UFC Vegas 67 Preview and Predictions
The holidays are over and the UFC is back to its regularly scheduled programming. The organization will be kicking off the new year with UFC Vegas 67 which will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Despite being the first card of the year, it has gone through a massive main event shake-up as Sean Strickland is stepping in on short notice to fight Nassourdine Imavov in place of Kelvin Gastelum. You could even argue that change makes the card better. Nonetheless, the UFC Vegas 67 main card features several ranked fights and has the potential to be a fun night of fights.
The Vendetta Sports Media preview team will be breaking down and predicting each fight on the main card. We will start the new year with a fresh prediction record, but our 2022 records will be listed for this week.
- James Herrick: 62-43-1
- Garrett Burroughs: 65-40-1
- Jerry Walker: 32-23-1
- Anthony Miranda: 17-8-1
No. 11 Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Raoni Barcelos- Bantamweight
James: UFC Vegas 67 is set to open with a bang. The first fight of the main card features an interesting bout between Umar Nurmagomedov and Raoni Barcelos. At 15-0, Nurmagomedov has run through his competition and has proven to be one of the top prospects in the bantamweight division. In this bout, Barcelos should be able to provide Nurmagomedov with his toughest fight to date. Despite Nurmagmoedov being his first-ranked opponent, Barcelos is one of the most skilled fighters in the division. In his MMA career, he has established a 17-3 record with a 6-2 UFC record.
Both Nurmagomedov and Barcelos are highly skilled and well-rounded martial artists. Nurmagomedov is a dominant wrestler who easily gets takedowns and he has the ability to land a submission when the opportunity presents itself. On the feet, he stays on the outside and manages distance well. Offensively he has great kicks and will throw them to all three levels of the body. Barcelos has great Muay Thai and will do good work with his hands. He also has an underrated background in wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ).
This fight should be close, but Nurmagomedov has a lot of advantages. On the feet, he should be able to stay on the outside while landing quicks. His ability to move in and out of range will help him avoid the strikes coming from Barcelos as well. In addition, he should be able to get the fight to the ground and rack up control time. I do think Barcelos will be able to rely on his grappling background to stay safe, it just will not be enough to earn a win. I will take Nurmagomedov by decision.
Garrett: Nurmagomedov via submission
Jerry: Nurmagomedov via submission
Anthony: Nurmagomedov via submission
No. 2 Ketlen Vieira vs. No. 5 Raquel Pennington- Women’s Bantamweight
James: The second fight of the UFC Vegas 67 main card features a women’s bantamweight bout between Ketlen Vieira and Raquel Pennigton. With Amanda Nunes, the current champion, unbooked, this fight has serious title implications. Vieira and Pennington are perfect candidates for that opportunity as they are each ranked inside the top five and are on winning streaks.
In this bout, Vieira and Pennington will be pretty evenly matched and I have a hard time seeing either fighter find an advantage they can exploit. Typically, Pennington will work to make the fight dirty by landing on the inside and getting into the clinch. If the fight gets to the ground she has underrated submission skills, but she has good takedown defense and is good at dictating where the fight takes place. Meanwhile, Vieira does her best work when she is able to get the fight to the ground. If she is able to mix in takedowns she will be more successful. On the feet, she is powerful, but she is not incredibly technical or refined. Although, she has shown improvements in her most recent bouts.
As I mentioned, this fight will be close. In my opinion, the deciding factor will be the clinch work. If either fighter finds success in that realm they will win the fight. That success could come from landing clinch strikes and takedowns or simply holding the other fighter up against the cage. Regardless, that could be enough to pull ahead on the judges’ scorecards after 15 minutes.
As far as a prediction goes, Vieira is younger, a little bigger, and has the ability to do more damage. I think those traits will help her squeeze out a close decision. I will take Vieira by decision.
Garrett: Vieira via decision
Jerry: Vieira via decision
Anthony: Vieira via decision
Punahele Soriano vs. Roman Kopylov- Middleweight
James: This middleweight matchup between Punahale Soriano and Roman Kopylov is the only fight on the UFC Vegas 67 main card that does not include a ranked fighter. While the fight is not terrible, it is clearly the worst on the main card. Despite that, this fight will have a major impact on each fighter’s career. Both fighters are coming off impressive knockout finishes that ended two-fight skids. At the same time, that means the fighter that loses will drop to 1-3 in their last four which is dangerous territory.
