UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5: Meregali vs. Pena is an upcoming grappling event scheduled for December 10, 2023 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States.
Fight Card
Main Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Nicholas Meregali vs. Felipe Pena
Nicky Rodriguez vs. Yuri Simoes
Mason Fowler vs. Haisam Rida
Nicky Ryan vs. Jonnatas Gracie
Dan Manasoiu vs. Victor Hugo
Luiza Monteiro vs. Elisabeth Clay
Vagner Rocha vs. Victor Silveiro
Christian Guzman vs. Aaron Wilson
Hannah Goldy vs. Amanda Mazza
Achilles Rocha vs. Andy Varela
Background
UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5 is scheduled for December 10th, 2023 and we’ve put together a full preview of every superfight in the lineup. Although the main event was originally supposed to feature Gordon Ryan, some last-minute changes have been made to the fight card and he will no longer be competing. This was made necessary because Ryan suffered a rib injury in training, so he had to be replaced and the running order was shuffled around as well. Regardless, the event is still going to be a exciting night of grappling matches between some of the best competitors on the planet.
With Haisam Rida stepping to replace Gordon Ryan against Mason Fowler, this match has been moved a little earlier in the running order and will no longer be the main event. Instead, the main event will feature a grudge match between Nicholas Meregali and Felipe Pena, while Nicky Rodriguez and Yuri Simoes battle it out in the co-main event. We’ve broken down the most likely outcomes in each of these matches, along with all the other exciting superfights scheduled for UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5.
Nicholas Meregali vs Felipe Pena
Nicholas Meregali and Felipe Pena have actually met on the mats once before, but that was slightly different as it was contested in the gi. Meregali submitted Pena with an arm-in ezekiel choke back in 2018, but he only recently started doing no gi competition a little over a year ago. They had markedly different fortunes at ADCC 2022, as Meregali reached the podium both at under 99kg and in the absolute division. Pena was knocked out of both his weight and the absolute to leave without any silverware, and he’s been less active than Meregali since then too. This match will be a clear indication of how far Meregali has come since transitioning to no gi, and he should be able to get the win here.
Nicky Rodriguez vs Yuri Simoes
Nicky Rodriguez and Yuri Simoes are also ADCC veterans and both of them have a fantastic understanding of any ruleset they compete under. This will be a very tactical battle and neither man will be willing to concede anything at any point during the match, so it’s unlikely that either one of them gets the finish. Simoes won gold in the absolute division at ADCC 2022, where he actually beat Rodriguez in the second round and got revenge for an earlier loss against him. It’s tough to predict who will win their trilogy match here but Rodriguez should be able to use his wrestling advantage to earn a close decision.
Mason Fowler vs Haisam Rida
Neither man has been able to properly prepare for the other one here, as Mason Fowler was supposed to be competing against Gordon Ryan until a little over a week ago. He has at least been preparing for a match, as Haisam Rida will be coming into the match without much of a proper training camp at all. Rida will likely have a bit of weight advantage and is incredibly explosive, but Fowler is no stranger to overcoming larger opponents. He might have to weather an early storm of offense, but Fowler is very well-rounded and should be able to come away with the win.
Nicky Ryan vs Jonnatas Gracie
Nicky Ryan is one of the most unpredictable grapplers on the planet, and nobody knows what version of him we’ll see until the match is underway. He is an incredibly talented grappler with a career that has been plagued by injuries, but he’s been much more active lately. Jonnatas Gracie is just as talented but he’s been far more consistent on the mats and has beaten some of the best competitors around. This is definitely the hardest match to predict in this preview of UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5 but if Ryan shows up in the same form he has enjoyed lately, he should beat Gracie.
Dan Manasoiu vs Victor Hugo
This match is one of the most interesting of the whole event and it’s sure to provide some excitement when these two meet on the mats. If this was taking place over a year ago, it would have made sense to back Victor Hugo to win and he did just that at ADCC 2022. A lot has changed for Dan Manasoiu since then and his development has been truly remarkable in several different areas. He’s now able to use his physical advantages to great effect and is a massive threat from any top position, which should cause problems here. Hugo is notoriously hard to submit, but Manasoiu should get the decision win regardless.
Luiza Monteiro vs Elisabeth Clay
This is the most high-profile women’s match in this preview of UFC Fight Pass Invitational 5 and it’s very likely to end in a submission as well. Both women are fantastic competitors at the very top of the game, but Elisabeth Clay in particular has an incredibly high finishing rate. She’s known for having a wide variety of finishes but specialises in leglocks and in fact, she submitted Luiza Monteiro with a heel hook back in one of her first matches as a black belt. Monteiro has years more experience than Clay and is in good form after winning The Crown just a few weeks ago, but Clay should have the upper hand in no gi so we’re picking her to get the submission win.
Vagner Rocha vs Victor Silveiro
Vagner Rocha might be leaving his athletic prime but he’s still been able to get some huge wins in the last year or so. He’s stood on the podium at ADCC three times during his career, most recently taking a bronze medal at ADCC 2022. Rocha is difficult to submit and Silveiro isn’t known for finishing many of his matches, so Rocha is the only one likely to get the submission win. If it does go to decision then it might be a little closer, but the truth is that Rocha simply has more paths to victory and will probably find a way to win.
Christian Guzman vs Aaron Wilson
Christian Guzman is a solid grappler and doesn’t have any glaring holes in his game, but Aaron Wilson has shared the mats with some elite competitors over the years. Wilson has competed in the Combat Jiu-Jitsu World Championship and several other major events, without ever looking out of place. Guzman will undoubtedly put on a show and might cause Wilson some trouble, but Wilson really should win this match.
Hannah Goldy vs Amanda Mazza
Hannah Goldy is a UFC veteran and although she didn’t have a particularly lengthy career for the promotion, she is still a solid grappler with a ton of competitive experience. Goldy is up against Amanda Mazza, a BJJ purple belt who’s been able to put on some great performances against competitors around her level lately. It’s an interesting matchup because Goldy is a veteran but Mazza is the grappling specialist. It’s going to be a tough match for both women, but Mazza should be able to drag Goldy into unfamiliar waters and get the win.
Achilles Rocha vs Andy Varela
Achilles Rocha is Vagner’s son, and he’s been an exciting prospect for quite some time now. He has a really tough challenge ahead of him though, as Andy Varela is an ADCC veteran and one of the best 10th Planet competitors around. Both of these men are known for fast-paced styles and this is a fantastic match to open the card, but Varela does have a significant edge in experience over Rocha. That should be enough to see him through to victory, but Rocha might be able to catch him in transition and cause the upset.