Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs Cannonier
We're Back In Vegas Saturday With Another Stacked Card. Let's Break It Down.
By E. Spencer Kyte, on Twitter @spencerkyte • Jun. 12, 2023
Business shifts back to the UFC APEX for this weekend’s packed card headlined by recent middleweight title challengers Marvin Vettori and Jared Cannonier.
Featuring a host of emerging talents looking to catapult themselves into the spotlight and bigger opportunities, Saturday’s fight card feels like one of those events that starts hot, continues burning bright, and surprises a whole lot of people.
Here’s a closer look at the collection of hungry competitors that will make their way into the Octagon this weekend.
Main Event: Marvin Vettori vs. Jared Cannonier
Former middleweight title challengers Marvin Vettori and Jared Cannonier finally cross paths, meeting in the main event with designs on cementing their positions in the pecking order in the 185-pound weight class.
Still just 29 years old, Vettori owns a 9-4-1 record inside the Octagon, most recently halting the strong run of Roman Dolidze at UFC 286. A bully inside the cage that showed important additions to his game last time out, Vettori has been a fixture in the Top 10 for the last several years, while still possessing room to grow as he moves into his 30s.
After challenging for the middleweight title last July, Cannonier bounced back with a split decision win over Sean Strickland in the final UFC bout of 2022. Like Vettori, he’s been a staple in the rankings since rolling into the division with a second-round stoppage win over David Branch and shows no signs of falling back any time soon.
Each man bounced back from championship defeats to Israel Adesanya in their most recent outings and want to do everything in their power to remain within arm’s reach of another opportunity in the not-too-distant future. Things at the top of the division are unsettled as far as the queue of contenders is concerned, so a strong effort here for either man should go a long way to cementing their place near the head of the pack heading into the back half of the year.
Arman Tsarukyan vs Joaquim Silva
Arman Tsarukyan and Joaquim Silva will stand across the Octagon from one another in the lightweight co-main event on Saturday.
It’s fitting that Tsarukyan debuted against Islam Makhachev, as it now feels like he’s filled the role vacated by the current champion as the nightmare matchup within the division that few people are eager to face. He was slated to face Renato Moicano back in April, but the bout was scratched after the Brazilian veteran was forced to withdraw due to an injury, leaving him to this weekend to make his first start of the year.
Silva snapped a two-fight skid last time out, marching into the Octagon and finishing Jesse Ronson in the second round. The powerful Brazilian is 5-3 in the UFC and 12-4 overall, with an opportunity to propel himself to new heights with a victory over Tsarukyan on Saturday.
Some may view this as a “trap fight” for Tsarukyan — a bout that could trip-up the eighth-ranked lightweight if he’s not taking Silva as seriously as he should — but the 26-year-old standout has never struck me as that kind of fighter. Silva is a physical, powerful veteran who will most definitely be marching across the cage, ready for battle as soon as the referee says, “Fight!” which should result in a fun battle for as long as it lasts this weekend.
Armen Petrosyan vs Christian Leroy Duncan
Promising middleweights Armen Petrosyan and Christian Leroy Duncan face off in this main card contest that should propel the victor to greater opportunities in the second half of the year.
Each of Petrosyan’s first three UFC appearances have come against fellow Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) alums, with the Armenian striker alternating results in bouts with Gregory Rodrigues, Caio Borralho, and AJ Dobson. Now 7-2 in his career following his October victory over Dobson, Petrosyan graduates to facing a fellow hopeful and a more favorable stylistic opponent here.
Duncan won and successfully defended the Cage Warriors middleweight title before getting called up to the UFC, where he maintained his perfect record with a victory over Dusko Todorovic in his debut. That bout was halted less than two minutes in after Todorovic suffered a knee injury, so Saturday’s bout with Petrosyan still carries a little “first look” feel for those that weren’t paying close attention to “CLD” as he was working his way to this level.
This is two emerging fighters meeting to determine which one takes another step forward and which one has to hold steady for the time being, and how it all shakes out should provide a great deal of insights into where each man stands at the moment, as well as a better indication of where their respective ceilings may rest.
Pat Sabatini vs Lucas Almeida
Featherweights looking to stake a claim to a slice of land in the “Second 15” in the 145-pound ranks meet here, as Pat Sabatini returns to take on Lucas Almeida.
The former CFFC champ Sabatini won each of his first four appearances inside the Octagon, grinding out a trio of decision victories with a first-round heel hook submission mixed in for good measure. He ran into a highly motivated, highly focused Damon Jackson last time out and was stopped in just over a minute, but looks to return to his previous form here.
Almeida competed on Season 5 of Dana White’s Contender Series, dropping a decision to Daniel Zellhuber, but a quick return to the win column under the Jungle Fight banner prompted a call to the Octagon, and resulted in a third-round knockout win over Mike Trizano. Now, after a host of fight cancellations due to opponent injuries and withdrawals, the 32-year-old Brazilian finally makes the walk for the second time on Saturday.
Stylistically, things could get interesting here, as Sabatini is a grappler first, while Almeida has never turned down the opportunity to plant his feet and sling hands. Which man is able to dictate the terms of engagement should control this contest, but sorting out who that is should be a fun and entertaining process.
Manuel Torres vs Nikolas Motta
Allow me to introduce you to the principals in this week’s “Low Key Banger of the Week,” Manuel Torres and Nikolas Motta.
Torres punched his ticket to the UFC with a first-round stoppage win over Kolton Englund on the fifth season of Dana White’s Contender Series, and then followed it up with a similar result against Frank Camacho in his promotional debut last May. Currently riding a four-fight winning streak, the 28-year-old Mexican lightweight is 13-2 overall and has a serious affinity for finishing fights in the first round.
