X-Factor! Some UFC Vegas 50 main card predictions

This weekend (Sat., March 12, 2022), Final Combating Championship (UFC) will return to UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, for UFC Vegas 50. There’s been a variety of playing cards just lately ravaged by accidents, COVID-19 and different assorted mayhem, however this weekend’s occasion has largely held collectively … for now. That’s lucky for the followers, as a result of from the top-billed conflict between Thiago Santos and Magomed Ankalaev to the opening Middleweight bout, UFC Vegas 50 options nothing however thrilling match ups of heavy hitters.

Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at these fundamental card donnybrooks:

LIVE! Stream UFC Vegas 50 On ESPN+

Final Combating Championship (UFC) continues its run of reveals inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., march 12, 2022, with a hard-hitting Mild Heavyweight contenders’ bout that can see No. 5-ranked Thiago Santos battle No. 6-seeded Magomed Ankalaev. In UFC Vegas 50’s co-main occasion, No. 10-ranked Bantamweight contender, Marlon Moraes, goals to cease the momentum of Music Yadong (No. 14).

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

Featherweight: Sodiq Yusuff vs. Alex Caceres

Finest Win for Yusuff? Andre Fili For Caceres? Sergio Pettis
Present Streak: Yusuff got here up quick final day trip, whereas Caceres has received 4 in a row
X-Issue: Yusuff would be the far bigger man on combat evening
How these two match up: There’s little doubt in my thoughts that this might be a really enjoyable combat.

Yusuff is a critical powerhouse at 145 kilos. His method is persistently spectacular, nevertheless it’s his potential to soften opponents with energy photographs or overwhelm them on the mat that actually makes the 28-year-old finisher stand out.

Caceres, in the meantime, has a reasonably uncommon recreation. The long-time veteran has by no means had a ton of pop in his arms, however he makes up for it with quantity and artistic distance kickboxing. As well as, his jiu-jitsu stays an underrated power, which got here usually come into play late in fights when scrambles get a bit wild.

Caceres is on arguably the perfect run of his profession. He’s carried out extra persistently than ever earlier than, and the return to Featherweight has usually paid dividends. He’s earned a step up in competitors, and now he’s obtained an opportunity to interrupt again into the rankings.

Yusuff isn’t the match up for him to take action, nonetheless. The person throws bricks in a wise and composed trend, and he’s simply a lot extra bodily than Caceres. It’s arduous to see “Bruce Leeroy” actually scaring off Yusuff with both his strikes or takedowns, which implies Yusuff has no motive to not stroll him down and placed on the harm.

Caceres has a hell of a chin, however sadly, he’s going to want it.

Prediction: Yusuff through choice

Mild Heavyweight: Khalil Rountree vs. Karl Roberson

Finest Win for Rountree? Gokhan Saki For Roberson? Darren Stewart
Present Streak: Rountree returned to the win column in his final bout, whereas Roberson has misplaced two straight
X-Issue: Roberson likes to wrestle at random occasions
How these two match up: Inconsistent kickboxing specialists collide!

Rountree is a stellar athlete who obtained in martial arts later in life. Like most experts in that situation, he gravitated towards kickboxing, actually discovering his fashion as soon as he started coaching in Thailand. Actually, the largest difficulty with Rountree has been inconsistency, as he generally fails to tug the set off and lets his opponents dictate the tempo and vary.

A former professional kickboxer, Roberson’s struggles come extra usually towards foes devoted to tug him to the canvas. Regardless of being highly effective and slick in any respect ranges, he has an odd behavior of diving into grappling exchanges with opponents making an attempt to wrestle him when disengaging would probably be a more sensible choice.

There’s a variety of expertise on this match up. Each males hit extraordinarily arduous, so every may conceivably put the opposite down at any second. Nonetheless, I may see both man making a expensive tactical error, so being too assured right here is tough.

