UFC Vegas 25 - Fighter Previews

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Dominick Reyes - #3 UFC Light Heavyweight

(Michael Wyke/AP)

Dominick Reyes has been through the ringer throughout his short UFC stint. Reyes has seen the peak of the division and the downfall of his place in the rankings. Dominick entered the UFC Light Heavyweight division in June, 2017 as a fresh contender. He was 6-0 on the regional scene with 5 first round finishes. Once Reyes hit the big show, his name lived up to the hype. He dismissed of Joachim Christensen in just :29 seconds. His crisp hands and elite speed for the division immediately put the entire weight class on notice. He followed that up with 2 more first round finishes over Jeremy Kimball and Top 5 Middleweight Jared Cannonier. This finishing streak had Reyes climbing up the somewhat shallow Light Heavyweight rankings. Following the Cannonier fight, Reyes was already ranked 12th in the division. He was matched up with his first big ranked test, Former Interim Title Challenger Ovince St. Preux. OSP has been a tough out his entire career and was ranked 7th at the time of the bout. For the first time, Reyes showed an ability to pick his shots for an entire 15 minutes. He scored effectively from the outside and cruised to a Unanimous Decision victory. He followed up that performance with a Split Decision win over Volkan Oezdemir and a First Round KO of Former Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman.

(Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC.)

Although Reyes looked impressive in both, this was the first time fans weren’t overly impressed with his performance. Many people, including myself, thought he lost the Oezdemir fight and Weidman was much, much too small for a move to Light Heavyweight. Despite not having the best performances, he had now won 6 straight in the UFC. This was more than enough to award him a Title Shot vs. the GOAT Jon Jones. And boy, was Reyes able to shake off the rust from his last performances. Dominick pushed Jones to the absolute limit at UFC 247. He hit Jon more than anyone had and left a real imprint on the fans and judges. Despite many fans around the world and 14 of the 21 media members in attendance giving Reyes the victory, the judges scored a Unanimous Decision for Jones. Many believed Reyes was the first man to ever cleanly defeat Jones. Dominick was awarded another shot at the now vacant title after Jones vacated to move up to Heavyweight, but was finished for the first time in his career by now Champion Jan Blachowicz. Dom was inches, many centimeters away, from scoring the biggest upset in the history of the sport. Now, he’s coming off 2 straight losses and trying to regain form in the division. I believe he is still one of the quickest and move powerful athletes in the division. If he wants to keep his elevated status at the top, he must win Saturday night.

Jiri Prochazka - #5 UFC Light Heavyweight

(Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC.)

Jiri Prochazka is the brightest and more mysterious prospect in the Light Heavyweight division. Jiri has only 1 fight to his UFC resume, but is likely only 1 more win away from challenging for the Title. Prochazka is an incredibly accomplished kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He came into the UFC with a record of 26-3-1 professionally. He was the Rizin Light Heavyweight Champion riding a 10 fight winning streak heading into his debut against Former Title Challenger Volkan Oezdemir. Just fighting Volkan in your debut should be a sign of what the UFC thinks of you, but Jiri certainly helped his case that night. Prochazka holds over 20 KO or TKO finishes in his career and was hunting for another one that night. Once he was across from Volkan, it was stunning the advantage he held on the feet. Jiri was incredibly light and blisteringly powerful. His ability to move in and out of the pocket resembled an elite Lightweight. He was able to dominate the fight and score his first UFC KO early in the 2nd Round. A nasty headkick followed by a right hand from hell turned off Volkan’s lights. Now, in just his 2nd UFC appearance, he is likely one win away from the Belt. If Jiri can prove he is a quicker, more powerful striker than Dom, we could be looking at the Future UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.

Cub Swanson - #15 UFC Featherweight

(Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC.)

