UFC Vegas 104 Preview And Predictions

UFC Vegas 104 Preview And Predictions

UFC Vegas 104 does not have the greatest fight card in recent memory. The highlight is a welterweight matchup between Marvin Vettori and Roman Dolidze. In addition, it features a few recognizable veterans and interesting prospects.

Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict UFC Vegas 104. You can find our prediction records below.

James: 19-21-1

Garrett: 20-20-1

Anthony: 22-18-1

Jerry: 19-16-1

Seungwoo Choi vs. Kevin Vallejos- Featherweight Bout

James: The UFC Vegas 104 main card opens with a featherweight bout between Seungwoo Choi and Kevin Vallejos. Choi has hit tough times and is fighting for his UFC roster spot. He is 4-6 in his promotional tenure and has a 1-4 record in his last five fights. Vallejos is a Dana White’s Contender Series signee. The 23-year-old was one of the premier signees from Season 8. He has a 14-1 record in his career, with his only loss coming against Jean Silva. 

Choi is six foot with a 74.5-inch reach. That is good size for the featherweight division and gives him a length advantage in this matchup. In his striking approach, he mixes in two-piece boxing combinations and kicks. The biggest issue is that he eats a lot of shots and does not have great durability. 

Vallejos is an outstanding boxer. His striking approach focuses on closing the distance and ripping combinations to the head and body. This approach is successful because he is powerful and mixes his attacks well. Additionally, he has the durability to engage in back-and-forth exchanges. 

This UFC Vegas 104 main card opener favors Vallejos. The durability edge is massive. On top of that, he should be able to close the distance and get his boxing combinations flowing. It would not be a surprise to see Choi land big strikes; however, Vallejos should land harder and more frequently. I will take Vallejos by round-one knockout. 

Garrett: Vallejos via TKO

Anthony: Vallejos via KO/TKO

Jerry: Vallejos via KO/TKO

Diyar Nurgozhay vs. Brendson Ribeiro- Light Heavyweight Bout

James: At UFC Vegas 104, Diyar Nurgozhay will fight Brendson Ribeiro. Nurgozhay is making his debut after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series.  Nurgozhay, 27, has a 10-0 professional record and has established himself as a prospect worth watching. Riberio is a Dana White’s Contender Series signee who has struggled. Currently, he is 1-2 in the UFC.  

Nurgozhay showed a solid amount of technique in his UFC debut. In striking exchanges, he stays patient, has responsible defensive, attacks with kicks, and lands counters. It is a sound skill set that should be successful in the light heavyweight division.

Riberio is a long light heavyweight. This makes his jab and straight effective strikes. Outside of those two weapons, he gets wild as he looks to land a knockout. 

This UFC Vegas 104 preview favors Nurgozhay. The main reason for this is because of his technical superiority. On top of that, Ribeiro’s aggressiveness will play into his counter-heavy striking approach. I will take Nurgozhay by round-two knockout. 

Garrett: Nurgozhay via TKO

Anthony: Nurgozhay via KO/TKO

Jerry: Nurgozhay via KO/TKO

Dana White: Magomed Ankalaev, Alex Pereira Rematch ‘Probably’ Next

Da’Mon Blackshear vs. Cody Gibson- Bantamweight Bout 

James: At UFC Vegas 104, Da’Mon Blackshear will fight Cody Gibson. Blackshear holds a 3-3-1 record in the UFC against high-level competition. The losses and draws on his record can be explained by the quality of his opponents. At 30 years old, he still has time to take his skills to another level and begin getting wins in those fights. Gibson, 37, fought his way back into the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter Season 31. In his current UFC run, he has a 2-2 UFC record. 

Blackshear is an impressive grappler. His grappling features a good combination of takedowns and submission skills. He is good at timing shots, getting to his opponent’s hips, and finishing takedowns. On the feet, he is not a striking connoisseur, but he is willing to throw and has respectable boxing. 

Gibson is a massive featherweight. This gives him solid long-range weapons on the feet. In the grappling realm, he can leverage his weight to hold positions and his length helps him land submissions. 

This UFC Vegas 104 fight preview favors Blackshear. This fight will mostly come down to the grappling exchanges. In those moments, Blackshear has the physicality to compete with Gibson while also being more athletic. Plus, if the grappling exchanges are competitive, Blackshear is great at winning scrambles and ends up in the top position. If the pair strike, Gibson’s lack of movements should allow Blackshear to land boxing combinations. I will take Blackshear by second-round knockout.

