UFC Vegas 89 predictions & odds

Edmen Shahbazyan (-205) vs. AJ Dobson (+170)

Middleweights looking to make their way toward top-15 competition face off when Shahbazyan (12-4) meets AJ Dobson (7-2). Shahbazyan was once considered a blue-chip prospect but has fallen on hard times. He's 1-4 in his last five fights. The good news is that he is only 26 years old and is now in excellent hands in terms of his coaches at Xtreme Couture. Shahbazyan has a lot of UFC experience for someone his age. He also has massive athletic potential. His current challenge is channeling that ability against tougher opponents and breaking into the division's upper echelon.

Dobson is only one inch shorter than Shahbazyan, standing 6 feet 1 inches tall. He has a one-inch reach advantage with a 76-inch spread. The 32-year-old is well-rounded but not as experienced as Shahbazyan. He is 1-2 in the UFC and has not faced an opponent with the caliber or level of competition Shahbazyan has. Holding Shahbazyan down and keeping him from showing off his smooth kickboxing is Dobson's best hope. If Dobson takes the fight to the ground, he can exploit Shahbazyan's tendency to give up dominant positions and get hit with ground 'n pound.

Prediction: Shahbazyan by decision

Karl Williams (-192) vs. Justin Tafa (+160)

This heavyweight co-main event between Karl Williams (9-1) and Tafa (7-3) will surely rock the Octagon. Williams is on a six-fight winning streak. He has two straight UFC victories and a DWCS win. The 34-year-old is an imposing force, standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and carrying a 79-inch reach. He trains out of ATT Atlanta, where he hones his strong wrestling game. Williams has six decisions on his record. He doesn't often finish opponents, instead preferring to grind them out over three rounds, testing their cardio and defensive wrestling.

Tafa must use his stocky 6-foot-tall build to stay under Williams and avoid the ground. The 30-year-old Tafa is one of heavyweight's most intimidating power punchers. His scary one-shot ability has earned him a perfect finishing rate with of seven career knockouts. His power can end the fight anytime his fists close in on someone's chin. Tafa was able to get on the inside and clobber the much taller and longer Austen Lane, so look for him to implement the same strategy on Williams.

Prediction: Tafa by round-one knockout