Cub Swanson is a veteran’s veteran. He is your favorite fighters favorite fighter. Cub has been under the Zuffa banner since his WEC debut in March, 2007. For those that don’t know, WEC was a sister company to the UFC that housed the lighter weight classes. Flyweight, Bantamweight, and Featherweight didn’t make it into the UFC until the closure of WEC in 2011. Back to Cub. Swanson is a hard nose striker who is always down to put on the Fight of the Night. In fact, he has won the award 6 times throughout his UFC career. Cub has always bounced around the rankings at Lightweight and Featherweight. He was a mainstay in the Top 5 for many years at 145 before losing 4 straight to Top Contenders like Brian Ortega, Frankie Edgar, and Shane Burgos. But after bouncing back with 2 straight wins over Daniel Pineda and Kron Gracie, Cub has found a number next to his name again. Swanson ranks in the Top 3 in UFC history in Featherweight appearances and wins. He will be making his 20th Featherweight walk and will be looking for his 13th win in the division on Saturday. He is also tied for 1st All-Time in Featherweight Performance Bonuses. Cub is always ready to come out and fire. Many believed the young bucks of the division were starting to catch up to Swanson. A win this weekend could put the veteran right back into the thick of things in the Top 10.

Giga Chikadze - #14 UFC Featherweight

(Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC.)

Giga Chikadze will be facing the biggest test of his career again Cub Swanson Saturday night. Chikadze has looked ultra impressive since joining the UFC. After a failed attempt on Dana White’s Contender Series and a bounce back regional win, Chikadze was given a debut bout against Brandon Davis. Despite Giga clearly controlling the fight and all 11 media members in attendance giving him the win, Chikadze slipped out with a Split Decision victory. His next fight came against Jamall Emmers. This time the bout was a lot closer, but Chikadze again slithered away with the Split Decision. Despite looking very impressive on the feet, fans weren’t attaching to a fighter with 2 straight Split Decision victories. Thankfully, Giga was able to put a better foot forward in his next outings. He would easily pick apart future murderer Irwin Rivera, as well as Omar Morales, in his following 2 fights. Again, even though Chikadze was 4-0, fans were waiting to see the finishing instincts he was yet to show. Thankfully, he would finish Jamey Simmons in his last fight by beautiful headkick KO. This was the win he needed to break into the Top 15. Now Chikadze is 5-0 in the UFC. His lighting fast kickboxing has been a thing to watch. I’m curious, and I’m sure Giga is as well, to how his technique will hold up against the elite. Cub Swanson is the perfect veteran to be a barometer for Chikadze’s talent. Don’t be surprised to see him inside the Top 10 before the end of the year.

Ion Cutelaba - Super Intense UFC Light Heavyweight

(Zuffa LLC.)

Ion Cutelaba is a really, really intense dude. But his intensity hasn’t help him through most of his UFC run. Cutelaba has shown flashes of being a contender at 205, but his inconsistency has plagued him so far. Ion entered the UFC in sort of a lackluster way. He came into his debut against Misha Cirkunov 10-1 as a professional, but was finished by the submission master in the 3rd round. Now to give Ion credit, Cirkunov is a Top 10 Light Heavyweight and a problem for most people in the division. He was able to stay alive with a Unanimous Decision victory in his next fight, but dropped another high profile opportunity to Jared Cannonier 2 months later. Since then, Cutelaba has gone 3-3 in the division. He holds wins over lesser known guys like Luis Henrique Da Silva, Gadzhimurad Antigulov, and Khalil Roundtree, but lost his biggest opportunities to Current #1 Contender Glover Teixeira and Magomed Ankalaev. Because of his inconsistency, Cutelaba is more well known for painting his whole body green at the weigh-ins and screaming in people’s faces. He still has the potential to become something at 205, but for now, he seems like another mid-card talent.

Dustin Jacoby - UFC Light Heavyweight Back for Revenge

(Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC.)

