UFC Sydney predictions: Werdum seeks 2nd straight win down under

Prior to Saturday's UFC Fight Night 121 in Sydney, theScore's Themistoklis Alexis makes his picks for the evening's main-card bouts.

Heavyweight

Fabricio Werdum (10-4 UFC, 22-7-1)
vs.
Marcin Tybura (3-1 UFC, 16-2)

The only conceivable reason Werdum agreed to face Tybura in Mark Hunt's stead is it makes for a quick night's work and an easy paycheck.

The Brazilian can certainly hang with Tybura in the stand-up department, but if he wants to celebrate early, he'll ride his first-rate grappling and stage a repeat of his schooling of Walt Harris at UFC 216. Look for Werdum to waste no time in taking the fight to the ground and angling for a submission to snap the Polish heavyweight's three-fight win streak.

THE PICK: Werdum

Women's Flyweight

Bec Rawlings (2-3 UFC, 7-6)
vs.
Jessica-Rose Clark (0-0 UFC, 7-4)

Rawlings' cleaner striking will get her back in the win column.

Much like original opponent Joanne Calderwood, the Aussie will see her preference for a striking battle obliged by Clark, who fills in for Calderwood less than two weeks prior to fight night. A few of Clark's wins have come in style clashes when she was the superior striker, but she'll be in for some comeuppance courtesy of Rawlings, who'll ride her crisp boxing to a sweep of the scorecards.

THE PICK: Rawlings

Welterweight

Tim Means (9-5 UFC, 27-8-1)
vs.
Belal Muhammad (3-2 UFC, 12-2)

In wins over Jordan Mein and Randy Brown, Muhammad kept the action pinned to the fence and rode short striking to victory.

That won't fly against Means.

If they stay in space, Means will pick Muhammad apart in a kickboxing lesson - as in his win over Alex Garcia - and if Muhammad looks to pin him against the fence, Means will crack him with his patented elbows at the first opportunity. Either way, "The Dirty Bird" is getting his hand raised by knockout.

THE PICK: Means

Welterweight

Jake Matthews (4-3 UFC, 10-3)
vs.
Bojan Velickovic (2-2-1 UFC, 15-5-1)

In a clash of disappointing prospects, it's the superior striker who'll get the W.

Matthews' skills on the ground are nothing to sneeze at, but he remains a work in progress on the feet - a deficiency Velickovic should exploit if he can stave off his foe's efforts to bring the action to the mat. The 28-year-old Velickovic likely won't encounter much difficulty in stuffing Matthews' takedown attempts, slowing the fight to his molasses-esque pace and pot-shotting his way to victory.

THE PICK: Velickovic

Middleweight

Elias Theodorou (5-2 UFC, 13-2)
vs.
Daniel Kelly (6-2 UFC, 13-2)

Time and again, "Judo" Dan has exceeded expectations, defied logic, and stolen our hearts by besting younger fighters and superior athletes.

Derek Brunson brought that to an abrupt halt this past June, but Kelly couldn't have picked a more suitable opponent than a fellow "TUF: Nations" alum in Theodorou to get back in the win column. The 29-year-old brings little to the table other than a glorious head of hair; all the more reason to throw logic to the wind and pick the gritty Kelly to take a win on points.

THE PICK: Kelly

Featherweight

Alexander Volkanovski (2-0 UFC, 15-1)
vs.
Shane Young (0-0 UFC, 11-3)

New opponent, same outcome.

Instead of Jeremy Kennedy or Humberto Bandenay, the 29-year-old Volkanovski meets Kiwi Shane Young - who steps in on under one week's notice for his first walk to the Octagon. Game as he is, Young often takes as good as he gives on the feet and can be put on the back foot. Expect Volkanovski to do just that to set up a takedown and cap the newcomer's UFC initiation with a TKO via ground-and-pound.

THE PICK: Volkanovski