UFC Vegas 77 Preview and Predictions
UFC Vegas 77 is a far cry from last week’s legendary UFC 290 (in fairness, the UFC cannot pack every card with outstanding fights). Nonetheless, this week’s event features a main event that is crucial to the women’s bantamweight title picture. The card has a few fights that project to be fan-friendly scraps which is a positive as well.
Join the Vendetta Sports Media UFC team as we preview and predict the main card. You can find out prediction records below.
James: 68-47-2
Garrett: 71-44-2
Anthony: 49-35-1
Jerry: 48-43-1
Trey: 1-0
Nazim Sadykhov vs. Terrance McKinney — Lightweight Bout
James: The opener of UFC Vegas 77 projects to be a banger as Nazim Sadykhov takes on Terrance McKinney. Sadykhov and McKinney are each fighters who are willing to engage in a wild clash, which forecasts an exciting start to the main card.
This will be Sadykhov’s second UFC bout. After gaining a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, he won his debut over Evan Elder. On the flipside, McKinney is looking to get back on track after suffering a loss to Ismael Bonfim in his last fight. Overall, he is still above .500 in the UFC, sitting with a promotional record over 3-2.
McKinney is sitting at a stylistic crossroads in his career. For the large majority of his career, he used his raw talent, athleticism, speed and power to overwhelm opponents early and hunt finishes. That changed in his last bout as he looked more patient and technical; however, that did not lead to a victory. It will be interesting to see which style McKinney utilizes at UFC Vegas 77.
Sadykhov is far different from McKinney, often far more willing to fight hard for three rounds. That style allows him to walk opponents down and land powerful punches while mixing in kicks and knees.
I really like McKinney’s raw skills and wrestling background, but his cardio is massively concerning. In his last bout, he did not look as good in the second round even when he fought at a much slower pace. At the start of this fight, he will have the ability to land a knockout shot or find a submission, but I can not predict that will happen. The book is out on McKinney. All Sadykhov has to do is survive the initial exchanges and he will pull ahead. I will take Sadykhov by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Sadykhov via TKO
Jerry: McKinney via KO/TKO
Anthony: McKinney via KO/TKO
No. 13 Norma Dumont vs. No. 15 Chelsea Chandler — Women’s Featherweight Bout
James: UFC Vegas 77 is set to feature a rare women’s featherweight bout. The division will probably close, but Norma Durmont and Chelsea Chandler will get an opportunity to throw down first.
Dumont is a veteran of the higher women’s weight classes and has a promotional record of 5-2 and a professional record of 9-2. Chandler has far less experience. She recently won her UFC debut and boasts a career record of 5-1.
Chandler is a powerful fighter that finds success landing powerful punches on the feet and violent ground and pound when on top. Dumont is much more well-rounded. On the feet, she has more weapons and cleaner technique. On the ground, she is capable of out-grappling opponents. The well-roundedness and experience of Dumont pushes me in her direction. I will take Dumont by decision.
Garrett: Chandler via TKO
Jerry: Dumont via decision
Anthony: Dumont via decision
Albert Duraev vs. Junyong Park — Middleweight Bout
James: At UFC Vegas 77, Albert Duraev will fight Junyong Park. Both fighters enter the bout on solid UFC runs. Park has won three consecutive bouts and has a respectable 6-2 record in the UFC. Meanwhile, Duraev is 2-1 in the UFC and is entering this bout off a win over Chidi Njokuani.
Park is a fairly well-rounded fighter. On the feet, he pressures forward with jabs and looks to land hooks when his opponent closes the distance. At times, he will mix takedowns into his game plan. This is not a staple of his game, but he has found success getting into dominant positions and throwing ground-and-pound.
Duraev is a great grappler who can land takedowns and control the fight from the top position. The issue is that he does not commit to wrestling. Duraev has had a clear grappling advantage in all three of his UFC fights. In each bout, he either underutilized his grappling or waited too long to attempt takedowns. That is not to say he is incapable of striking. Instead, he just does not fight to his biggest strength.
Duarev fights can be hard to predict because you never know how he will fight. In this fight, if he attempts takedowns he should be the better grappler. On the feet, it will be close. Park will have a volume advantage while Duraev has the power advantage. I do not love either fighter’s striking defense either. All in all, I think Duraev can land the more powerful shots. If he attempts takedowns, he will only gain a bigger advantage in this fight. I will take Duraev by decision.
