UFC Abu Dhabi Preview And Predictions

UFC Abu Dhabi Preview And Predictions

The UFC is heading to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates for a fight night event. Typically, the promotion takes pay-per-view events to Abu Dhabi, but the city gets a great fight night card this time. The event features a No. 1 contender fight, legends, recognizable names, prospects, and fun brawls. It is a well-rounded card that makes for a quality night of fights. 

Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview the UFC Abu Dhabi main card. You can find our prediction records below.

James: 77-62

Garrett: 80-59

Anthony: 82-57

Jerry: 67-55

Joel Alvarez vs. Elves Brenner- Lightweight Bout 

James: The UFC Abu Dhabi main card opens with a lightweight bout between Joel Alvarez and Elves Brenner. This matchup is between two fighters who have shown promise early into their UFC tenures. Alvarez has gone 5-2 in the promotion while Brenner sits at 3-1. The winner of this bout will put themselves in a strong position to start a run toward the rankings. 

Alvarez is a massive lightweight. At six-foot-three, he has a 77-inch reach. That size gives him a lot of unique skills. On the outside, he can use kicks and straight punches to land impactful strikes. One of the best examples of this is his leg kicks. Additionally, his length allows him to throw dangerous elbows and knees. On the ground, he is not an elite grappler, but he has dangerous submissions. 

Brenner is a brawler. It is hard to proclaim he has elite skills, but he is a dog. This is highlighted by his toughness and willingness to fight. If a fight is not going his way, he will fight through the struggles and look to land big shots. Similarly, he works hard in grappling exchanges and finds his way to strong positions. This has helped him find UFC victories. That said, if he is not forced to fight from behind, he will hunt his opponents and attempt to land big strikes. 

This UFC Abu Dhabi bout previews as a fan-friendly bout. Alvarez and Brener both bring serious finishing skills to the octagon. That makes this a fun fight to watch, but a volatile fight to preview. I slightly favor Alvarez because Brener’s brawling style leaves him open to be countered. If Alvarez can strike from the outside and counter Brener’s big swings, he will land offensive strikes. I will take Alvarez by second-round knockout.

Garrett: Alvarez via submission

Anthony: Alvarez via KO/TKO

Jerry: Brener via submission

No. 7 Mackenzie Dern vs. No. 10 Loopy Godinez- Strawweight Bout

James: At UFC Abu Dhabi, Mackenzie Dern will fight Loopy Godinez. This is a fight that both fighters need to win badly. Dern has lost consecutive bouts to make her 2-4 in her last six fights. That is an underwhelming run for a fighter with Dern’s status. Godinez is coming off a loss that snapped a four-fight win streak. Still, she gets another big name and has a chance to continue working up the division. 

Dern is one of the best BJJ practitioners in women’s MMA. The moment the fight gets to the ground she becomes a serious threat to land a submission. The issue is that she does not have strong takedowns which prevents her from getting to the ground and using her BJJ skills. Instead, she is often forced to pull guard and land a sweep. On the feet, Dern is aggressive and hits hard. The striking issues arise when her opponent can land clean counters.

Godinez is a fighter with solid wrestling and boxing. In the past, she has shown the ability to land takedowns and win rounds with her grappling skills. Plus, she can seriously hurt opponents with her hands. This is mostly done with two-piece combinations that land hard. 

This UFC Abu Dhabi matchup previews as a fight that depends on each fighter’s game plan. Dern and Godinez often make puzzling decisions in the octagon. Dern will not attempt enough takedowns which neutralizes her submission skills. Godinez will ignore her well-rounded skills and attempt to beat her opponents in their preferred type of fight. It will be comical to see which part of the equation will win. I lean toward it being Dern. If Godinez attempts to grapple with Dern she will be sorely mistaken. I will take Dern by second-round submission.

Garrett: Dern via decision

Anthony: Dern via submission

Jerry: Dern via decision

Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chiesa- Welterweight Bout 

James: At UFC Abu Dhabi, UFC veteran Tony Ferguson will fight Michael Chiesa. Ferguson, 40, is a legendary lightweight, but he has hit hard times as of late. That has resulted in a seven-fight losing streak. Chiesa, 36, has been on a slide as well. The difference is that he only lost three consecutive fights. 

Ferguson has struggled in the later portion of his career. This is largely because he is not as durable or athletic. In his prime, Ferguson would make mistakes, but he would use his toughness to overcome them. Similarly, if he was taken down, he would use BJJ and elbows to threaten his opponents. Now, he is being held down for long periods.

Chiesa’s struggles have come because he has been unable to grapple his opponents. In his three straight losses, he has been submitted in a D’Arce Choke twice. In the decision losses, Sean Brady out-grappled him. Chiesa’s success is dependant on his ability to offensively grapple.

This UFC Abu Dhabi matchup is hard to preview. Ferguson and Chiesa both carry serious red flags in this fight. It is hard to be overconfident about either fighter considering they are years past their prime. If we compare the two, Ferguson has struggled for a longer period. It does not help that Ferguson has struggled to defend takedowns and get back to his feet. That gives Chiesa a big path to victory. With that out of the way, Ferguson has a serious chance to land a D’Arce Choke off a Chiesa takedown attempt. It is unlikely but it is certainly a possibility. I will favor the much more likely outcome. I will take Chiesa by decision.

Garrett: Chiesa via submission

Anthony: Ferguson via submission

Jerry: Chiesa via decision

No. 4 Marlon Vera vs. No. 6 Deiveson Figueiredo- Bantamweight Bout 

James: The UFC Abu feature bout is a bantamweight matchup between Marlon Vera and Deiveson Figueiredo. The fight is massive for the landscape of the division. Vera is looking to bounce back after losing a bantamweight title fight to Sean O’Malley. Figueiredo, a former flyweight champion, is 2-0 since moving up to bantamweight. A win over Vera would catapult him into the title picture. It would not immediately give him a title fight, but it would get him a fight away.

