UFC Vegas 23 - Fighter Previews

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Marvin Vettori - #6 UFC Middleweight

(Zuffa LLC.)

“The Italian Dream” Marvin Vettori is looking to continue his rise up the Middleweight rankings Saturday night. Vettori has been an under-the-radar killer since joining the UFC. Since his debut in 2016, Vettori has compiled a 6-2-1 record with the promotion. He joined the UFC as an exciting middleweight prospect. He is very large for the division and manhandled most of the regional circuit. Marvin went into his UFC debut against Alberto Uda with a record of 10-1, which quickly jumped to 11-1. Vettori continue his dominating ways and submitted Uda in the first round. After another win over Vitor Miranda and a draw against his first Top 15 opponent, Omari Akhmedov, Vettori was tasked with shutting down Isreal Adesanya. As we all know now, Adesanya is an absolute killer and the current UFC Middleweight Champion. At the time, Izzy vs. Marvin was a test of two of the best prospects at 185. In a surprise to many, Vettori held his own, and then some, against Adesanya. This fight, in my opinion, is still the closest of Izzy’s career. Adesanya scraped out a Split Decision win over Vettori after controlling the first two round on the feet. Since the loss to Izzy in April, 2018, Vettori hasn’t dropped another fight. He is currently on a 4 fight winning streak and finally broke through with a victory over a Top 10 fighter in his last outing. After Darren Till and Kevin Holland fell out of a fight with Jack Hermansson, Vettori jumped on it. Marvin was ranked 12th entering the contest; Hermansson was 4th. Despite this, and the short notice, Vettori was awarded 4 rounds out of 5 by all 3 judges. It was the biggest win of his career and catapulted him up the rankings. He currently sits in 6th and could be a win or two away from a rematch with Izzy. He still thinks he won the first fight, and he is now on the short list of contenders. Watch out for “The Italian Dream.”

Kevin Holland - #10 UFC Middleweight

(ufc.com)

Kevin Holland to the rescue! I feel like we’ve said that at least 5 times over the past year. I will spare you guys the full UFC run recap since Holland just fought 2 weeks ago. But a quick little summary wouldn’t hurt. Holland entered the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series. He won his fight on the show, but didn’t look overly impressive in his Unanimous Decision win. He trash talked a ton, which got on Dana’s nerves and caused White to label Holland “Big Mouth.” But just a few weeks later when the UFC needed a replacement for Top 10 Middleweight Thiago Santos, Dana couldn’t find anyone who would take the fight. He said “Call Big Mouth. I want to see if he’ll take it.” Without hesitation, Holland to the rescue! Although not winning against Santos, Holland was impressive and earned himself a UFC contract. Since the Santos fight, he has made a name for himself amongst fans. He is 8-3 in the UFC in just 2 and a half years. 11 fights in 2 and a half years is insane! Also, in 2020, Holland became the first fighter in over 10 years to win 5 fights in one year. And Kevin did it in 7 months. He broke into the Top 10 with a KO win over “Jacare” Souza, but stumbled in his last fight against Derek Brunson. Brunson was able to control Holland on the ground and many now question if Kevin was ready for the Top 5. He now has a chance, just two weeks later, to prove people wrong. Holland is stepping in for an injured Darren Till against Vettori. If he can spring the upset, his name will never be hotter in the division.

Arnold Allen - #10 UFC Featherweight

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Arnold Allen is a major dark horse in the UFC Featherweight division. The British prospect has looked unbelievable since being called up from Cage Warriors. Since making his first octagon walk against Alan Omer in June, 2015, Allen has not lost a single fight. He is currently on a 9 fight winning streak with many notable names already on his hitlist. Allen has already taken out former Top 15 contender Makwan Amirkhani, UFC veteran Nik Lentz, and Former Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez. His well rounded attack has made him a handful for everyone he’s run into so far. He is in his athletic prime at age 27 and should be looking to take out the best of the division. Although Arnold is one of the most promising prospects in the division, it has been hard to get him in the octagon lately. His last fight was a dominating victory over Nik Lentz in January, 2020. He was scheduled for the biggest fight of his career that night against #7 Josh Emmett, but Emmett had to pull out with injury. Since taking care of Lentz, we haven’t seen Allen. Covid-19 restrictions were very limiting to British fighters. Other fighters like Leon Edwards had horrible times trying to book a fight in the US. Once Arnold finally got a fight booked, it was supposed to be the biggest fight of his career again. This time against veteran scrapper, #9 ranked Jeremy Stephens. Unfortunately for Allen, Stephens got injured. Fortunately for Allen, they replaced him with #11 Sodiq Yusuff. If Allen can pull off the victory, he will finally get the career changing win he has been longing for.

