The UFC is kicking a busy off a busy August with a sizable event in Abu Dhabi. It's the 19th time they've visited UAE, and this is a very good card for a televised slate. The main event is a ranked Bantamweight showdown between former interim title challenger Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov, with a potential title shot on the line. The co-main event was supposed to be Nick Diaz vs. Vicente Luque, but that fight being cancelled is probably good for everyone. The rest of the main card is very good, highlighted by a huge Bantamweight scrap between former title challenger Marlon Vera and former two-time Flyweight kingpin Deiveson Figueiredo. There's also a terrific main card opener between Joel Alvarez and Elvis Brener, and an important Women's Strawweight bout between Mackenzie Dern and Loopy Godinez. Oh, and there's also a matchup between former interim Lightweight champion Tony Ferguson and former Ultimate Fighter winner Michael Chiesa, in a fight where something has to give.
The prelims are a mostly good slate, the start time is nice and the fact that the whole card is televised is pretty awesome. For those who will be busy working during the show, the show will be very accessible since it can be watched and recorded on ABC. All in all, there's very little to dislike about this card. Let's hope it delivers at the level that it has potential to.
Preliminary Card (Noon/11am CT, ESPN2 and ESPN+)
Denis Tiuliulin (11-9) vs. Sedriques Dumas (9-2)
Tiuliulin has been finished in four of his five UFC fights. Dumas is 2-2 in the UFC and has been finished in both of his losses, while going the distance for both of his UFC wins. Something has to give in this fight, and I'll have to go with Dumas to get the job done. Either way, the loser should be gone for sure. Prediction: Dumas via tko, round 3.
Rolando Bedoya (14-3) vs. Jai Herbert (12-5-1)
It's been a tough road for Jai Herbert since joining the UFC. He joined the promotion after successfully defending his Cage Warriors Lightweight title, and promptly got pitted against Francisco Trinaldo and Renato Moicano. After rebounding against Khama Worthy, fed him to eventual Featherweight champion Ilya Topuria. Herbert is 1-1-1 since then, but hasn't fought in a year and needs a win. Bedoya has two finishes in the last seven years and is 0-2 in the UFC, so he's the perfect rebound candidate for Herbert to face. If Herbert doesn't win this, it'll be a damning look for him inside the octagon. Prediction: Jerbert via tko, round 2.
Victoria Dudakova (8-0) vs. Sam Hughes (7-5)
Dudakova is unbeaten through her eight professional fights, didn't lose any of her amateur bouts and is 2-0 in the UFC. Despite all that, nobody knows if she's any good. All of her wins have aged poorly, her first UFC win came because her opponent got injured and her other UFC win was against Jinh Yu Frey, who is a natural atomweight that struggled in the UFC. Now she faces Sam Hughes, who is in the UFC despite having a 3-5 record inside the octagon.
Hughes has one finish in the last four years, is basically a low-level gatekeeper and is a bare minimum test for Dudakova at this point. If Dudakova can't win this fight, she'll essentially be viewed as a can crusher and/or a fraud. I'll still pick her, but I'm far from confident in doing so. Prediction: Dudakova via decision.
Guram Kutateladze (12-4) vs. Jordan Vucenic (13-2)
This is a must-win fight for Guram. He shocked the world by upsetting Mateusz Gamrot in his UFC debut, but that was back in 2020. He is 0-2 since then, and has had withdrawn from four fights along the way. Now he's facing a short-notice opponent that has slick grappling and has never been finished. I still think he should win this fight, but if he falls short, he could wind up getting a pink slip. Prediction: Kutateladze via decision.
Don'Tale Mayes (11-6, 1 NC) vs. Shamil Gaziev (12-1)
Just over five months ago, Shamil Gaziev was headlining a UFC event. It was way too soon, as he'd only fought once in the octagon beforehand, and he got handled against Jairzinho Rozenstruik in said main event. Now, he's fighting on the prelims in order to get back on track.
