UFC Vegas 83 Preview and Predictions
The UFC schedule is winding down for 2023. UFC Vegas 83 is the final Fight Night event of 2023. The card has a fair amount of talent as it features three ranked matchups. It is not the strongest event of the year, but it has some entertaining bouts. The prelims will kickoff the fights at 7:30 p.m. EST with the main card following at 10 p.m. EST.
Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict each fight on the UFC Vegas 83 main card. You can find our prediction records below.
James: 134-75-3
Garrett: 128-81-3
Anthony: 111-67-2
Jerry: 112-64-2
Junyong Park vs. Andre Muniz–Middleweight Bout
James: The UFC Vegas 83 main card opens with a middleweight bout between Junyong Park and Andre Muniz. Park and Muniz are trending in opposite directions. Park has been steadily improving throughout a four-fight win streak. That has him on the verge of entering the rankings. On the other hand, Muniz has lost consecutive bouts to Paul Craig and Brendan Allen. Those struggles pushed him out of the middleweight rankings.
Park is a fairly well-rounded fighter. On the feet, he walks his opponents down with jabs and leg kicks. Once he begins to chip away at his opponent, he will open up with longer boxing combinations. In the grappling realm, Park is not an ace, but he has shown the ability to grapple offensively and defensively when necessary.
Muniz is a BJJ specialist. The core of his game plan is to get the fight to the ground and take that back, allowing him to hunt submissions or rack up control time to win a decision. On the feet, he is usually at a disadvantage, but he can be competitive because of his power.
The main factor that swings this fight is cardio. Muniz has struggled to manage his cardio. If he is unable to submit Park or take his back early, it will be difficult to sustain success for 15 minutes. On the other hand, Park can be trusted to fight at a high pace for three rounds. In addition, Park is a good enough defensive grappler to make Muniz work which will further tax his cardio. I will take Park by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Park via decision
Jerry: Park via submission
Anthony: Park via TKO
No. 12 Sumudaerji vs. No. 11 Tim Elliott–Flyweight Bout
James: The UFC Vegas 83 main card continues with a flyweight bout between Sumudaerji and Tim Elliott. Sumudaerji has been out of competition for more than a year. In his last bout, he was on the wrong side of an epic comeback against Matt Schnell. That loss pushed his UFC record to 3-2. Elliott is a flyweight veteran. At 36, he has logged an 8-11 UFC record. It is never great to be in the red; however, Elliott’s losses have come in two different UFC stints and he has fought a lot of stiff opposition.
Sumudaerji is a tricky southpaw. At 5-foot-10, he is one of the flyweights on the UFC rosters. This provides him with a lot of unique abilities on his feet. This begins with his standard straight shots and leg kicks. With his size and power, those attacks are tough to deal with. Sumudaerji only gets more difficult when he begins to land check hooks from a distance while mixing knees and elbows into pocket exchanges.
Elliott is a unique fighter as well. On the feet, he pressures while throwing a lot of volume and switching stances. Once he closes the distance, he will throw a flurry of hooks. Although, his main path to victory is to land takedowns and control the fight with top control.
This bout previews to be the clearest striker versus grappler matchup on UFC Vegas 83. That usually favors the grappler and that stands true in this matchup. I am expecting Elliott to have a lot of opportunities to land takedowns. Sumudaerji commits heavily when throwing his left hand. That will allow Elliott to slip under strikes with takedowns. Additionally, he could catch kicks and land takedowns. In turn, I am expecting Elliott to spend a lot of time on top and eventually land a submission. I will take Elliott by third-round submission.
Garrett: Sumudaerji via decision
Jerry: Elliott via decision
Anthony: Sumudaerji via TKO
Nasrat Haqparast vs. Jamie Mullarkey–Lightweight Bout
James: UFC Vegas 83 features a lightweight bout between Nasrat Haqparast and Jamie Mullarkey. Haqparast has been a mainstay in the UFC lightweight division for several years. Despite never climbing the rankings, he has sat in a respectable position in the division largely because of his 7-4 promotional record. Similarly, Mullarkey has sat around the .500 mark throughout his UFC tenure. Currently, he is 5-4 in the promotion.
Haqparast’s skill set is centered around his boxing. I am not going to proclaim that he is an elite boxer considering he has lost to fellow boxers. Although, if he is not fighting an elite opponent, he will likely have an advantage in that realm.
