UFC Denver Preview And Predictions

UFC Denver Preview And Predictions

The UFC is returning after a week’s absence with a fight night event in Denver, Colorado. Seeing the UFC ditch the Apex in favor of an arena is always great. In this instance, it will also affect the fights as well. The altitude of the Mile High City will likely hurt a few fighters’ performance. Previously, the altitude of Salt Lake City, Utah affected fights. The elevation in Denver is 1,000 feet higher. The fights booked for the card do not have much star power, but they could be entertaining scraps. 

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

James: 70-53

Garrett: 70-53

Jerry: 63-49

Anthony: 73-50

Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cody Brundage- Middleweight Bout 

James: The UFC Denver main card begins with a middleweight bout between Abdul Razak Alhassan and Cody Brundage. Alhassan is 6-6 in the UFC with a 2-3 record since moving up to the middleweight division. Brundage is coming off a UFC 300 loss to Bo Nickal that pushed his UFC record to 4-5. This is not a high-profile matchup, but it will be important as each fighter works to maintain their roster spot.

Alhassan is best when he can land big counter strikes or attack from the clinch. This allows him to land strikes with knockout potential. The problem with his game is that his big swings can be telegraphed. This results in missing and eventually gassing out. On a more positive note, he has worked to improve his offensive wrestling to grow his game. 

Brundage is not outstanding in any realm of the fight, but he does present danger. On the feet, his striking is not elite, but he does hit hard. In the grappling realm, he jumps for guillotines and has some offensive wrestling. 

This UFC Denver fight previews as a coin toss. Alhassan and Brundage are both volatile fighters. It would not be a shock to see either fighter finish the other in the first round. This fight could also become a messy clinch scrap. I am not excited to pick either of these fighters to win. That said, I favor Alhassan because I think he has more power and I trust him more in an extended bout. I will take Alhassan by second-round knockout. 

Garrett: Alhassan via knockout

Jerry: Alhassan KO/TKO

Anthony: Alhassan KO/TKO

Julian Erosa vs. Christian Rodriguez- Featherweight Bout 

James: At UFC Denver Christian Rodriguez will fight Julian Erosa. Rodriguez has performed well in the UFC as he holds a 4-1 record in the promotion. The only loss came on short notice against Jonathan Pearce. Meanwhile, he picked up wins against notable prospects Isaac Dulgarian, Cameron Saaiaman, and Raul Rosas Jr. Erosa has become a notable name in the featherweight division as he has gone 7-7 in the UFC.  

Erosa is a long fighter that looks to establish his outside weapons. This includes his jab, straight, and teep kick. These weapons allow him to pick at his opponents from the outside. Despite fighting from the outside, he is still willing to get in the pocket and exchange. This striking approach is backed with solid cardio that allows him to push a pace. In grappling sequences, Erosa is not elite, but his length presents him with a good choke series. The biggest issue in his game is that his durability has let him down on multiple occasions. 

Rodriguez is a very well-rounded fighter with a lot of skill. On the feet, he has solid boxing, throws leg kicks, and lands counters. If the distance closes, he can throw knees and elbows on the inside. This is backed with legitimate BJJ skills. For the most part, he has shown these skills from a defensive standpoint. Still, his submission skills are potent. This is all done with great cardio that helps him pull ahead in the later rounds. 

This UFC Denver bout can be a tad difficult to preview. The main reason for that is because Rodriguez was previously forced up to featherweight after missing weight twice at bantamweight. In this fight, he will be much smaller than Erosa. Still, he is much more talented and much more durable. The size with definitely be a concern, but Rodriguez should be able to overcome that and pick up a victory. In my opinion, he lands a shot that hurts Erosa which opens the window for a submission. I will take Rodriguez by first-round submission. 

Garrett: Rodriguez via decision

Jerry: Rodriguez via decision

Anthony: Rodriguez via decision

8-Sided Freaks Ep. 26: UFC Denver Preview, UFC 306 Matchmaking

Gabriel Bonfim vs. Ange Loosa- Welterweight Bout

James: UFC Denver features a welterweight matchup between Gabriel Bonfim and Ange Loosa. Bonfim was a highly touted prospect after his win on Dana White’s Contender Series. That hype only grew as he won his first two UFC fights. That hype eventually crashed after he suffered a loss to Nicolas Dalby in his last bout. Still, he is 15-1 in professional MMA and 2-1 in the UFC. Loosa has found success in the UFC as he holds a 2-1 record in the promotion. In his last fight, he fought to a no-contest after suffering an eye poke against Bryan Battle. 

Bonfim is a quick finisher. His fights rarely escape the first round. This is mostly because of his submission game. Bonfim has dangerous BJJ and has multiple solid submissions. The best of the bunch is his guillotine choke which is top tier. On the feet, he is less advanced. Regardless, he swings hard. The shots are telegraphed, but he will hurt an opponent if he lands. 

Loosa has shown the skills required to win fights at the UFC level. On the feet, he has a big right hand. This is paired with a jab and leg kicks. Loosa will also work to land takedowns. This is obviously a useful layer that can help him win fights. 

This UFC Denver preview largely depends on cardio. Bonfim and Loosa have both shown cardio issues in the past. The difference is that Loosa has shown more willingness to fight through fatigue. I do not love picking either of these fighters at elevation. That said, I will lean toward Bonfim. It may get dicey if he does not land a submission; however, I expect him to find success in early grappling exchanges. I will take Bonfim by first-round submission.

Garrett: Bonfim via submission

Jerry: Bonfim via decision

Anthony: Bonfim via decision

Drew Dober vs. Jean Silva- Lightweight Bout 

James: At UFC Denver Drew Dober will fight Jean Silva. This is a quick turnaround for Silva who picked up a knockout win against Charles Jourdain at UFC 303. That makes this a two-week return. The bout will also take place at lightweight rather than his natural weight class of featherweight. Regardless, Silva has turned heads with his 2-0 start in the UFC. A win over Dober would continue that trend. Dober is a UFC veteran who has established a 13-9 record in the promotion. That run has largely been against respectable lightweight competition. 

