UFC 282 predictions: Early ‘Prelims’ undercard preview | Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev

With former UFC Mild Heavyweight champion, Jiri Prochazka, on the mend, Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev will duke it out for the vacant belt this Saturday night (Dec. 10, 2022) within the acquainted halls of T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas, Nevadas. UFC 282 additionally options the stateside debut of Paddy Pimblett, who takes on harmful veteran Jared Gordon, and the return of Bryce Mitchell, who will lock horns with Ilia Topuria on the pay-per-view (PPV) important card.

ESPN+ hosts the primary 5 (of 9) “Prelims” undercard bouts; let’s see what the app has to supply for the ultimate UFC PPV of the 12 months …

LIVE! Watch UFC 282 PPV On ESPN+ Here!

YEAR-END PPV BLOWOUT! Final Combating Championship (UFC) closes out its last pay-per-view (PPV) of the 12 months on Sat., Dec. 10, 2022, with a battle for the vacant Mild Heavyweight crown between former champion and No. 2-ranked contender, Jan Blachowicz, seeking to cease the momentum of No. 3-seeded Magomed Ankalaev. Within the co-main occasion of UFC 282, which can happen inside T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas, Nevada, breakout star, Paddy Pimblett, intends to maintain his momentum going on the expense of gritty veteran, Jared Gordon.

Don’t miss a single second of EPIC face-punching action!

145 lbs.: Billy Quarantillo (16-4) vs. Alexander Hernandez (13-5)

“Billy Q” parlayed his Contender Collection stoppage of Kamuela Kirk into three consecutive UFC He’s since misplaced two of three, although he claimed a post-fight bonus for his beatdown of Gabriel Benitez.

This marks his first cage look in 13 months, as he withdrew from a deliberate July 2022 conflict with Invoice Algeo.

“The Nice” exploded onto the scene with spectacular wins over Beneil Dariush and Olivier Aubin-Mercier in his first two UFC bouts. His present 3-4 run has seen him alternate losses and wins, and he’s coming off a career-first submission defeat to Renato Moicano.

This can be his first Featherweight look since 2013.

I don’t suppose shifting to 145 is the cure-all Hernandez is on the lookout for, and particularly not in opposition to somebody with the insane tempo of Quarantillo. There’s no query that “The Nice” will look good early due to his strong boxing and the wrestling that’s bedeviled “Billy Q” again and again within the cage. It’s simply onerous to see him holding it up; he is usually a frontrunner at instances, a bent that definitely gained’t be helped with the unfamiliar bodily drain of a bigger weight minimize.

Once more, Hernandez might be going to have a good time of it after they’re each contemporary. I simply don’t belief him to stick with it as soon as his physique begins to offer out and Quarantillo’s landed punches hit the triple digits. Quarantillo does his normal avalanche factor for a late end.

Prediction: Quarantillo through third spherical technical knockout

205 lbs.: Ovince Saint Preux (26-16) vs. Antonio Trocoli (12-3)

“OSP” clawed his method out of a three-fight dropping streak with stoppage wins in 4 of his subsequent 5 fights, three of which earned him Efficiency of the Evening. He’s now 3-5 in his final eight, most just lately edging out “Shogun” Rua in an extremely pointless rematch.

His finishes are cut up 11/9 between knockouts and submissions.

An upset submission over Kenneth Bergh on Contender Collection appeared to earn Trocoli a UFC contract, just for it to go up in smoke when the Brazilian failed a drug take a look at. His lone struggle of the final three years noticed him choke out Reslley Isael to increase his unbeaten streak to 4.

He steps in for Philipe Lins, who himself stepped in for Alexander Gustafsson, on lower than two weeks’ discover.

Talking as a diehard fan of “Shogun,” going to a cut up determination with him within the Yr of Our Lord 2022 is a fairly good signal that the wheels have come off. The sheer athleticism that carried Saint Preux farther than his restricted technical means ever may alone is nicely on its method out, and what’s left is extra awkward than efficient.

Would possibly nonetheless be sufficient to beat Trocoli, although. It’s admittedly onerous to get a bead on him when he’s had 2:10 of struggle time since 2019, however he looks as if the form of man Saint Preux can kite on the toes and/or management in opposition to the fence. Looks like we’d get one other Von Flue out of this if Trocoli beefs a takedown.

Prediction: Saint Preux through second spherical submission

145 lbs.: T.J. Brown (16-9) vs. Erik Silva (9-1)

“Downtown” Brown struggled out of the UFC gate with two straight losses, however managed to bounce again with victories over Kai Kamaka III. The successful streak wound up stopping there courtesy of Shayilan Nuerdanbieke, who outgrappled Brown to a unanimous determination win in June 2022.