Garrett: Blackshear via decision

Anthony: Blackshear via decision

Jerry: Blackshear via decision 

Alexander Hernandez vs. Kurt Holobaugh- Lightweight Bout 

James: The UFC Vegas 104 main card features a lightweight bout between Alexander Hernandez and Kurt Holobaugh. Hernandez is a veteran UFC fighter with a 7-7 record. He has had many ups and downs during that time. At his peak, he looks outstanding, but he also tends to look underwhelming and lose. Holobaugh is another fighter who worked back to the UFC on The Ultimate Fighter Season 31. Currently, he is 2-1 since returning to the promotion. 

Hernandez is a physical striker with impressive athleticism. He throws jabs, straights, hooks, and rear-kicks. Overall, his striking approach centers shows a good understanding of the fundamentals. That helps him find success. Additionally, he has solid wrestling and can use that skill to help him win fights. 

Holobaugh’s premier skill is his boxing. In an ideal fight, he lives in the pocket. This has helped him find success because he is willing to throw boxing combinations. It also helps that he has good cardio and can maintain a pace for three rounds. 

This UFC Vegas 104 bout previews to be a close fight. The striking exchanges present fighters with a path to victory. Hernandez’s power could dissuade Holobaugh from pressuring. If Holobaugh does pressure, his pace should give Hernandez issues. Although, if Holobaugh has success, Hernandez should be able to flip the script with takedowns and top control time. I will take Hernandez by decision. 

Garrett: Holobaugh via decision

Anthony: Hernandez via decision

Jerry: Holobaugh via decision

Chidi Njokuani vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos- Welterweight Bout 

James: The UFC Vegas 104 co-main event features a welterweight bout between Chidi Njokuani and Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. Njokuani has had a resurgence since dropping from middleweight to welterweight. In the UFC, he has a 4-3 record, but he is 2-0 at welterweight. dos Santos has had an underrated UFC run. He is 11-4-1 in the promotion. It is difficult to find unranked fighters with better UFC records. 

Njokuani was a long striker when he was a middleweight. Now, he is a comically large welterweight. At six-foot-three, he holds an 80-inch reach. This length gives him impressive straight punches and a wide array of kicks. On the inside, he sizes down to land elbows and knees. This skill set has given Njokuani mixed success. At times, he will hunt knockouts. This has resulted in landing big shots, but it can also lead to fading in the later rounds. That said, when he decides to fight more conservatively to win a decision, he can have success over three rounds and get his hand raised. 

dos Santos is a dangerous striker with good hands and kicks. If he is forced to box, he can land impactful strikes. His kicks are his best tools, however. He kicks hard and attacks all three levels. If he opts to, he has the athleticism to throw spinning attacks as well. 

This UFC Vegas 104 matchup previews to be a close fight. The pair should have competitive striking exchanges. I will lean toward dos Santos. Ultimately, he is more trustworthy in close fights, is more durable, and has the potential grappling upside. I will take dos Santos by decision. 

Garrett: Njokuani via decision

Anthony: Njokuani via decision

Jerry: dos Santos via KO/TKO

UFC 313: Five Things We Learned

No. 8 Marvin Vettori vs. No. 12 Roman Dolidze- Middleweight Rematch

James: The UFC Vegas 104 main event features a middleweight bout between Marvin Vettori and Roman Dolidze. This fight is a rematch of the pair’s 2023 bout where Vettori won a close decision. Now, it becomes another crucial bout for both fighters. A loss could result in getting stuck around the ten spot in the middleweight rankings while the winner could get a big fight. 

Vettori is a durable fighter with great cardio. Those two skills ensure he can compete in five-round fights. Plus, he has adapted his style to fit those attributes. He fights at a very high pace. On the outside, he throws a lot of straight punches while mixing in some kicks. He will also look to strikes during clinch exchanges. In recent showings, he has shown less grappling offense, but he still has skills in that realm. 

Dolidze is a finisher. On the feet, he looks to land big overhangs that hurt his opponents. That skill is fairly hit-or-miss because he telegraphs his strikes. His grappling is his best skill, however. Dolidze is great at winning scrambles and finding submissions. That adds to his danger. 

The UFC Vegas 104 main event does not preview to be an elite main event. Ultimately, it could look similar to the pair’s first fight. I expect Dolidze to pressure with big strikes while Vettori attempts to avoid and land his own. The difference is that this bout is five rounds. That greatly favors Vettori. It should reduce Dolidze’s initial pace while providing Vettori with rounds he should comfortably win. I will take Vettori by round-four knockout.

Garrett: Dolidze via TKO

Anthony: Vettori via decision

Jerry: Vettori via decision

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