UFC Vegas 87 Preview and Predictions
UFC Vegas 87 is a perplexing fight card. The event has several ranked fights on the card, but the main event between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Shamil Gaziev does not pique much interest. Still, this card does have a few important fights that are worth breaking down.
Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict the UFC Vegas 87 main card. You can find our 2024 prediction records below.
James: 18-12
Garrett: 16-14
Anthony: 13-17
Jerry: 13-17
No. 9 Matt Schnell vs. No. 12 Steven Erceg- Flyweight Bout
James: The UFC Vegas 87 main card opens with a flyweight bout between Matt Schnell and Steven Erceg. Schnell is an all-action fighter who has amassed a 6-5 promotional record. Erceg only has two UFC fights under his belt, but he won both outings against formidable opponents.
Schnell is an aggressive striker. On the feet, he gets in brawls and throws long boxing combinations. In wild and chaotic fights, he finds openings to land shots. Plus, his submission skills are potent and he is always live to find a submission.
Erceg uses his footwork and speed to get in and out of the pocket. That allows him to consistently land his jab and straight without taking much damage. Additionally, he throws solid leg kicks which helps exaggerate his speed advantage. If he hurts his opponent, he can quickly lock up submissions to finish the fight. The problem with Erceg is that he can be hit when his opponents can turn the fight into a brawl. In a technical bout, he is very clean.
The one issue in this fight is that Schnell is not very durable. All five of his UFC losses were finishes. In order for him to win this fight he will need to start a brawl, but he does not have the durability to hold up in that type of fight. If Schnell gets hit clean on the chin, he will get hurt. In those moments, he is tough and will not quit. Still, Erceg will be able to use his BJJ to find the finish. I will take Erceg by second-round submission.
Garrett: Erceg via submission
Jerry: Erceg via decision
Anthony: Erceg via decision
No. 13 Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Bekzat Almakhan- Bantamweight Bout
James: At UFC Vegas 87, Umar Nurmagomedov will fight Bekzat Almakhan. Nurmagomedov is one of the best prospects in the promotion. The 28-year-old has a perfect 16-0 record with four wins in the UFC. Unfortunately, this fight is not the step up in competition he expected. This fight will be Almakhan’s UFC debut. On the regional scene, he logged a 14-1 record with several impressive victories. Essentially, the UFC needed an opponent for Nurmagomedov and Almakhan stepped up to the plate.
Nurmagomedov has elite grappling skills. He lands takedowns at a high rate, controls position, advances, does damage, and threatens position. It is a lot of pieces that suggest he can offensively wrestle against elite fighters. On the feet, Nurmagomedov has great kicks. That can be seen in his ability to throw kicks from different angles while attacking all three levels. It should be noted that Nurmagomedov has shown improvements in his jab and interior boxing in recent outings.
Almakhan has shown well-rounded skills in his regional tape. That includes the ability to land takedowns or land reversals that put him in top position. His striking skills are competent and provide him with a solid base at this stage of his career.
It is hard to imagine Almakhan’s skills are enough to get him a victory against an elite opponent. Nurmagomedov will be the better fighter whenever this fight goes. I lean toward him leveraging his grappling advantage. I will take Nurmagomedov by second-round submission.
Garrett: Nurmagomedov via submission
Jerry: Nurmagomedov via submission
Anthony: Nurmagomedov via KO/TKO
No. 7 Alex Perez vs. No. 8 Muhammad Mokaev- Flyweight Bout
James: The UFC Vegas 87 feature bout spotlights ranked flyweights Alex Perez and Muhammad Mokaev. Perez has struggled to make it to the octagon. Earlier in his UFC tenure, he fought frequently, but he has only fought once since 2021. In this fight, the goal for Perez will be to make it to the octagon and get back in the win column to prevent losing a third straight fight. On the other hand, Mokaev used to be one of the top prospects in the division. After starting his UFC career with five consecutive wins, he has shed the prospect tag and now looks to be a contender. A win over Perez would be the biggest of the 23-year-old’s career.
Perez has shown a well-rounded skill set. That begins with a variety of takedowns that help him get the fight to the ground. In the top position, he controls and looks for ground-and-pound shots. Perez is also a competent striker who has shown the ability to trade hands in the pocket. Plus, he throws hard kicks to the body and legs. The problems for Perez have come in fights against top-tier opponents with elite skills. Those fighters often cause him trouble because he holds fewer – if any – advantages.
