UFC Tampa Preview And Predictions

UFC Tampa Preview And Predictions

UFC Tampa is the final event of the year. The promotion is closing its schedule with a fight night event that features a few solid fights. The best fight of the bunch will go down in the main event. The headline features ranked welterweights Joaquin Buckley and Colby Covington. The remainder of the event is filled with solid matchups.

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

James: 130-88

Garrett: 128-90

Anthony: 133-85

Jerry: 114-87

Navajo Stirling vs. Tuco Tukkos- Light Heavyweight Bout 

James: The UFC Tampa main card opens with a light heavyweight bout between Navajo Stirling and Tuco Tukkos. Stirling is making his UFC debut after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. The 27-year-old is only 5-0 in MMA but has a lot of hype because he trains out of City Kickboxing. Tukkos holds a professional MMA record of 10-4 while being 0-1 in the UFC. 

Stirling is a raw prospect. That is a result of only having five fights from professional experience. That said, he is fairly big for the light heavyweight division, has solid power, and is a good kicker. That is not enough to make him a serious contender, but it is a decent base.

This UFC Tampa bout heavily favors Stirling. In simplest terms, this is a set-up fight that he is supposed to win. It should not be a surprise he was given that type of matchup considering his lack of experience. Tokkos does not appear to be a UFC-caliber fighter. If Stirling cannot get the victory, he may fall in the same category. I will take Stirling by second-round knockout. 

Garrett: Striling via TKO

Jerry: Stirling via KO/TKO

Adrian Yanez vs. Daniel Marcos- Bantamweight Bout 

James: At UFC Tampa, bantamweight prospects Adrian Yanez and Daniel Marcos will square off against one another. Yanez is a formed hyped-up prospect who has yet to live up to his expectations. It is easy to see why he quickly gained recognition in the UFC. Yanez kicked off his UFC tenure with a five-fight winning streak that included four knockouts. Although, he proceeded to suffer consecutive losses to end that run. Yanez has bounced back with a victory and is looking to start another win streak. Marcos is a prospect who gets little love from the MMA community. Currently, he is 16-0 with a 3-0 UFC record. If he can continue winning, he will eventually get more love from fans. 

Yanez is a sensational boxer. In the pocket, he throws combinations and lands with power. From an offensive perspective, he can compete at a high level. The flaws come on the defensive side of things. Yanez does not have the best striking defense. It does not help that he is constantly pressuring and looking to get inside. That inevitably creates more exchanges. That said, he also struggles to defend kicks. 

Marcos has won UFC fights with his striking skills. On the feet, he is fairly well-rounded. Marcos has a decent-sized frame that allows him to strike from the outside with kicks and straight punches. In the pocket, he can do damage with hooks. Plus, he is athletic enough to threaten with knees. 

This UFC Tampa bout is a tough fight to preview. In theory, Marcos has the skills to counter Yanez’s striking approach. If he stays on the outside and relies on his kicks, he could find a lot of success. If he does not, that opens the door for Yanez to get his offense flowing. Yanez will be able to counter Marcos and land on the inside. It is a close fight, but I will side with Marcos with the hope that he fights with an intelligent game plan. I will take Marcos by decision.

Garrett: Marcos via decision

Anthony: Yanez via KO/TKO

Jerry: Marcos via decision

Vitor Petrino vs. Dustin Jacoby- Light Heavyweight Bout 

James: At UFC Tampa, Vitor Petrino will fight Dustin Jacoby. This fight is a bounce-back opportunity for both fighters. Petrino was a solid prospect who was sitting on a four-fight win streak; however, he suffered a loss against Anthony Smith in his last fight. Jacoby has faced more significant struggles. The 36-year-old is 1-4 in his previous five fights. 

Petrino has a solid mix of skill and size for the light heavyweight division. On the feet, he will utilize his strength to get inside and throw big shots. Petrino is solid at landing big hooks on the interior. This is not accomplished with a technical approach, but he does serious damage when he lands. Similarly, he uses his strength to land takedowns and control from the top position. Plus, he has shown the ability to attack submissions. 

Jacoby’s kickboxing is the pillar of his skill set. The approach is based on his ability to strike from the outside. This often results in a heavy amount of jabs, straights, and low kicks. In his perfect fight, he lands a good amount of outside volume while limiting interior exchanges. The latter portion of that is crucial because he is not durable enough to survive in those moments. 

This UFC Tamps preview favors Petrino. That does not mean Jacoby is hopeless, however. It is possible that he could win a decision off the back of ranged attacks. That is where he will find the most success. With that being said, it is hard to be confident that he can make it to the decision without eating a big strike. On top of that, Petrino is more likely to have grappling success. I will take Petrino by second-round knockout.

Garrett: Petrino via TKO

Anthony: Petrino via KO/TKO

Jerry: Petrino via KO/TKO

No. 9 Manel Kape. vs. No. 12 Bruno Silva- Flyweight Bout 

James: The UFC Tampa main card features a flyweight bout between Manel Kape and Bruno Silva. The fight is an important fight for the landscape of the division. The winner of this fight will be able to fight up in the rankings and get matched up with a big name, while the loser is regulated to fight a rising prospect. 

