UFC Vegas 75 Preview and Predictions
The UFC schedule is set to roll on with UFC Vegas 75. The card features a main event between ranked middleweights Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori. In the co-main, ranked lightweight Arman Tsarukyan will take on unranked Joaquim Silva. The remainder of the event spotlights fighters that are looking to establish themselves as fighters with potential.
The Vendetta Sports Media UFC preview team is here to preview and predict all the action on the UFC Vegas 75 main card. You can find out prediction records below.
James: 58-36-2
Garrett: 58-36-2
Jerry: 39-34-1
Anthony: 41-28-1
Nicolas Dalby vs. Muslim Salikhov — Welterweight Bout
James: The UFC Vegas 75 main card kicks off with a welterweight bout between two established veterans of combat sports, Nicolas Dalby and Muslim Salikhov.
Salikhov, 39, is the more experienced of the two, boasting years of experience in Sanda, a form of Chinese kickboxing, which predates his MMA career. Still, he has gone 6-2 in the UFC.
Dalby, 38, has had two runs in the promotion, notching a 5-3-1 record with one no-contest in the UFC. In his current run, he is 3-1 with one no-contest. Outside of the UFC, Dalby impressed in Cage Warriors where he established a 5-1 record with one no-contest while winning the welterweight championship.
Salikhov’s Sanda background can be seen in his fighting style. In the octagon, he has shown impressive spinning kicks alongside more traditional kicks to all three levels. He also displays solid hooks with the ability to close range and land strikes. Salikhov will often mix in takedowns too — an underrated aspect of his game.
Dalby is not a bad striker either. His striking skill set is focused on straight shots and kicks. This is effective as he fights with high volume while having the cardio and durability needed to accomplish that game plan.
I like Salikhov in this bout. I think his kicks will allow him to slow down the fight’s pace which will restrict Dalby’s offensive output. He will also have more power than Dalby. I will take Salikhov by decision.
Garrett: Salikhov via decision
Jerry: Salikhov via decision
Anthony: Salikhov via decision
Manuel Torres vs. Nikolas Motta — Lightweight Bout
James: At UFC Vegas 75, Manuel Torres and Nikolas Motta are set to compete in a lightweight bout, as both look to establish themselves as UFC talent with high potential.
Torres is slightly further along in that regard, boasting a perfect 1-0 UFC record. Meanwhile, Motta is 1-1 in the UFC. On a positive note, his loss came to Jim Miller in his UFC debut. As we have established, not many UFC debutants should be locked in a cage with Miller.
This should be a fun scrap. Torres and Motta are both fighters that will stand and trade heavy strikes. In the case of Torres, he throws a ton of powerful strikes, often done in the form of looping hooks, long jabs, overhands, and winging leg kicks. Similarly, Motta has a boxing-centered style. He has a stiff jab and is capable of landing hooks on the inside.
The largest difference between Torres and Motta is cardio. In comparison, Torres usually appears to have a limited gas tank while Motta has the ability to fight for three rounds. I also value Motta’s counter-punching abilities in this bout. I will take Motta by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Torres via TKO
Jerry: Torres via decision
Anthony: Torres via decision
Pat Sabatini vs. Lucas Almeida — Featherweight Bout
James: This UFC Vegas 75 bout pits Pat Sabatini and Lucas Almeida, each looking to inch closer to the highly exclusive featherweight rankings.
Sabatini is looking to get back on track after being knocked out by Damon Jackson in his last bout. Prior to that, he was on a six-fight win streak with four of those wins coming in the UFC. Meanwhile, Almeida made a statement in his UFC debut as he landed a knock-out win over Mike Trizano.
This fight is a massive clash in styles. Sabatini is a great grapple with a suspect chin. Almeida is a powerful and risky striker who struggles to defend against takedowns. In this fight, Almeida will blast Sabatini with massive hooks if the fight stays standing. If Sabatini can consistently land takedowns, he should be able to control the bout on the ground.
It is easy to see a path to victory so it is hard to be overly confident in either fight. I am siding with Sabatini, however. In the past, Sabatini has shown the willingness to implore a wrestling-heavy game plan. I expect that he will have a similar game plan in this fight. I will take Sabatini by decision.
