UFC Vegas 99 Preview And Predictions

UFC Vegas 99 Preview And Predictions

The UFC is putting on a fight card at the UFC Apex for the second consecutive week. The promotion has assembled an interesting card for UFC Vegas 99. The event features a middleweight main event with ranked fighters in the co-main event. 

Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict the main card. You can find our prediction records below.

James: 108-80

Garrett: 108-80

Anthony: 112-76

Jerry: 93-78

Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda- Featherweight Bout

James: The UFC Vegas 99 main card opens with a featherweight bout between Darren Elkins and Daniel Pineda. Elkins, 40, is a veteran of the featherweight division and holds an 18-10 record in the promotion. Despite being older, he is still finding success as he holds a 4-2 record in his last six fights. Pineda is on his second UFC tenure. In his current run, he is 2-3 with a no-contest. 

Elkins is known for his durability and cardio. On the feet, he has a ton of flaws and gets hit a lot. That said, he will drown his opponent with wrestling if they cannot finish him. 

Pineda is a finisher with serious power and submission skills. In striking exchanges, he holds a lot of power in his hands. If opponents grapple to avoid his power, he can submit them. The issues arise when his cardio dips. 

The UFC Vegas 99 main card opener previews as a fairly clear fight. Pineda should land big strikes early. If he finishes the fight, he will win. If he cannot, Elkins should begin to land takedowns and take over. I expect Elkins to survive the early swarm and win the second and third rounds. I will take Elkins by decision. 

Garrett: Elkins via decision

Jerry: Elkins via decision

Anthony: Elkwins via decision

Jake Hadley vs. Cameron Smotherman- Bantamweight Bout 

James: UFC Vegas 99 features a bantamweight bout between Jake Hadley and Cameron Smotherman. Hadley has gotten off to a 3-3 start in the UFC. The majority of those bouts took place at flyweight. In his most recent fight, he made the jump up to bantamweight and defeated Caolan Loughran. The hope is that Hadley found the proper weight class in the fight. Smotherman is taking this fight on short notice. The 27-year-old has competed on Dana White’s Contender Series. It is evident he has been on the UFC’s radar. This short-notice opportunity against Hadley is his ticket into the promotion. 

Hadley has a good set of skills. In boxing exchanges, he has fundamental offensive weapons which includes straight punches, hooks, and body shots. Plus, he is sound defensively. This is all present while having a good grappling skill set. The highlight of his grappling is his submission skills. 

Smotherman is not a terrible fighter. Occasionally, the UFC signs short-notice fighters that have no place in the promotion. That is not the case in this fight. Smotherman is an offensive threat. On the feet, he is aggressive and hits hard. This is most often accomplished with boxing, but he can land dynamic strikes. 

This UFC Vegas 99 preview favors Hadley. That is obvious considering Smotherman is taking the bout on short notice. Regardless, Hadley has the boxing to compete on the feet. At an absolute minimum, he can stay safe. More importantly, Hadley has a massive grappling advantage. I will take Hadley by second-round submission. 

Garrett: Hadley via submission

Jerry: Hadley via submission

Anthony: Hadley via decision

Charles Johnson vs. Sumudaerji- Flyweight Bout 

James: At UFC Vegas 99, Charles Johnson will fight Sumudaerji. Johnson is on the best run of his UFC tenure. In his last three fights, he has put together a trio of solid performances and established a winning streak. Sumudaerji is looking to find his footing in the division. He is currently sitting on consecutive losses and has only fought twice since the start of 2022. 

Johnson is a well-rounded fighter with great cardio. This gives him a reasonable path to victory in most fights. In striking exchanges, he throws boxing combinations and a decent amount of kicks. This is done at a high pace. Despite preferring to strike. He has shown respectable grappling as well. 

Sumudaerji is a unique fighter in the flyweight division. At five-foot-ten, he is large for the division and has power. This is simply a tough combination to deal with. In terms of specific weapons, he throws straight shots, leg kicks, and check hooks. Thankfully for his opponents, does not provide much grappling resistance.