Kape is a dangerous striker with a lot of tools on the feet. This is because of his athleticism. Kape is powerful, quick, explosive, and dynamic. This allows him to throw a multitude of strikes and land impactful shots. This begins with his work from range. Kape is good at setting up and landing his straight. This is a powerful shot. Additionally, his speed, counter-striking, and knees make him a dangerous fighter to trade with inside. The biggest flaw in Kape’s game is that he will not throw enough volume, which makes rounds closer than they otherwise would be. This makes it much harder to win a decision. 

Silva is a great striker as well who can land powerful shots. He can set up shots with feints and stance switches. This can also be accomplished with counterstrikes. He will also attack his opponent at a distance with body and leg kicks. 

This UFC Tampa bout previews as a fun striking clash. Kape and Silva will likely patiently hunt big shots that hurt the other fight. That is great for the fighter that manages to land that big shot. With that being said, one of these fighters will need to separate themselves to win a decision. Ultimately, I will take Kape because I trust his ability to land knockout shots. Plus, his big moments can help him win close rounds. That is positive in this bout because Silva will fight with enough volume to overcome those moments. I will take Kape to win by second-round knockout. 

Garrett: Silva via decision

Anthony: Kape by decision

Jerry: Kape via decision

Cub Swanson vs. Billy Quarantillo- Featherweight Bout 

James: The UFC Tampa co-main event is a matchup between featherweight veterans Cub Swanson and Billy Quarantillo. Swanson, 41, holds a 14-10 UFC record while sitting at 2-3 in his last five fights. Throughout his UFC tenure, he has fought difficult opponents and delivered fun fights. Meanwhile, Quarantillo, 36, is 6-4 in the UFC while also sitting 2-3 in his last five. Despite having less UFC experience while fighting fewer high-level opponents, he has made a name for himself through his fighting style. 

Swanson is a sniper in striking exchanges. This is largely because of his speed. In distance striking exchanges, his hand speed allows him to consistently land impactful shots. Swanson’s recent struggles have been a result of slowing down and becoming less durable. Those factors seriously hurt his top potential. 

Quarantillo is a pressure fighter who attempts to outwork his opponents. This is done by getting inside, throwing a ton of volume, and landing clinch strikes. This often results in a cardio advantage in the later rounds because he is always in great shape and attacks his opponent’s body. The biggest issue is that he gets hit a lot and he has been less durable in his most recent fights. 

The UFC Tampa co-main event preview favors Quarantillo. The biggest factor in this fight is each fighter’s regression. Swanson has simply been on the decline for much longer. That is the consequence of being a 41-year-old with copious amounts of high-level experience. I will take Quarantillo by decision. 

Garrett: Quarantillo via TKO

Anthony: Quarantillo via decision

Jerry: Swanson via decision

No. 6 Colby Covington vs. No. 9 Joaquin Buckley- Welterweight Bout 

James: The UFC Tampa main event features a welterweight bout between Colby Covington and Joaquin Buckley. This is a crucial bout for each fighter. Covington, 36, is 2-3 in his last five fights. This fight allows him to prove he is still a top-tier middleweight. Meanwhile, Buckley is looking to rise up the welterweight rankings. Currently, he sits at 5-0 since dropping to welterweight. This victory would continue his hot streak and earn him a massive opportunity. 

It is difficult to make confident claims about Covington’s current skill set. In his prime, he was a cardio monster who would relentlessly attempt takedowns and throw an absurd amount of strikes. That has not been the case in recent outings, however. In his most recent fight, he had a career-low output in a five-round title fight. That version of Covington will significantly struggle. The question is whether that is his new normal or a one-time showing. 

Buckley is a powerhouse striker. His striking approach is centered around his big strikes. The best example of this is his big hooks. These shots are often ineffective because they are easy to see coming. That does not apply to Buckley. This is because of his ability to set up angles and throw from multiple angles. Plus, Buckley will throw big hooks to the body. In grappling exchanges, Buckley has never shown world-class skills; however, he is respectable in that realm and he is extremely strong. These two factors make him tough to take down and provide him some offensively grappling upside. 

The UFC Tampa main event preview favors Buckley. This is for a few reasons. The most potent is that he will have an impactful size advantage. That will make it difficult for Covington to land takedowns consistently. If Covington does not spend the majority of this fight in the top position or in a strong clinch position, he will be in trouble. That will allow Buckley to pursue big offensive strikes without the danger of being countered. Ultimately, I expect Buckley’s aggressive striking to pay off. I will take Buckley by second-round knockout. 

Garrett: Buckley via decision

Anthony: Buckley via decision

Jerry: Buckley via KO/TKO

***

CLICK HERE for more of our UFC/MMA content

Check out the Vendetta Shop

Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube

Check out Vendetta Fantasy Contests