Garrett: Almeida via TKO
Jerry: Sabatini via TKO/KO
Anthony: Sabatini decision
Armen Petrosyan vs. Christian Leroy Duncan — Middleweight Bout
James: At UFC Vegas 75, middleweight kickboxers Armen Petrosyan and Christian Leroy Duncan will meet in the octagon.
Petrosyan is a solid prospect with a credentialed kickboxing background and a 2-1 UFC record. Duncan has solid promise in the UFC as well. Prior to joining the promotion, he was a champion in Cage Warriors. Unfortunately, his UFC debut was spoiled after his opponent, Dusko Todorovic, injured his knee in the first round. Now, he is looking to make a statement in his second UFC fight.
Petrosyan is a solid striker that can succeed from range. He accomplished this with jabs, straights, and kicks to the body and legs. Petrosyan is able to crash the distance and land hooks on the inside as well. Duncan is a fluid striker that throws a wide variety of kicks on the outside while switching stances. Additionally, he is more than willing to mix dangerous spinning attacks into his arsenal.
I like Duncan in this fight. It will be close, however. I lean toward Duncan because he is more than capable of competing on the outside and he has a wider repertoire of attacks. It would not surprise me if his unorthodox weapons cause problems for the most technical Petrosyan. I will take Duncan by decision.
Garrett: Petrosyan via decision
Jerry: Duncan via decision
No. 8 Arman Tsarukyan vs. Joaquim Silva — Lightweight Bout
James: In the co-main event of UFC Vegas 75, Arman Tsarukyan will fight Joaquim Silva. Tsarukyan is one of the best talents in the lightweight division. In his UFC debut, he fought Islam Makhachev and, despite losing, showed a lot of lot of grappling skills. As he progresses in his UFC, he continues to display great grappling with constantly improving striking. Now, he sits at 6-2 in the UFC. Meanwhile, Silva is 5-3 in the UFC.
This is definitely the easier fight to preview on UFC Vegas 75. Frankly, this fight is a mismatch. Tsarukyan is rightfully a massive favorite. Silva is not a bad fighter; he has solid BJJ and is more than willing to brawl. In terms of pure skill, Tsarukyan is far more talented in every realm. I will take Tsarukyan by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Tsarukyan via Submission
Jerry: Tsarukyan via KO/TKO
Anthony: Tsarukyan KO/TKO
No. 3 Marvin Vettori vs. No. 4 Jared Cannonier — Middleweight Bout
James: In the main event of UFC Vegas 75, Marvin Vettori and Jared Cannonier will compete in a bout between two highly-ranked middleweights.
Vettori and Cannonier each find themselves in a similar position in their careers. Both fighters have proven to be elite middleweights, but they were unable to get past the division’s upper echelon in Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker.
The pair will fight in an effort to climb back into middleweight title discussions. It is unlikely that the winner will get a title shot; however, the loser may be out of the running for a long period of time. Vettori, 29, will have more time to make another title run in comparison to the 38-year-old Cannonier.
Cannonier and Vettori are both solid fighters with strong skill sets. Vettori is a durable fighter that has the cardio to push the pace and throw at a high volume. Typically, Vettori likes to throw straight strikes on the outside, strike out of the clinch, and mix in kicks. He has also shown to be a solid wrestler, although he has attempted fewer takedowns in his most recent fights.
Cannonier is often cast as a brute with a ton of power, which is an accurate assessment. The problem is that it undermines his technical prowess. Cannonier has shown the ability to switch stances while controlling the octagon to set up power strikes. He has a handful of strong boxing combinations that he can use to set up damaging blows.
In this fight, I think Cannonier will be able to land the more powerful strikes. If Vettori enters the clinch, Cannonier will have opportunities to land power strikes on the inside. Furthermore, if he backs Vettori up, he will be able to land punches. Cannonier has also shown the ability to fight for five rounds at a high rate. That said, if Vettori begins to land takedowns the bout could swing in his favor. Still, I will take Cannonier by decision.
Garrett: Cannonier via TKO
Jerry: Cannonier via decision
Anthony: Cannonier via decision
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