On the entire, I believe the intangibles line up within the favor of Rountree. He’s extra established at 205 kilos and has been preventing extra usually, which is often a constructive when consistency is usually a drawback. From a technical standpoint, Rountree has the choice of slamming outdoors low kicks from distance and ready for Roberson to come back ahead into counters. Generally, the leftie appears to strike extra confidently towards fellow Southpaws, as his energy low kick and lead leg change kick are each very efficient weapons to construct from.

As long as Rountree is energetic, he’s better off.

Prediction: Rountree through choice

Light-weight: Drew Dober vs. Terrance McKinney

Finest Win for Dober? Alexander Hernandez For McKinney? Matt Frevola
Present Streak: Dober has misplaced two straight, whereas McKinney has received 5 straight (two in UFC)
X-Issue: McKinney fought two weeks in the past!
How these two match up: Right here’s a superb unranked Light-weight scrap.

Drew Dober has been within the cage with fairly a number of of the perfect Lightweights on the planet. He hasn’t all the time received these fights, however Dober has come a good distance from his early undercard days. He found punching energy someplace alongside the best way, turning from a quantity scrapper to real knockout menace.

Undefeated (2-0) with two fast finishes contained in the Octagon, McKinney is deservedly constructing some hype round his title. The younger prospect has main energy in his arms and a few very dynamic wrestling. Usually, he applies each these abilities with power early in fights, seeking to power that fast end.

I’ll admit, I’ve bother trusting prospects like McKinney, who traditionally both win shortly or come up quick later within the combat. On the UFC stage, it’s actually rattling arduous to persistently end opponents, so banking on the early stoppage isn’t a method for constant success. Typically, fighters who rise on the kind of technique run into a tough wall at one level or one other.

Is Dober that wall? The veteran Muay Thai fighter has a chin like a cement block, so I’m to not apprehensive about him getting flatlined early. Getting overwhelmed on the mat is a extra vital concern, as Dober has been submitted 4 occasions beforehand in UFC.

The one two strangles within the final 5 years got here versus Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev, nonetheless, and people guys are submission masters. If McKinney joins that circle, I’ll be vastly impressed, however I’m not betting on it.

Extra probably, Dober survives some unhealthy spots early then begins connecting and stuffing photographs.

Prediction: Dober through knockout

Middleweight: Alex Pereira vs. Bruno Silva

Finest Win for Pereira? Andreas Michailidis For Silva? Alexander Schlemenko
Present Streak: Pereira just lately received his UFC debut, whereas Silva is 3-0 contained in the Octagon
X-Issue: Can Silva management his brawling instincts?
How these two match up: Two very several types of knockout artists are going to attempt to break every others’ faces.

Pereira is a extremely achieved skilled kickboxer, recognized within the ring for erasing opponents along with his left hook and placing Israel Adesanya to sleep. Now, he’s throwing these kill photographs in 4 ounce gloves, and the MMA world as an entire could be very, very fascinated with his potential to climb the ladder.

The pattern of world-class kickboxers transitioning to MMA is sizzling proper now.

Silva is a extra simple slugger, however the man hits brutally arduous, too. Not like Pereira, Silva can be a recognized floor menace, possessing a few of the nastiest ground-and-pound you’ll discover at 185 kilos.

It is a harmful and tough combat for Pereira, a substantial step up from his UFC debut. Silva could not have the technical prowess of his opponent, however he hits a lot arduous, and Pereira should respect that menace. If Silva then mixes in his takedown makes an attempt, he stands a good shot at touchdown them, and a single minute of management may spell doom for Pereira.

All the identical, it’s arduous to go towards “Po Atan.” The person has dynamite in his fists, and his UFC debut confirmed a superb mixture of opportunism and good defensive grappling instincts. Silva is wild, and I’m undecided he can afford to be towards an murderer like Alex Pereira.

Prediction: Pereira through knockout

Keep in mind that MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of the complete UFC Vegas 50 combat card proper here, beginning with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, that are scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining fundamental card stability (additionally on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.

To take a look at the most recent and biggest UFC Vegas 50: “Santos vs. Ankalaev” information and notes you should definitely hit up our complete occasion archive right here.