Okay, that title made him sound more vicious than he is. Dustin Jacoby is back for his 2nd stint with the UFC. The first time around wasn’t so stellar for the big man. Jacoby’s first time around was all the way down at Middleweight. He was an exciting young prospect, but failed to pick up a win in his 2 UFC appearances. Now 9 years later, Jacoby has Professional kickboxing experience, as well as extra muscle to his frame. Since returning to the UFC as a Light Heavyweight on Dana White’s Contender Seires, Jacoby has looked like a much improved and much more powerful fighter. Since earning a contract on the show, he is 2-0 with wins over Justin Ledet and Maxim Grishin. Now Jacoby is stepping in on 2 week’s notice to face the biggest test of his career. Cutelaba has been a fringe Top 15 fighter his whole career. A win for Jacoby, especially on short notice, could catapult him into a position to break into the Top 15 at 205.

Sean Strickland - #15 UFC Middleweight

(Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC.)

Sean Strickland is one of the most slept on fighters on the entire UFC roster. Strickland has been around since March 2014, when he submitted Bubba McDaniel in his debut. Since then, Strickland has only lost to the elite of the division. It has been injuries and his inactivity that has kept him for solidifying himself as a Top 10 fighter. Sean is 9-3 in the UFC with wins over Court McGee, Nordine Taleb, and, most recently, Brendan Allen. Sean’s only losses in the UFC came to a prime Santiago Ponzinibbio, Elizue Zaleski Santos by Spinning Back Fist, and Current #1 P4P Fighter in the World Kamaru Usman. Now you might be asking, isn’t Usman a Welterweight? Yes. And Strickland used to be as well. Despite success in the division, Strickland returned from a 2 year layoff as a Middleweight. He has reminded us why he floated around the Top 10 at Welterweight for so many years. With the extra meat on his frame, his punches have begun to snap more. Sean went viral by yelling “why won’t you fall down?” at Jack Marshman on his way to a Unanimous Decision victory. If Strickland can score his 3rd straight win at Middleweight, he will be right in line for another crack at the Top 10. Kevin Holland would be a fun fight. Just saying.

Krzysztof Jotko - UFC Middleweight with 2 Zs and a Y in his First Name

(Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

I actually like how Jotko spells his name, I just hate typing it out. Jotko has had a similar career to Strickland. He has been impressive in flashes at Middleweight and even earned a number next to his name for a short while. Jotko was ranked as high as #9 before dropping his highest profile fight to Dave Branch in May, 2017. Krzysztof has been dominant over the mid-card players, but has struggled greatly with the elite. He is 9-4 in the UFC, but has lost to all the biggest names on his resume. His wins include guys like Brad Scott, Eryk Anders, and Thales Leites, with the latter being his best UFC to date. His losses have come against bigger names like Dave Branch, Brad Tavares, and Uriah Hall. But since dropping 3 straight and losing his ranking, he was evened it out with 3 straight wins. He is now getting his chance to earn his number back by fighting #15. Jotko has proven himself to be amongst the Top 15 guys, but has never performed well enough to beat any of them. This weekend may be his last shot to get back into the Middleweight Rankings. Notice how many times I used his last name and not his first. Strategy.

Merab Dvalishvili - #12 UFC Bantamweight

(Zuffa LLC.)

I’ll try not to let my man crush for Merab slip through too much, but I love me some Merab. Davlishvili is the latest Serra-Longo fighter to break into the upper echelon of the UFC. Merab is a suffocating wrestler who has managed to climb up the Rankings through his relentless pace and pressure. He is 5-2 in the UFC, but should be 6-1. Merab suffered his first UFC loss by Split Decision to Frankie Saenz, but should've been awarded the victory according to the fans, me, my mom, and 10 of the 14 media members in attendance. 4 media members scored every single round for Merab. Anyways, he followed up the loss to Saenz with his only real loss in the Octagon so far, a submission L to the very tough Ricky Simon. Since then, Merab has upped his game big time. He is on a 5 fight winning streak and has looked like an absolute mauler. He has won all 5 of his fights by Unanimous Decision and doesn’t allow his opponents to breath anymore. Throughout this run, he has scored victories over Former TUF winner Brad Katona, Casey Kenney, and Former Flyweight Title Challenger John Dodson. Dvalishvili has looked like a tiny Khabib at points throughout this run. I’m not saying he is anywhere near Khabib skill wise, but his nonstop grappling pressure has folded his foes in half. He will now look to climb the rankings even more. I believe Merab is a Top 10 fighter right now. He is a problem for anyone and could very easily crack the Top 5 by the end of the year. Watch out for my boy.

