoveringTheCage.com and @CoveringTheCage on Twitter.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.