He’s scored 9 submissions and 4 knockouts as knowledgeable.

“King” rode a seven-fight successful streak into Contender Collection, the place he squared off with 3-0 Anvar Baynazarov. Silva wanted simply 92 seconds to pound the Uzbek out and punch his ticket to the Octagon.

He faces a 2.5-inch attain drawback.

I’m agency within the perception that when it comes to pure ability, Brown has what it takes to be a noteworthy UFC Featherweight. There’s simply one thing lacking; the iffy chin is a identified amount, in fact, however his placing and grappling means ought to have carried him previous Nuerdanbieke.

That defeat specifically has me questioning his probabilities. Although Silva is generally untested after a string of fast finishes and doesn’t seem to have an enormous quantity of depth to his sport, Brown proved unable to take care of a equally grappling-heavy strategy in opposition to Nuerdanbieke. I like Silva to return out aggressive, get his takedowns going, and finally membership Brown into submission.

Prediction: Silva through first spherical technical knockout

125 lbs.: Vinicius Salvador (14-4) vs. Daniel Da Silva (11-4)

After a get-well win on the Brazilian circuit to shake the rust from a 16-month layoff, Salvador entered Contender Collection as a two-to-one underdog in opposition to Shannon Ross. Undaunted, he scored a number of knockdowns en path to a violent second-round end that earned him a UFC contract.

All of his skilled wins have come inside the gap, 13 of them through knockout.

Da Silva put an harm defeat behind him to attain three consecutive first-round finishes. He’s but to style victory within the Octagon, struggling three consecutive stoppage losses within two rounds.

He stands one inch shorter than Salvador at 5’6.”

Talking of people that actually ought to be doing higher than they’re, it’s been surreal to observe somebody with Da Silva’s apparent expertise continuously discover methods to lose. Salvador is sluggish, extremely simple to hit, and has a historical past of getting overwhelmed on the mat, so by all rights he ought to be simple pickings for an explosive finisher like “Miojo.” With the best way he choked in opposition to Francisco Figueiredo and Victor Altamirano, although, it appears inevitable that he’ll repeat Ross’s folly and stroll proper into considered one of “Fenomeno’s” sledgehammer hooks.

If he’s firing on all cylinders, Da Silva will kick this man’s head clear off his shoulders. I’m simply previous anticipating that from him. Salvador golf equipment him unconscious inside the first 5 minutes.

Prediction: Salvador through first spherical knockout

135 lbs.: Cameron Saaiman (6-0) vs. Steven Koslow (6-0)

Saaiman, an understudy of UFC Middleweight contender Dricus Du Plessis, claimed EFC Bantamweight gold in his fifth professional struggle. This led him to Contender Collection, the place he knocked Josh Wang-Kim out chilly and secured himself a UFC contract.

That EFC title win was his sole journey to the judges as knowledgeable, as he’s knocked out 4 and submitted one.

Koslow gained 10 straight as an beginner en path to a 2019 professional debut. He’s but to see the second spherical within the paid ranks, submitting all six of his opponents in 4:05 or much less.

He replaces Ronnie Lawrence on lower than two weeks’ discover.

Full disclosure: all of Koslow’s publicly viewable MMA fights since 2019 have been hidden behind a $24.99/struggle paywall on FITE. The information I’m working from is outdated as hell, so remember to preserve that in thoughts.

From what I’ve managed to see, Koslow is a really expert Brazilian jiu-jitsu participant out of tenth Planet, which ought to give him the means to use considered one of Saaiman’s extra notable weaknesses. He’ll need to take care of Saaiman’s strain, energy, and fuel tank, although; between his lack of expertise within the later rounds and restricted power of schedule, I’m not massively assured in his means to take action. Count on him to wrestle his method to an awesome begin earlier than Saaiman will get his footing, forces him into an uncomfortably excessive tempo, and polishes him off within the latter half of the struggle.

Prediction: Saaiman through second spherical technical knockout

4 extra UFC 282 “Prelims” undercard bouts stay to preview and predict, together with the Octagon debut of 18-year-old Contender Collection graduate, Raul Rosas Jr. Similar time tomorrow, Maniacs.

Keep in mind that MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of the complete UFC 282 struggle card proper here, beginning with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches on-line, that are scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard (on ESPN2/ESPN+) at 8 p.m. ET, earlier than the PPV important card begin time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

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