UFC Kansas City Preview And Predictions

UFC Kansas City Preview And Predictions

The UFC octagon will be set up in Kansas City, Missouri for the week. The promotion is taking a high-quality fight night to the Midwest. The main event is a compelling matchup between intriguing welterweights Ian Machado Garry and Carlos Prates. The remainder of the main card is filled with established UFC talent. That helps create a high-quality main card that projects to be a solid event.

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

James: 34-34-1

Anthony: 38-30-1

Ikram Aliskerov vs. Andre Muniz- Middleweight Bout 

James: The UFC Kansas City main card opens with a middleweight bout between Ikram Aliskerov and Andre Muniz. Aliskerov is an interesting prospect. In his career, he has a 15-2 professional record and a 2-1 record. The only losses in his career have come against Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev. It is hard to hold those losses against him. Now, he can take a more reasonable climb up the rankings and establish himself as a ranked fighter. Muniz has had a solid UFC run. In his tenure, he holds a 6-2 record. That has helped him establish himself as a quality UFC fighter. 

Aliskerov has shown quality skills throughout his UFC tenure. In the striking realm, he is dangerous, but he does not have elite skills. If he connects, he deals serious damage. His boxing can accomplish this, but he can also connect with heavy strikes like head kicks and knees. The elite portion of his game is his grappling, however. He has strong wrestling, a heavy top game, and quality submission skills. 

Muniz is a strong grappler who specializes in BJJ. The best portion of his skills is his ability to get to his opponent’s back. This allows him to work toward submissions or control positions for long periods. The flaws in his game are his cardio and striking. He risks gassing out when forced to fight at a high pace. His striking skills are lacking, but he does have decent power. 

The UFC Kansas City main card opener significantly favors Aliskerov. It is difficult to draft a path to victory for Muniz in matchups where he does not have a sizeable grappling advantage. It is hard to expect that he has that type of success against Aliskerov. Instead, Aliskerov is more likely to compete in grappling exchanges in the hopes Muniz gasses out. In addition, Aliskerov is the better striker and has more power. I will take Aliskerov by second-round knockout. 

Anthony: Aliskerov via KO/TKO

Randy Brown vs. Nicolas Dalby- Welterweight Bout

James: UFC Kansas City features a welterweight bout between Brandy Brown and Nicolas Dalby. This fight pits two of the best-unranked welterweights against one another. Brown, 34, has a 13-6 UFC record with a 7-2 record in his last nine fights. Meanwhile, Dalby, 40, is 7-4-1 with one no-contest. Despite his age, he is 4-1 in his last five outings. This fight will play a massive role in determining which one of these fighters will be given an opportunity to climb the rankings. 

Brown has an effective combination of size and athleticism. At six-foot-three, he has a 78-inch reach. This is paired with impressive athleticism and a ton of speed. This all translates to great distance striking. Brown has the length to attack opponents with straight punches and kicks while having the speed to land and manage range consistently. In the grappling realm, his length presents him with dangerous front chokes. In addition, he is adding to his overall grappling game and is beginning to land takedowns. 

Dalby is a tough and gritty fighter. The best aspect of his game is his toughness and ability to push the pace. In striking exchanges, he can absorb damage while looking to return with offense. If the fight reaches the later stages, he fights through fatigue and pushes the pace. In the technical realm, Dalby has a well-rounded striking approach. His hands are quality, he has a diverse kicking game, and he lands strikes in the clinch. 

This UFC Kansas City preview favors Brown. The difference in age and athleticism are the differentiating factors in this matchup. In striking exchanges, Brown should be able to consistently land from a distance. Meanwhile, Dalby’s lack of speed will make it difficult to match Brown’s volume. The most plausible path to change that outcome is to beat up Brown’s leg with low kicks, but that is not easy because of the aforementioned speed and size concerns. I will take Brown by decision. 

