UFC 282 Preview and Predictions
The UFC is closing out its 2022 pay-per-view this weekend with UFC 282 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card has undergone a handful of changes as multiple fighters had to pull out of fights with injuries. Nonetheless, the card is stacked with great fights. The main event features a light heavyweight title fight between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev. Vendetta Sports Media is here to preview and predict each fight on the main card.
James Herrick: 56-39
Garrett Burroughs: 61-34
Jerry Walker: 9-6
Anthony Miranda: 26-19
No. 10 Bryce Mitchell vs. No. 14 Ilia Topuria- Featherweight
James: The UFC 282 main card will start with one of the best fights on the card as Bryce Mitchell takes on Ilia Topuria. Mitchell and Topuria are both elite prospects that have graduated to ranked competition. The stakes will be high as the winner will receive a jump in featherweight status. Thus far, Mitchell has compiled a slightly better resume as he has a dominant win over Edson Barboza. In total, Mitchell has gone 15-0 in MMA with a 6-0 UFC record. Topuria’s record is not far behind as he is 12-0 in MMA with a 4-0 UFC record.
This fight is a fascinating stylistic clash. Both fighters have areas where they excel. Mitchell is a phenomenal grappler while Topuria is an outstanding striker. Mitchell gets his grappling done with solid takedowns and great top control. He has a unique ability on top to advance position while still controlling position. Mitchell can also land submissions and work ground and pound into his grappling. For Topuria, his striking is centered around his boxing. He throws great combos and often mixes with the grappling. Despite each fighter’s obvious strengths, they are fairly well-rounded and are underrated in other areas of their game. In the case of Mitchell, he has developed fundamental striking while Topuria has slich Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
In this bout I like Mitchell. I like both fighters, but I think Mitchell’s dominant grappling will win this fight. Even though Topuria is solid on the ground, I think Mitchell will be able to deny him the space needed to sweep or stand up. I will take Mitchell by decision.
Garrett: Mitchell via submission
Jerry: Mitchell via decision
Anthony: Topuria via decision
No. 10 Darren Till vs. No. 14 Dricus Du Plessis- Middleweight
James: Darren Till is looking to get on track at UFC 282 as he takes on emerging prospect Dricus Du Plessis. At first glance, this seems like a changing of the guard as Till has been on a rough patch while Du Plessis has been on a continuous upward trajectory. The downfall for Till has come in the form of a 1-4 record tracking back to his title fight with Tyron Woodley. Still, before that point, he established himself as an elite prospect, hence why he still has an 18-4-1 record and a 6-4-1 UFC record. Meanwhile, Du Plessis has yet to work his way to a 17-2 record and a 3-0 UFC record.
Till has not been successful as of late, but that does not mean he is completely done. He still has a lot of solid attributes. Most notable is his technical striking. He had good counterpunching, solid body kicks, and great elbows on the outside. The issue with Till’s striking is that he throws in low output. Meanwhile, Du Plessis is an aggressive striker. The majority of his best work comes in blitzing of heavy strikes. Plus, he has respectable grappling that he can use to diversify his offensive attack.
In this bout, I like Till. Frankly, at this point in their careers, I think Till is slightly underrated while Du Plessis is overrated. Stylistically, I think Till will be able to land counterstrikes as Du Plessis enters into exchanges. I will take Till by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Till via TKO
Jerry: Till via decision
Anthony: Till via knockout
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Alex Morono- Welterweight
James: Alex Morono stepped in on short notice to take on Santiago Ponzinibbio after Robbie Lawler was forced to pull out of the bout. Personally, I prefer this fight. I love Robbie Lawler and I do not think fighting Ponzinnibio at UFC 282 would have been a good idea. Morono has looked good lately so this may end up being a good opportunity for Ponzinibbio. In fact, Morono has won four straight fights and has quietly put together an 11-4 UFC record. Ponzinibbio has not been as fortunate as of late. Since returning from injury in 2021, he has gone 1-3. That is misleading though. In his return fight, he clearly had some ring rust and ended up losing to Li Jingliang. After that, he was on the wrong side of split decisions against Geoff Neal and Michel Pereira. Despite not getting his hand raised in either of those bouts, he passed the eye test.
I expect this fight to be a close and entertaining fight that takes place on the feet. Ponzinibbio is a very good striker that manages range well. He has solid boxing combinations, good speed, and solid power. His kicks are underrated too. Morono has a lot of similar traits. He is going to look to get his boxing going. The difference is that he probably will not throw as many kicks.
