UFC Atlanta Preview And Predictions

UFC Atlanta Preview And Predictions

The UFC is taking the octagon to Atlanta, Georgia for the weekend. The event features a solid fight card with multiple former champions scattered across the main card. This includes a main event that pits former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman against rising contender Joaquin Buckley.

Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict UFC Atlanta. You can find our yearly prediction records below.

James: 51-43-1

Anthony: 55-39-1

Jerry: 32-31-1

No. 15 Alonzo Menifield vs. Oumar Sy- Light Heavyweight Bout 

James: The UFC Atlanta main card features a light heavyweight bout between Alonzo Menifield and Oumar Sy. Menifield has a 9-5-1 UFC record. That tenure has been defined with an aggressive style that has resulted in fun fights. Sy, 29, is an impressive prospect with an 11-0 professional MMA record and a 2-0 UFC record. That has earned him a ranked fight against Menifield. 

Menifield is a very dangerous striker with knockout power. He is not technically elite, but he takes chances and hurts opponents when he lands. In the grappling realm, he has some respectable skills. He can land takedowns and will attempt submission when the opportunity presents itself. 

Sy has shown solid submission skills throughout his career. At his best, he initiates grappling exchanges and works to solid positions. In those positions, he finishes the fight. 

This UFC Atlanta bout favors Sy. He should press the grappling early and those exchanges should quickly zap Menifield’s gas tank. Once that happens, Sy can work toward a submission. Plus, he could probably win striking exchanges after Menifield gasses out. I will take Sy by third-round submission. 

Anthony: Sy via decision

Jerry: Sy via submission

Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Cody Brundage- Middleweight Bout

James: UFC Atlanta features a middleweight bout between Mansur Abdul-Malik and Cody Brundage. Abdul-Malik is an impressive prospect who has gone 2-0 since earning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. Brundage has had a 5-5 in the UFC. His run has been whelming and he is barely holding on to his UFC roster spot. That said, he is coming off a knockout victory that has the potential to propel his career. 

Abdul-Malik is an absurdly physical middleweight. In striking exchanges, he lacks in-depth technical skills, but he hits insanely hard. His physicality also makes him a great offensive wrestler. He has quality takedowns, but his top game is what sets him apart. In the top position, he can finish opponents with ground and pound. 

Brundage has a few respectable skills. His offensive wrestling is solid and he has power in his hands. If his opponent makes a mistake, he can punish them with big punches. Plus, he can punish sloppy wrestling with a guillotine choke. 

This UFC Atlanta bout favors Abdul-Malik. In the early stages of this fight, he should be able to leverage his physicality to put Brundage in dangerous positions. I expect him to finish this fight in those moments. I will take Abdul-Malik via first-round knockout. 

Anthony: Abdul-Malik via TKO

Jerry: Abdul-Malik via KO/TKO

Joshua Van Replaces Manel Kape In UFC 317 Bout Against Brandon Royval

Cody Garbrandt vs. Raoni Barcelos- Bantamweight Bout 

James: The UFC Atlanta main card has a bantamweight matchup between Cody Garbrandt and Raoni Barcelos. Garbrandt is a former champion who has experienced highs and lows throughout his career. The 33-year-old is currently 2-1 since returning to the bantamweight division after attempting to rejuvenate his career at flyweight. Barcelos, 38, is returning to the octagon for the first time upsetting top prospect Payton Talbott. That win moved his UFC record to 8–4 and marked his second consecutive victory. 

Garbrandt is an impressive boxer. He has a great combination of speed, power, and combination punches. This mix of attributes has helped him land some sensational knockout victories on his resume. In the grappling realm, Garbrandt has a wrestling background that carries the majority of his grappling skills. At this portion of Garbrandt’s career, he is much less smooth than he was in his title victories. His footwork and head movement is not as clean as it once was. Additionally, his chin and tendency to be over-aggressive have led to him being on the wrong side of some bad knockout losses. 

Barcelos is an impressive BJJ practitioner. In the top position, he hunts for submissions. If he does not land it, he is good at floating to a new position. At his best, he aggressively hunts takedowns. The issue is that he can occasionally spend too much time striking. That is never great but his durability has taken a massive slide in the later stage of his career. 

This UFC Atlanta bout preview is a tough one to call. In the striking exchanges, Garbrandt will have opportunities to put Barcelos out cold. Conversely, Barcelos will have a lot of success if he gets this fight to the ground. Garbrandt is a good grappler, but Barcelos will have success if he can get to the top position and begin working on his submissions. Ultimately, Barcelos’ aggressive grappling approach in his last fight gives me some optimism he grapples early and often. I will take Barcelos via round two submission. 

Anthony: Gabrandt via TKO

Jerry: Barcelos via decison

Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Andre Petroski- Middleweight Bout

James: At UFC Atlanta, Edmen Shahbazyan will fight Andre Petrozki in a middleweight matchup. Shahbazyan is a former top prospect who failed to live up to lofty expectations that were unfairly placed upon him. Still, he has proven to be a UFC-level talent with a 7-5 run in the promotion. Petroski holds a 13-3 professional MMA record that includes an 8-2 UFC record. Currently, he is on a three-fight win streak that has helped him gain some momentum. 

