UFC Vegas 105 Preview And Predictions

UFC Vegas 105 Preview And Predictions

UFC Vegas 105 features a solid featherweight bout in the main event. The remainder of the card features several fighters who have worked their way into the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series, The Ultimate Fighter, and Road to the UFC. Those fighters are all looking to make statements in the early portion of their UFC tenure.

Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict the UFC Vegas 105 main card. You can find our prediction records below.

James: 29-28-1

Anthony: 32-25-1

Jerry: 23-24-1

Torrez Finney vs. Robert Valentin- Middleweight Bout 

James: The UFC Vegas 105 main card opens with a middleweight bout between Torrez Finney and Robert Valentin. Finney had one of the most interesting Dana White’s Contender Series runs to earn a UFC contract. He was forced to fight on the show three times to earn his UFC opportunity. This comes despite winning every bout. White did not sign Finney until his third victory on the show. Still, he has earned a spot in the promotion. Valentin was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter Season 32. In the show’s early rounds, he looked impressive as he logged two finish victories; however, he lost in the finals. Still, he earned a spot in the UFC. 

Finney has a unique build for the middleweight division. At five-foot-eight, he has a 75.5-inch reach. That makes him comically short for the division, but he also has functional arm length. The positive is that he is 185 pounds of muscle. The best aspect of his skill set is his offensive wrestling. He is willing to shoot traditional open-mat takedowns while also aggressively looking for clinch takedowns. In either situation, he works to land high-amplitude slams. In top position, he throws strikes and has shown submission upside. The weapons in his arsenal are big overhands and hooks. Those weapons have to be respected because of his power. Although, his striking defense is poor and he can be lit up from a distance. 

Valentin is a dangerous fighter who works to finish the fight in striking and grappling exchanges. This begins with his length and ability to land big strikes from the outside. He will throw straight shots down the pipe while mixing in quick front kicks. In grappling exchanges, he is a risk-taker. This results in often being put in compromising positions. At the same time, he works to strong positions and is always a submission threat. 

The UFC Vegas 105 main card opener previews as a quality fight that will test both fighters’ skills. In this matchup, both fighters will fight an opponent that could cause serious problems. Finney’s offensive grappling could put Valentin on his back and stifle his offense. Meanwhile, Valentin’s distance striking could badly hurt Finney. Ultimately, I favor Valentin. I have concerns about Valentin being put in compromising positions early, but his submission offense, especially from the bottom position, could help him extend the fight. If able, Valentin will also fight at a high pace. If that happens, he has the cardio advantage and begins to pull ahead late. I will take Valentin by third-round knockout. 

Anthony: Finney via KO/TKO

Jerry: Finney via KO/TKO

Ode Osbourne vs. Luis Gurule- Flyweight Bout 

James: The UFC Vegas 105 main card includes a flyweight bout between Ode Osbourne and Luis Gurule. Osbourne is fighting for his spot in the promotion, as he currently has a UFC 4-6 record. Gurule is making his UFC debut after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. At 10-0, he had a great run in his regional career. Now, he gets to test himself in the UFC. 

Osbourne’s best path to victory in every fight is to land an early knockout shot. He is an athletic fighter with a ton of power. That makes him dangerous in every single outing. The issue is that he does not have great cardio. If he does not get an early stoppage, he slows down, starts getting hit, and begins to get out-grappled. 

Gurule showed positive skills in his Dana White’s Contender Series outing. The best aspect of his skills is his defensive grappling. He has proven to be tough to control in grappling exchanges. This is paired with decent striking and good cardio. This combination of skills allows him to push the pace in a 15-minute fight.

This UFC Vegas 102 fight preview favors Gurule. In the second and third rounds, Gurule should have massive success as he pushes the pace with volume boxing. I will take Gurule by third-round knockout. 

Anthony: Gurule via decision

Jerry: Gurule via KO/TKO

Brad Tavares vs. Gerald Meerschaert- Middleweight Bout 

James: At UFC Vegas 105, middleweight veterans Brad Tavares and Gerald Meerschaert will square off. Tavares holds a 15-10 record in the UFC that includes a 1-4 run in his last five fights. Meerschaert is 12-10 with a 2-3 record in his last five fights. 

Tavares is a quality fighter with a solid set of skills. At his best, he is a great defensive grapple with solid boxing and leg kicks. This set of skills would allow him to keep fights standing and outstrike lesser opponents. The concern is that he has shown regression in recent outings. It is evident his defensive grappling is not as strong and his durability has decreased. 

Meerschaert’s best skill is his BJJ. This can be seen in his ability to attack submission from top and bottom positions. He can end the fight with his top game if he is dominating and getting to strong positions. If he is struggling and finds himself on his back, he can get submissions from the bottom. Plus, he can land sweeps and work himself to the top position. On the feet, he is a southpaw with a great body kick and a good left hand. This combination of body kicks and grappling pace can quickly wear on opponents. The downside in his skills is his striking defense. Meerschaert is there to be hit clean. That can end his night early and stop him from utilizing his grappling skills.