Like his opponent this weekend, Motta earned his spot on the roster with a DWCS win, defeating Joseph Lowry towards the end of Season 4. It took a bit before he made his debut, and when it finally came around, Motta was knocked out by Jim Miller, but he’s since rebounded with a first-round stoppage win of his own to push his record to 13-4 overall heading into this weekend's clash with Torres.
Someone is getting knocked out here, and most likely before the first-round ends. These guys are too aggressive, too ferocious when it comes to their shared approaches for this to be anything but a duel where they keep slinging hammers until one man is no longer standing, and I am absolutely here for it…and you should be too.
Nicolas Dalby vs Muslim Salikhov
Old heads in the welterweight division, Nicolas Dalby and Muslim Salikhov face off in the opening bout of the main card, bringing a combined 50 MMA appearances and a wealth of combat sports experience with them into the Octagon on Saturday.
Denmark’s Dalby has been his consistent, steady self since returning to the UFC when the promotion debuted in his home country in September 2019, posting a 4-1 record with one no contest. He enters this weekend’s contest having earned back-to-back decision wins over Claudio Silva and Warlley Alves and sports a “significantly better than you remember” 21-4-1 record (with two no contests) record overall.
Much like Dalby, Salikhov has put together a stellar 6-2 record inside the Octagon, which included five straight victories between losing his promotional debut and getting stuck in with “The Leech,” Li Jingliang last summer. He rebounded from that setback with a third-round stoppage win over Andre Fialho and will most assuredly be back out there throwing spinning attacks like a man half his age this weekend.
Each of these men currently reside just outside the Top 15 in the welterweight division, standing as tough veteran tests for emerging names and perfect dance partners for one another here. While it may not carry top-end divisional significance, this is a quality pairing between two proven fighters and a great way to kick off the main card this weekend.
Prelim Fights
Raoni Barcelos vs Miles Johns
Brazilian veteran Raoni Barcelos takes on former LFA champ Miles Johns in this clash of bantamweights looking to move forward in the treacherous 135-pound weight class. After winning his first five UFC appearances, Barcelos has dropped three of his last four, continually stepping in with tough competition. Johns got back into the win column with a unanimous decision victory over Vince Morales and looks to build on his impressive 13-2 record here.
Jimmy Flick vs Alessandro Costa
Jimmy Flick and Alessandro Costa collide in this flyweight matchup, with each man looking to bounce back from stoppage losses last time out. Flick won his debut with a flying triangle choke finish of Cody Durden, then pressed pause on his career for two years, returning in January with a loss to Charles Johnson. Costa appeared on Season 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series before dropping his short-notice debut to Amir Albazi, who recently forced his way into the Top 5 with a win over Kai Kara-France.
Kyung Ho Kang vs Cristian Quiñónez
Bantamweights with very different levels of UFC experience meet here as Kyung Ho Kang takes on Cristian Quiñónez. Now in his 11th year on the roster, Kang carries a 7-3 record with one no contest into the Octagon here, most recently posting a unanimous decision win over Danaa Batgerel at UFC 275 last summer in Singapore. Quinonez makes his second appearance under the UFC banner this weekend, entering on a five-fight winning streak that includes a first-round knockout win over Khalid Taha in his promotional debut.
Carlos Hernandez vs Denys Bondar
Carlos Hernandez faces off with Denys Bondar in this meeting of bantamweights looking to get things moving in the right direction again. Hernandez landed on the happy side of split decision verdicts in his Contender Series appearance and UFC debut against Victor Altamirano, but was submitted by Allan Nascimento in January, halting his eight-fight winning streak. After waiting well over a year to finally make his promotional debut, Bondar’s first appearance lasted just 81 seconds before he suffered an arm injury against Malcolm Gordon last February.
Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs Felipe Bunes
The first of three flyweight bouts on the prelims features veteran Zhalgas Zhumagulov welcoming newcomer Felipe Bunes to the Octagon for the first time. Zhumagulov is significantly better than his 1-5 record in the UFC suggests, and looks to snap a three-fight skid after having a fight with Rafael Estevam scuttled by weight management issues on his opponent’s end in April. The 33-year-old Bunes claimed the vacant LFA flyweight title last time out with a first-round stoppage win over Yuma Horiuchi, extending his record to 13-6 overall in the process.
Tereza Bleda vs Gabriella Fernandes
Flyweight sophomores collide here, as Tereza Bleda and Gabriella Fernandes make the walk for the second time in order to face one another. Bleda earned a win last season on Dana White’s Contender Series but faded hard before being finished in her promotional debut against Natalia Silva last November. Fernandes made the walk for the first time in February, dropping a unanimous decision to Jasmine Jasudavicius, snapping a seven-fight winning streak in the process.
Dan Argueta vs Ronnie Lawrence
The first of three bantamweight bouts on Saturday’s card features Dan Argueta and Ronnie Lawrence. A contestant on Season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter, Argueta debuted up a division with a loss to Damon Jackson but rebounded in his return to the 135-pound ranks with a unanimous decision win over Nick Aguirre. Lawrence showed out in his Dana White’s Contender Series win in 2020 and won each of his first two appearances inside the Octagon, but faltered last time out, and looks to bounce back here.
Zac Pauga vs Modestas Bukauskas
Light heavyweights open the show this weekend, with Zac Pauga and Modestas Bukauskas facing off in a battle of athletes looking to build off victories in their most recent appearances. Pauga, who entered the UFC as a heavyweight following run to the finals on Season 30 of The Ultimate Fighter, returned to light heavyweight and collected a unanimous decision win over Jordan Wright in February. Back for a second tour of duty, Bukauskas earned a dominant decision win over Tyson Pedro at UFC 284, giving him three wins in four months since returning to action from a knee injury.
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