Anthony: Brown via decision

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No. 14 Michel Pereira vs. Abus Magomedov- Middleweight Bout 

James: At UFC Kansas City, Michel Pereira will fight Abus Magomedov. Pereira has had a 9-3 UFC record. That was highlighted with a seven-fight win streak that earned him a ranking. However, he was dominated in his first-ranked matchup against Anthony Hernandez. Still, he is a fan-favorite because of his exciting style and finish upside. Magomedov holds a 3-2 UFC record. That does not jump off the page, but his losses are against Sean Strickland and Caio Borralho. In this matchup, he has a chance to prove himself against a quality fighter, but he does not have to take on an elite matchup. 

Pereira is a dynamic fighter with a lethal finishing ability. He can use his athleticism and explosion to land massive strikes. This can be accomplished with punches, kicks, and knees. Plus, he can jump on submissions if the opportunity presents itself. At times, he struggles to pace himself. In the past, he has shown the ability to throttle down on his aggressiveness and win decisions. However, he has also turned highly aggressive starts into concerning finishes. His ability to manage his cardio is a massive factor in his performance. 

Magomedov is a dangerous fighter in his own right. He is a quality distance striker in the early rounds with powerful straight punches and dangerous kicks. Plus, he has legitimate grappling skills with quality submissions. Although, he also has serious cardio concerns. If he pushes the pace, he gasses out, becomes hittable, and his grappling becomes ineffective. 

This UFC Kansas City bout previews as a hilarious matchup. The UFC found two fighters with serious offensive firepower and suspect cardio. That could create an extraordinary early finish or a sloppy three rounds. I lean toward both fighters being forced to fight through cardio concerns in the second and third rounds. In that scenario, I trust Magomedov’s complete grappling game to help him get control time and win rounds. I will take Magomedov by decision. 

Anthony: Magomedov via decision

No. 12 Giga Chikadze vs. David Onama- Featherweight Bout 

James: The UFC Kansas City main card features a featherweight bout between Giga Chikadze and David Onama. Chikadze is putting his featherweight ranking on the line in this matchup. The 36-year-old started his UFC tenure with a seven-fight win streak; however, he has stalled in recent outings and sits at 1-2 in his last three fights. Meanwhile, Onama is 5-2 and on a three-fight win streak. In that time, he has had entertaining fights and made meaningful improvements. 

Chikadze is a striker who does his best work at a distance. If he can fight at his ideal range, he kicks to all three levels and attacks with straight punches. This set of weapons allows him to beat up opponents with his kicks while providing a little danger with well-timed punches. Although, he can be put in bad situations when his opponents crash distance or force him to grapple. 

Onama is a dangerous striker with a lot of power. The most impressive thing about his finish ability is that he does not throw every punch with knockout intentions. At times, he will touch opponents with his jab and straight. If the opportunity presents itself, he will add steam to his punches. This allows him to throw straights, hooks, and uppercuts with knockout skills. In addition, he has great clinch striking and can land damaging punches, elbows, and knees from close ranges. In the grappling realm, he is not perfect, but he consistently grapples in fights and is capable of finding success. 

This UFC Kansas City bout should be a close fight. It is plausible for both fighters to have success. On the Chikadze side, he should be able to land quality punches and kicks from range. Alternatively, Onama’s power advantage will help him find success in the interior. On top of that, he presents much more grappling upside. 

Ultimately, this fight comes down to Onama’s game plan. A few of Chikadze’s previous opponents have shown clear game plans to beat him. Arnold Allen showed to circle away from his power side and pressure when kicks are thrown. Calvin Kattar revealed that Chikadze has suspect grappling and grappling cardio. That was present alongside quality boxing and pressure. If Onama crowds kicks and mix in some grappling, he should be able to deal enough damage to win three rounds. I will take Onama by decision. 