Dober is a powerful puncher who hunts knockouts. That style has worked well as he is tied for the most knockouts in lightweight history. Dober also has great cardio and durability which allows him to push the pace and take risks. This only furthers his knockout threat. The best weapon in his arsenal is his left hook from the southpaw stance which has been responsible for several finishes. 

Silva has some similarities to Dober. The goal in his fights is to walk his opponents down and unleash with big shots. This has led to success because he is a bigger dog than his opponents and he usually has more power. 

The preview for this UFC Denver bout favors Dober. This is for a variety of reasons. In skills, he is more technical while Silva can get wild. As a result, I expect Dober to be better defensively. More importantly, I have a hard time believing Silva’s pressure-oriented style will translate to the lightweight division. The combination of pressure and power will be much more effective at featherweight than lightweight. On top of that, Dober has advantages in cardio, durability, size, power, and experience. This is all present while training out of Denver. This fight should be a banger while it lasts, but I expect Dober to eventually land a big shot that finishes the fight. I will take Dober by second-round knockout.

Garrett: Silva via TKO

Jerry: Dober via KO/TKO

Anthony: Dober via KO/TKO

UFC Denver Best Bets

Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Muslim Salikhov- Welterweight Bout

James: The UFC Denver co-main event features a welterweight matchup between Santiago Ponzinibbio and Muslim Salikhov. This fight pits two aging veterans against one another. Ponzinibbio, 37, is 2-4 since returning from a medical condition that nearly ended his career. Salikhov, 40, is 1-3 in his last four. In fairness to both fighters, they have fought a solid level of competition. Ponzinibbio was even in several close decisions against quality fighters. Still, both fighters are regressing. 

Ponzinibbio is a boxer with a consistent game plan. This features a heavy dose of jabs and straight shots to the body. This is done to set up his right hand which is his most powerful strike. On top of this, he will throw a solid amount of leg kicks. It is not the most complex approach, but Ponzinibbio follows the game plan and lands strikes. The downside to his game is that his hands are less sharp than they once were and he is durability has dipped. 

Salikhov’s striking approach is more versatile in comparison to Ponzinibbio. This is largely due to his kicking attack. Salikhov can throw traditional kicks to all three levels, but he also has dangerous spinning attacks. In the pocket, he is willing to throw hard hooks as well. The most surprising aspect of his game is his grappling offense. Salikhov is largely billed as a striker; however, he will attempt takedowns. This has helped him win rounds as his grappling is often overlooked. 

This UFC Denver bout is difficult to preview. This is a fight between two regressing fighters. That leaves a lot of potential for either fighter to look poor. At the same time, it increases the likelihood that a fighter is let down by their chin. Ultimately, I will lean toward Ponzinibbio because he is younger and has shown more positives in recent fights. I will take Ponzinibbio by decision.

Garrett: Salikhov via TKO

Jerry: Ponzinibbio via decision

Anthony: Ponzinibbio via decision

No. 6 Rose Namajunas vs. No. 11 Tracy Cortez- Women’s Flyweight Bout 

James: The UFC Denver main event features a women’s flyweight title fight between Rose Namajunas and Tracy Cortez. Namajunas will be representing the Mile High City. The former champion is not a native of the city, but she has trained out of Denver for several years. The fight itself will be an important bout for the women’s flyweight division. Namajunas jumped to the flyweight division and has gone 1-1 in the weight class. That includes a loss to Manon Fiorot and a win over Amanda Ribas. Cortez is an outstanding prospect with an 11-1 professional record and a 5-0 UFC record. The only loss in her career was her first professional bout. Cortez took this fight on short notice after Maycee Barber was forced out with an injury. That presents Cortez with some risk, but it also provides her with an opportunity to catapult up the rankings. 

Namajunas is an excellent striker who is great at managing distance while landing shots. This begins with her jab. On top of her jab, she finds openings for other shots to land. On the outside, Namajunas has a good arsenal of kicks that she can use to deal damage or manage range. In grappling sequences, her success has been divided. It is clear she has the potential to get takedowns and control time, but she can also be put on her back. Currently, the biggest issue with Namajunas is that she is too small for the flyweight division. Her sole win in the division came against Ribas who fights at flyweight and strawweight. In all likelihood, Namajunas will struggle against physical opponents.  

The core of Cortez’s skill set is her grappling. An important aspect of her grappling is that she can land takedowns in open space or against the fence. This increases her opportunities to get fights to the ground. If she lands a takedown in open space, she has great top control and will throw strikes from the top position. In her most recent fight against Jasmine Jasudavicius, Cortez put her boxing improvements on display. In striking exchanges, Cortez was throwing in combinations and was landing with power. Cortez also showed off a great right-hand straight.  

The UFC Denver main event previews as a potential upset. One important note is the physicality. As previously mentioned, Namajunas is small for the flyweight division. On top of that, in previous matchups Namajunas and Cortez fought drastically different opponents. Namajunas beat Ribas who is on the smaller side of the division while Cortez beat one of the biggest fighters in the division, Jasudavicius. Furthermore, Cortez is the fighter who is showing improvements while Namajunas is showing signs of decline. In terms of specific skills, there is a clear path for Cortez to land takedowns and control Namajunas for minutes at a time. The potential for ground and pound also swings the fight in her favor. Lastly, her aforementioned striking improvements should not be overlooked and may come into play. I will take Cortez by decision.

Garrett: Namajunas via decision

Jerry: Namajunas via decision

Anthony: Namajunas via decision

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