Shahbazyan possesses a mix of exceptional skills and significant flaws. The positive is that he is a dangerous striker with a mix of solid boxing and the ability to kick to all three levels. This has helped him add highlight reel knockouts to his resume. The issue is that his grappling and cardio are lacking. If a fight gets extended, opponents can land takedowns and pace him with grappling. 

Petroski is the opposite of Shahbazyan. The biggest flaw in his game is his striking. Despite being powerful, he mostly throws big shots that are telegraphed. In addition, he is not defensively sound and can be hit with massive shots. During his UFC tenure, he has made gradual improvements but still has a considerable amount left to achieve. Thankfully, he has the ground game to mask his striking flaws. Petroski is a quality wrestler who manages to get the fight to the ground. In a top position, he is not elite, but he usually manages to hold the position. On top of that, he holds submission upside. 

This UFC Atlanta bout previews to have two clear potential outcomes. The first is that Shahbazyan lands a massive shot early on and manages to get the knockout victory. The other is that Petroski survives the early danger, lands takedowns, and swings the fight in his favor. This fight has a ton of variance and good go either way. With that in mind, I prefer to side with the outcome that favors Petroski. I simply have little faith in Shahbazyan’s ability to defeat a grappling of this caliber even if Petroski has serious flaws in his game as well. I will take Petroski by round two submission. 

Anthony: Shahbazyan via KO/TKO

Jerry: Petroski via decision

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No. 7 Rose Namajunas vs. No. 11 Miranda Maverick- Women’s Flyweight Bout

James: The UFC Atlanta co-main event is a women’s flyweight bout between Rose Namajunas and Miranda Maverick. Namajunas, the former strawweight champion, is in the midst of a 2-2 run since moving up a weight class. Maverick is getting an opportunity against the former champion after winning four consecutive fights. That run has helped the 27-year-old reach a UFC record of 8-3. 

Namajunas is a distance striker. Despite moving up a division, she still has the height and reach to fight with that style. At range, she moves a lot, lands jabs, throws a decent amount of kicks, and will punish her opponent’s mistakes. In the grappling realm, Namajunas has had an interesting run. At times, she can land offensive takedowns while providing a submission threat if even put in the bottom position. Although, she has also lost fights because she spent too much time on her back. 

Maverick’s primary skill is her grappling. It is hard to say that she is elite in that category, but she has shown positive attributes. She has good takedown entries; however, she is not great at scrambling or finishing takedowns. That is not a common dilemma. That said, when she lands takedowns she can use her size to spend a decent amount of time in the top position. On the feet, Maverick will sit at range and throw kicks until she decides to blitz with a two-piece combination. It is not the most skilled approach to striking, but she is bad on the feet. 

The UFC Atlanta co-main event is a tough fight to preview. Each fighter has a reasonable path to victory. Namajunas should cleanly win rounds that have a lot of striking exchanges. Plus, she will not give up takedowns for free. Conversely, if Maverick gets to the top position, she should be able to have a decent amount of success. Ultimately, I side with Maverick. This fight could be the matchup that highlights how undersized Namajunas is for the flyweight division. The gap in physicality between the two should help Maverick finish takedowns with more ease and amplify her top pressure. I will take Maverick by decision.

Anthony: Namajunas via decision

Jerry: Namajunas via decision

No. 5 Kamaru Usman vs. No. 7 Joaquin Buckley- Welterweight Bout

James: Buckley. These two fighters are at vastly different stages in their career. Usman has accomplished nearly everything possible in the sport. He was a long-reigning champion who established himself as an all-time great. That said, age and injuries have led to a significant decline in performance. The 38-year-old has lost three consecutive bouts. Meanwhile, Buckey, 31, has been on a rocket ship up the rankings since dropping from middleweight to welterweight. His 6-0 run that features four finishes has earned him a massive opportunity against Usman. 

In his prime, Usman had sensational wrestling, a quality clinch game, a good amount of physicality, great cardio, and some solid boxing. It was a world-class skill set, but he regressed.  At this stage of his career, his knee issues have seriously hampered his explosiveness and agility. That has made his offensive wrestling far less efficient. Naturally, this has created far more striking exchanges. That has helped expose his tendency to put himself in bad positions and lackluster striking defense. Still, Usman will be able to fraud-check poor wrestlers. Furthermore, his straight punches are still dangerous and provide him with quality striking. 

Buckley is a powerhouse in the welterweight division. He is short, stocky, and incredibly strong. In the course of his career, he has built a skill set that pairs with those attributes. On the inside, he is great at landing impactful hooks. This is because he uses his footwork to put him in position to land. On top of that, he punches to the head and body while throwing in combinations. Lastly, has good timing and fires off his opponent’s strikes. Buckey has slowly built a quality grappling game. This begins with his body composition. His physicality and size greatly help him in wrestling exchanges. It is hard for opponents to get in positions to land takedowns. Plus, when he attempts takedowns, he can wipe opponents off their feet with blast doubles. 

The UFC Atlanta main event preview favors Buckley. Usman is one of the greatest fighters to ever compete in the UFC octagon; however, every great fighter eventually loses the battle against aging and injuries. That applies to Usman as he attempts to pick up a win over a rising contender in the later stages of his career. It does not help that Buckley is a quality defensive grappler who hits like a truck. I expect Buckley to defend takedowns while beating up Usman with hooks to the head and body. I will take Buckley by third-round knockout. 

Anthony: Buckley via KO/TKO

Jerry: Buckley via KO/TKO

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