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#3 UFC Vegas 22: The Main Card
In a UFC Heavyweight bout, Tai Tuivasa faces off with Don’Tale Mayes. Tuivasa looked like a hot prospect a couple of years ago, but simply hasn’t done enough to round out his game to become a true contender.
Despite this, he should probably be the favorite here. Tuivasa moves surprisingly well for his size, and Mayes is a more plodding Heavyweight who is unlikely to take this fight to the ground. Therefore, Tuivasa by knockout is the pick.
At Welterweight, Song Kenan faces Max Griffin. This one should be an exciting striking-based battle, with both men possessing plenty of power and a willingness to throw down.
However, Griffin looks like the better grappler overall, and he also has far more experience than Kenan. If ‘Max Pain’ can push the pace here without taking a really heavy blow, then this one should be his to lose. Griffin via decision is the pick.
In a Strawweight bout, Cheyanne Buys takes on Montserrat Ruiz. As with all fights between UFC debutants, this one is difficult to call purely due to the lack of exposure for both women.
On paper at least, Buys has more experience thanks to her lengthy amateur record. And she’s probably beaten stronger opponents, too.
Ruiz has more finishes on her ledger, but given that a lot of them came on low-level shows, it’s hard to say how good her opponents were. This one is almost impossible to pick, but Buys via decision is the guess.
Finally, Adrian Yanez faces Gustavo Lopez in a Bantamweight bout. This one should be fun, as judging from what both men have done thus far, they have both come to throw down.
Yanez should probably be favored though. He looks like a hot prospect thanks to two explosive KO wins in 2020 and an excellent record overall. Yanez by KO is the pick.
#4 UFC Vegas 22: The Prelims
Picks in bold
UFC Bantamweight division: Marion Reneau vs. Macy Chiasson
UFC Lightweight division: Leonardo Santos vs. Grant Dawson
UFC Middleweight division: Trevin Giles vs. Roman Dolidze
UFC Bantamweight division: Montel Jackson vs. Jesse Strader
UFC Bantamweight division: Johnny Eduardo vs. Anthony Birchak
UFC Bantamweight division: Julia Avila vs. Julija Stoliarenko
UFC Flyweight division: JP Buys vs. Bruno Silva