Vera is a dangerous fighter with a lot of knockout power. It does not take him many offensive strikes to alter the fight. If he can begin to land his jab and add to it with power shots, he will hurt opponents. Plus, he can land counter hooks. Vera also has a unique kicking game that includes hook kicks and front kicks. It helps that these kicks actually land. Most fighters miss terribly they throw unorthodox kicks. Lastly, Vera has an insane chin and great cardio. This makes him a threat for the entire fight. 

Figueiredo presents danger in the octagon as well. This begins with his striking. Figueiredo has power in his hands and will walk opponents down. This allows him to land big strikes. If he can land takedowns, he has great BJJ. This can be seen in his sweeps, passes, and submission skills. This is his best path to victory at bantamweight. 

This UFC Abu Dhabi bout previews as one of the best of the card. The fact that this fight is three rounds favors Figueiredo. Vera tends to be a slow starter and struggles in the first round. Additionally, Figueiredo can push for three rounds rather than pace himself for five rounds. In the skills, Figueiredo should be able to land takedowns. In the top position, his submission threat should make it difficult for Vera to work to the feet. I will take Figueiredo by decision.

Garrett: Figueiredo via decision

Anthony: Figueiredo via decision

Jerry: Vera via decision

Shara Magomedov vs. Michal Oleksiejckuk- Middleweight Bout

James: At UFC Abu Dhabi, Shara Magomedov will fight Michal Oleksiejckuk. Magomedov is a prospect that has fans excited. In that UFC, he has entertained fans with his wild striking approach. More importantly, he is 2-0. Oleksiejckuk has a solid amount of UFC experience as he sits with a 7-6 record in the promotion. 

Magomedov is a flashy striker who finds success because of his speed. This is best seen in his kicks. Magomedov has a large arsenal of kicks and he throws to all three levels. In addition, he can throw combinations that include kicks and punches. Lastly, he will look to land damaging elbows and knees. 

Oleksiejckuk’s striking approach is simple but effective. The goal is for him to get his opponent’s face and let his hands go. This has yielded success because he is relentless, has quality boxing skills, and hits hard. 
The UFC Abu Dhabi co-main event previews to be a striking-based matchup. Magomedov and Oleksiejckuk are both awful grapplers. It would be a shock to see either look to wrestle. In the striking, I favor Oleksiejckuk. If he can crowd Magomedov’s kicks he should be able to throw big combinations and land hard. I will take Oleksiejckuk by second-round knockout.

Garrett: Magomedov via TKO

Anthony: Magomedov via decision

Jerry: Magomedov via KO/TKO

No. 2 Cory Sandhagen vs. No. 10 Umar Nurmagomedov- Bantamweight Bout 

James: The UFC Abu Dhabi main event is a bantamweight title eliminator between Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov. Sandhagen has continuously proven he is one of the best bantamweight alive. In the UFC, he holds a 10-3 record with every loss coming against former champions. This includes a three-fight win streak that put him on the verge of another title opportunity. Nurmagomedov is 17-0 in his career and 5-0 in the UFC. It is clear he is one of the best bantamweight prospects in the promotion. The issue is that he has struggled to get fights because of his name and wrestling credentials. Sandhagen was one of the few fighters willing to take the fight. That has helped Nurmagomedov skip to the top of the bantamweight division. 

Sandhagen has elite striking skills. At five-foot-eleven, he is long. Plus, he has great movement and intelligence. This allows him to manage range and set up strikes. Sandhagen is outstanding at creating openings because he has a ridiculous amount of offensive weapons. This includes kicks to all three levels, punches to the head and body, elbows, and knees. This also allows him to strike from any distance. In the grappling, Sandhagen has had mixed success. At UFC 250, Aljamain Sterling quickly submitted him. He has shown improved grappling since then, but it was all offensive wrestling. We have yet to see Sandhagen defensively grapple in his most recent run. 

Nurmagomedov has gained a lot of hype because of his last name. Thankfully, he lives up to the hype with his great grappling skills. This starts with his ability to get the fight to the ground. In open space, Nurmagomedov will shoot takedowns. This prevents his opponents from using the fence to their advantage. On top of that, he is great at finishing a takedown if he gets a decent entry. On the ground, he can control position, advance, and land elbows. In striking exchanges, Nurmagomedov will look to use his length to help him land straight punches and kicks. The ability to throw dangerous kicks from various angles to all three levels is the highlight of his offensive game. 

The UFC Abu Dhabi main event will likely come down to Sandhagen’s defensive grappling. That is hard to predict as it’s impossible to know how much he has improved in the last three and a half years. That said, Sandhagen projects as the better striker. Nurmagomedov will lack his typical length advantage which will limit his offensive upside. That will give Sandhagen a chance to land shots while the fight is starting. Furthermore, Sandhagen has displayed five rounds of cardio while Nurmagomedov’s cardio is still unproven. Ultimately, I will lean toward Sandhagen with the idea that he can use his footwork to stay out of range and limit Nurmagomedov’s wrestling entries. Still, the pick hinged on Sandhagen showing growth in his defensive grappling. I will take Sandhagen by decision.

Garrett: Nurmagomedov via submission

Anthony: Sandhagen via KO/TKO

Jerry: Sandhagen via KO/TKO

***

CLICK HERE for more of our UFC/MMA content

Check out the Vendetta Shop

Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube