UFC Vegas 74 Preview and Predictions

UFC Vegas 74 Preview and Predictions

The UFC is returning at UFC Apex for UFC Vegas 74 after a rare week without an event. The main event features a flyweight bout between Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi that will help determine the future of the division. The remainder of the card is nothing special, largely because several fighters had to pull out of fights which stripped some interesting matchups from the card.

Still, the Vendetta Sports Media preview team is here to break down and predict the main card. You can find our prediction records below. 

James: 51-32-2 

Garrett: 53-30-2

Anthony: 37-26-1

Jerry: 31-31-1

Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos — Welterweight Bout

James: At UFC Vegas 78, Abubakar Nurmagomedov will fight Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. Dos Santos is making his return after being sidelined for over a year. That layoff is unfortunate as dos Santos is one of the most entertaining fighters on the UFC roster. The skills are present alongside the entertainment as he has gone 7-3 in the UFC.

Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov has gone 2-1 thus far into his UFC career. That said, his relation to the Nurmagomedov family has made him relatively well-known in comparison to other fighters at his level. 

Dos Santos is known for his flashy kicks and entertaining style. Despite being flashy, he is still an effective striker and has the ability to control fights on the feet. The only problem is that his biggest weakness is his takedown defense. Nurmagomedov is not as strong of a grappler as some of his relatives. Still, I think it is good enough to control Dos Santos and neutralize his striking. I will take Nurmagomedov by decision. 

Garrett: Nurmagomedov via decision

Anthony: Nurmagomedov via decision

Jerry: Nurmagomedov via decision

Karine Silva vs. Ketlen Souza — Women’s Flyweight Bout

James: Women’s flyweight prospects Karine Silva and Ketlen Souza are set to share the octagon at UFC Vegas 74. Silva, 29, is the more experience of the two. That is not saying much, however. Silva won her only UFC fight after picking up a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Meanwhile, Souza, 27, is making her UFC debut. Prior to joining the big show, she was a champion in Invicta FC which is a positive for any prospect entering the UFC. 

Silva is a solid prospect with some nice skills. On the feet, she has fight-ending power. Her striking skills are centered around her jab, straight, overhand, and teep. On the ground, her BJJ is respectable and she can finish the fight on the ground. Overall, her skill set is centered around her ability to find a finish.

Souza has looked good on the regional scene. She looks fairly well-rounded. Her kicks are strong and she can mix in her hands as well. In grappling, she can land takedowns a threaten submissions. However, I am concerned with how Souza will react to the step up in competition. 

I will take Silva in this fight. She has more finishing upside and I am more confident in her skills since I have seen them at the UFC level. I will take Silva by second-round submission. 

Garrett: Silva via decision

Anthony: Silva via decision

Jerry: Silva via submission

No. 11 Tim Elliott vs. Victor Altamirano — Flyweight Bout 

James: At UFC Vegas 74, Tim Elliott will fight Victor Altamirano. Elliot, 36, has been fighting in the flyweight rankings for several years. In his current UFC run, he sits at 5-6. For the most part, he beats the division’s lower tier of fighters while losing to the division’s elite. That gives Altamirano, a solid prospect, a chance to prove he is a top-15 flyweight. 

This fight should be a fan-friendly scrap. Elliott loves to fight at a crazy pace and Altamirano will be more than willing to entertain a high-paced bout. Elliott is a well-rounded fighter that throws a ton of punches while mixing in his wrestling. Meanwhile, Altamirano has a great kick game. He does have the ability to be technical to land straight shots, but he tends to fight wild instead. 

In this fight, I like Altarmirano. The main reason for this is because he has better cardio than Elliott. If this fight is as high-paced as it predicts to be, Altamirano will have an edge late in the fight. Plus, he should be able to manage against Elliott’s grappling. I will take Altamirano by decision. 

