UFC Vegas 91 Preview And Predictions
The glory of UFC 300 is in the past and UFC is back in the Apex. UFC Vegas 91 is not a great fight card. That is partly due to fight cancellations, but it would not have been anything special otherwise. Thankfully, this card has a few fights that could to be entertaining.
Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict the UFC Vegas 91 main card. You can find our prediction records below.
James: 42-33
Garrett: 43-32
Anthony: 41-34
Jerry: 37-32
Tim Means vs. Uros Medic — Welterweight Bout
James: The UFC Vegas 91 main card opens with a welterweight bout between Tim Means and Uros Medic. Means is a UFC veteran with a 15-12 promotional record; however, he is 40-years-old. That is a massive concern considering he has lost three of his last four and has shown regression. Medic is 3-2 in the UFC. Thus far into his promotional run, he has shown a mix of upside and clear flaws.
Means is as tough as fighters come. The combination of toughness and willingness to push a pace has helped him win fights he is otherwise outmatched in. This is done through clinch work and dirty boxing. It is a very gritty approach to MMA that can get wins in the UFC.
Medic is a big southpaw that is six-foot-one. That allows him to throw powerful shots from various angles and kick to all three levels. This all works to make him a very tricky opponent. The issue is his grappling skills are much less developed and he can drop fights to strong grapplers.
The UFC Vegas 91 main card opener previews to favor Medic. The power and striking acumen should allow him to land massive shots on an older fighter. That said, Means could make this interesting if he survives big shots, lands takedowns, and gets control time in the clinch. Still, I favor Medic to get the early finish. I will take Medic by first-round knockout.
Garrett: Medic via TKO
Jerry: Medic via KO/TKO
Anthony: Medic via KO/TKO
Jonathan Pearce vs. David Onama — Featherweight Bout
James: At UFC Vegas 91, Jonathan Pearce will fight David Onama. Pearce is 5-2 in the UFC. Those losses came in his most recent fight and his UFC debut. The five-fight win streak in the middle of his UFC run was very impressive. Onama is 3-2 in the UFC, but he has fought a good level of competition, got in exciting fights, and showed serious potential. In his most recent outing, it looked like that potential was coming together. It is time to see if that trend continues.
Pearce is a relentless grappler who continuously attempts takedowns and looks for control time. The goal for Pearce is to control the fight with three rounds of control time while mixing in strikes and submission attempts.
Onama is an explosive striker with a lot of power and raw talent. In striking exchanges, he has a strong jab and can deal serious damage with his right hand. That power translates into close range as he can land powerful shots in the clinch.
This fight has two clear outcomes. The first is that Pearce lands takedowns before pulling ahead in the second and third rounds. The other is that Onama lands a massive shot that finishes the fight early. I favor Pearce’s outcome as he has consistently dominated grappling exchanges. I will take Pearce by decision.
Garrett: Onama via submission
Jerry: Onama via KO/TKO
Anthony: Onama via KO/TKO
Austen Lane vs. Jhonata Diniz — Heavyweight Bout
James: The UFC Vegas 91 main card features a heavyweight bout between Austen Lane and Jhonata Diniz. Lane and Diniz are both Dana White’s Contender Series products. Lane earned a contract on season six and has gone 0-1 with a no contest in the UFC. Diniz is making his UFC debut after getting a contract on season seven.
This fight will be a classic heavyweight bout between two unranked strikers. Lane will have an advantage in athleticism and length. Diniz is more technical and has a kickboxing background. The technique of Diniz should help him land better shots amid chaotic striking exchanges. I will take Diniz by first-round knockout.
Garrett: Lane via TKO
Jerry: Diniz via KO/TKO
Anthony: Diniz via decision
No. 12 Ariane Lipski vs. No. 13 Karine Silva — Women’s Flyweight Bout
James: UFC Vegas 91 features a matchup between ranked flyweights Ariane Lipski and Karine Silva. Lipski is 6-5 in the UFC, but she has been riding hot recently with three straight wins. Silva is 3-0 in the UFC and has finished each fight in the first round. That has led to her being touted as a promising prospect.