Cody Stamman - #13 UFC Bantamweight Who Fights at Featherweight Sometimes

(Gregory Payan/AP)

Cody Stamman is an incredibly talented Bantamweight, but he has struggled mightily with gaining any traction in the division. To be frank, it doesn’t help that he keeps going back and forth from Featherweight to Bantamweight. Honestly, I’m surprised he’s still ranked at 135. Stamman is 3-1-1 at 135 and 2-1 at 145 throughout his UFC run. His inconsistency in the octagon and his refusal to actually pick a weight class is hurting his run towards the title. When he is in there, Stamman is a force for any Bantamweight in the world. When he is down at 135, he is massive for the division. He uses his size and grappling ability to handle opponents with ease. He began his UFC run with 3 straight wins, with 2 being at 135. He even quickly worked his way up to facing now Champion Aljamain Sterling in his 4th UFC bout. Sterling was able to win that night, but Stamman showed he can hang with the best in the world. Which is why it frustrates me that he won’t stay down at 135. Since the Sterling fight, Stamman is 1-1 at 145 and 1-0-1 at 135. This matchup with Merab is going to prove if Stamman is still elite at 135. I also believe that this fight will determine which weight class he stays in for good. With a win, he climbs the ranks at 135. With a loss, maybe he tries his luck permanently at Featherweight.

Poliana Botelho - Promising UFC Flyweight Prospect

(Joshua Dahl/USA Today Sports)

Poliana Botelho is one side being tasked with kicking off the Main Card for UFC Vegas 25. Botelho has shown flashes of promise throughout her short UFC run. She is 3-2 in the UFC and 1-1 since moving up to 125. Her very crisp striking has been her main path to victory, as she showed in her most impressive UFC win to date, a :33 second TKO of Syuri Kondo. Botelho has gotten her chance to break into the Rankings at both Strawweight and Flyweight, but has fallen in both fights. Losses to Cynthia Calvillo and Gillian Robertson have kept that elusive number from sticking next to her name. But she for sure has the talent to get there. She’ll be looking to bounce back in a big way and reclaim some momentum in the very shallow Flyweight division.

Luana Carolina - UFC Flyweight Who’s Certainly Happen the Pandemic is Wrapping Up

(Jason Silva/USA Today Sports)

Luana Carolina is stepping in as an injury replacement in her matchup with Poliana Botelho. Carolina was called upon on about 3 weeks notice to help kick off the Main Card. Carolina had some momentum building in the division before the Coronavirus Pandemic began. She secured a contract on The Contender Series in late 2018, and followed it up by defeated former Ranked contender Priscila Cachoeira in May, 2019. But once the pandemic halted travel restrictions to the US, Carolina’s momentum halted as well. She was out for over a year and had 4 separate fight bookings cancelled. Unfortunately for Luana, once she returned, it did not go well. In her most high profile opportunity yet, she was on the wrong side of a Submission of the Year candidate. Luana was defeated by Ariane Lipski by Kneebar. Yeah, its just an armbar but with your knee instead of your elbow. It’s nasty. Anyways, Luana’s chance at a ranking was cut short then and there. Now she is back to prove the hype surrounding her name. Maybe a more consistent schedule will renew the potential we saw in her first UFC appearances. She has all the potential to be a player in the Top 15, she just has to go out and perform now.