This UFC Vegas 99 preview favors Johnson. It is simply hard to go against the fighter with better cardio, durability, and grappling. Not to mention, he is the fighter who is performing at his peak. I will take Johnson by decision. 

Garrett: Johnson via TKO

Jerry: Johnson via decision

Anthony: Johnson via decision

No. 10 Rob Font vs. No. 12 Kyler Phillips- Bantamweight Bout 

James: The UFC Vegas 99 co-main event features a bantamweight bout between Rob Font and Kyler Phillips. This fight pits two fighters at vastly different points of their career against one another. Font, 37, has lost four of his last five fights. That has relegated him to a gatekeeper role. Meanwhile, Phillips is 29 years old, holds a 6-1 UFC record, and is coming off a win over Pedro Munhoz. This fight gives him a chance to continue climbing up the bantamweight pecking order. 

Font is a great boxer. In striking exchanges, his goal is to establish his jab. This allows him to find the proper range and begin to tee off with straights and combinations. Eventually, the pace and pressure of his striking hurt opponents. The problem is that he has poor defensive grappling. Font can be taken down and held down. 

Phillips is a dynamic striker who aims to land big strikes in distance striking exchanges. This is mostly done with straight shots and kicks. Phillips throws straight punches that do damage. At times, he throws kicks off of his punches. This is done while controlling range with footwork and staying out of boxing exchanges. If the distance closes, he has dangerous knees. 

The UFC Vegas 99 co-main event favors Phillips. On the feet, he should be able to manage distance and attack with straight shots. That should allow him to consistently land strikes without absorbing much damage. If Font can set a pace, he could pull ahead in the late rounds. The problem is that it only takes Phillips one takedown to stop Font’s momentum and steal a round. Phillips is the younger fighter, with grappling upside, while also having an edge in striking exchanges. I will take Phillips by the second-round submission.

Garrett: Phillips via decision

Jerry: Phillips via decision

Anthony: Phillips via KO/TKO

No. 13 Anthony Hernandez vs. No. 14 Michel Pereira- Middleweight Bout 

James: The UFC Vegas 99 main event features a middleweight bout between Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira. This matchup pits two quickly rising middleweight prospects against one another. The winner will put themselves in a position to get a top-ten fight. Hernandez has been impressive since joining the UFC; however, he has looked even better in his most recent bouts. This has culminated in a five-fight win streak with four finish victories. Meanwhile, Pereira has transformed from a fun fight with serious flaws to a fun fighter with actual potential. He is on a seven-fight win streak that includes five performance bonuses. That includes a 3-0 record since moving up from welterweight to middleweight. 

Herandez is a relentless grappler with great cardio. This is paired with a grappling style that is built to tire out opponents with lesser cardio. Hernandez aggressively attempted takedowns. Once he gets the fight to the ground, he wears on his opponents. This is done with scrambles, matt returns, and body strikes. Hernandez remains active and forces his opponents to proactively grapple. This is beneficial to him because he is usually the better grappler with more cardio. Hernandez manages to finish fights with his style. This is because he is great at chaining submissions. Eventually, he makes his opponent tired and submits them. The biggest flaw in Hernandez’s game is his striking defense. If he gets hit with big strikes early, he can be finished.  

Pereira is a dynamic striker with ridiculous athleticism. At times, that has gotten him in trouble because he has failed to manage his cardio. In his recent fights, he has shown an improved ability to fight at a reasonable pace while being more technical. Still, he has the athleticism and explosiveness to land big strikes. That has led to him finishing fights early. Plus, he has also shown some submission skills that are useful when he is hunting an early finish. 

The UFC Vegas 99 main event preview favors Hernandez. The disparity in grappling and cardio is massive. Pereira is live to land an early knockout with his power and Hernandez’s defensive flaws. The catch is that the window is small. This fight will drastically change the first time Hernandez lands a takedown. I expect Hernandez to land that takedown and eventually drown Pereira. I will take Hernandez by third-round submission.  

Garrett: Hernandez via submission

Jerry: Pereira via KO/TKO

Anthony: Hernandez via submission

***

CLICK HERE for more of our UFC/MMA content

Check out the Vendetta Shop

Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube