Predicting Fight Night Gamrot vs Salkilld

Sportz Nation Staff
7 hours ago
8 min read

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen

Sportz Nation - 8/8/2026

In our FN Du Medic v Rodriguez Predictions, which you can find here

Zak went 4-2 in picks with 3 methods for 7 points.

Matt went 5-1 in picks with 2 methods for 7 points.

Points To Date:

Zak: 149 (100-54)

Matt: 135 (88-60)

*All odds courtesy of Caesar's Sportsbook on 8/7

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8Mateusz Gamrot vs

12Quillan Salkilld

(Salkilld -150)

Zak Drapeau -

I was talking to friends the other day, and that made me second guess my first notion of this fight, which was that Salkilld will have a field day. In talks with them, I now feel like Gamrot will spam takedowns until eventually holding Salkilld down for a round or two, and that could make Rounds 3-5 very interesting.

I'm still gonna go with the prospect in this one because of his size advantage and violence, but I would not be surprised if this fight goes into the championship rounds with Gamrot ahead on the cards with 5+ takedowns and 5 minutes of control time. In the end, a 5" reach advantage and cinder blocks for hands should be enough for Salkilld to stay undefeated in the UFC in his 7th fight. Still, this Main Event might be a really good one.

Prediction: Salkilld by TKO

Matt Hylen -

This should really be a pick 'em fight. Considering how solid a fighter Mateusz Gamrot is and the level prospect Quillan Salkilld is, this fight could truly go either way in my eyes.

As I said, Gamrot is as solid as they come. He may not have the talent or skill to become a title contender, but he dominates every lesser opponent he faces. We all know what he can do on the ground, but what has helped him the most is that his striking is much improved from when we first saw him in the UFC. He is a prospect killer, but also one of the biggest gatekeepers the UFC has to offer.

With Salkilld, he might be the biggest prospect in the promotion currently. The scary part about him is that despite the TKO/KO streak he has been on, he considers himself to be a grapple-first fighter. He just has so much power in his punches and kicks that he has yet to showcase his ability on the ground in the UFC.

My only issue with Salkilld in this fight is that Gamrot is a big step up in competition. Benil Dariush may have gotten him into the rankings, but Dariush is absolutely washed and a shell of who he once was inside the octagon. So, in what will by far be Salkilld's biggest test yet, I think Gamrot is going to make this a back-and-forth fight but controls it for the most part. Would I be shocked if Salkilld gets another finish? No, but Gamrot is too solid a contender and has faced way bigger opponents to make me believe he won't be prepared for what Salkilld has to offer.

Prediction: Gamrot by Decision

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Diego Ferreira vs

Billy Quarantillo

(Ferreira -180)

Zak Drapeau -

Now that we've got the fun and intriguing Main Event out of the way, let's get into the rest of this card, which is, in my opinion, the worst lineup of a Fight Night we've seen all year.

Over the last 3 years, Ferreira is 2-2 and on a losing streak, while Billy Q is also on a 2-fight skid but is 1-3 in the same span. And these guys are the Co-Main Event... Nonetheless, it should be a... "fun" fight, I guess, between two veterans with knockout power. Billy Q has some good wrestling, which has been utilized well against Ferreira in the latter's previous fights.

I don't know what else to say; this is a Co-Main between two washed fighters who are 37 and 41 years old and haven't been relevant in years. Always respect to these fighters and anyone who steps into the cage, but DO BETTER UFC.

Prediction: Quarantillo by Decision

Matt Hylen -

In what is a lackluster card to begin with, this fight isn't anything to write home about. Both Diego Ferreira and Billy Quarantillo are win-loss fighters who have yet to make a name for themselves in the UFC. Sure, styles make fights, but I don't think that can hype this as a worthy co-main event.

What I will say, though, is that we could definitely see a finish in this fight. Both fighters have heavy hands and will pressure you until you crumble. The issue is that neither of them has good defense, and their chin is made of glass.

As Zak said, this is a very underwhelming fight with not much else to say. I think we see a lot of clinch work and holding against the cage, with Quarantillo using his threat of wrestling to dominate Ferreira.

Prediction: Quarantillo by Decision

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Darren Elkins vs

Yadier Del Valle

(Del Valle -800)

Zak Drapeau -

Dude, another blockbuster fight we've been waiting months for! But seriously, Darren Elkins is a cool name to see if the year is 2018, but this is a big fight for Del Valle, who still holds some prospect status to his name, and a knockout win over a veteran like Elkins will do him some good moving forward.

Elkins will now be the second 40-year-old we talk about on this card and has a steady 2-2 record in the last 4 years, including a rear-naked choke win, of which Del Valle has 2 in the same period. When the 42-year-old Elkins gets clipped in either round 1 or 2, another rear-naked choke will probably happen and send the fighters home quickly.

