UFC 314 Preview And Predictions

UFC 314 Preview And Predictions

The UFC is heading to Miami, Florida, for UFC 314. The fight card is one of the best pay-per-view events of the year. The main event features the return of Alexander Volkanovski in a featherweight title fight where he takes on surging contender Diego Lopes. The card is rounded out with four sensational fights that should deliver violence.

Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict the UFC 314 main card. You can find our prediction records below.

James: 32-31-1

Garrett: 24-22-1

Anthony: 35-28-1

Jerry: 26-27-1

No. 8 Nikita Krylov vs. No. 11 Dominick Reyes- Light Heavyweight Bout 

James: The UFC 314 main card features a light heavyweight bout between Nikita Krylov and Dominick Reyes. Krylov is returning to the octagon after a two-year layoff. He was riding a three-fight winning streak before taking time away from the sport. Reyes is currently under a career resurgence. In his last two fights, he landed knockout victories. That is a massive swing in the right direction after suffering three consecutive knockout losses.  

Krylov is a grappler with decent striking. In striking exchanges, he has solid kicks and powerful hands. That said, his offensive boxing leaves him open to being countered. In the grappling realm, he works to drag the fight to the ground and consistently attempts submission. 

Reyes is an athletic fighter with powerful striking. In his best performances, he hits his opponents with big strikes. This can be done while pressuring or countering opponents. The one massive concern with Reyes is his chin. His durability will likely continue to be a concern throughout his career. 

This UFC 314 bout is a tough fight to preview. Krylov and Reyes both lean into being chaotic, which creates a volatile matchup. Krylov will likely pressure Reyes in the early moments of this bout. That gives him a chance to catch Reyes while also giving Reyes counter opportunities. If either fighter has sustained grappling success, it will likely be to Krylov. Ultimately, I lean toward Krylov because he is more durable and has better grappling. I will take Krylov by first-round knockout. 

Anthony: Krylov via decision

Jerry: Krylov via KO/TKO

No. 13 Bryce Mitchell vs. Jean Silva- Featherweight Bout 

James: The UFC 314 main card highlights a grudge match between Bryce Mitchell and Jean Silva. Mitchell has had a quality UFC tenure. The 30-year-old holds an 8-2 record in the promotion. Meanwhile, Silva is 4-0 since being signed from Dana White’s Contender Series. That run has featured four knockout victories against quality opponents. That has earned him a ranked opponent. This fight has high tension after the build-up that has taken place. Mitchell got himself in controversy after making positive comments about Adolf Hitler. The pair have continued to pile on with trash talk since the fight has been booked. Now, Silva has an opportunity to use Mitchell’s bad publicity to gain fans of his own. 

Mitchell is a grappler with solid BJJ skills. This is best seen when he manages to get the fight to the ground. In the top position, he has dominant control and gets to back. Occasionally, he will work for a submission; however, he prefers securing the position over chasing a finish. The biggest troubles for Mitchell are that he gets hit too often and his takedowns are not elite. This can give opponents opportunities to land big strikes on the feet. The saving grace in his takedowns is that he is willing to attempt open-mat shots in addition to working against the fence. This can help him catch opponents off guard while also helping him establish position when he lands takedowns. 

Silva is a dangerous striker with a ton of power. This is because he has elite physicality for the featherweight division. In terms of his technical skills, he can fight off the front and back foot. This begins with his ability to close distance and land boxing combinations. In addition to that, he can sit back and wait to counter opponents. In either scenario, he lands knockout shots. This power also translates to the clinch, where he can land big strikes.

This UFC 314 preview is an interesting one. This is largely because Silva’s grappling is untested at the UFC level. It may be secretly a massive weakness in his game. That said, in every bout where he has been taken down, he has shown he works hard to get to his feet. That will be key in this matchup. Mitchell should be able to get this fight to the ground and will probably spend time in the top position. With that being said, as long as Silva survives, he will be able to get to his feet. In every striking exchange, even if they are minimal, Silva will be landing massive punches that deal damage. That will win him this fight. I will take Silva by second-round knockout.

Anthony: Silva via KO/TKO

Jerry: Silva via KO/TKO

UFC 314 Best Bets

No. 5 Yair Rodriguez vs. Patricio Pitbull- Featherweight Bout

James: The UFC 314 main card features a featherweight bout between Yair Rodriguez and Patricio Pitbull. This bout will be Pitbull’s first UFC fight. In recent history, the 37-year-old is one of the most accomplished UFC fighters to never compete in the UFC. In his career outside of the UFC, he was a two-division champion in Bellator MMA and finished with a 24-6 record in promotion. He is making it to the UFC at the latter portion of his career, but he still has an opportunity to make waves. Rodriguez is coming off consecutive losses against Brian Ortega and Alexander Volkanovski. Still, his unique style ensures fans watch every time he steps into the octagon. That gives him and Pitbull massive opportunities at UFC 314. 

Rodriguez is a unique striker with a lot of impressive striking skills. On the feet, he is lightning quick. This allows him to land damaging straight punches and a wide array of kicks. In his kicking arsenal, he can attack all three levels while also having the athleticism to throw spinning attacks. This combination of speed, power, and weapon diversity makes him an elite striker. The issue in his game is his grappling. At his worst, he can be put on his back, and his cardio fades. He has some submission skills off his back, but his overall grappling leaves him susceptible to being outgrappled. 

