3 fights to look forward to and 2 that will likely disappoint at UFC Vegas 33

After putting on a spectacular card last weekend, the UFC returns to its APEX for UFC Vegas 33: Uriah Hall vs. Sean Strickland. The card might not be as star-studded as last week's event, but hardcore fans should still find it intriguing.

In the main event, middleweight contenders Hall and Strickland will jockey for position in hopes of moving one step closer into title contention. With both men enjoying successful runs of four straight wins, whoever comes out of UFC Vegas 33 as the victor could land a UFC middleweight title shot in the near future.

Uriah Hall vs Sean Strickland!Which middleweight will put themselves into contention at #UFCVegas33? pic.twitter.com/LEyb1xKEsS

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) July 27, 2021

A heavyweight clash between Shamil Abdurakhimov and Chris Daukaus was originally scheduled as the co-main event for UFC Vegas 33. However, the battle of heavy-hitters was scrapped last minute due to undisclosed reasons.

UFC Vegas 33 is not a stacked card, to say the least. However, there are a few intriguing matchups that should make the event watchable. With that in mind, let's take a look at which three fights you should look forward to and which two are likely to disappoint.

#3. Fight to look forward to at UFC Vegas 33: Kyung Ho Kang vs. Rani Yahya

UFC Vegas 33: Kyung Ho Kang vs. Rani Yahya [@raniyahyamma]

Unheralded bantamweights Kyung Ho Kang and Rani Yahya will take center stage in the co-main event, after two of the division's top dogs faced off last weekend. With both men coming off victories, it'll be interesting to see who can get their momentum going.

Kang has strung together three wins in a row to rebound from his split decision loss against Ricardo Ramos. The South Korean fighter has been on a roll, winning six out of his last seven fights. The last time he saw action was in 2019, but if he can make it four in a row at UFC Vegas 33, Kang could find himself inside the top 15.

Yahya, meanwhile, returned to the win column in March with an impressive submission win over Ray Rodriguez. This Saturday, Yahya will try to prove that he has more left in the tank as he looks to spoil the return of 'Mr. Perfect.'

#2. Fight that will likely disappoint at UFC Vegas 33: Cheyanne Buys vs. Gloria de Paula

UFC strawweights Cheyanne Buys and Gloria de Paula will both make their second promotional appearance at UFC Vegas 33. Both women have one goal in mind: to earn their first victory in the octagon.

Buys booked her ticket to the UFC after defeating Hilarie Rose on an episode of Dana White's Contender Series. For her UFC debut, Buys was supposed to fight Kay Hansen. However, a last-minute change led to a showdown with Montserrat Conejo, who handed Buys a loss by exploiting her weakness and keeping her grounded for long stretches of the fight.

De Paula's UFC journey is strikingly similar to her opponent. She also earned a UFC contract after emerging victorious in last season's DWCS, only to lose in her octagon debut. De Paula's latest fight saw her drop a unanimous decision against Jinh Yu Frey.

On paper, this matchup is very much equal. Both women are 26-years-old, they have similar records - 5-3 and 5-2 - and both are coming off disappointing losses. However, Buys and de Paul showed nothing special in their UFC debuts. With that in mind, this matchup is a leading candidate for the opposite of 'Fight of the Night.'

#2. Fight to look forward to at UFC Vegas 33: Jinh Yu Frey vs. Ashley Yoder

Strawweight standouts Jinh Yu Frey and Ashley Yoder square off here in what should be an entertaining showdown on the preliminary card of UFC Vegas 33.

Frey – the former Invicta atomweight champion – lost her momentum after suffering back-to-back losses to Kay Hansen and Loma Lookboonmee. In desperate need of a bounce-back win, Frey displayed grit when she halted newcomer de Paula in her tracks. At UFC Vegas 33, the American will try to build upon her success as she takes on strawweight mainstay Ashley Yoder.

Yoder, meanwhile, has been plagued by incosistency since her arrival to the UFC. Since 2018, she's won two straight fights, lost in back-to-back outings, bounced back and lost again. If Yoder's trend continues, she might just find herself back in the win column on Saturday night.

#1. Fight that will likely disappoint at UFC Vegas 33: Nicco Montaño vs. Wu Yanan

UFC Vegas 33: Wu Yanan vs. Nicco Montaño [Photo credit: @ufc on Twitter]

Bantamweights Nicco Montaño and Wu Yanan will lock horns on the preliminary card of Saturday's UFC Vegas 33 event.

Montaño, 32, will appear for only her third outing in the octagon despite being with the UFC since 2017. She made her way into the promotion by winning the 26th season of The Ultimate Fighter. Montaño then made history by becoming the inaugural UFC women's flyweight champion in 2017.

However, her reign was short-lived as she was forced to drop the title when she pulled out of a scheduled title fight against eventual champion Valentina Shevchenko. Montaño fought once more against Julianna Pena in 2019 and hasn't returned since after losing a unanimous decision.

The veteran will end her long inactivity against China's Yanan. 'Mulan' has been unsuccessful in her UFC journey so far, but the 25-year-old has a lot of room left to grow. At UFC Vegas 33, Yanan will try to end her two-fight skid in her second appearance of 2021.

Normally, a former champion's fight is something to look forward to. However, both Montaño and Yanan have been unimpressive in both of their respective fights. With that in mind, this preliminary card showdown is likely to disappoint.

#1. Fight to look forward to at UFC Vegas 33: Uriah Hall vs. Sean Strickland

UFC Vegas 33: Uriah Hall vs. Sean Strickland

The main event clash between top middleweight contenders Uriah Hall and Sean Strickland is shaping up to be an exciting battle between two talented strikers.

Once considered the next big thing at middleweight, Hall's God-given talents have finally translated into meaningful wins inside the octagon. 'Prime Time' is poised to contend for the title after winning four straight, including back-to-back TKO victories over former middleweight champs Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman.

Similarly, Strickland is enjoying a successful run of four wins, including notable victories over Brendan Allen and Krzysztof Jotko. A motorcycle accident hasn't slowed 'Tarzan' down as he's currently unbeaten since moving to 185 pounds.

Hall's phenomenal takedown defense and Strickland's lack of penchant for wrestling suggests that this main event clash will be decided on the feet. That said, we can expect fireworks to close out UFC Vegas 33.