Sodiq Yusuff - #11 UFC Featherweight

(mmauk.net)

“Super” Sodiq Yusuff is an absolute unit of a man. He currently has a professional record of 11-1 and a UFC record of 4-0. He is on a 6 fight winning streak and looks like the future of the Featherweight division. Sodiq initially impressed on the first season of Dana White's Contender Series. He scored a dominant Unanimous Decision over Mike Davis to earn himself a contract. That win would age nicely as Davis has since broken into the UFC and secured wins. Since the Davis fight, Sodiq has gotten himself into some fire fights. Exciting fights with Gabriel Benitez and Andre Fili capped off his 6 fight winning streak. The Fili win being the best of Yusuff’s career and enough to break him into the Top 15. While Sodiq won both these fights, he did face danger in both. Benitez rocked Yusuff early, before Sodiq finished him later in the first. Fili and Yusuff was a close fight, but not a controversial one. Fili had his moments, but Yusuff was the clear winner. You could look at this in two ways. One way thinks Yusuff being hurt and battling through it is good for his experience. They other way is to think long term. Fire fights may not be good for his career. Also, if these fights are this close, many believe Sodiq could struggle with the upper echelon of Featherweights. The fight this weekend with Allen will provide us an answer to both ways of thinking. Sodiq has the potential to be a star in the division, but he has to be on point to walk out with a victory on Saturday.

“Smilin” Sam Alvey - Always Grinning UFC Middleweight/Light Heavyweight

(MMAFighting)

Smilin' Sam Alvey is everyone's favorite neighbor. The red headed brawler has made a name for himself as a fan friendly scrapper over the course of his long UFC run. Alvey is a certified veteran of the game at this point. He has been fighting with the promotion since August, 2014 and holds over 10 UFC wins. The problem with Alvey is that he also holds 9 UFC losses. His UFC record of 10-9-1 has not been good enough to crack Sam into the Top 10 of any division. He was primarily a Middleweight when he entered the UFC, going 9-5 at 185 before moving up to Light Heavyweight. Alvey fell into a gatekeeper role at Middleweight after losing to many top contenders. The move to 205 started off nicely, with 2 wins over Marcin Prachnio and Gian Villante. Since the win over Villante in June, 2018, Alvey has not won another fight. He has currently lost 4 in a row with a draw as the cherry on top. He has been overpowered at Light Heavyweight and unable to dispatch anyone who doesn’t match his veteran wear and tear. He is now moving back into his gatekeeper Middleweight role on Saturday. If Alvey can’t get it done, we might see that smile finally disappear. Just kidding! I feel like this guy would smile at a funeral.

Julian Marquez - UFC Middleweight & Valentine to Miley Cyrus

Julian “The Cuban Missile Crisis” Marquez is an interesting character. His nickname is the first indication, along with his podcast co-hosted by a porn star, and his callout of Miley Cyrus after his win in February. Marquez may be an odd fella, but he can surely scrap with the best of them. Julian earned his contract with a nasty headkick KO over Phil Hawes on Dana White’s Contender Series. This win has aged nicely for Marquez, as Hawes in now 2-0 in the UFC. Since the win Marquez has begun to make a name for himself at 185. He followed up the head kick with a submission victory over Top 15 gatekeeper Darren Stewart. Julian looked like he was poised to climb into the extremely loaded Top 10 at Middleweight, but unfortunately, judges are gonna be judges. Marquez would drop his next fight to Alessio Di Chirico by Split Decision. While 2 of the 3 judges scored the fight for Alessio, 14 of the 17 media members in attendance and the global fan scorecards said Marquez should’ve won the fight. Despite the controversial loss, Julian bounced back with a come from behind win over Maki Pitolo in February. With the win, he got another chance to crack the top 15 against Alvey. He also got a tweet from Miley Cyrus. Look out for Marquez to potentially make a splash at 185 in 2021.

Nina Ansaroff - #5 UFC Strawweight, #12 WPFP

(Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC.)

Nina Ansaroff may be more well known for being Amanda Nunes’ wife, but don’t let that take away from her own killer UFC resume. Ansaroff currently sits at #5 in the UFC Strawweight division, and #12 on the Women’s Pound for Pound list. Ansaroff is a big time veteran of the Women’s MMA game. She has been fighting professionally since 2010, and was unknowingly thrown into the fire immediately. Her 2nd professional fight ever was against Carla Esparza, who would go on to win the UFC Strawweight Championship 4 years later. Her 3rd pro fight was against Barb Honchak, who would go on to appear on The Ultimate Fighter and break into the UFC Top 10. After those unfortunate regional matchups, Ansaroff found a groove and earned a UFC debut with a record of 6-3. Nina struggled out of the gate in the UFC, losing her first two in the promotion. Many assumed Ansaroff would be another flash in the pan for the UFC, but Nina turned it around fast. After losing her first two, she went on an impressive 4 fight winning streak. She earned her way into the Top 5 of the division with wins over Angela Hill, Randa Markos, and former Title Challenger Claudia Gadelha. She would drop her next fight to Tatiana Suarez in June, 2019 and we haven’t seen Nina since. Not because she was injured, but because her and Nunes had a baby. So, happy absence! She is now back to prove herself again as an elite Strawweight. A win on Saturday should put Nina on the short list of contenders for the 115 belt.