Garrett: Altamirano by decision

Anthony: Elliott via decision

Jerry: Elliott via decision

Jim Miller vs. Jesse Butler — Lightweight Bout 

James: At UFC Vegas 74, Jim Miller, a UFC legend, will be competing in his 42nd fight in the promotion. Miller, 39, is one of the most respected veterans in MMA. Despite his age, Miller still looked good as of late going 3-1 in his last four. His opponent, Jesse Butler, will be making his UFC debut.

Butler earned this opportunity after stepping in on short notice in place of Jared Gordon. On the regional scene, Butler compiled a 12-4 record and is currently riding a five-fight win streak. 

I will not sugarcoat this one, Butler is in over his head here. First of all, he is taking this fight on less than a week’s notice. That is bad. Secondly, he is someone with zero UFC fights and is set to fight the person with the most fights in company history. That is really bad. Plus, his skill set is centered around his submissions. That is not the best skill set to have in a fight against a Miller who is respected on the ground.

If you want to keep the list going, Miller will be the better and more powerful striker. Barring Miller’s age finally catching up with him, he wins this fight. I will take Miller by first-round knockout. 

Garrett: Miller via TKO

Anthony: Miller via submission

Jerry: Miller via decision

No. 15 Alex Caceres vs. Daniel Pineda — Featherweight Bout 

James: In the co-main event of UFC Vegas 74, Alex Caceres will fight Daniel Pineda. Caceres and Pineda are each coming off the heels of impressive finishes. Caceres displayed his knockout power in his last fight, finishing Julian Erosa with a head kick in the first round. Meanwhile, Pineda landed a guillotine choke against Tucker Lutz in his last fight. These impressive performances have left the pair battling for a position in the rankings. 

Caceres has a traditional martial arts style and fights out of a karate style. That style combined with his insane length and impressive footwork allows him to strike from the outside at a high level. Caceres has solid boxing, but he is at his best when he can use his hands to set up his kicks. Plus, he has developed into a solid grappler with slick submissions and back takes.

Pineda, on the other hand, is a pressure fighter that throws every shot with bad intentions. This starts with chopping leg kicks that extend to massive hooks. Pineda backs up his pressure with a highly credentialed BJJ black belt and solid wrestling. 

I like Caceres in this fight. I think he can use his length to avoid the massive shots of Pineda. On the outside, his kicks should present trouble. Additionally, Pineda has questionable cardio. If Caceres can withstand the early onslaught he should be much better in the later rounds. I will take Caceres by third-round knockout. 

Garrett: Pineda via decision

Anthony: Caceres via decision

Jerry: Caceres via KO/TKO

No. 3 Kai Kara-France vs. No. 7 Amir Albazi- Flyweight Bout

James: In the main event of UFC Vegas 74, Kai Kara-France is looking to rebound after losing an interim title fight against Brandon Moreno. That said, he is being given a tough fight as his opponent, Amir Albazi, is flying up the flyweight division. In just four UFC fights, Albazi has worked his way to the top of the division with three finishes and an undefeated record. France, at 7-3 in the UFC, has looked great in his UFC tenure as well. 

This fight should be a close and competitive main event. There are reasons to love Kara-France and Albazi in this bout. Kara-France is a great kickboxer that has shown a lot of defensive grappling improvements. On the feet, Kara-France has really strong boxing combinations, quick hands, a lot of power, and great leg kicks.

Albazi is an outstanding grappler. In the grappling department, he has solid takedowns, but he thrives once the fight is on the ground. This is due to his top control, ability to pass guard, and lethal submissions. 

I hate to pick either fighter because I am very high on both of them. I lean toward Kara-France, however. Kara-France’s grappling has been consistently improving. In this fight, he should utilize strong initial takedown defense. That said, he could struggle if he is taken down. Meanwhile, on the feet, Kara-France will have a massive advantage. That is not because Albazi is a bad striker. Albazi has a lot of power and great striking tools. Still, Kara-France will be faster, more technical, and has knockout power.

All in all, I think Kara-France will defend enough takedowns to take advantage of his striking advantage. I will take Kara-France via fourth-round knockout. 

Garrett: Kara-France via TKO

Anthony: Kara-France via KO

Jerry: Kara-France via KO/TKO

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