Anthony: Obama via decision

No. 15 Anthony Smith vs. Zhang Mingyang- Light Heavyweight Bout 

James: In the UFC Kansas City main event, Anthony Smith will compete in his retirement bout against Zhang Mingyang. Smith, 36, is a 58-fight veteran with a 13-11 UFC record. The former title challenger has shown significant regression during a 2-5 run in his last seven fights. It is time for him to hang up the gloves. Mingyang, 26, is an interesting prospect with an 18-6 professional record and a 2-0 UFC record. That run has not come against impressive competition; however, he has shown worthwhile traits throughout his career. 

Smith’s best skills are boxing and BJJ. In the striking realm, he works to land straight strikes and adds leg kicks. Plus, he has solid submission skills and can catch opponents in grappling exchanges. The biggest issues for Smith are age-related. It is evident that he is not as sharp as he once was, he takes too much damage, and he is not capable of withstanding damage. It should also be noted that his wrestling is not outstanding, lowering his overall grappling upside. 

Mingyang is a powerful striker who works to land knockouts. That is the main purpose of his fighting approach. At a distance, he is a low-volume fighter who throws kicks. That said, his strategy becomes way more aggressive when he closes the distance. In the pocket, he is willing to engage in long boxing exchanges. In those moments, he throws tight hooks that land with serious damage. That gives him opportunities to land highlight-reel knockouts. 

The UFC Kansas City co-main event favors Mingyang. His ability to quickly apply damage in striking exchanges makes him a heavy favorite against an aging fighter. In the early moments of this bout, it may seem competitive; however, it will only take a few shots from Mingyang before he begins to gain momentum. This should build before he eventually lands a finish. I will take Mingyang by second-round knockout. 

Anthony: Mingyang via KO/TKO

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No. 7 Ian Machado Garry vs. No. 13 Carlos Prates- Welterweight Bout

James: The UFC Kansas City main event features a welterweight matchup between Ian Machado Garry and Carlos Prates. This bout was booked on short notice after the original matchup between Jamahal Hill and Khaili Rountree was canceled. The short-notice nature of the bout favors Prates. The Brazilian was training to compete at UFC 314 while Machado Garry did not have a bout scheduled. 

Machado Garry is attempting to get back in the win column in this fight. In his last bout, he lost his undefeated record against Shavkat Rakhmonov. Meanwhile, Prates has been red hot since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. In his UFC run, he is 4-0 with four knockout victories. This booking quickly became crucial to the welterweight division and may directly impact the title race shortly. 

Machado Garry is a highly technical distance striker. On the outside, he is an active kicker who targets all three levels. His willingness to let his hands go largely depends on his matchup. In addition to his striking skills, he carries positive clinch and grappling traits. In the clinch, he can control opponents against the fence and land knees. If he gets the fight to the ground, he threatens submissions. Despite never landing a submission in the UFC, he has come close on multiple occasions. 

Prates is a violent distance striker. At range, he uses his length, sniper-like accuracy, power, and shot diversity to land brutal knockouts. This begins with his jab and straight. At a distance, he picks at his opponent with straight punches. If he lands his straight, he can deal serious damage with that weapon. Those punches also help him set up more dangerous hooks, kicks, and knees. Plus, Prates is a great counterstriker. This opens an additional path to victory as he can seriously hurt opponents when they get overaggressive. It has to be noted that Prates enters this main event with serious cardio and grappling questions. He may provide positive answers to those questions; however, that has yet to happen. 

The UFC Kansas City main event previews to be an interesting matchup. A large factor in this fight will be Machado Garry’s approach. In all likelihood, he will attempt to damage Prates’ legs with kicks. The more interesting question will be his determination to pursue clinch and grappling exchanges. Regardless, Prates’ finishing ability can swing this fight in his favor. It does not take him much to hurt opponents and he excels at finishing opponents. Meanwhile, Machado Garry tends to fight at a slower pace and drags out fights. I prefer Prates’ aggressiveness and finish upside. I will take Prates by second-round knockout.

Anthony: Machado Garry via decision

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