Mackenzie Dern - #11 UFC Strawweight

(ufc.com)

Mackenzie Dern is the other side of this mom vs mom battle inside the octagon. Dern is one of the most accomplished grapplers in the UFC today. She is a Brazilian Jiujitsu Black Belt under her father, the legendary Wellington Dias. She began her professional career young and won her first professional tournament at the age of 14. Dern is a 5-time World Jiujitsu Champion and has seamlessly brought her mat skills into MMA. Mackenzie entered the UFC in March, 2018 as an undefeated prospect. She was 5-0 with 3 submission finishes prior to joining the promotion. Dern entered her debut with Ultimate Fighter alum Ashley Yoder as a massive favorite. She showed her grappling and came away with a decision victory. It was Split, but y’all know how judges are. Mostly everyone with eyes could see Dern won, including 100% of the media in attendance. She followed up that win with another against Amanda Cooper. This time she left no doubt, finishing Cooper in the first round. Her win against Cooper put her into a “there ain’t enough room for the two of us” prospect fight with Amanda Ribas. Ribas was a powerful striker; the opposite of Dern. Unfortunately for Mackenzie, Ribas would hand her her first professional loss by Unanimous Decision. Since the Ribas fight, Dern has taken time away to have a baby. Since becoming a mom, she has been back to her winning ways. She is now on a 3-fight winning streak with impressive finishes of Hannah Cifers and Randa Markos. Mom Dern has looked like one of the best Strawweights in the world. I guess we’ll see the best mom win on Saturday.

Mike Perry - UFC Welterweight and Certified Mad Man

(Zuffa LLC.)

Holy shit man where do I start with “Platinum” Mike Perry. This man is one of my personal favorite and least favorite fighters in the UFC at the same time. If you are an MMA fan, you probably know who Mike Perry is. Whether that is for his fighting or not is the issue. Perry started out his UFC run in 2016 as a normal, exciting, undefeated prospect. He introduced himself to fans at the weigh ins for his debut against Hyun Gyu Lim. As Lim approached Perry for the faceoff, Perry extended his hand as a gesture of respect. When Lim went to shake it, Perry pull it back and yelled “You thought you had a friend boy!?!?” in Lim’s face. If you haven’t seen it, look it up. To this day it is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. He would back up his weirdness by KO’ing Lim in the first round. Following another win over Danny Roberts, Perry would be humbled by Alan Jouban in his first professional loss. Since then, Perry’s career has been a circus. He holds impressive wins over Jake Ellenberger, Paul Felder, and Mickey Gall, but has been too inconsistent to crack the Top 10. He has floated around the Top 15 before, but always found a way to mess it up. Outside of the octagon, Perry has put himself into the MMA news cycle for other reasons. He once got in a fight with an old man and a bar and slept him. For that incident, he was almost cut and had to go to rehab. He is the only fighter in UFC history to have his girlfriend, and only his girlfriend, as his cornerman for a fight. It was literally just him and his pregnant GF walking to the ring. And he’s singing and dancing while he’s walking out. Again, super hilarious! He won the fight too!! Anyways, he has since started drinking again and almost sliced his femoral artery when he jumped through a glass door in shorts. But, he's back!! Perry has shown himself to be a solid fighter, but is looked at like a jester on the roster. If he can secure another win, and get his shit together, maybe he can make a push back into the Top 15.

Daniel Rodriguez - Scary Ass UFC Welterweight

(ufc.com)

Daniel Rodriguez is a scary man. Like Deebo scary. He has shown ruthless punching power throughout his short UFC run. Rodriguez is currently fighting with a professional record of 13-2. He earned his UFC contract by murdering everyone he faced on the California regional circuit. Daniel got his first chance to impress the brass on Dana White’s Contender Series. Much like our headliner, Kevin Holland, Daniel won his fight, but didn’t impress enough to be awarded a contract. It was the first win in Rodriguez’s career by Decision. After KO’ing another regional fighter, Dana gave him his chance in the big show. He debuted as a short notice replacement against veteran Tim “The Dirty Bird” Means. Means is a stud of the division and entered the fight as a -340 favorite. For all the non gamblers out there, this means you would have to bet $340 dollars on Means make $100 dollars. But if you bet money on the +265 underdog that night, you could definitely afford another 6 pack for next week’s fights. Daniel ran through Means, battering him in the first before submitting him in the 2nd. He followed that win with 2 more over Gabe Green and Dwight Grant. Unfortunately, veteran Nicolas Dalby would put an end to Daniel’s 9-fight winning streak. His fight with Dalby was a bit controversial. It was incredibly close, causing split opinions from the fans and media. Out of the 20 media members in attendance, 11 scored it for Dalby and 9 for Rodriguez. The fan vote, according the mmadecision.com, had Rodriguez winning the fight. So certainly not a robbery by any means, just a super close fight. Daniel has a chance to right the ship this Saturday. A win over Perry would be the biggest of his career and maybe enough to get a Top 15 matchup. D-Rod is 2 judge’s opinions away from being on a 10 fight winning streak and could be a sleeper at 170.