UFC Vegas 78 was a pretty much fun card to watch, but the main event was a pretty boring fight, where Vicente Luque edged Rafael dos Anjos out for a unanimous decision win. The co-main will always be remembered for a questionable call by the judges. Hakeem Dawodu outstruck Cub Swanson in every single round, but somehow Swanson’s hand was raised at the end of the bout.
Before we start with the UFC analysis, let’s look back at the Bellator 298 main event, where Logan Storley dominated Brennan Ward and finished him via big ground-and-pound shots.
UFC Vegas 78 Rewards
Dana White said no to the “Fight of the Night” bonus, but four fighters were granted the Performance of the Night reward and 50,000 dollars.
The preliminary card was a real banger. Da’Mon Blackshear shocked Jose Johnson via a rare twister submission finish, while Marcus McGhee destroyed JP Buys with one powerful punch. McGhee refused to punish JP Buys on the ground, it was a great act of sportsmanship.
Polyana Viana was submitted by Iasmin Lucindo. Despite she is only 21 years old, Lucindo might reach the top of the division very soon after a nasty arm-triangle win over a BJJ goddess. Khalil Rountree dropped Daukaus with a big left hand, then finished him on the canvas with massive GNP bombs. Daukaus’ first cut to 205 didn’t go well.
UFC 292 Is Heading Our Way
The most famous mixed martial arts promotion travels to TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, United States, for another pay-per-view fight card. Unfortunately, Cody Garbrandt vs Mario Bautista will not take place because of Cody’s injury. Plus, Ian Garry’s opponent was changed last week – Geoff Neal cannot fight, so Neil Magny hoped in on short notice.
In the main event of the evening, Sean O’Malley will try to dethrone Aljamain Sterling. O’Malley is known for amazing kicks and top-notch long-range fighting and movement, so this could be a really fun fight to watch. Sean turned the lights out on many opponents via big straight and spinning kicks, he’s a fan-favorite for a reason.
Aljamain Sterling is a very tricky fighter – he can fight from both stances, and he is known for excellent feints and transitions. Aljo changes levels like a natural and fights very well off his back and in the stand-up. He is a submission specialist, but his tricky strikes could give everybody a hard time. “Aljo” likes to change angles and move laterally, which might be a big problem for O’Malley.
Prediction: over 2.5 rounds
The co-main event looks amazing too, as one-punch knockout artist Weili “Magnum” Zhang will square off against dangerous Amanda Lemos in a title defense bout.
Weili Zhang turned the lights out on Jessica Andrade, she can throw violent strikes and destroy everybody. Her takedown defense is solid, but it is hard to believe that Lemos will try to drag the combat to the ground. Zhang likes to counter and transition from defense to offense and vice versa, this could be a great fight. Her slugfest against Joanna Jedrzejczyk is to this day the greatest female UFC fight of all time.
Amanda Lemos is pretty technical, but her strikes are very powerful. Her left-hand counters rarely miss, and she hits very fast. Lemos likes to change angles and punish her enemies with tricky strikes, but it is hard to see this fight lasting for 25 minutes.
Prediction: the fight will not go the distance
UFC 292 Fight Card
Let’s take a look at the UFC 292 full fight card. Unfortunately, there are only 10 bouts, and there were many cancellations, but I expect UFC will add some bouts this week, so please check this link too for potential last-minute changes. https://www.tapology.com/fightcenter/events/101022-ufc-292
Main Card (ESPN+ PPV, 10 PM ET, 4 AM CET)
UFC Bantamweight Championship (135 pounds): Aljamain Sterling (23-3-0) vs. Sean O’Malley (16-1-0)
UFC Strawweight Championship (115 pounds): Weili Zhang (23-3-0) vs. Amanda Lemos (13-2-1)
Welterweight (170 pounds): Neil Magny (28-10-0) vs. Ian Machado Garry (12-0-0)
Bantamweight (135 pounds): Marlon Vera (22-8-1) vs. Pedro Munhoz (20-7-0)
Preliminary Card (ESPN, ESPN+, UFC On Fight Pass, 8 PM ET, 2 AM CET)
Middleweight (185 pounds): Chris Weidman (15-6-0) vs. Brad Tavares (19-8-0)
Middleweight (185 pounds): Gregory Rodrigues (13-5-0) vs. Denis Tiuliulin (11-7-0)
Preliminary Card (ESPN+, UFC On Fight Pass, 6:30 PM ET, 00:30 AM CET)
Middleweight (185 pounds): Gerald Meerschaert (35-16-0) vs. Andre Petroski (9-1-0)
Flyweight (125 pounds): Andrea Lee (13-7-0) vs. Natália Silva (15-5-1)
Flyweight (125 pounds): Maryna Moroz (11-4-0) vs. Karine Silva (16-4-0)
TUF 31 Lightweight Tournament Championship (155 pounds): Kurt Holobaugh (19-7-0) vs. Austin Hubbard (15-6-0)
Kurt Holobaught and Austin Hubbard showed their toughness at TUF 31 tournament and reached the finals, so this could be a very close bout. Karine Silva is a finisher, she will try to dominate Maryna Moroz right off the bat. Natalia Silva is known for very powerful punches and kicks, so Andrea Lee will have to drag the fight to the ground by any means necessary. Gerald Meerschaert vs Andre Petroski is a fun fight, as a submission expert meets a wrestling phenom. If you love ground war, you will enjoy this battle.
Gregory Rodrigues shouldn’t have a hard time against Denis Tiuliulin, he just needs to drag the bout to the ground. Also, this is Chris Weidman’s last attempt to get back to the top of the division. Brad Tavares is very tough, so this fight is a be or not to be for the former UFC 185-pound division champion.
Marlon Vera will try to outsmart Pedro Munhoz in a three-round war. Ian Garry’s opponent was changed on short notice, but Neil Magny and Geoff Neal have pretty much similar fighting styles. If Garry wins again, he might earn his spot at the top of the 170-pound division roster.
UFC 292 Full Card Predictions
My UFC 292 full fight card picks and predictions are available in the playlist below.
The upcoming event doesn’t look too good at the moment, but there are two title fights, so you will probably enjoy it. Give UFC 292 a shot and be next to your TV/PC/phone on Saturday!
