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The UFC returns to Las Vegas this weekend for another Fight Night event, and while it’s unlikely to get much attention, it should hopefully provide some decent action.
UFC Fight Night: Vicente Luque vs. Rafael dos Anjos doesn’t feature many big name fighters, but it does at least feature a few who tend to put on exciting fights, and that’s what matters, right?
Here are the predicted outcomes for UFC Fight Night: Vicente Luque vs. Rafael dos Anjos.
#1. UFC welterweight bout: Vicente Luque vs. Rafael dos Anjos
All-Brazilian fights in the UFC tend to be quite a rarity, but when they do happen, they usually produce fireworks. This one in particular is highly likely to go that way, because both of the men involved know no other way of fighting other than attack.
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Despite coming off two losses, it’s probably fair to argue that Vicente Luque has slightly more traction in the welterweight division right now. ‘The Silent Assassin’ is ranked at No.10, and has finished the likes of Michael Chiesa, Tyron Woodley and Belal Muhammad during his career.
The TUF 21 veteran has some holes in his game, namely his takedown defense and with his durability, but against most foes, they don’t bother him too much. That’s because he’s so offensively potent, as he possesses a killer instinct from every single area and is one of the best finishers in MMA.
Rafael dos Anjos is obviously just as dangerous as Luque in all areas. The No.9-ranked lightweight moved back up to 170 pounds late last year after suffering a KO at the hands of Rafael Fiziev and immediately made a splash, whitewashing Bryan Barberena via submission.
Once considered a one-dimensional grappler, ‘RDA’ now possesses a brutally efficient kickboxing game, and is adept at taking his foes down, too.
Like Luque, he does suffer with issues against wrestlers, though. He’s been blanketed for four of his last five defeats, being held down by Colby Covington, Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards and Michael Chiesa.
Those four fighters are largely capable of doing that to anyone, though, and it’s unlikely that Luque will be capable of repeating that feat. Instead, it seems likely that this one will come down to which fighter can impose their will from an offensive standpoint first, and in that sense, ‘RDA’ should probably be favoured.
He arguably doesn’t hit quite as hard as Luque, but from a technical standpoint he’s the superior striker, and he’s also highly unlikely to get into danger on the ground with ‘The Silent Assassin’.
Add in the fact that Luque has looked a little brittle in recent fights – probably down to the crazy amount of damage he’s taken over the years – and the former lightweight kingpin is likely to take this.
The Pick: dos Anjos via third-round TKO
#2. UFC light heavyweight bout: Khalil Rountree Jr vs. Chris Daukaus
While neither of these fighters are quite in contention for the light heavyweight title right now, this should be a very fun fight to watch regardless.
Of the two, Khalil Rountree Jr is slightly better ranked at No.13. A devastating kickboxer with brutal knockout power, he’s capable of switching the lights off on any fighter at 205 pounds.
Unfortunately, ‘The War Horse’ is also not all that durable, and if an opponent can get hold of him in the clinch or on the ground, it’s possible to wear him down and out of a fight.
Whether Chris Daukaus can do that is debatable. At one point, the Philadelphia cop was considered a huge prospect at heavyweight. However, he was never the biggest, most explosive fighter, and it came as no surprise to see him fall to the division’s heavier hitters like Derrick Lewis.
Daukaus is now on a three-fight losing streak, and while this drop to 205 pounds might do him good in the future, the No.14-ranked heavyweight has picked a difficult opponent to start with.
Rountree hits just as hard as some of the bigger heavyweights on the roster, but he’s also scarily quick for a big man. Daukaus might be more trim at 205 pounds, but he isn’t likely to have suddenly become a top-class athlete overnight, and that’s something that may always hold him back.
Daukaus can win this fight if he can land an early hammer blow or finds he can grind Rountree down in the clinch. However, it’s more likely that ‘The War Horse’ catches him with something violent – perhaps some kind of nasty kick – early on.
The Pick: Rountree Jr. via first-round KO
#3. UFC Fight Night: The Main Card
In a late-notice lightweight clash, Terrance McKinney faces Mike Breeden. McKinney has taken this bout on around a week’s notice, making it high-risk for him. ‘T. Wrecks’ has lost his last two fights, so if he drops this one, his UFC career could be in trouble.
Breeden is less proven and dangerous than the fighters who’ve been beating McKinney, though, and he also seems susceptible to the kind of explosive attacks that ‘T. Wrecks’ is capable of. The pick, therefore, is McKinney via KO.
In a strawweight bout, Polyana Viana takes on Iasmin Lucindo. Both of these fighters are coming off wins, but overall, the style match seems to favour Viana here. She’s more dangerous in all areas, and has far more octagon experience, too.
‘Dama de Ferro’ will need to be careful here, as she does leave herself wide open on the ground at times, but the pick is Viana via decision.
In a heavyweight clash, Josh Parisian takes on Martin Buday. Quite how this fight – which is likely to be a sloppy brawl – made the main card over Swanson vs. Dawodu is anyone’s guess.
Regardless, it feels like Buday’s fight to lose. Not only is he still unbeaten in the octagon, but he seems to be the cleaner striker and is slightly more durable, too. Overall then, the pick is Buday via decision.
Finally, in a middleweight clash, Josh Fremd faces Jamie Pickett. Again, this is a bit of a strange choice for a main card bout, as Pickett has lost his last three fights while Fremd is 1-2 inside the octagon.
Overall, though, Fremd has at least proven he belongs inside the UFC – his last win saw him look quite strong. Pickett, on the other hand, has struggled for any kind of traction recently and is likely to lack confidence. The pick, then, is Fremd via submission.
#4. UFC Fight Night: The Prelims
Picks in bold
UFC flyweight bout: Juliana Miller vs. Luana Santos
UFC middleweight bout: AJ Dobson vs. Tafon Nchukwi
UFC bantamweight bout: JP Buys vs. Marcus McGhee
UFC featherweight bout: Francis Marshall vs. Isaac Dulgarian
UFC strawweight bout: Jaqueline Amorim vs. Montserrat Ruiz
UFC featherweight bout: Cub Swanson vs. Hakeem Dawodu
UFC bantamweight bout: Damon Blackshear vs. Brady Heistand