Lipski is a solid striker who has worked to develop her grappling game. If the fight is standing, she can win minutes with straight shots and kicks. In the grappling realm, she has had highs and lows in the UFC. The submission skills are present, but she has also been finished on the ground.
Silva is a dangerous fighter. Once the fight is on the ground, she has legitimate submission skills. In her three UFC submissions, all three were different submissions. The toolbox of submissions is deep. On top of that, she has power and can land big shots on the feet.
This UFC Vegas 91 bout previews to be a tough fight to call. Lipski has a solid path to win minutes, but it takes one Silva submission to end the fight. Similarly, she could swing this fight in her favor with a big punch in a striking exchange. I tend to believe Silva lands a submission eventually, but it is not the most confident pick I have made. I will take Silva by first-round submission.
Garrett: Silva via submission
Jerry: Silva via submission
Anthony: Silva via decision
No. 11 Ryan Spann vs. Bogdan Guskov — Light Heavyweight Bout
James: The UFC Vegas 91 co-main event is a light heavyweight bout between Ryan Spann and Bogdan Guskov. Spann has gone 7-4 in the UFC with a good amount of experience against ranked light heavyweights. Guskov is 1-1 in the UFC. That split came against one ranked opponent and one entry-level UFC fighter. Now, he is fighting another ranked opponent.
Spann is 6-foot-5 with a lot of finish upside. That length provides him with a powerful jab and straight. It also helped him develop a nasty guillotine choke. Spann can get a little crazy and wide with his hooks; however, they are powerful when they land. It should also be noted that Spann is fairly volatile because his durability is questionable and his finish upside drops outside of the first round.
Guskov fights with his hands low and strikes from awkward angles. Those shots can be hard to see and are powerful. At this point, he is trying to prove that this style will work against a ranked light heavyweight. It doesn’t help that Guskov has a suspect chin and grappling.
The UFC Vegas 91 co-main event previews a volatile fight that could go either way. This type of fight ends when either fighter lands a big punch. That said, I have to lean toward Spann. The experience and size will both be in his favor in this fight. I also think he has more of a grappling threat. I will take Spann by first-round knockout.
Garrett: Guskov via TKO
Jerry: Spann via KO/TKO
Anthony: Spann via KO/TKO
No. 5 Matheus Nicolau vs. No. 8 Alex Perez — Flyweight Bout
James: The UFC Vegas 91 main event is a flyweight bout between Matheus Nicolau and Alex Perez. Nicolau is looking to get back in the win column after dropping his last fight to Brandon Royval. Before that, he was riding a six-fight win streak and working toward a title fight. Perez has struggled with activity, but he finally returned to the octagon against Muhammad Mokaev earlier this year. He lost that fight, however. Now, he is sitting on three consecutive losses. This fight is crucial for his MMA future.
Nicolau is a technical fighter who works from the outside. This is done with solid footwork and constant circular movement. Nicolau does not throw a ton of strikes but is efficient, lands straight shots, and has a good left hook. That left hook can be thrown while moving forward or countering.
Perez’s best skill is his leg kicks. In past performances, he has beaten opponents with low kicks and earned finishes with that weapon. On top of that, he has some boxing ability and can wrestle. Overall, he has a fairly well-rounded skillset.
The UFC Vegas 91 main event previews as a close fight. I lean toward Nicolau because of his distance management. I expect him to circle the octagon while keeping Perez at bay. In addition to that, he can land counters when Perez enters the pocket. That said, if Perez can get his leg kicks going he can stifle that movement which will greatly alter Nicolau’s game plan. Still, I doubt he will land kicks at will as Nicolau can manage range well, making it harder for Perez to find low kicks. I will take Nicolau by decision.
Garrett: Perez via decision
Jerry: Nicolau via decision
Anthony: Nicolau via decision
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