Fight to Win 166 starts on March 13 at 7pm ET. In the main event,  Gabriel Almeida will pick up where he left off in 2020, taking on yet another legend in Rafael Lovato Jr.

Two of central Texas’ finest will show down in a no-gi matchup when veteran black belt Manuel Ribamar takes on the 2020 Breakthrough Grappler of the Year, William Tackett.

Veteran versus rising star appears to be something of a trend at Fight to Win 166, as in the co-main event, Atos’ Lucas Pinheiro will face another 2020 breakthrough nominee, Joshua Cisneros. 

Main event: Rafael Lovato Jr vs Gabriel Almeida

Michael: Gabriel Almeida is a very game opponent, he has some big wins at F2W like against Roberto Jimenez.

 Lovato is a tough matchup for him here though, he should be giving up some size and against someone as technical as Lovato that is going to be difficult.

 I think it is classic Lovato, he patiently smashes his way through the guard before finishing with a cross choke from the mount.

Hywel: It was a tough year for Lovato Jr. who explained to me that while his excitement to return to the gi suffered because of the combined issues of having relinquished his Bellator title and stop fighting and the pressures of opening a gym just two weeks before the pandemic hit. 

As such, his results were not as consistent as we're accustomed to seeing, but he feels that he's fixed these issues and is ready for a new set of challenges. Almeida will be a tough one, as the Checkmat black belt has nothing to lose and will aggressively come after Lovato Jr. 

Almeida had a staggering 34 matches in 2020, going 24-10 but only losing to top-ranked opponents. I predict Almeida will push Lovato Jr. hard but the veteran should take this one. Lovato Jr. via submission.

 Corey: You have to give credit to Gabriel Almeida. 

He spent all of 2020 taking on some of the most legendary figures in the sport, and he's keeping that trend going against Rafael Lovato Jr. Lovato seems to be back in full force on the mats, with a recent three-submission day at the Dallas Open. 

Almeida is fearless, and will likely bring the action to Lovato, but that's where Lovato operates best. Lovato beat Almeida's teammate, Arnaldo Maidana, via cross choke on the Fight to Win mats, and I expect a similar outcome here.

Prediction: Lovato by mounted cross choke

William Tackett vs Manuel Ribamar

Michael: Ribamar looked a little big against Dante, and it appeared to affect his performance, like a lot of people I felt Dante won that match. 

Tackett is not only fast but doesn't slow down, he has an endless gas tank and can scramble for days.

 I think Tackett learns from Dante's mistake and pushes the pace throughout, winning by decision in the end.

Hywel: This is a fun match, Tackett had a ton of success in 2020 and tapped out big names including Andrew Wiltse, Jason Rau, Tex Johnson and Fellipe Andrew. 

No wonder he got named FloGrappling Breakthrough Grappler of the Year. Tackett has the tools, but Ribamar is a black belt no-gi world champ and his recent decision win against Dante Leon showed he fixed the mistakes he made when he was finished by Jon Blank. 

Riba also worked with his wife Nathiely in preparation for her match with Gabi Garcia, so I feel like this extra time on the mat will help him even further.

 That said, I see Tackett taking this one via a higher workrate and lessons learned by watching Riba's match with Dante. Probably by decision. 

 Corey: In most instances, it would be unusual to pick the brown belt over the black belt no-gi world champion. But in this instance, I think it's the right call. There's no denying Ribamar's jiu-jitsu is world-class. But I think Tackett has the ability to beat, and submit, anybody you put in front of him. It's hard to poke holes in Riba's game, but Tackett will likely have the best opportunity with leg attacks.

Prediction: Tackett by heel hook

Lucas Pinheiro vs Josh Cisneros

Michael:  This is a great match between two 2020 Pan champions. Josh has a lot of potential, he beat Paulo Miyao shortly after receiving his black belt, but I think Pinheiro's experience is the factor here and he wins a referee decision.

Hywel: Josh Cisneros is the man of the moment in the lighter weight divisions. In only a few months he's earned wins over Isaac Doederlein, Paulo Miyao, Richar Nogueira and Thiago Macedo, all respected names. 

He will have a small size advantage against Pinheiro, who usually competes rooster or light-featherweight, but from what I've heard this won't matter much as Pinheiro is said to be incredibly strong for his size and his top pressure looks phenomenal.

 Cisneros is smart and has nothing to lose, I believe Pinheiro will need to be careful in tempering his aggression with a smart strategy for this ruleset. A tough one to call– I'm going with Pinheiro via decision. 

 Corey:  For my money, this is the best matchup of the night. Josh Cisneros is 9-1 since earning his black belt. He's collected wins over some of the best in the featherweight classes already, including Paulo Miyao and Isaac Doederein. Lucas Pinheiro is another of the top-ranked competitors in the lightest divisions; he's 28-4 since 2019, and the 27-year old, now the top-ranked roosterweight, seems to be reaching his prime.

Both of these competitors are experienced on the Fight to Win stage, but Pinheiro has had a lot more action as a black belt. Despite the size disparity, I think Pinheiro has the edge in this matchup; but it's a toss-up.

Prediction: Pinheiro by decision