This UFC Vegas 105 bout is an interesting fight to preview. In theory, it should heavily favor Tavares. This is the type of fight where he would typically defend takedowns and outstrike Meerschaert. However, that is more based on Tavares’s reputation. In his most recent outings, his defensive grappling skills have slipped. Plus, the opposite stance matchup will help Meerschaert land body kicks and tax Tavares’ gas tank. I believe Meerschaert fights through early adversity, lands body kicks, and begins to get his grappling working in the second and third rounds. That will lead him to a late finish. I will take Meerschaert by round-three knockout. 

Anthony: Meershaert via submission

Jerry: Tavares via decision

Cortavious Romious vs. Changho Lee- Bantamweight Bout 

James: At UFC Vegas 105, Cortavious Romious will fight Changho Lee. Romious is a Dana White’s Contender Series signee who dropped his UFC debut. Now, he is fighting to get in the win column and prevent himself from being put on the hot seat. Lee earned his spot in the UFC through Road to the UFC. This bout will serve as his UFC debut. 

Romious is a fighter with offensive upside and defensive flaws. In the striking realm, he has respectable power and speed. This helps provide him with solid boxing and decent kicks. The issue is that he is there to be hit. That is a serious issue against fighters with offensive upside. In the grappling realm, he has a decent mix of offensive wrestling and submission skills. He is not high-level in either realm, but he has functional grappling. 

Lee is a fighter who works to push the pace. Ideally, he accomplishes this with grappling and clinch work. On the feet, he risks getting hit to initiate these grappling and clinch exchanges. As the fight progresses, he begins to increase his success in those areas. 

This UFC Vegas 105 bout previews to be a close fight. Both fighters have the potential to find a finish. Lee’s recklessness will likely result in being hit clean, and Romious hits hard. Meanwhile, Romious gets hit and has questionable durability. I favor Lee because he should dictate where this bout takes place. Romoius can land big strikes at range, but he will likely be too willing to grapple with Lee. That will be fine initially, but the pace will wear on Romious. This is likely accomplished with wrestling and clinch knees to the body. I expect this to be a wild fight that Lee wins because he has more gas left in the later rounds. I will take Lee by round-three submission. 

Anthony: Lee via decision

Jerry: Romious via decision

Pat Sabatini vs. Joanderson Brito- Featherweight Bout 

James: The UFC Vegas 105 co-main event features a featherweight bout between Pat Sabatini and Joanderson Brito. This matchup pits two quality fighters against one another. Sabatini and Brito have had quality UFC runs as they sit at 6-2 and 5-2, respectively. A victory can help one of these fighters separate themselves from the rest of the unranked featherweights in the promotion. 

Sabatini is a strong grappler. In all grappling phases, he has impressive skills. He can land takedowns, maintain top position, get to dangerous positions, and land submissions. The big flaw in his skill set is his durability. If he gets hit with a clean strike, he is liable to be finished. 

Brito is a very dangerous fighter who always works to finish the fight. On the feet, he throws incredibly hard leg kicks, sticks out his jab, and has a powerful right hand. This allows him to do damage in striking exchanges. In the grappling realm, he can be taken down and put on his back; however, he also has the submission skills to put his opponent in danger. 

This UFC Vegas 105 bout previews to be a volatile fight. Sabatini has a potential path to a dominant victory. It would not be a surprise to see him find a submission in grappling exchanges. Meanwhile, Brito only needs one shot to finish the fight. I lean toward Sabatini landing takedowns and spending a lot of time in strong positions. That prediction is not made without understanding the risk present, however. I will take Sabatini by first-round submission. 

Anthony: Brito via KO/TKO

Jerry: Brito via KO/TKO

No. 8 Josh Emmett vs. No. 10 Lerone Murphy- Featherweight Bout

James: The UFC Vegas 105 main event features a featherweight bout between Josh Emmett and Lerone Murphy. This fight is an understandable progression in Murphy’s career. He has been slowly building up the featherweight ladder. In his UFC career, he is 7-0-1. In recent outings, he defeated Dan Ige and Edson Barboza to prove he is a legitimate ranked fighter. Now, he has a chance to jump into the elite portion of the weight class. Emmett will seriously test if he is capable of reaching that status. Despite being 40 years old, Emmett is a quality fighter. In his most recent fight, he landed a devastating knockout against Bryce Mitchell. That extended his UFC record to 10-4. 

Emmet is one of the hardest hitters to ever fight in the featherweight division. The highlight in his skill set is his ability to get inside and rip massive punches. He waits for his opponent to throw, slips punches, closes the distance, and lets his hands fly. This is often done with overhands, hooks, and straights. If he lands his shot, he can end the fight. Additionally, he can mix in wrestling to win close rounds. 

Murphy is a skilled fighter with great athleticism. In striking exchanges, he can switch stances and land hard with both hands. The best aspect of his boxing is his straight shots. Additionally, he mixes in elbows when striking in the pocket and can land good kicks from a distance. 

The UFC Vegas 105 main event is a tough fight to preview. That is because of Emmett’s insane power. Murphy has the skills to look great in this fight; however, Emmett only needs one punch to land a knockout. Ultimately, I expect Murphy to win this fight. On the outside, his straight punches, speed, and athleticism should allow him to outland Emmett without eating a ton of strikes in return. If Murphy gets overaggressive with hooks, Emmett is fully capable of landing a counter shot that will end the fight. I expect Murphy to understand that and limit his mistakes. I will take Murphy by decision.

Anthony: Murphy via decision

Jerry: Murphy via decision

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