Pitbull has shown signs of decline in recent outings. Still, he has positive skills. In the pocket, he has quality hands. He can throw in combinations and lands with power. Plus, he has legitimate grappling skills. At times, he can struggle to land the takedowns, but he has a great top game. The biggest flaw is that his durability is not elite, and he can be caught in submissions. 

This UFC 314 bout previews as a violent matchup that should end inside the distance. Rodriguez’s speed and power allow the UFC veteran to land an early knockout. Still, the fight favors Pitbull because of his offensive grappling skills. I am expecting Pitbull to get this fight to the ground and work to dominant positions. I will take Pitbull by round-two submission. 

Anthony: Rodriguez via decision

Jerry: Rodriguez via decision

No. 7 Michael Chandler vs. No. 12 Paddy Pimblett- Lightweight Bout 

James: The UFC 314 co-main event pits lightweights Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett against one another. This fight is massive for the landscape of the division. Chandler is one of the most entertaining fighters in the sport, but he has a 2-4 record in the promotion. A loss could seriously kill his stock. Meanwhile, Pimblett is a hype train with a 6-0 record. If he beats Chandler, his hype will reach an all-time high, and he will get a massive opportunity. 

Chandler puts entertainment ahead of his performance. In every fight, his goal is to land massive hooks and overhands. At his best, he sets up knockout shots with big swings to the body. This gives him serious finish upside. If he opts to wrestle, he will attempt to slam his opponent as hard as possible. The catch is that both of these are seriously taxing to his cardio. 

Pimblett is a powerful striker, but his best skills are grappling-based. He is capable of taking his opponents back to threaten rear-naked chokes. On top of that, he aggressively hunts triangle chokes. In striking exchanges, he throws massive punches. If he connects, he does damage. The catch is that he also has massive striking defense issues and cardio concerns. 

This UFC 314 co-main event previews to be a wild fight. The early moments in this outing should be insane. Pimblett is live to land a big strike or jump on Chandler’s back. Meanwhile, Chandler will have a ton of opportunities to close the distance and land a massive hook. If this fight does not end early, both fighters will have to fight through their questionable cardio. 

In my opinion, the UFC 314 co-main event favors Chandler. I simply do not trust Pimblett’s striking defense against a fighter with Chandler’s offensive firepower. Meanwhile, I think Chandler’s cardio is more proven. It is not great, but he has late-round success on his resume. That is, if the fight reaches that point. I will take Chandler by first-round knockout. 

Anthony: Pimblett via submission

Jerry: Chandler via KO/TKO

Paddy Pimblett: The Most Overrated Fighter in the UFC

No. 1 Alexander Volkanovski vs. No. 3 Diego Lopes- Featherweight Title Fight 

James: The UFC 314 main event features a featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes. This fight is for the vacant title. The division’s champion, Ilia Topuria, vacated the belt to move up to lightweight. Volkanovski is an all-time great who ruled the featherweight division for years. The former champion logged five title defenses in his championship stint. Although, his reign unraveled after two losses at lightweight against Islam Makhachev and a knockout loss against Topuria to lose the title. Now, he gets a chance to regain the belt he lost. Lopes was given this title opportunity after a five-fight win streak. In the run, he has picked up fans with highlight-reel-worthy victories. The only loss in his UFC career was a short-notice debut against Movsar Evloev. 

Volkanovski is an outstanding fighter. In the striking realm, he is world-class. He is sensational at setting up strikes, switching stances, utilizing feints, and mixing up his weapons. This all helps him land powerful hooks and straights. That is supplemented with jabs and leg kicks. This helps ensure he can win rounds and helps set the pace. In the grappling realm, he has quality takedowns. That said, he thrives at punishing opponents with strikes when he finds himself in the top position. In the mental aspect of fighting, Volkanovski has elite fight IQ, creates strong gameplans, and makes in-fight adjustments. The biggest concern with his current form is his durability. In recent outings, he has been hit with massive shots and knocked out. That is a massive question heading into this bout. 

Lopes is a finisher. In striking exchanges, he lets massive punches fly. This includes straights, hooks, overhands, uppercuts, and head kicks. If those strikes land in the early stages of a fight, he has the potential to finish opponents. Additionally, he has a dangerous clinch game that can help him set up those damaging punches. Lopes’ danger extends to grappling exchanges. In every fight, he has the potential to land a submission. This can be done with armbars, triangle chokes, rear-naked chokes, and more. The biggest concerns with Lopes arise when he cannot land an early finish. In those fights, he fades, becomes more hittable, opponents begin to land takedowns, and they rack up control time. 

The UFC 314 preview is fairly straightforward. In the first two rounds, Lopes is capable of knocking Volkanovski out cold or jumping on a submission. If he does not get the finish, Volkanovski will make adjustments, begin to push the pace, and gain momentum. That will likely result in landing big strikes, getting to dominant positions, and landing strikes on the ground. 

The prediction for the UFC 314 main event is a much harder task than the preview. It is easy to side with either fighter’s path to victory. With that being said, I will put my faith in Volkanovski. I think his technical advantages are massive, and I trust his fight IQ. In this fight, he should be cautious in the early going before pushing a hellacious pace in the championship rounds. I will take Volkanovski by round-four knockout. 

Anthony: Lopes via KO/TKO

Jerry: Volkanovski via decision

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