Fairly weak card after losing the main event a couple of weeks ago, but still there's money to be made
2/6.00 TAMIRES VIDAL KO,TKO,DQ,SUB +300
2.42/2 TAMIRES VIDAL -121 ...UFC debut for Vidal and she owns a sizeable athletic edge today. Pascual may have the tools to get the fight to the mat early and control the fight. But sometimes at this stage, simple decision-making may not be in the cards. I'm thinking it goes to a slugfest and Vidal gets a KO
2/4.00 JAKE HADLEY KO,TKO,DQ,SUB +200 ...Candelario's a bit technically limited, although a gritty scrapper whose reckless abandon creates both risk and reward equally. He probably has the explosivity to catch Hadley by surprise on the feet, but as seen against Tatsuro Taira, he can be ground down on the mat. Hadley, hopefully, has progressed after the loss to Allan Nascimento. I'm backing him finding a stoppage with a likely sub.
JOHNNY MUNOZ JR(11-2) VS LIUDVIK SHONLINIAN(9-2-1)
Shonlinian Decision ...Munoz may be a slick grappler but he still lacks the wrestling chops to force his preferred fight. Shonlinian lost his debut emphatically to Jack Shore but proved difficult to take down. Liidvik may not offer much on the feet, but he will be tough on the may...especially if he finds top control.
Viana ...Frey should win this tailor-made stylistic match-up by simply laying on top of Polyana. After watching Frey fail to implement such a game plan against Vanessa Demopoulos, Polyana has to be considered our fav based on a willingness to lead the fight alone. Frey is an aging, blown-up Atomweight giving up too much size to factor in the UFC Strawweight division.
MARIO BAUTISTA(10-2) VS BENITO LOPEZ(10-1)
Bautista ...Lopez has been out of the octagon since 2019, owing to injuries, but The Golden Boy is just 28 years old with enough time left to shake off the ring rust. Lopez has never felt comfortable in the clinch, however – an area where Bautista excels. Bautista’s power on the feet should also cause early problems for Lopez too.
Maverick early sub ...The Shanimal is comedically limited, yet her victory over Gina Mazany spoke to her grittiness and surprising improvement in her TDD. It still feels like Young has not developed her entire game to prevent anything other than a repeat of Maverick’s first-round submission over Young in Invicta back in 2019. Maverick is better than her record and should dominate even if she doesn't get the early finish.
DARRICK MINNER(26-13) VS SHAYILAN NUERDANBIEKE(37-10)
Minner round 1 ...Wolverine is a largely unknown quantity despite nearly 50 fights...as that's the product of regional competition in Asia. A solid lay’n’pray wrestler, it is likely safer to back Nuerdanbieke riding out a decision after surviving Minner’s early threat – but let's take a shot at the early finish.
Dawson ...With all his wrestling ability, Grant Dawson has fallen in love with his hands in recent years. He has a fair amount of power, but his boxing hinges on athleticism rather than any technical points of note. Madsen offers equally potent wrestling, yet struggles with a mediocre gas tank. Backing Dawson to better stamp his mark on what should be a very contested matchup.
TAGIR ULANBEKOV(13-2) VS NATE MANESS(14-2)
Ulanbekov Decision ...Maness remains a constant powerful threat throughout a fight while carrying a granite chin...to just wait for a prime opportunity. Mayhem is also slick in the pocket with good pop, but he can be kept at bay on the outside with slick footwork and volume. Ulanbekov lacks the athletic gifts of Umar Nurmagomedov, yet his sharp boxing skillset and relentless wrestling are tools that can keep the Dagestani safe from Maness’ greatest threats.
JOSH PARISIAN(15-5) VS CHASE SHERMAN
Sherman KO ...The safest call would be Parisian gritting out a decision over a notoriously fragile fighter in Chase Sherman. Parisian’s wrestling threat is tailor-made to grind Sherman out mentally on the mat, but the former’s lack of technical skills is too much to overlook. Also, you may point out Sherman’s inability to utilize his power effectively. Toss-up, I'll ride the KO train...
UFC Vegas 64: Co-Main Event
NEIL MAGNY(26-9) VS DANIEL RODRIGUEZ(17-2)
Rodriguez ...The Haitian Sensation is exceptionally well-rounded, smartly using his long frame to dictate fights through his jab on the outside and size in the clinch. His greatest success maybe has been his ability to adapt deep into fights, but there is some worry that we witnessed the start of a physical slide against Shavkat Rakhmonov. D-Rod is a crafty boxer with exceptional timing and a consistent volume at range, but the test will be whether Rodriguez can handle Magny’s stifling clinch game. Personally, I expect D-Rod to answer Magny’s jab with tons of volume.
ondering:
