UFC Sacramento predictions: Can 'The Karate Hottie' shut down VanZant?

Prior to UFC on FOX 22 in Sacramento on Saturday, theScore's Themistoklis Alexis and Alexander K. Lee give their predictions on the evening's main card bouts.

Strawweight Bout

Paige VanZant (4-1 UFC, 7-2)
vs.
Michelle Waterson (1-0 UFC, 13-4)

Themistoklis Alexis: The detractors Paige VanZant silenced with her flying switch kick knockout of Bec Rawlings will be given a second wind on fight night courtesy of Michelle Waterson.

"The Karate Hottie" hasn't fought in 17 months, but VanZant's tendency to take the fight to her opponents will shake any ring rust off Waterson in short order. If her karate stylings begin cracking under VanZant's constant pressure, she'll take a page out of Rose Namajunas' playbook and put "12 Gauge" on her back before handing VanZant the same fate she suffered at Namajunas' hands: a late-round submission.

THE PICK: Waterson

Alexander K. Lee: While VanZant doesn't have the striking vocabulary of Waterson, she's shown considerable overall improvement from fight to fight, and her physical gifts can carry her a long way.

It will behoove VanZant not to spend too much time on the ground with Waterson, who, despite her nickname, is actually an excellent submission fighter. Should VanZant decide to employ takedowns, she needs to simplify her top game and avoid risks.

Waterson is the slightly smaller fighter going into this one, and she's had difficulties in the past with larger opponents like Angela Magana and Jessica Penne - both of whom she beat in the later rounds. Her fight with "PVZ" is likely to go all five rounds, and the slow start could cost her when it comes time to tally the scores.

THE PICK: VanZant

Welterweight Bout

Sage Northcutt (3-1 UFC, 8-1)
vs.
Mickey Gall (2-0 UFC, 3-0)

Lee: With all due respect to Mickey Gall, there's no way to properly gauge how he stacks up against other UFC fighters, since he hasn't faced a real one yet.

Gall's two UFC wins have come against Mike Jackson (released after one fight) and CM Punk (he's CM Punk), arguably the two worst fighters to compete for the organization in 2016. As impressive as he looked, is there any doubt that Sage Northcutt would have excelled in those same situations?

This should be an entertaining match between two stud prospects, though Northcutt's athletic advantages will be dulled somewhat by Gall's size and grappling. Still, the skills "Super Sage" has shown against low-tier competition are a lot more convincing than what we've seen from Gall thus far.

THE PICK: Northcutt

Alexis: The jury is still out on the johnny-come-lately that is Gall, but his skill set is as good as kryptonite to a fighter of Northcutt's ilk.

In his submission loss to Bryan Barberena, Northcutt betrayed an aversion to fighting from behind, meaning the sooner Gall puts him on his back, the better. Super Sage won't waste any time closing the distance on the feet, allowing Gall to engage in a clinch and take the fight to the ground, where he does his best work. If Barbarena can pass Northcutt's guard, Gall - who trains with jiu-jitsu virtuoso Jim Miller and has won all three of his fights by submission - will have his fellow prospect tapping in no time.

THE PICK: Gall

Bantamweight Bout

Urijah Faber (9-6 UFC, 33-10)
vs.
Brad Pickett (5-7 UFC, 25-12)

Alexis: He may have seen better days, but Urijah Faber has one more hurrah left in him.

Gracing the Octagon for the last time - in his hometown, no less - against a slumping Brad Pickett, "The California Kid" has too many ways to win to hang his gloves with anything less than a victory. Pickett won't shy away from trading leather with Faber, but he's tapped to many a submission artist - a bill few fit better than the Sacramento native. Look for Faber to take the Brit to the mat before taking his back and closing out his career with his 20th submission win.

THE PICK: Faber

Lee: The California Kid is going out with a W.

With all due respect to "One Punch," he'll be hard-pressed to find an area of MMA he's better at than Faber. Even his respected punching power has failed to generate a finish in more than four years. That's going to make this a war of attrition, and Faber has proven to be better at scrambling and adapting than Pickett in over lengthy careers.

Faber's wrestling is going to give Pickett plenty of problems, and the Londoner will either find himself falling into a submission after a scramble or losing on points.

THE PICK: Faber

Welterweight Bout

Alan Jouban (5-2 UFC, 14-4)
vs.
Mike Perry (2-0 UFC, 9-0)

Lee: When you're dealing with a glass cannon, you only have to stay out of the way long enough for it to crack itself.

That will be the story in the UFC on FOX 22 main card opener when Alan Jouban takes on the dangerous Mike "Platinum" Perry. In just two Octagon appearances, Perry has shown he's one of the hardest hitters at 170 pounds. Fortunately for Jouban, he's no soft touch himself.

Perry has a lot of trust in his chin, which will be his undoing when he faces off with Jouban. While neither man is known for their defense, the more experienced Jouban should be wise enough to let Perry come to him before firing back with counter-punches. Even if this one becomes a brawl, Jouban has more than enough power and durability to get the better of Perry.

THE PICK: Jouban

Alexis: Perry caps an impressive 2016 - well, four months, really - with a surefire barn burner and Fight of the Night favorite.

The technically proficient Jouban won't waste time in taking the fight to Perry, but the Michigan native - 10 years his junior - has sheer athleticism and what's known in the boxing world as a puncher's chance on his side. If his successful UFC debut over the gargantuan Hyun Gyu Lim offers any indication, Platinum will fearlessly trade bombs with Jouban from the pocket until only one of them is standing.

An unblemished record chock-full of knockouts, and Jouban's reluctance to fully uncork his recently broken left hand, say that man is Perry.

THE PICK: Perry