There were so many unknown young guns at the UFC Vegas 69, but never judge the book by its cover! We’ve seen a great night of fights, especially in the preliminary card, where almost every battle ended via stoppage!
The dark horse of the 125-pound division Erin Blanchfield pulled out an upset in the main event of the evening, where she defeated Jessica Andrade via a second-round rear-naked choke. Despite being an underdog, the 23-year-old young gun was waiting for a perfectly-timed opportunity to drag the combat to the ground, where she quickly finished the Brazilian former 115-pound competitor.
Dana White was very impressed by this finish, so Erin took home the 50k bonus for the Performance of the Night. Erin also said after the combat that she’d like to fight for the title.
The second 50k bonus was given to Mayra Bueno Silva. “Sheetara” took part in a close fight with elbow specialist Lina Lansberg, but as soon as she dragged the combat to the ground, the Muay Thai phenom could not dodge her submission skills. The kneebar was too much for the Swedish competitor and was a victory for Mayra.
Nazim Sadykhov and Evan Elder were taking part in a lovely fight at the end of the preliminary card. Elder was up by two rounds, but unfortunately, a massive cut at the beginning of the third round led to a doctor stoppage, so Sadykhov scored another win. Yet, Dana White was impressed by the fight, and both fighters banked an extra 50k for the Fight of the Night.
The UFC will not change its location this weekend, as it stays in the UFC Apex Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, for another great night of fights. This time, Nikita Krylov will meet Ryan Spann in the main event of the evening.
Photo: @UFCBrasil Twitter
Nikita Krylov is known for his top-notch chin, striking, and excellent Sambo experience. He is a great all-around fighter, equally dangerous on the feet and in the full guard. He is patient, and his cardio rocks; this will be challenging for Spann.
On the other hand, Ryan Spann is a master of solid strikes with questionable cardio, as he cuts many pounds to hit the 205-pound scale limit. He must finish Krylov in the first round. Otherwise, it will be a big problem for his great punches to land due to Nikita’s great ducking and footwork skills.
Prediction: Krylov to win
The co-main event of the evening will be a banger, as a superb submission specialist Andre Muniz squares off against a decorated all-around fighter Brendan Allen. Allen is a better striker, but Muniz is a master of submission switches, so this could be the clash of styles. Allen must keep this one standing if he plans to score a win.
Prediction: the fight will not go the distance
You can look at the full fight card here, but I advise you to check this link, too, due to potential last-minute changes.
Main Card (ESPN+, UFC on Fight Pass, 7 PM ET, 1 AM CET)
Light Heavyweight (205 pounds): Nikita Krylov (29-9-0) vs. Ryan Spann (21-7-0)
Middleweight (185 pounds): André Muniz (23-4-0) vs. Brendan Allen (20-5-0)
Heavyweight (265 pounds): Augusto Sakai (15-5-1) vs. Don’Tale Mayes (9-4-0)
Flyweight (125 pounds): Tatiana Suarez (8-0-0) vs. Montana De La Rosa (12-7-1)
Welterweight (170 pounds): Mike Malott (8-1-1) vs. Yohan Lainesse (9-1-0)
Lightweight (155 pounds): Erick Gonzalez (14-7-0) vs. Trevor Peek (7-0-0)
Preliminary Card (ESPN+, UFC on Fight Pass, 4 PM ET, 10 PM CET)
Flyweight (125 pounds): Gabriella Fernandes (8-1-0) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius 7-2-0
Lightweight (155 pounds): Jordan Leavitt (10-2-0) vs. Victor Martinez (13-4-0)
Flyweight (125 pounds): Ode Osbourne (11-5-0) vs. Charles Johnson (13-3-0)
Lightweight (155 pounds): Joe Solecki (12-3-0) vs. Carl Deaton III (17-5-0)
Lightweight (155 pounds): Nurullo Aliev (8-0-0) vs. Rafael Alves (20-11-0)
Bantamweight (135 pounds): Hailey Cowan (7-2-0) vs. Ailin Perez (7-2-0)
Bantamweight (135 pounds): Jose Johnson (15-7-0) vs. Garrett Armfield (8-3-0)
You can check my UFC Vegas 70 full-card predictions here.
But that is not all – Bellator 291 takes place this weekend in 3Arena, Dublin, Ireland, so it will be an excellent time for Europe-based fans of the fastest-growing sport in the world! What a spectacle we have this weekend!
Photo: @BellatorMMA Twitter
Yaroslav Amosov will rematch Logan Storley in the main event of the evening. The Ukrainian Sambo specialist will have a hard time because Storley is known for his tremendous pressure and chain wrestling. Last time, Amosov earned a split decision nod after a very close fight. This fight could go all the way, but Yaroslav is a better striker and a more well-rounded fighter, so he could score a win if this one goes to the judges’ scorecards.
Prediction: Amosov, via decision
The co-main event of the evening brings the clash of styles – a hard-hitting stand-up hillbilly from Portugal, Pedro Carvalho, will try to defeat superb Canadian wrestler and top control expert Jeremy Kennedy. He should be fine if Pedro keeps the fight on his feet. But Kennedy sticks like glue; if the Canadian presses him against the cage or takes him down, it’s will be a problem for Carvalho!
Prediction: the fight will not go the distance
You can enjoy my Bellator’s main card predictions here:
What a lovely holiday for the fans of the greatest, fastest-growing sport in the world. You can kick off your day with Bellator 291 wars and end it with a fabulous UFC Vegas 70 night! Please don’t go anywhere this Saturday; there will be many knockouts!
