UFC 212 predictions: Can Holloway complete his climb to the top?

Prior to UFC 212 in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, theScore's Themistoklis Alexis and Alexander K. Lee give their predictions on the evening's main card bouts.

Featherweight Championship Unification

Jose Aldo (8-1 UFC, 26-2)
vs.
Max Holloway (13-3 UFC, 17-3)

Lee: Holloway is such a hungry and entertaining fighter that it's going to be heartbreaking to see him suffer his first loss in almost four years when he crosses paths with Aldo.

An argument could be made that the time is now for the 25-year-old Holloway to ascend to the throne, as he has less wear and tear on him than Aldo, and appears to be peaking at just the right time. The problem is that "Blessed" at his best still won't be good enough to take Aldo down.

Aldo is maybe the greatest striker in MMA history, and, outside of his uncharacteristically awful performance against Conor McGregor, he's punished every fighter who's dared to stand with him. That's exactly what Holloway will try to do, and though he'll likely present a stiff challenge, when the scorecards are read, it's Aldo who will walk out with the unified title.

THE PICK: Aldo

Alexis: Holloway's win streak and dalliance with UFC gold ends in Brazil.

Blessed boasts the technically proficient striking and fluid movement to hang with Aldo for a full five rounds, but he'll meet his match in the Brazilian's first-rate range control and leg kicks. While Aldo proved he needn't rely on his most vaunted weapon to get his hand raised when he outpointed Frankie Edgar last July, expect him to chop away at the game Holloway's footwork with a barrage of his patented leg kicks in the opening rounds, then comfortably coast to another decision.

THE PICK: Aldo

Strawweight

Claudia Gadelha (3-2 UFC, 14-2)
vs.
Karolina Kowalkiewicz (3-1 UFC, 10-1)

Alexis: Kowalkiewicz is in for a world of pain.

While the former strawweight title challenger owns the advantage over Gadelha in the striking department, she lacks the raw power to earn the Brazilian's respect and deter her from shooting for takedowns. Free of the burden of preparing for five rounds - as in her rematch with champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk - expect nothing less than three rounds of ground control from Gadelha.

THE PICK: Gadelha

Lee: There are few strawweights more effective in a three-round fight than "Claudinha." The talented Brazilian only has two losses on her resume, both to Jedrzejczyk, with one coming by a narrow split decision and the other in a five-round fight that exposed issues with Gadelha's conditioning.

Kowalkiewicz is good, but she isn't Jedrzejczyk. Gadelha's powerful wrestling has carried her to wins in most of her fights, and it will be more than enough to stifle Kowalkiewicz's excellent stand-up skills. Gadelha also has enough power in her hands to keep Kowalkiewicz honest, which should result in her winning a unanimous decision and holding her No. 1 contender spot.

THE PICK: Gadelha

Middleweight

Vitor Belfort (14-9 UFC, 25-13)
vs.
Nate Marquardt (13-10 UFC, 35-17-2)

Lee: Belfort and Marquardt have a combined 48 finishes between them, so the only thing that's predictable about this matchup is that it won't be going to the judges.

Marquardt's once sturdy chin is long gone, as evidenced by the four KO losses he's suffered in his past nine fights. Facing the still potent hands of the 40-year-old "Phenom," all it will take is one good tap to put him on ice.

While Belfort's chin is equally deteriorated, his superior speed and a boost from fighting in his hometown should give him the edge in what could be his last UFC fight.

THE PICK: Belfort

Alexis: Belfort may be fulfilling his UFC contract on his own terms, but he won't be going out on them.

The Phenom will likely see his preference for a fire fight obliged by fellow fixture Nate Marquardt, but while he still possesses laser-sighted hands, his miserable three-fight skid betrays a diminished threshold for punishment, which makes him as good as doomed. Like Belfort, Marquardt's seen better days, but he can still put many a mortal's lights out with one to the kisser. If he can survive Belfort's early efforts to finish the fight, "The Great" will hand him such a fate.

THE PICK: Marquardt

Middleweight

Paulo Borrachinha (1-0 UFC, 9-0)
vs.
Oluwale Bamgbose (1-2 UFC, 6-2)

Alexis: Whoever hits pay dirt first will take this battle of fast-starting strikers, and Bamgbose's unorthodox style says he'll be that man. "The Holy War Angel" tends to keep his foes guessing by switching stances, and boasts a deeper arsenal than Borrachinha, who'll have a rougher go of imposing his will than in his drubbing of Garreth McLellan.

Bamgbose by first-round knockout.

THE PICK: Bamgbose

Lee: It's not often that Bamgbose faces a foe with a more imposing physique than Borrachinha, but that's exactly the dilemma he'll face Saturday when he squares off with the imposing Brazilian.

Bamgbose has shown himself to have a varied, exciting striking style - a trait that may actually do him more harm than good in this matchup. If he can't establish distance early, Borrachinha will walk him down and bully him against the cage with his boxing.

Look for The Holy War Angel to eventually succumb to a flurry of punches in the second round.

THE PICK: Borrachinha

Welterweight

Erick Silva (7-6 UFC, 19-7)
vs.
Yancy Medeiros (4-4 UFC, 14-4)

Lee: One of MMA's most volatile glass cannons, Silva is nearly impossible to predict. His enormous talent has never been questioned. It's his mental approach that leaves his cheerleaders scratching their heads.

Silva blows through mediocre welterweights and struggles against upper-tier talent, so the question is where Medeiros resides in that hierarchy. He looked fine in his lone appearance at welterweight, and his previous performances at 155 pounds indicate he's a notch above Silva's past victims.

That's more than good enough for Medeiros to play the spoiler in Silva's home country.

THE PICK: Medeiros

Alexis: Silva usually gets his hand raised when he fights in his native Brazil, and Saturday won't prove any different.

The 32-year-old has won each of his last four fights in Brazil, and gets a similarly streaky converted lightweight in Medeiros. The Hawaiian impressed in his 170-pound debut - a second-round tapout of Sean Spencer - but he's struggled against stiffer competition. Look for Silva to get back to his wild self and break Medeiros for a late-round finish in a replay of his win over Luan Chagas.

THE PICK: Silva