Mayes is 4-2 with a no contest in his last seven fights, but his best win is against a shopworn Andrei Arlovski in June of last year. It's cool that he's managed to turn his UFC career around, but I can't see him winning this fight. Prediction: Gaziev via tko, round 2.
Mohammad Yahya (12-4) vs. Kauê Fernandes (8-2)
Next up is a fight between UAE native Mohammad Yahya and Kaue Fernandes. Yahya was a regional champ before going to the UFC, so he was an obvious shoe-in to fight on this card. He lost his UFC debut, and he's gone the distance in four of his last six fights, but the crowd will be firmly on his side. Fernandes also lost his UFC debut via decision, but I trust his resume more than Yahya's. He's a sizable favorite for a reason, and while it'd be cool for Yahya to get a win in front of his home fans, I don't see it happening. Prediction: Fernandes via decision.
(14) Azamat Murzakanov (13-0) vs. (15) Alonzo Menifield (15-4-1)
In the headlining prelim bout, unbeaten Russian prospect Azamat Murzakanov will take on fellow finisher Alonzo Menifield. Murzakanov has finished 10 of his 13 wins, nine via knockout and is 3-0 inside the octagon. He has the higher ranking going into this fight, he has the momentum and yet he's an underdog here.
That's because of the fact that prior to his quick loss to Carlos Ulberg in his last fight, Menifield was 4-0-1 in his previous five UFC fights. There's also the fact that he's got more name value, and that he can hit just has hard as Murzakanov can. If Murzakanov can win this fight, he'll probably get a top 10 opponent for his next fight. However, I can't shake the feeling that Menifield will beat him, so I'll go with the veteran in this one. Prediction: Menifield via tko, round 2.
Elvis Brener (16-4) vs. Joel Alvarez (20-3)
The main card opener should be a wild affair, as Elvis Brener looks to get back on track agaisnt submission specialist Joel Alvarez. It's a fascinating matchup, as Alvarez has 17 submission wins, while Brener has 11 submission wins and has two UFC wins due to strikes. Alvarez has only gone the distance once in his 23-fight career, while Brener has just two decision wins in his career. This fight could go either way, and no result would be too surprising. I'll pick Alvarez to find a way to win, but this one really feels like a coin flip. Prediction: Alvarez via decision or late submission.
(7) Mackenzie Dern (13-5) vs. (10) Loopy Godinez (12-4)
The final women's bout on the card is a crossroads bout, as Mackenzie Dern tries to get back on track against Loopy Godinez. Dern came to the UFC as an extremely hyped Brazilian Jiu Jitsu specialist, and she won six of her first seven fights inside the octagon. However, she's 2-4 since then, hasn't finished a win in over three years, and it's fair to wonder if the division has surpassed her.
Meanwhile, Godinez has won four of her last five fights, and is 6-2 since dropping two of her first three UFC bouts. She's a decision machine, but most of her fights are fairly entertaining and there's no denying her skills.
On paper, this is the closest fight on the card. It's a pick 'em bout, and it feels like it could go either way. Even though Dern is in a rough patch, three of her last four losses were all against former champions or title challengers. She does have wins over Tecia Torres and Angela Hill along the way, so it's not like she's washed up or anything. This is a prove it fight for both her and Godinez, and either one can easily come out on top. My head says to go with Godinez, but my gut disagrees. Prediction: Dern via decision.
Tony Ferguson (25-10) vs. Michael Chiesa (16-7)
Heading into 2020, Tony Ferguson was the UFC interim Lightweight champion, had won 12 fights in a row and was 18-1 dating back to 2009. Then he got destroyed against Justin Gaethje in May 2020, and that's kickstarted a streak of seven straight losses. It's been a brutal time for his fans, and it's clearly time for him to retire. But since he's still fighting, Michael Chiesa might be the best option left for him to face.
