UFC Vegas 103 Preview And Predictions

UFC Vegas 103 Preview And Predictions

UFC Vegas 103 previews as one of the lowest-quality fight night events of the year. The main event is a solid fight between ranked flyweights. That bout pulls its weight as the main event. Outside of that bout, there are a few prospects worth watching. 

Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict UFC Vegas 103. You can find our prediction records below. 

James: 16-14-1

Garrett: 17-13-1

Anthony: 16-14-1

Jerry: 19-11-1

Danny Barlow vs. Sam Patterson- Welterweight Bout

James: The UFC Vegas 103 main card opens with a welterweight bout between Danny Barlow and Sam Patterson. Barlow has been a prospect worth watching since he was signed off Dana White’s Contender Series. That original hype has been backed with two UFC victories. Patterson is a fellow Dana White’s Contender Series signee. In his UFC tenure, he has logged a 2-1 record. Although, that loss came in his only lightweight bout. At welterweight, he is undefeated. This bout will be important to both young fighters as a win will prove they are a legit prospect. 

Barlow is a long and athletic striker. At six-foot-two, he holds a 79-inch reach. The important part is that he has shown the ability to use that athleticism and length. In the southpaw stance, Barlow has a nasty left hand that he throws as a straight, hook, uppercut, and counter. That hand is so dangerous he has the nickname “LeftHand2God”. At this point in his career, that weapon’s strength has not been questioned. The left hand is not the only weapon in his arsenal, however. Barlow has a good jab, a respectable kicking game, and dangerous knees. 

Patterson is a lengthy fighter in his regard. At six-foot-three, he holds a 78-inch reach. This translates to a solid distance striking approach centered around straight shots and kicks. In addition, he uses his length to help him land submission on the ground. 

This UFC Vegas 103 bout previews as a fascinating fight. In theory, Barlow should hold a massive advantage. In the striking exchanges, he should be able to land his left hand consistently and get the finish. The fact that he can match Patterson’s size will help him accomplish that. That said, Patterson will be the best grappler he has fought. It would not be a shock to see Patterson get this fight to the ground and catch a submission. Still, I prefer trusting Barlow’s power. I will take Barlow by first-round knockout. 

Garrett: Barlow via TKO

Anthony: Barlow via KO

Jerry: Barlow via decision

Hyder Amil vs. William Gomis- Featherweight Bout

James: At UFC Vegas 103, Hyder Amil will fight William Gomis in a featherweight bout. Both of these fighters have found the win column in the UFC. Amil sits at 2-0 while Gomis is 4-0. The winner of this bout will put themselves in a great position in the division.

Amil is an all-action fighter who wants to get in his opponent’s face and pressure with his boxing. He will close distance and throw a ridiculous amount of strikes. Eventually, he lands big shots that hurt his opponent. If he knows his opponent is hurt, he pushes for the finish.

Gomis is a long featherweight looking to manage range and determine when striking exchanges occur. The goal is for him to fight off his back foot while occasionally landing straight strikes. It is a low-volume approach, but it also limits how much he gets hit. 

This UFC Vegas 103 bout is a hilarious fight. Amil and Gomis have polar opposite striking styles. That will result in one fighter looking great. If Amil can get inside and land strikes, he will look great. Meanwhile, Gomis will look great if he maintains the range. I lean toward Gomis as the fighter who has more success. I will take Gomis by decision. 

Garrett: Amil via TKO

Anthony: Amil via decision

Jerry: Gomis via decision

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Nasrat Haqparast vs. Esteban Ribovics- Lightweight Bout

James: At UFC Vegas 103, Nasrat Haqparast will fight Esteban Ribovics in a lightweight bout. Haqparast has had a lengthy UFC run that has culminated in a 9-4 record in the promotion. That is solid considering the depth of the lightweight division. Meanwhile, Ribovics is coming back from one of the biggest wars of 2024. At UFC 306, he won a decision against Daniel Zellhuber in one of the best fights of the year. That fight proved he was a quality prospect and moved his UFC record to 3-1. 

Haqparast is a boxer who looks to out-land his opponents with volume. Haqparast does not have elite power in his hands and he attempts to overcome that by landing a ton of strikes. This is accomplished by working on boxing combinations. Additionally, he is sound defensively which typically helps him outland opponents. 