The most impressive aspect of Mokaev’s game is his takedowns. In what has become rare in MMA, Mokaev is willing to shoot in the open mat. That yields success because he manages to get deep on shots and he typically finds a way to finish. Once he is in on a shot, he can finish takedowns at the knees, butt, and clinch. That approach provides him with various opportunities to get his opponent down. Once he is on top, he prioritizes control over submission and damage. Although, he can lock up submissions if his opponents present him with the opportunity. On the feet, he is athletic which gives him some upside as a dynamic striker, but he tends to fight at a low volume before initialing grappling exchanges.
This UFC Vegas 87 preview is hard to pin down. That is largely because of Perez. It is hard to forecast how he will look or fight. At his best, he could win this fight. Perez is a strong wrestler that could fend off takedowns. On the feet, he has more proven skills and will throw way more volume. The issue is that any regression will lead to Mokaev getting this fight to the ground where he should be able to rack up control time. I have to lean toward that being the more probable outcome. I will take Mokaev by decision.
Garrett: Mokaev via decision
Jerry: Mokaev via submission
Anthony: Mokaev via submission
Vitor Petrino vs. Tyson Pedro- Light Heavyweight Bout
James: The UFC Vegas 87 co-main event is a light heavyweight bout between Vitor Petrino and Tyson Pedro. Petrino earned a contract after an impressive performance on Dana White’s Contender Series. In the UFC, that trend has continued as he sits undefeated after three fights. At 26, he has a good amount of potential. Pedro joined the UFC early in his professional career and has a 6-4 promotional record. In the later stages of that run, he has looked much better. The upside of these two fighters makes this an important fight that should get the winner into the rankings.
Petrino is a physical specimen with respectable skills. Typically, fighters of his size and stature rely on landing big shots to end fights early. That is not Petrino. Yes, he still hits hard and can end a fight with one shot, but he has shown grappling skills that help round out his game. Petrino’s takedowns are solid, but his top control is his best grappling skill. Petrino is heavy from top, controls position, and actively looks for submissions. This helps him stay safe in a division with many dangerous strikers.
Pedro is a kickboxer who is much more reliant on landing first-round knockouts. On a positive note, he has a solid toolbox and foot movement for the division. That allows him to attack with power shots while landing kicks. The problem is that Pedro does not have great cardio and his game slows down once he gets to the second round.
This UFC Vegas 87 matchup previews to be a highly volatile fight. Petrino and Pedro are both capable of landing finishes wherever this fight goes. For Pedro, his window to win this fight is much smaller. Petrino can be hit and Pedro carries power early. As a result, I would not be surprised if Petrino grapples early to eliminate that threat. Ultimately, I have to favor Petrino because he has better cardio and more grappling skills. I will take Petrino by third-round submission.
Garrett: Petrino via TKO
Jerry: Petrino via KO/TKO
Anthony: Petrino via decision
No. 12 Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Shamil Gaziev- Heavyweight Bout
James: The UFC Vegas 87 main event features a heavyweight bout between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Shamil Gaziev. Rozenstruik used his knockout power to quickly climb to the upper echelon of the heavyweight division early in his UFC run; however, he has struggled since reaching that point. The former kickboxer currently has a 7-5 UFC record. Gaziev earned a contract on the most recent season of Dana White’s Contender Series. Since joining the promotion, he picked up a second-round knockout against Martin Buday. Now, he finds himself in a UFC main event.
Rozenstruik’s game is built around his powerful striking. The kickboxing experience can be seen in his skills. Rozenstruik is good at setting up leg kicks, landing counters, and moving forward. Despite finding success while moving forward, Rozenstruik tends to be inactive while looking to land counters. It should also be noted that he lacks defensive grappling.
Gaziev has shown a well-rounded skillset thus far in his career. In the grappling realm, he has solid takedowns, effective ground and pound, and decent submission skills. On the feet, he throws powerful shots and throws a good straight. It is not the most complex striking skill set, but it is sufficient for a heavyweight that prioritizes grappling.
The UFC Vegas 87 main event is fairly hard to preview because Gaziev only has one UFC fight to his name. That makes it harder to predict how he will approach this fight. If he grapples Rozenstruik, he will likely land takedowns. If he gets aggressive on the feet, Rozenstruik should be able to find a counter that ends the fight.
Ultimately, I lean toward Rozenstruik because he will hold a cardio edge. Gaziev has looked quite tired late in his last two victories. Once Gaziev gets tired, his takedowns are more telegraphed and his striking gets sloppy. If he does not end this fight quickly, Rozenstruik will be the fresher fighter after about seven minutes of action. That will create a ton of opportunities for Rozenstruik to land his knockout punch. I will take Rozenstruik by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Gaziev via TKO
Jerry: Rozenstruik via KO/TKO
Anthony: Rozenstruik via KO/TKO
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