In this fight, I like Ponzinibbio. These two have a lot of similar skills, but if you were to compare the two, Ponzinibbio looks a little better. Plus, Morono is coming in on short notice. That will not help his chances. I will take Ponzinibbio by decision.
Garrett: Ponzinibbio by decision
Jerry: Ponzinibbio via decision
Anthony: Ponzinibbio via decision
Paddy Pimblett vs. Jared Gordon- Lightweight
James: In the UFC 282 co-main event, the UFC’s newest star Paddy Pimblett will take center stage as he fights Jared Gordon. This fight is a significant step up in competition for Pimblett. He is 3-0 in the UFC, but he has not fought anyone the caliber of Gordon. Gordon is an established fighter that has compiled a 7-4 UFC record and is widely respected as a tough fighter to beat. If Pimblett can win this fight he will be one, large, step closer to the UFC rankings.
This fight should be entertaining. First of all, Pimblett is an entertaining fighter. Secondly, I am intrigued to see how Pimblett looks against someone of Gordon’s caliber. Pimblett will look to utilize his tremendous finishing ability in this fight. When the fight is on the ground, he will look to demonstrate his toolbox of unconventional submissions to land a finish. On the feet, he will look to land power strikes. This is usually done through a flurry of punches or aggressive kicks. To beat Pimblett, Gordon will need to stay safe while making Pimblett tire. Once he does that, he can look to increase the pressure with boxing.
I do have a hard time seeing Gordon get the job done. Gordon is a very well-rounded fighter that has great cardio. That skill set can be a lot of fighters. The issue with Gordon is that he is good at a lot, but he is not great at anything. As a result, I do not think his grappling is good enough to pair with Pimblett’s and his striking is not good enough to constantly outwork Pimblett on the feet. Plus, Pimblett will have a size advantage which will just make those issues worse. I do think Pimblett is overrated, but I do not think Gordon is the one to end his hot streak. I will take Pimblett by second-round submission.
Garrett: Gordon via TKO
Jerry: Pimblett via submission
Anthony: Pimblett via knockout
No. 3 Jan Blachowicz vs. No. 4 Magomed Akaleav- Light Heavyweight Title Fight
James: Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev was not the light heavyweight title fight that we expected for UFC 282, but it is the one that we are getting. If you are unaware, former champion Jiri Prochazka was supposed to defend his title at UFC 282 against Glover Teixiera; however, he got injured and the fight was scrapped. Out of respect for the rest of the division, he vacated the belt. The UFC then elevated Blachowicz and Ankalaev to the main event and put the belt on the line. In all honesty, this does feel like a number-one contender bout. Nonetheless, each fighter has proven to be championship-caliber in the past.
Blochowicz is a former UFC light heavyweight champion. He only defended the belt once. Although, in that defense, he strategically ended Israel Adesanya’s double champ aspirations in impressive fashion. It is one of the most underrated performances in recent memory. Blachowicz did end up losing the belt one fight later and has been trying to get another title opportunity since. Ankalaev has been chasing a light heavyweight title fight too. In his case, he has gone on a nine-fight with wins Anthony Smith, Thiago Santos, and Volkan Oezdemir to get this opportunity.
Each of these fighters has aspects of their style that I love. Blachowicz is one of the best strikers in the division. The most well-known facet of his game is his signature, legendary polish power. Do not let that distract you from his technical ability. He is a very smart fighter that comes in with a good game plan that he usually executes to a tee. Overall, he is an efficient and powerful kickboxer. He throws very solid boxing combos, he mixes to the body well, and he throws powerful body kicks that deal a lot of damage. Defensively, he stays safe and defends kicks well which will come in handy against Ankalaev. For Ankalaev, he is great at staying on the outside and landing kicks and straight shots. He also has great wrestling that he can use to help win close rounds. The issue with Ankalaev is that he is not very active. That has yet to hurt him though.
I see legitimate reasons to take Blachowicz, the underdog, here. I think he is one of the few fighters that have the defense to hold up against Ankalaev. Plus, he can disrupt the range by getting inside and landing punches. If this becomes a point fight competition, Blachowicz is very technical and could hold up. Lastly, he has more finishing upside which is always nice. The issue with Blachowicz is that Ankalaev could out-wrestle him. I will take the risk though because this fight could stay standing for long periods of time. I will take Blachowicz by decision.
Garrett: Ankaleav via decision
Jerry: Ankaleav via decision
Anthony: Blachowicz via knockout
