Fight Night ~ Vegas 58
- Thread starter mrpickem
- Start date
mrpickem
SDQL Badass Stat Boss
UFC Vegas 58: Prelims
- Lawrence ...This may be an entertaining bout even if Lawrence’s boxing lacks many fundamentals, his slick array of kicks makes up for it. His pressure wrestling may well break Kakhrahmonov considering Trevin Jones controlled the Uzbeki prospect. Lawrence can take a pasting on his way to the takedown, however.
- Nzechukwu KO ...A jack of all trades, Roberson’s functioning kickboxing is unlikely to deter more physically imposing 205lbers. Grappling likely has to be the focus of Baby K’s game, yet Roberson has never been a relentless (or massively successful) wrestler. Nzechukwu’s issues are all mental, unwilling to open up in the face of incoming damage. Against one of the smaller LHWs, the Nigerian’s power should be on full display.
- Onama Early KO ...A rematch of an amateur match-up in the KC Fighting Alliance 27, where David Onama won a unanimous decision. It’s unlikely that Armfield will be able to counter in volume as he did in their first affair. Three years later, Onama is a far more refined striker and likely finishes Armfield if he hurts his former dance partner early.
- Shevchenko ...Far too happy to work off her back, an image emerges of Antonina dominating from the top position while Casey fruitlessly searches for an armbar. Casey has never refined her striking from range, allowing Antonina’s technical prowess to shine tonight. Casey can push pace and may be rewarded on the scorecards for it, but more likely "Cast Iron" will have no answers to the lesser Shev’s takedowns.
- Gore ITD ...Gore has shown enough ability to keep upright vs Brundage’s early takedown attempts. Both men are prone to tiring, but Gore’s power, combined with Brundage’s total lack of striking defense, seems plenty.
mrpickem
SDQL Badass Stat Boss
UFC Vegas 58: Main Card
- Mullarkey ITD ...Johnson still has blistering hand speed, but his defense seems to have degraded further. Mullarkey is happy to trade 50/50, but once the Aussie has been tagged enough times, he will shoot. If the fight hits the mat, it could be a classic Michael Johnson capitulation. As Mullarkey has shown exceptional recovery over his career, and Johnson often finds a perfect way to lose, Mullarkey has to be considered a pick in a close-call banger.
- Turcios and over ...Turcios' fight IQ may be questionable, but his adaptive skill set makes him a difficult opponent to game plan against. Turcios will be more than happy if he can drag Zahabi into punch-for-punch trades and ride his gas tank in pulling away late. With Turcios’ high-octane grappling, Zahabi’s real flaws surely emerge.
- Vanderaa KO ...Vanderaa is worse than Sherman in every department apart from mental fortitude. Sherman is a broken husk of a fighter while Vanderaa is consistently durable. As long as the 30-year-old continues to plod forward and press an uncomfortable pace, he will eventually break Sherman’s questionable confidence.
- Nurmagomedov late finish ...Nurmagomedov is a solid striker with some ferocious kicks. Said’s control of range is exceptional, an area where Silva de Andrade has struggled. While the Brazilian will be a threat throughout, it’s unlikely that he will be able to lull Said into his 3rd-highlight-reel-KO in a row. This may well be Said's breakout performance that pushes him into bigger fights.
- Borralho Decision ...Petrosyan showed good TDD and effective scrambles against Gregory Rodrigues last time out. He also possesses natural power and an entertaining array of knockout shots that will ensure it is a tasty affair early. Borralho is a consistent, methodical grappler, however. There is a high chance that Borralho finds Petrosyan’s back and rides out the later rounds with lots of control -time.
mrpickem
SDQL Badass Stat Boss
UFC Vegas 58 Main Event:
RAFAEL DOS ANJOS(31-13) VS RAFAEL FIZIEV(11-1) ~ Lightweight (155)- RDA Decision ...Insanely fast on the outside and in the pocket, Rafael Fiziev manages to balance offense and defense expertly. In a tit-for-tat match with his former sparring partner, Brad Riddell, Fiziev was constantly first to the punch (or kick). While Dos Anjos owns a stellar chin, it would be unwise for the 37-year-old to contemplate anything other than an early grappling-centric approach. Major concerns reside with Fiziev’s questionable gas tank. Bobby Green ate a fair bit of punishment, but he also slipped and rolled with several of Fiziev’s explosive shots. By the mid-point, there was a clear dropoff in output from Rafael. Over five rounds against a consistent pressure fighter in RDA, Fiziev is certain to struggle with the pace by the championship rounds.
