UFC Vegas 65 Preview and Predictions
Last week, the UFC octagon was at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, for UFC 281. After their short road trip, the UFC has returned to Las Vegas, Nevada, and the UFC Apex for UFC Vegas 65.
The main event features a compelling fight between the UFC’s knockout king Derrick Lewis and up-and-coming heavyweight grappler Serghei Spivac. The rest of the card is slightly underwhelming, but there are a couple of fights that should be interesting.
Per usual, the Vendetta Sports Media UFC team is here to preview and predict each fight on the main card.
- James Herrick: 49-36
- Garrett Burroughs: 53-32
- Anthony Miranda: 3-2
- Jerry Walker: 21-14
Jack Della Maddalena vs. Danny Roberts — Welterweight
James: Jack Della Maddalena and Danny Roberts will open the UFC Vegas 65.
At just 26 years old, Maddalena is one of the top prospects in the welterweight division. He has impressed thus far in his UFC career, going 2-0 with two first-round knockouts. Those fights came against Ramazan Emeev and Pete Rodriguez, though.
This fight is a reasonable setup in competition for Maddalena. Roberts has had a sustained UFC career, boasting a 7-5 record in the promotion. If Maddalena can get a solid win over a fighter of Roberts’ caliber, he will add legitimacy to his status as a top prospect.
Maddalena and Roberts are both solid strikers and they each have similar tools, too. They each throw boxing combinations to the head and body. Roberts does have better kicks though. He will throw kicks to all three levels while Maddalena mainly only throws leg kicks. Despite that difference, Maddalena will have a lot working in his favor in this bout. Most importantly, he is an elite counter striker. That should help him land big shots consistently. Physically, he will be quicker, and he is more powerful.
I think Maddalena will be able to outland Roberts and his power should help him secure a finish. I will take Maddalena by first-round knockout.
Garrett: Maddalena via TKO
Anthony: Maddalena via decision
Jerry: Maddalena via KO/TKO
Andre Fialho vs. Muslim Salikhov — Welterweight
James: At UFC Vegas 65, Andre Fialho and Muslim Salikhov are set to face off in a potential fight of the night.
At one point in time, it seemed like Fialho could make a push for the welterweight rankings. However, he faltered in his last fight when Jake Matthews outboxed him at UFC 275. You could say similar things about Salikhov. When he entered the UFC, he had an extensive background in Sanda. He brought these skills to MMA and has shown a complete striking skillset. Just like Fialho though, he fell short of the rankings after losing to Li Jingliang.
If Fialho and Salikhov both come at their best, this will be a great fight. The pair are each really good strikers. Fialho gets his work done with his crisp boxing combinations. He can land those combos and deal out severe damage. Salikhov has better kicks. At times, he gets flashy and throws spinning attacks too.
I think Fialho will be able to get inside and go to work with his hands. If he does, I think he can land a finish. I will take Fialho by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Salikhov via decision
Anthony: Fialho via KO
Jerry: Salikhov via decision
Chase Sherman vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta — Heavyweight
James: This bout between Chase Sherman and Waldo Cortes-Acosta is strange.
First off, this fight was recently thrown together. Cortes-Acosta fought three weeks ago at UFC Vegas 63. In that fight, he proved to be a solid heavyweight by outboxing Jared Vanderaa. Meanwhile, Sherman was supposed to fight at UFC Vegas 64, but his fight was canceled at the last second after his opponent, Josh Parisian, was forced out of the fight. In the wake of these events, the UFC paired Sherman and Cortes-Acosta together.
The question with this bout is, who is the better boxer? Each guy’s biggest strength is their boxing. It is most likely that these two stand and trade punches. Outside of boxing, Cortes-Acosta has struggled to defend against leg kicks. Sherman may not be the best in the world at landing leg kicks, but they could play a factor in this fight.
Overall, I think Cortes-Acosta will be the slightly better boxing. I will take Cortes-Acosta by decision.
Garrett: Cortes-Acosta via decision
Anthony: Cortes-Acosta via decision
Jerry: Cortes-Acosta via KO/TKO
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Ion Cutelaba — Light Heavyweight
James: Kennedy Nzechukwu and Ion Cutaelaba are two entertaining fighters set to clash in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 65.
Both fighters are relatively experienced in the light heavyweight division, but neither has been able to find sustained success though. Nzechukwu has gone 4-3 in the UFC while Cutelaba has gone 5-7-1. In fairness, each fighter has faced tough competition — especially Cutelaba. In his seven losses and one draw, he only fought one fighter that is not currently ranked. With both guys floating at or near the .500 mark a win in this fight will be crucial as they will push themselves closer to the light heavyweight rankings.
This fight is tough to call because you never know what you will get from Cutelaba. He is aggressive and powerful, but sometimes he tries to fight safely. Plus, he has good offensive wrestling, but he has been out-grappled. On the flip side, you know what you will get from Nzechukwu. He is a long and rangy striker that can land from the outside. In addition, he is incredibly durable and has great cardio. Both of those tools will help him in this fight.
In all honesty, you could talk me into taking either guy. I will take Nzechukwu though. He can avoid the power shots from Cutelaba and fire back with strikes. Nzechukwu has made more improvements as of late too. I will take Nzechukwu by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Nzechukwu via TKO
Anthony: Nzechukwu via decision
Jerry: Nzechukwu via TKO
No. 7 Derrick Lewis vs. No. 12 Serghei Spivac — Heavyweight
James: The main event of UFC Vegas 65 will feature a heavyweight bout between Derrick Lewis, the UFC knockout king, and Serghei Spivac. Each of these fighters is at a different stage in their career.
Lewis is free-falling down the heavyweight rankings after losing three of his last four. At 37 years old, he desperately needs a win to prove he is still an elite fighter. Meanwhile, Spivac is looking to climb up in the rankings. He has won five of his six with the only loss coming to Tom Aspinall. At 27, Spivac is looking to reach the elite portion of the rankings at a relatively young age. If he beats Lewis at UFC Vegas 65, he will accomplish that.
Will Lewis land the KO shot? If you answer that question with a yes, you probably pick Lewis. Otherwise, the pick is Spivac. I know Lewis has skills other than power, he has underrated wrestling and good kicks and knees to combine with his looping knockout strikes.
Meanwhile, Spivac is known for his wrestling. He is a terrific wrestler and he is tough to deal with. On the ground, he throws a lot of ground and pound and attempts submissions. If a fighter stands up, Spivac is very good at keeping a clinch position and landing a mat return or clinch throw. That makes it tough to get away from his grappling. It also creates a quick pace that is difficult to keep up with. He makes you tired and wears on you.
In this fight, Spivac’s ability to get takedowns in the clinch will be beneficial as he will be able to get inside while avoiding uppercuts and knees. That will be tough for Lewis to handle. I will take Spivac by submission in round four.
Garrett: Spivac via decision
Anthony: Derrick Lewis via KO
Jerry: Derrick Lewis via KO