Prediction: Del Valle by Submission

Matt Hylen -

This should be a pretty straightforward fight. Yadier Del Valle is a -800 favorite for a reason. Darren Elkins is not good; he is a win-loss fighter who will use his mediocre wrestling ability to get a finish every once in a while. As for Del Valle, he is coming off his first-ever loss his last time out, but showed enough to make me believe he will dominate this fight.

This should be an absolute breeze for Del Valle. He is much better than Elkins on the ground, which is supposed to be Elkins' calling card, and has a few great submissions in his arsenal. I think this fight ends quickly, with Del Valle getting the finish within a round.

Prediction: Del Valle by Submission

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8Amanda Lemos vs

12Alexia Thainara

(Thainara -265)

Zak Drapeau -

Here is the 2nd most anticipated fight of the card and, (once again) all respect to the fighters, but let's not pretend this is a banger either. Nonetheless, a Top-15 fight that features another 40-year-old, Amanda Lemos may be on her last leg as a ranked strawweight. Alexia Thainara is the heavy favorite with a 3-0 record in the UFC with nothing but dominant performances.

Since Amanda Lemos got a title shot 4 years ago, she is 2-3 with all 5 fights against Top-10 fighters, meaning Thainara is actually her lowest-ranked opponent in over 5 years. The Brazilian is cut from another cloth though, and her relentless pressure mixed with wrestling prowess should make this one as dominant as her priors. Lemos will probably gas out by the 3rd, and Thainara might even be able to get a finish out of this.

Prediction: Thainara by TKO/KO

Matt Hylen -

This is another fight that should be very straightforward. Amanda Lemos is far past her prime and on a very tough losing streak. Alexia Thainara, on the other hand, is on the opposite side of the coin. She is undefeated in the UFC and has shown her unique style on the feet and on the ground.

This should be absolute domination by Thainara. She has been on an absolute tear since her win on Dana White's Contender Series, becoming the next up in the Strawweight division. Plus, Lemos' run at the top is over; she is way too old and has declined too much to make this a competition.

Prediction: Thainara by Submission

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Steven Asplund vs

Guilherme Pat

(Asplund -290)

Zak Drapeau -

Big boys throwing hands, let's go! At this point, I'll take whatever I can get, but this might be fun. Steve Asplund and Guilherme Pat are more than willing to stand in front of each other and throw hands, and while they are heavyweights, they've both shown an ability to go the distance in fistfights in previous outings.

Pat will have a slight size advantage in this one with about a 3" reach and 1" height advantage. I actually like Pat in this one and definitely feel like he should NOT be a 3-1 underdog. Whether the fight goes to a decision or ends in a finish is up in the air, but I'm gonna believe it goes the distance and probably even finishes in a split.

Prediction: Pat by Decision

Matt Hylen -

Why is this fight not the co-main event??? This is, by FAR, the fight I am most looking forward to outside the main event, and for good reason. Both Steven Aspauld and Guilherme Pat aren't afraid to brawl, making this heavyweight clash a very interesting one to predict.

In terms of style, both Pat and Aspauld are very similar. They have good cardio for how massive they are for the division, with heavy hands and good leg kicks. They have chins of steel and aren't afraid to push forward when needed.

With that said, I think Aspauld will use his quicker hands to give Pat a hard time on the feet. He did not lose his last fight by much to Victor Pitrino, who is better than Pat. This should be an absolute war that truly could go either way, but one I think Aspauld will be ready for.

Prediction: Asplund by TKO/KO

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Diar Nurgozhay vs

Bruno Lopes

(Nurgozhay -155)

Zak Drapeau -

This could be one of the more violent fights of the night because Bruno Lopes only knows one speed, and Nurgozhay should be more than willing to oblige.

Lopes has been knocked out in his previous two fights, but against the likes of Stirling and Jacoby, so he should be ready to come in swinging again. Nurgozhay, on the other hand, is coming off his first win in the promotion after starting 0-2 with a masterful showing of boxing in his last one. These two will probably start off slow and feel each other out, but something tells me this is going to get ugly quick, and I'm talking 1st-round quick.

Asplund TKO

Prediction: Lopes by TKO/KO

Matt Hylen -

Speaking of two fighters who fight the exact same way, look no further than Diar Nurgozhay and Bruno Lopes. Both Nurgozhay and Lopes are brawlers who will either finish you or get finished themselves, which I like to see on cards like this.

With both fighters knocking on the door of a potential ranked fight, a lot is at stake for both Nurgozhay and Lopes. Though the résumé of Lopes is far more impressive, I think Nurgozhay has fast enough hands and a better variety of punch locations to overwhelm Lopes in the early stages. That should ultimately lead Nurgozhay to wearing down Lopes' cardio and sending him to the same place Navajo Stirling sent him in Lopes' last fight.

Prediction: Nurgozhay by TKO/KO

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