In striking exchanges, Haqparast works to remain defensively responsible while throwing a lot of combinations; his downside is that he does not have a lot of punching power. In almost any fight, if grappling comes into play, Haqparast will be at a disadvantage.
Mullarkey is a striker as well. On the feet, he is a fair boxer and supplements his striking with leg kicks. On occasion, he will look to grapple. The problem is that Mullarkey is not elite in either realm. It also does not help that he has defensive flaws.
I am honestly never too excited to pick Haqparast or Mullarkey. In this fight, I could make a case for both fighters. On the side of Haqparast, he is the more technical boxer and is much better defensively. Meanwhile, Mullarkey will likely have a wrestling edge. Overall, I am not too eager to trust that Mullarkey offensively grapples for three rounds. That is likely his best path to victory, but that does not mean it will be his game plan. Therefore, as I previously alluded to, I will lean toward Haqparast because his volume boxing can lead him to a win. I will take Haqparast by decision.
Garrett: Haqparast via decision
Jerry: Mullarkey via decision
Anthony: Haqparast via decision
No. 8 Anthony Smith vs. No. 11 Khalil Rountree–Light Heavyweight Bout
James: In the UFC Vegas 83 co-main event, Anthony Smith will fight Khalil Rountree. Smith is a longtime veteran of the UFC. Despite getting a win in his most recent bout, his performances have seemed flat and uninspiring as of late. On the other hand, Rountree is riding a four-fight win streak that includes several violent finishes.
At this point in his career, Smith’s best skill is his boxing and he heavily relies on his jab and straight to pour on volume. If his opponent is not a great grappler, he can land takedowns as well. The issue with Smith is that he lacks defensively. The most common issues for him are leg kicks and takedown defense.
Rountree is a violent southpaw with a Muay Thai background. That gives him a lot of offensive weapons. That includes straight shots, counters, kicks and big looping shots. If he lands one of those shots cleanly, he does a lot of damage and swiftly finishes his opponent.
The UFC Vegas 83 co-main event previews to be tough for Smith to win. The main reason for that is that he does not move well and often remains stationary, which will make him an easy target for a powerful striker. If he wants to find success, he will need to limit the heavy exchanges and land takedowns. I am not confident he can accomplish that, however. I will take Rountree by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Rountree via decision
Jerry: Rountree via KO/TKO
Anthony: Smith via decision
No. 7 Song Yadong vs. No. 14 Chris Gutierrez–Bantamweight Bout
James: The UFC Vegas 83 main event features a fight between rising bantamweight contenders Song Yadong and Chris Gutierrez.
Yadong, 26, joined the UFC at a young age and quickly worked his way into the bantamweight rankings. Overall he has gone 9-2-1 in the UFC. One of those losses came against Cory Sandhagen. In that bout, despite losing, he proved to be an elite bantamweight. Meanwhile, Gutierrez has a similar UFC record as he sits at 8-2-1. The difference is that he is 32-years-old. Still, he has plenty of time to make headway in the promotion. With that in mind, this fight will propel the winner to the upper tier of the bantamweight division.
Yadong is an aggressive striker who pressures opponents with power and quick striking. The most notable aspect of his striking is his boxing. In the pocket, Yadong has a bunch of tools that help him find success. If Yadong moves forward, he can throw impressive combinations.
If his opponent is being aggressive, he is an outstanding counterstriker. Furthermore, he is not a headhunter and attacks the body with regularity. Despite it being a smaller aspect of his skill set, he can mix kicks into his offensive attack as well.
Gutierrez’s game plan revolves around managing distance and throwing leg kicks. Typically, that works well for him. In fights where Gutirrez manages range well, he beats up his opponent’s legs badly. Outside of his elite leg kicks, Gutirrez has a nice jab and occasionally throws big knees, elbows and spinning attacks.
The UFC Vegas 83 main event preview heavily favors Yadong. This is a difficult stylistic matchup for Gutierrez. Yadong has proven that he can continuously pressure opponents for five rounds. That will allow him to crowd Gutierrez’s kicks and create boxing exchanges. Once that happens, Yadong has more diverse and powerful boxing. Additionally, he can counter Gutierrez’s jab and leg kicks. That will take away his best offensive weapons while doing damage. I will take Yadong by third-round knockout.
Garrett: Yadong via decision
Jerry: Yadong via KO/TKO
Anthony: Yadong via decision
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