Like Ferguson Chiesa is a talented grappler who won the Ultimate Fighter a few years after Ferguson did. He went 11-4 to start his UFC career, but is 0-3 since then, and hasn't won a fight in over three years. He's also got zero finishes due to strikes, so Ferguson is unlikely to take much damage in this fight. In previous years, I'd still pick Ferguson to win this fight. In 2024, against any opponent of note, I can't pick him at all. It makes me feel sad, but there's nothing I can do about it. Prediction: Chiesa via decision.
(4) Marlon Vera (23-9-1) vs. (6) Deiveson Figueiredo (23-3-1)
In the people's main event, former two-time UFC Flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo will take on former Bantamweight title challenger Marlon Vera. This fight could easily headline any ESPN card or serve as a major fight for a PPV card, so it's weird to see it in the featured slot of an ABC card. Still, it's a great fight that could go either way.
Figueiredo is one of the best, most exciting and well-rounded fighters in the lower weight classes of the UFC. He's finished 18 of his 23 wins, nine apiece via knockout and submission, and is 2-0 since moving up to Bantamweight. He beat Rob Font to start his Bantamweight stint, then submitted former champion Cody Garbrandt at UFC 300 to extend his momentum. If he beats Vera, don't be shocked if he gets a title shot or at least a title eliminator as a reward.
Vera is very good, is 15-8 inside the octagon and his last three losses were all to elite opponents. He's a notoriously slow starter, but really ramps things up as fights go on. Against Figueiredo, he can't afford to fall behind by much. If Vera starts slow, Figueiredo will charge at him and take a commanding lead before Vera can rebound. That's only if Vera survives the early goings. Vera has a phenomenal chin, but Figueiredo is a wizard who can end fights in any given matter. Even though Vera has never been finished, Figueiredo has the well-rounded skillset to break Vera's unfinished streak. I don't think Vera will get finished, but I do think he'll start too slow and he'll rebound when it's too late. Prediction: Figueiredo via decision.
Michał Oleksiejczuk (19-8, 1 NC) vs. Sharabutdin Magomedov (13-0)
The original co-main event was supposed to pit longtime fan favorite and former Welterweight title challenger Nick Diaz against Vicente Luque, but that fight got scrapped after Diaz had to bow out due to travel issues. It usually sucks to have notable fights get scrapped, but in this case, it was welcome news for most MMA fans. Unfortunately, the new co-main feels like a prelim bout compared to most of the main card.
Magomedov is an unbeaten prospect with a fairly high finishing rate, but he's also a criminal with a regressive lifestyle and mindset. That won't matter to some fans, but I can never root for him. On the other side is Michal Olekciejczuk, who finished his first two Middleweight bouts, but has been finished in three of four fights since then. It's obvious why this fight is in this spot, and it sucks. Magomedov will likely finish this fight, but I'd love to be wrong. Head pick: Magomedov via quick tko. Heart pick: Magomedov via tko, round 2.
(2) Cory Sandhagen (17-4) vs. (10) Umar Nurmagomedov (17-0)
In the main event, former interim Bantamweight title challenger Cory Sandhagen will take on unbeaten contender Umar Nurmagomedov. It almost feels like a title eliminator, although it isn't quite at that level. Sandhagen is 10-3 in the UFC, his losses are all against former champions and he's won three fights in a row. He's a good grappler, has the power to finish fights with strikes and has only been finished on one occasion.
Nurmagomedov, a cousin of former undefeated UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, is looking to become a champion as well. He is 17-0 as a pro and is 5-0 in the UFC, but some of his fights have left things to be desired. There's no denying he's very good, and it's entirely possible that he might be great. However, he'll need to win this fight in order to be viewed as an elite fighter.
What's crazy is that Nurmagomedov is a fairly solid favorite in this fight. I tend to pick an upset on every card, and it's insane to me that this would be viewed as one. However, the more I think about it, the more I feel like this is Sandhagen's fight to lose. That's not to say that Nurmagomedov can't win this fight, but I think Sandhagen will come away with a fairly clear decision win. Prediction: Sandhagen via decision.
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