This matchup is interesting because each fighter will have a path to victory. Kopylov is a clean boxer that has really quick hands. The issue is that boxing is his only above-average trait. He does not throw great kicks and he struggles with grappling. On the feet, Soriano will have more power, but he is not as technical and leaves opportunities for counters. Soriano also has a solid wrestling background which could help him in this fight.
In this fight, I think Soriano wins if he uses his wrestling. If opts not to, he will have to land powerful strikes and prevent Kopylov from getting his hands going. If Kopylov wants to win, he needs to avoid the power strikes and look to land counters. Overall, I will take the side of Soriano because I think he has more ways to win. I will take Soriano by third-round knockout.
Garrett: Soriano via TKO
Jerry: Soriano via TKO
Anthony: Soriano via TKO
No. 13 Dan Ige vs. Damon Jackson- Featherweight
James: In the co-main event of UFC Vegas 67, Damon Jackson is taking a massive step up in competition as he fights Dan Ige. This bout will be Jackson’s first crack at a ranked fighter, an opportunity he earned after four straight wins. Simultaneously, that means Ige is taking a step down in competition. That is understandable as he is 1-4 in his last five. That is not an indictment on Ige’s ability though. All four of those losses came against featherweights ranked inside the top ten.
The game plan for Jackson in this fight will be to get the fight to the ground. He is usually able to accomplish that because he has great takedowns. Once it hits the map, he has solid transitions, can control positions, and is able to land submissions. On the feet, he is not the best striker and can get hit too much. Thankfully, he is tough enough to fight through that issue. Ige is also a durable fighter; he is just better on the feet. Ige has good boxing combinations and can land on the inside. His ability to move in and out of the pocket is a very underrated tool that helps him accomplish that. On the ground, Ige is not perfect, but he has good scrambles and can work back to his feet.
I like Ige a lot in this fight. I think he uses his scrambles to limit the time he spends on the mat. If he can manage to do that, he should be able to convincingly win the striking exchanges. I will take Ige by decision.
Garrett: Jackson via submission
Jerry: Ige via decision
Anthony: Jackson via decision
No. 7 Sean Strickland vs. No. 12 Nassourdine Imavov- Light Heavyweight
James: The first main event of 2023 went through a shake-up, but I think we got a better fight. After an impressive performance at UFC Paris, Imavov deserved a big opportunity. At this point in their careers, a win against Sean Strickland is far more meaningful than a win against Kelvin Gastelum. Meanwhile, Strickland has dropped two in a row and is looking to get back in the win column.
This fight could massively change the landscape of the middleweight division. Imavov has looked solid in his 4-1 UFC run and his entrance into the top portion of the middleweight division could provide some badly needed parody. On the flip side, getting back into the win column would help re-legitimize Strickland’s top-ten rank, therefore, allowing him to keep fighting the division’s elite.
Before we get into the fight breakdown I want to address the weight class and Strickland taking this fight on short notice. Personally, I do not factor that into my prediction much. Strickland spars a lot so he should be more prepared than most to take a fight on short notice. As far as fighting at light heavyweight goes, it is hard to tell how much that will help each fighter without them addressing it. I do not see the need to speculate about the change.
As far as a breakdown goes, I am really intrigued by this fight. Imavov and Strickland are similar in the sense that they each rely on their jab and mostly throw their kicks up the middle. The difference is that Imavov fights loose with his hands low and in a wide stance while Strickland is a little stiff and keeps his hands up. Grappling-wise, Strickland likely holds the advantage, but he typically opts not to use it.
In this fight, I think Imavov may be able to find success on the feet because he is taller and longer than Strickland. If the two exchange from the outside that may become important. I also think Imavov is better at striking while moving backward which could be useful if Strickland pressures him. With that being said, Strickland will hold a cardio advantage and could pull ahead late. I think this fight will be very close with Imavov winning early while Strickland eventually pulls ahead. Although, I think Imavov can do enough in the early rounds to win without being finished late. I will take Imavov by decision.
Garrett: Strickland via decision
Jerry: Imavov via decision
Anthony: Strickland via decision
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