UFC Brasilia predictions: Will Cyborg continue her unbeaten streak?

Prior to UFC Fight Night 95, theScore's Themistoklis Alexis and Alexander K. Lee give their predictions on the evening's main-card bouts.

Women's Catchweight (140 lbs.) Bout

Cris Cyborg (1-0 UFC, 16-1)
vs.
Lina Lansberg (0-0 UFC, 6-1)

Alexander K. Lee: Cris Cyborg has been torturing herself for the past few weeks to make weight and when she steps into the cage Saturday, will take her frustration out on Lina Lansberg.

Give Lansberg credit. She has a reputation as a finisher and her Muay Thai skills will go a long way toward making this a competitive fight in the stand-up. But if she plans to utilize her elbows, that means letting Cyborg get close. And if Cyborg gets close, she'll bust up Lansberg or take her down to show off rarely seen, but potent jiu-jitsu skills.

This will be every bit the showcase fight for Cyborg, that the UFC is hoping for.

THE PICK: Cyborg

Themistoklis Alexis: Lansberg is venturing into deep, troubled waters against an insatiable Cyborg.

As inspiring as her six-fight win streak and moniker may be, "The Elbow Queen" offers little reason to believe she's the long-sought foil to Cyborg's 11-year unbeaten run. Only two of the Brazilian's 16 straight wins have gone to the judges, which doesn't bode well for the 34-year-old Lansberg, who turned pro just four years ago and hasn't faced reputable competition. Simply put, the Swede is in for a rude UFC welcome.

THE PICK: Cyborg

Featherweight Bout

Renan Barao (8-4 UFC, 33-4)
vs.
Phillipe Nover (1-4 UFC, 11-6-1)

Alexis: A loss to Phillipe Nover would all but confirm Renan Barao owes his bantamweight title run to a thin division.

Barao came out strong in his featherweight debut against Jeremy Stephens, but gradually waned after the opening frame. Luckily, Nover possesses a fraction of Stephens' power, which will allow the Brazilian to comfortably return to his former self.

Look for Barao to cut Nover's night short on the feet instead of the ground, where the Brooklyn native is at his best.

THE PICK: Barao

Lee: Nover has always had the stigma of looking like a much better fighter than he actually is. That's made his performances difficult to parse, though he's rarely come out on top when facing high-level competition.

Nover's last two fights have ended in unsatisfying split decisions (one win, one loss), which certainly leaves open the possibility that he can drag Barao into a series of difficult-to-judge exchanges and perhaps steal one on the scorecards. It's on Barao to prove the flashes he showed in the Stephens fight are genuine glimpses into his potential at 145 pounds.

The smart money says Nover has been lined up for Barao to knock down. If everything goes right, Barao should show at least a fraction of the skills that once had him ranked as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

THE PICK: Barao

Heavyweight Bout

Roy Nelson (8-9 UFC, 21-13)
vs.
Antonio Silva (3-6 UFC, 19-9)

Lee: What happens when the unstoppable force meets the easily movable object?

A knockout. That's what happens.

There's really no fancy way to break this one down. Roy Nelson is one of the most notorious head-hunters in the business and he's being presented with arguably the business' biggest head to hit. It will take Nelson about as long to find Antonio Silva's chin as it would to find a drunk in a crowd of MMA fans. And when he does, it will all be over and we'll feel kind of icky that this match was put together.

THE PICK: Nelson

Alexis: Having dropped five of his last seven contests, Silva's chin will fail him - this time for good - in Saturday's "Loser Leaves Town" match.

"Big Foot" has succumbed to first-round knockouts in all six of his UFC defeats, so you can bet that the heavy-handed Nelson will be licking his chops come fight night. "Big Country" will come out throwing haymakers - as he's wont to do - and obliterate both Silva's chin and UFC career before first round's end.

THE PICK: Nelson

Lightweight Bout

Francisco Trinaldo (10-3 UFC, 20-4)
vs.
Paul Felder (4-2 UFC, 12-2)

Alexis: Paul Felder has to milk his karate background dry to beat Francisco Trinaldo.

"The Irish Dragon" will rely on movement and strikes from range, as Trinaldo will try cutting off the cage to tee off, or lock him in a clinch. Instigating a brawl with Trinaldo is near suicide, leaving Felder no recourse but to sap Trinaldo's lower-body strength with kicks to take the zip out of his granite hands and win on points.

THE PICK: Felder

Lee: Felder's striking skills are sure to give Trinaldo a headache, but it's only a matter of time before "Massaranduba" closes the distance and ramps up the pressure.

It's not as if Trinaldo hasn't dealt with cagey strikers before. Wins over Chad Laprise and Ross Pearson have shown he's more than just a brawler - he knows how to take his time to get inside. Clinch work will also be key in defusing the fiery Felder, and that's an area Trinaldo has the clear advantage in. Even if it's not pretty, Trinaldo should be able to snag another decision for his seventh straight win.

THE PICK: Trinaldo

Middleweight Bout

Thiago Santos (5-3 UFC, 13-4)
vs.
Eric Spicely (0-1 UFC, 8-1)

Lee: On paper, this is a classic mismatch and you have to wonder what Eric Spicely did to deserve this.

Thiago "Marreta" Santos is one of the middleweight division's most feared strikers, with lightning fast hands and feet that have a knack for finding the opponent's head area.

Spicely was a semifinalist on "The Ultimate Fighter 23."

This one could get interesting if it goes to the ground, but otherwise it's difficult to see how Santos doesn't make Spicely his next knockout victim.

THE PICK: Santos

Alexis: In a clash between a pair of "The Ultimate Fighter" alumni, Santos will get back to his slobber-knocking ways.

His last two losses sandwiched a four-fight winning streak that saw him demolish three opponents in under a round. Spicely will only live up to part of his nickname, as "The Dream Catcher" will receive nothing but a thrashing at the hands of "Marreta."

THE PICK: Santos

Featherweight Bout

Godofredo Pepey (4-4 UFC, 12-4)
vs.
Mike De La Torre (2-2 UFC, 14-5)

Alexis: Godofredo Pepey's greatest gift - his unpredictability - doubles as his greatest flaw. The dichotomy won't do him any favors when he faces Mike De La Torre.

"El Cucuy" owns as many submission victories as he does knockouts, but he'll be wise to keep the fight standing against a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt in Pepey. De La Torre will keep his zeal under wraps until Pepey, always in danger of beating himself, leaves an opening for a fatal flurry.

THE PICK: De La Torre

Lee: Pepey is taking this bout on short notice, which might be a good thing as he's more of an instinctual fighter than one who enters the cage with any sort of game plan.

The always exciting featherweight is the proverbial glass cannon, either finishing in the first round or being finished himself. That doesn't bode well for him against De La Torre, an opponent who showed a lot of toughness scraping out a split-decision win over Yui Chul Nam in his last outing.

Pepey needs a fast start here, which shouldn't be a problem with thousands of screaming Brazilians behind him.

THE PICK: Pepey

For more UFC Fight Night 95 coverage, check out theScore's preview of the card's most intriguing stories.