UFC Vegas 90 Preview and Predictions
UFC Vegas 90 is the final UFC fight night before a historic UFC 300. The card obviously pales in comparison, but it does have some appeal. The main event will have a serious impact on the top of the middleweight division. The remainder of the card is filled with bouts that should be entertaining.
Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict the UFC Vegas 90 main card. You can find our 2024 prediction records below.
James: 33-24
Garrett: 32-25
Anthony: 29-28
Jerry: 25-26
Trevor Peek vs. Charlie Campbell- Lightweight Bout
The UFC Vegas 90 main card opener preview to be a fan-friendly scrap between entertaining lightweights Trevor Peek and Charlie Campbell. Peek is one of the craziest fighters in the UFC and creates ridiculous brawls. That has yielded him a 2-1 record in the promotion. Campbell is an intriguing prospect who had his momentum halted on Dana White’s Contender Series as he was on the wrong side of a vicious comeback knockout. Still, he worked his way to the UFC and won his debut.
On Dana White’s Contender Series, Peek earned a UFC contract and showed the potential to become a fan favorite because of his brawling style. In the UFC, Peek has fought like a madman and has lived up to entertainment expectations. The issue is that his skills fall short of his entertainment quality. Peek’s striking can be sloppy and he can be outgrappled. Thankfully, he is as tough as they come and will never quit. That will help close the disparity gap.
Campbell is a dangerous striker with knockout power. This is largely done with boxing combinations. Once he hurts his opponents, he puts his foot on the gas and hunts a finish. That has allowed him to get stoppages, but it has also resulted in his opponent landing big shots.
This is a slightly tricky fight because it changes depending on how Campbell approaches the bout. I would not be surprised to see Campbell wrestle because that will completely stifle Peek’s pace. If he opts to strike, I favor Campbell, but his willingness to get wild is not ideal against Peek. Regardless, I have to favor the skills of Campbell. I will take Campbell by second-round submission.
Garrett: Campbell via TKO
Jerry: Peek via KO/TKO
Anthony: Peek via KO/TKO
Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Christos Giagos- Lightweight Bout
James: At UFC Vegas 90, Ignacio Bahamondes and Christos Giagos. Bahamondes, 26, is an exciting prospect. At 3-2, his UFC performances have fluctuated. Giagos has fought a strong level of competition en route to a 6-7 UFC record.
Bahamondes is a six-foot-three striker. That length allows him to sit on the outside and attack his opponent with leg kicks. On top of that, he mixes in boxing and some spinning attacks.
Giagos is well-rounded. On the feet, he has solid power and respectable boxing. In the grappling, he can wrestle. The problem is that he is not elite in that realm and he lacks strong cardio. Those issues seriously cap his ability.
This UFC Vegas 90 preview favors Bahamondes. I expect him to strike efficiently from the outside and pick Giagos apart. I do not think Giagos grappling will be strong enough to swing this fight in his favor. It does not help that Bahamondes’ length will provide submission upside. I will take Bahamondes by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Bahamondes via TKO
Jerry: Bahamondes via decision
Anthony: Bahamondes via decision
Morgan Charriere vs. Chepe Mariscal- Featherweight Bout
James: The UFC Vegas 90 feature bout is a featherweight fight between Morgan Charriere and Chepe Mariscal. In his UFC debut, Charriere made quick work of his opponent and proved to be a legit prospect. At 28, he has a wealth of experience outside the UFC and has fought several great fighters. Mariscal is 2-0 in the UFC. Similarly, he fought a ton of eventual UFC fighters on the regional scene.
Charriere is a clean, quick, technical striker. That begins with his ability to pressure while managing range and attacking with straight punches. Plus, he can pick away at his opponents with kicks. This all works together to make Charriere a dangerous striker.
Mariscal is a brawler who can find success when distance closes. In scrappy fights, he applies pressure and throws a good amount of volume. On top of that, he has shown a willingness to attempt takedowns. I would not classify him as an elite grappler and he should not rely on that skill to win fights; however, it can be a solid backup plan and can expose below-average wrestlers.
I have a lot of respect for Charriere’s striking skills and believe he can present Mariscal problems. In a technical striking match, Charriere is much cleaner and will land straight punches and kicks. I also believe in his ability to land counters if Mariscal begins to brawl. I will take Charriere by second-round knockout.
Garrett: Mariscal via decision
Jerry: Charriere via KO/TKO
Anthony: Charriere via KO/TKOAnthony:
Alexander Hernandez vs. Damon Jackson- Featherweight Bout
James: The UFC Vegas 90 co-main event is a featherweight bout between Alexander Hernandez and Damon Jackson. Hernandez is 6-6 in the UFC. That record does not jump off the page, but he has fought tough competition throughout his tenure and has fluctuated between weight classes. Jackson is 5-4-1 with one no-contest. Although, that record has come across two tenures. In his more recent run, he has gone 5-3.
Hernandez has a good combination of athletic gifts and skill. On the feet, he has respectable striking. It is fairly simple, he throws a jab, straight, hooks, and rear kicks. Hernandez mixes those weapons well and it does not become repetative. The biggest concern in his skill set is that his cardio is lacking; however, his cardio has looked career-best in his last two fights.
Jackson is not a clean striker. It is simply hard for him to consistently get his hands going because he is not fluid or quick. The positive is that he has good grappling that he can use to rack up control time.
The UFC Vegas 90 co-main event preview favors Hernandez. The athleticism difference in the striking is going to be shocking. Hernandez also has the grappling to keep this fight standing. I expect Hernandez to walk Jackson down and land massive shots. I will take Hernandez by first-round knockout.
Garrett: Hernandez via decision
Jerry: Hernandez via decision
Anthony: Hernandez via decision
No. 6 Brendan Allen vs. No. 14 Chris Curtis- Middleweight Rematch
James: The UFC Vegas 90 main event is a middleweight rematch between Brendan Allen and Chris Curtis. The first fought in 2021 while both were relatively new to the UFC. Curtis picked up the win in that fight with a second-round knockout. Since that point, Allen has won six consecutive fights while Curtis has gone 3-2 with a no-contest.
Allen has been running hot with impressive performances. In recent outings, he has shown elite grappling as he submitted multiple submission specialists. More specifically, Allen has shown a great top game. Once the fight gets to the ground, Allen lands impactful strikes, transitions to strong positions, and threatens submissions. Those skills all work together to help him finish fights. On the feet, he has good size, throws a strong jab, has a good rear kick, and is willing to throw with opponents.
Curtis does not have any secrets about his skill set. The strengths and weaknesses are clear. That begins with his boxing. Curtis has a strong defense, lands counters, and rips to the body. Although, he is fairly stationary. That allows fighters with length and movement to pick him apart from the outside and frustrate him. It should also be noted that Curtis has shown great takedown defense (92%) which has made him a tough matchup for grapplers.
An argument could be made for either fighter in the UFC Vegas 90 main event preview. Allen has improved since his first fight with Curtis and looks more confident. Curtis still presents stylistic challenges, however. I will side with Curtis for that reason. Despite being a great grappler, the weakest part of his ground game is his takedowns. That is concerning because of Curtis’ takedown defense. In the striking, Allen has appealing long-range weapons, but he does not move enough to frustrate Curtis. Plus, Allen has shown a willingness to brawl. That will not benefit him against an opponent that thrives in the pocket. Lastly, Curtis is elite at managing his energy and digs to the body. That is a positive in a five-round fight. Allen could learn from his previous loss to Curtis, but I will believe it when I see it. I will take Curtis by third-round knockout.
Garrett: Allen via submission
Jerry: Allen via submission
Anthony: Allen via submission
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