Garrett: Park via decision
Jerry: Park via decision
Anthony: Park via submission
Ottman Azaitar vs. Francisco Prado — Lightweight Bout
James: The preview for this UFC Vegas 77 clash screams violence. Ottman Azaitar and Francisco Prado are two lightweights who are not afraid to swing for the fences, and a fight between the two seems awfully fan-friendly.
Azaitar and Prado are both looking to get back in the win column after their first career loss. In the case of Azaitar, Matt Frevola brutally knocked him out, which dropped his career record to 13-1 and his UFC record to 2-1. Meanwhile, Prado lost a decision to Jamie Mullarkey in his short-notice UFC debut. His career record now sits at 11-1.
I expect that these two will throw down until someone is out cold. The pair each likes to utilize the power in their hands to finish fights early. While both fighters have a puncher’s chance, I prefer Prado for a litany of reasons. Prado is far younger, has more speed, throws cleaner strikes, and is better defensively. In the inevitable boxing exchanges, I think Prado will land a powerful hook that puts Azaitar down. I will take Prado by first-round knockout.
Garrett: Azaitar via TKO
Jerry: Azaitar via KO/TKO
Anthony: Azaitar via decision
No. 14 Jack Della Maddalena vs. Bassil Hafez- Welterweight Bout
James: In the co-main event of UFC Vegas 77, Jack Della Maddalena will fight Bassil Hafez. Della Maddalena has had a difficult time getting a fight over the last two weeks. At UFC 290, he was supposed to fight Sean Brady, but Brady was forced to pull out, resulting in Josiah Harrell stepping in on short notice. However, Harrell was forced out of the fight after a pre-fight medical discovered he had a rare brain disease. Now, at UFC Vegas 77, Hafez will fight the elite welterweight prospect.
Hafez will be making his UFC debut in this fight. On the regional scene, he compiled an 8-3-1 record. Thus far into his career, he has shown powerful striking and legit submission skills.
Della Maddalena is an outstanding boxer with effortless power and the ability to attack the body. That skill set should allow him to outstrike the majority of welterweights on the UFC roster.
I have a hard time saying any short-notice UFC debutant will beat a ranked fighter. The case against Della Maddalena is that he cut weight for UFC 290 and will be forced to cut weight again for UFC Vegas 77. The grappling of Hafez provides more upside for an upset as well. Still, Della Maddalena will likely land an early combination that finishes this fight. I will take Della Maddalena by first-round knockout.
Garrett: Della Maddalena via TKO
Jerry: Della Maddalena via KO/TKO
Anthony: Della Maddalena via KO/TKO
No. 3 Holly Holm vs. No. 10 Mayra Bueno Silva — Women’s Bantamweight Bout
James: The main event of UFC Vegas 77 features a women’s bantamweight bout between UFC legend Holly Holm and up-and-comer Mayra Bueno Silva.
Holm is a former UFC champion that has gone 8-6 in the promotion. Additionally, she has high-level experience in boxing and is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Bueno Silva will be looking to dethrone the legend as she attempts to make her own rise to title contention status. Bueno Silva is 5-2-1 in the UFC, but she has turned a corner as of late. Since moving up to bantamweight, she has won three fights in a row.
This bout has massive title implications. The UFC women’s bantamweight title is vacant after Amanda Nunes retired at UFC 289. The winner of this bout will be on the short list of potential title contenders. It is far from a guarantee that either fighter will get a title shot if they win, but a good showing could put them over the top. For the 41-year-old, Holm, this bout is likely a must-win if she wants to fight for the title again before her career is over.
At this point in her career, Holm’s skill set is centered around cage control and occasionally landing takedowns. That transition away from striking has allowed her to take advantage of her physicality and has helped her extend her career past age 40.
Bueno Silva is a dangerous fighter that is more than capable of finishing fights. On the feet, she has powerful hands and will throw a lot of kicks to the legs and body. This allows her to deal a lot of damage in striking exchanges. While she has some holes in her wrestling, she is capable of finding a finish on the ground with her slick submission skills.
Bueno Silva’s ability to deal with the physicality of Holm will determine the outcome of this fight. On one hand, Bueno Silva will be undersized and could struggle in those scenarios. On the other, she has solid clinch striking that can help her win those exchanges. Although, I do expect Bueno Silva to win the striking. This is because she has power and throws to all three levels. Meanwhile, Holm striking does not look as crisp as it once did and she is beginning to slow down. I think Bueno Silva wins the early striking exchanges and eventually finds a finish. I will take Bueno Silva by round-three knockout.
Garrett: Bueno Silva via decision
Jerry: Holm via decision
Anthony: Holm via decision
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