After just a few weeks away, Final Preventing Championship (UFC) returns to the airwaves this Saturday night (Jan. 14, 2023) when Nassourdine Imavov battles tremendous brief discover alternative, Sean Strickland, in 2023’s first re-worked primary occasion. UFC Vegas 67, which takes place inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, additionally incorporates a Featherweight crossroads bout pitting Dan Ige towards Damon Jackson and an under-the-radar Bantamweight battle between Umar Nurmagomedov and Raoni Barcelos.
Earlier than all that, although, we’ve bought three extra “Prelims” undercard bouts to get by means of (take a look at the primary batch right here). Lets?
185 lbs.: Claudio Ribeiro vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan
Claudio Ribeiro’s (10-2) brutal (and profitable) conflict with Kelles Albuquerque earned him the Future MMA Middleweight title and a shot on the Contender Collection. There, he flattened Ivan Valenzuela in simply 25 seconds to safe a UFC contract.
All of his skilled wins have come by knockout, eight of them within the first spherical.
A 4-1 UFC begin gave strategy to three consecutive losses for Abdul Razak Alhassan (11-4), who lastly returned to the win column in 2021 by stopping Alessio Di Chirico by way of head kick. His subsequent outing pitted him towards Joaquin Buckley, whom he battled to a razor-thin resolution loss in Feb. 2022.
He stands three inches shorter than Ribeiro and provides up 4 inches of attain.
It’s simple to see the explanation UFC brass selected this combat to steer the “Prelims” undercard. A mixed one hundred pc end fee and mutual tendency to finish issues within the opening minutes make it laborious to see this taking part in out as something aside from a slobber knocker.
As risky because the match up appears to be like on paper, although, I’m assured Alhassan will get it carried out. Ribeiro’s tendency to again himself to the fence performs proper into Alhassan’s most popular berserker blitzes, his poor defensive grappling opens him as much as Alhassan’s “Judo Thunder” ought to issues go bitter on the toes, and Alhassan would possibly truly be the higher of the 2 at defending his face. Alhassan ought to bulldoze him in seconds, however even when he doesn’t, he’s bought a greater Plan B than Ribeiro.
Prediction: Alhassan by way of first spherical technical knockout
155 lbs.: Mateusz Rebecki vs. Nick Fiore
Mateusz Rebecki (16-1) rode a 12-fight win streak into Contender Collection, which included seven defenses of the FEN Light-weight title. He was equally efficient on the APEX, choking out Rodrigo Lidio halfway by means of the primary spherical.
His 14 finishes are break up 8/6 between knockouts and submissions.
Nick Fiore (6-0) went 5-1 as an newbie earlier than turning professional in early 2020. He’s but to see a second spherical within the paid ranks, stopping all comers in underneath 4 minutes apiece.
He steps in for the injured Omar Morales on round two weeks’ discover.
There’s a dearth of current Fiore footage on the market, so it’s laborious to foretell this one with any kind of certainty. On paper, although, it’s all Rebecki. Whereas Fiore has a powerful jiu-jitsu pedigree and high quality coaching companions like Rob Font and Calvin Kattar, Rebecki is exponentially extra confirmed towards significant opposition. On prime of that, Rebecki appears to be like to have a critical edge in wrestling and punching energy, plus ADCC-worthy grappling of his personal.
I’ve been shocked earlier than, however there’s means an excessive amount of going Rebecki’s means. In brief, he blows away Fiore with a nasty left hand someday within the first body.
Prediction: Rebecki by way of first spherical technical knockout
135 lbs.: Javid Basharat vs. Mateus Mendonca
A masterclass submission end of Oron Kahlon on Contender Collection earned Javid Basharat (13-0) his eleventh skilled victory and a UFC contract as well. Although he needed to make his first journeys to the judges to take action, he efficiently claimed victories over Trevin Jones and Tony Gravely in his first two Octagon outings.
He’s submitted six skilled opponents and knocked out 5 others.
At simply 21 years of age, Chute Boxe’s Mateus Mendonca (10-0) claimed a unanimous resolution victory over UFC veteran Pedro Nobre underneath the Future MMA banner. Then got here a virtually two-year layoff, adopted by a 48-second wipeout of Ashiek Ajim on the Contender Collection.
He’ll have greater than two inches of attain on Basharat regardless of standing three inches shorter.
I don’t perceive the matchmaking right here. Mendonca is an entertaining, super-promising 23-year-old who deserves cautious steerage as he polishes his approach to match his items. I’m unsure what pitting him towards Basharat — a extra accomplished venture who deserves no less than a fringe contender after beating Gravely — is supposed to perform (I imply, in addition to making for an entertaining combat).
Even when Mendonca finds himself struggling to take care of Basharat’s slick out-fighting, he’ll by no means cease pursuing, and his strong clinch work would possibly even pay dividends. I nonetheless like Basharat to play matador, neutralizing “Bocao” with lateral motion and sharp potshots as Mendonca tries to take his head off from bell to bell.
Prediction: Basharat by way of unanimous resolution
UFC Vegas 67 options an intriguing primary occasion and a few risky match ups, making for a strong opener to 2023. See you Saturday, Maniacs.
Closing Prediction Report for 2022: 181-94-2
Do not forget that MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of the complete UFC Vegas 67 combat card proper right here, beginning with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, that are scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining primary card steadiness (additionally on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.
To take a look at the newest and best UFC Vegas 67: “Strickland vs. Imavov” information and notes make sure to hit up our complete occasion archive proper right here.