Ribovics is a dangerous striker who takes advantage of his power and willingness to push the pace. In every fight, he has shown the ability and willingness to get in his opponent’s face and throw massive shots. These shots are not just looping hooks, but tight boxing combinations that he sets up. These combinations include shots to the head and body. 

This UFC Vegas 103 fight preview favors Ribovics. I expect this fight to be centered around boxing exchanges. In this matchup, Ribovics is a bad matchup for Haqparast. This is because Ribovics can engage in high-volume exchanges. This is true while being the more powerful fighter. Haqparast should be able to land a lot of strikes, but Ribovivs should match his output with more power. I will take Ribovics by round three knockout. 

Garrett: Ribovics via decision

Anthony: Ribovics via KO/TKO

Jerry: Ribovics via KO/TKO

Cody Brundage vs. Julian Marquez- Middleweight Bout

James: The UFC Vegas 103 co-main event features a middleweight fight between Cody Brundage and Julian Marquez. This bout is not the quality that is expected from a UFC co-main event. Brundage holds a 4-5 UFC record with a no-contest while Marquez is 3-4 in the promotion. The most compelling aspect of this fight is that both are fighting for their roster spot. 

Brundage has a mix of wrestling and boxing. The positives in his game are that he can land takedowns and he has solid power. Those skills are not elite, however. It is also worth noting that Brundage does not find success when fights are taken to deep waters. 

Marquez is a physical fighter who is willing to get into a scrap. In the pocket, he is willing to throw heavy punches and leg kicks. He will also mix in knees or head kicks. In the grappling realm, he has a solid submission upside. The biggest issue with Marquez is that his durability has looked depleted in recent outings. 

This UFC Vegas 103 bout is tough to preview. The side that both fighters are on makes it difficult to be confident in either fighter. Although, I trust Marquez to bring a firefight to Brundage. If that happens, I expect Marquez to be the fighter to land the big shot first. I will take Marquez by first-round knockout. 

Garrett: Marquez via decision

Anthony: Brundage via decision

Jerry: Marquez via KO/TKO

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No. 6 Manel Kape vs. No. 8 Asu Almabayev- Flyweight Bout 

James: In the UFC Vegas 103 main event, Manel Kape will fight Asu Almabayev. Kape is coming off a knockout victory over Bruno Silva, his best performance in the UFC. That victory also moved him to 5-1 in his last six fights. That run has put him in title conversations. Almanbayev has a chance to steal that shine. The 31-year-old holds a 21-2 record in professional MMA and a 4-0 UFC record. Now, he can add a premier name to his resume. 

Kape has a remarkable mix of striking skills and athleticism. In the fastest division in the sport, flyweight, his speed stands out among the rest. That translates to having dangerous power as well. In the specifics, he has a dangerous straight that he intelligently sets up. Additionally, he lands impactful knees and counterstrikes. These attributes make him dangerous in the pocket and from a distance. A lot of Kape’s issues arise from his inactivity. At times, he can be too inactive which allows his opponents to steal close rounds. Similarly, he has shown a lack of urgency to work to his feet when taken down. These problems are not present in every fight, but they happen enough to be of concern. 

Almabayev is a short and stocky grappler. The best aspect of his grappling is his top control. Once he lands a takedown, he keeps his opponents on the ground. This is accomplished because of a strong ability to float from position to position. The one flaw is that he is not as aggressively looking to finish the fight as he favors keeping the top position. On the feet, his skills are raw. A lot of his actions are big looping shots. Although, he does land with power. 

The UFC Vegas 103 main event is an interesting fight to preview. This fight is a clear striker versus grappler matchup. The fascinating aspect is that is possible to see how both fighters could overcome the other’s style. On the Almabayev side, he should be able to spend a lot of time in top position if he secured a takedown. That creates a serious path to winning multiple rounds or landing a decision. Meanwhile, Kape reacts well against takedowns and has a nice sprawl. That keeps the fight standing where he will find success. Ultimately, I favor Kape because his movement should make it difficult for Almabayev to get to the clinch. In the clinch, he will have an easier time landing takedowns compared to open space. The movement will make that difficult. In the striking exchanges, Kape can land from a distance and remain safe. If Almabayev begins to get aggressive with his striking, Kape should land massive counters. I will take Kape by fourth-round knockout.

Garrett: Almabayev via submission

Anthony: Kape via decision

Jerry: Almabayev via decision

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