It is no exaggeration to say that we are witnessing a key moment for a handful of future UFC title contenders, and possibly champions, on Saturday.
By now, the narrative surrounding the UFC Vegas 57 main event has gone from being a fan pleasure to a must-see showdown of two light killers who can’t be missed. Arman Tsarukyan, still four months away from his 26th birthday, has been in tears since he debuted in the promotion round with a hard-fought decision defeat to likely No. 1 contender Islam Makhachev. On the other hand, Mateusz Gamrot brings a streak of three consecutive victories and the mystique of a two-division KSW champion in the competition.
Neither will be derailed by a defeat (in any case, as the losing fighter’s rebounds will give us an even better view of his future prospects), but the winner will definitely make a leap into the standings, possibly in the top 10 d ‘one of the deepest divisions of MMA. Tsarukyan and Gamrot are currently tied for No. 11 lightweight in the global MMA Fighting rankings.
Defeat Shavkat Rakhmonov is also ready to move up in the standings with a victory. The Kazakh sensation has finished all 15 professional fights, including his first three UFC outings, and tonight he takes it one step further in the competition when he faces perennial welterweight contender Neil Magny. A convincing win over Magny would get him out of the tie for our 13th place and possibly in the top 10, while Magny struggles to maintain his 12th place for the most part.
Oh, that and getting the No. 20 win to overtake Georges St-Pierre with the most 170-pound wins in UFC history.
Do not forget that Umar Nurmagomedov is also fighting. He has a tough test ahead of Nate Maness, who has yet to taste defeat within the octagon, but all indications are that Nurmagomedov lives up to his famous name and, if he can beat Maness, he will become the rooster weight contender. no one wants to face.
In other major card actions, heavyweights Josh Parisian and Alan Baudot find themselves in a fight that looks like it should be happening in UFC Paris (with Jed Meshew), shipping specialist Thiago Moises meets Christos Giagos in a lightweight contest and “The Action.” Home “Chris Curtis appears to be 3-0 in the UFC when he fights Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Rodolfo Vieira in a clash of middleweight styles.
What: UFC Vegas 57
On: UFC APEX in Las Vegas
When: Saturday 25 June. The preliminary six-fight card begins at 19:00 ET on ESPN2 and ESPN +, followed by a six-fight main card at 22:00 on ESPN and ESPN +.
Arman Tsarukyan against Mateusz Gamrot
Whatever happens on Saturday, Arman Tsarukyan and Matesuz Gamrot are, as the cool kids say, as real as it gets.
Looks like we’re getting a fight for the pay-per-view championship a couple of years ago. How else can one describe the privilege of seeing an incredible chip project like Tsarukyan face off against Gamrot, a fighter who has already proven he can win fights for the top tier title? The matchmakers could have put up with this and have waited to see the two men reach their full potential before combining them. I’m glad they didn’t.
Someday, we might see this fight in the same light as the first match between Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn, Jon Jones ’statement against Ryan Bader and Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway facing off at 20 years old. The talent level is so high and it’s not at all hyperbole to suggest that Tsarukyan and / or Gamrot could have UFC gold someday.
First they have to outdo each other and on this day I am in favor of Tsarukyan. Not more. It’s a great size for splitting, a worldwide elimination game, and it’s fast. Gamrot is also not far behind, with scope, more athletics, an aggressive game of submission and power in both hands. As confident as I am when it comes to choosing Tsarukyan, this also seems like a confrontation that neither man would dominate if you did it a hundred times.
So it is Tsarukyan’s speed and relative youth that makes me lean in his direction. I hope the fight lasts the full five rounds and the two competitors have their moments, showing off their offensive brilliance and toughness at the same time. Look for Tsarukyan to spend more time upstairs, more time on the offensive, and more time suffocating Gamrot’s elimination attempts on the road to a convincing decision.
Selection: Tsarukyan
Neil Magny Vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
I’m not sure Neil Magny can drag Shavkat Rakhmonov into deep water.
Presumably, this is where this must go if Magny wants to have the advantage. The veteran welterweight stands out for pushing the pace for five rounds and exposing holes in his opponent’s gas tank, which is a legitimate concern for Rakhmonov. We don’t know how Rakhmonov will act at the end of the match, as he has only passed in the third round once. He could be bouncing like Clay Guida or getting completely trapped in the mud.
On the other hand, Magny is also vulnerable in the early stages of a fight and this is where Rakhmonov stands out. He is 15-0 with 15 finals for some reason. As much as I respect Magny and I think he’s really the right opponent to assess Rakhmonov’s potential, I predict he won’t be able to deviate from this particular drum train.
Rakhmonov will punch him, put him on his back foot soon, and not give him a second to orient himself. Then he will sink his hooks and before Magny realizes it, he will be caught in a suffocation that will end the fight.
Selection: Rakhmonov
Josh Parisian against Alan Baudot
This is a strange option for the main card.
I understand I want to throw a heavyweight fight there for the knockout / chaos potential, but Josh Parisian and Alan Baudot haven’t exactly finished machines in the UFC (i.e. they don’t have finals in six combined appearances in the UFC so far). ). It’s probably more due to who they’ve been in a relationship with, so there’s reason for optimism that they’ll only get it once the bell rings and that becomes The Bout to Knock the Other Guy Out.
If not, we could still be ready for a big, fun man, as they can both be fun to watch when they have room to operate. However, Parisian should consider mixing martial arts here and using his weight advantage to intimidate Baudot. Any prolonged struggle will remove the wind from Baudot’s sales and make it easier to deal with in later rounds.
Hopefully one of these fighters will break recent precedents and return to the final ways that put them on the UFC radar in the first place. Parisian by knockout.
Selection: Parisian
Thiago Moises against Christos Giagos
Thiago Moises ’submission game is so nasty, he just hasn’t had the kind of confrontations that have allowed him to stylize the floor. With respect, Christos Giagos could be that confrontation.
Giagos is a classic fighter with pop in his hands, a formula that can take you very far in this business, but he is often frustrated by Brazilian jiu-jitsu beasts like Moses. In this case, Giagos may want to avoid his usual demolition in favor of expansion and fighting. It’s not that Moses doesn’t feel comfortable throwing up his hands. No one will confuse him with Petr Yan in there, but Moses enjoys a good scrap yard, although sticking to his base will probably serve him better in the long run.
I always want to assume that these fighting guys will realize things and just go back to the business of snatching necks (I’m looking at YOU, Gregory Rodrigues!), So my prediction is that Moses will get on his feet sooner . win a ground battle. Maybe he shoots himself, maybe he takes advantage of an inadvisable overthrow of Giagos, but I would love for Moses to do what he knows best and get a submission victory here.
Choose: Moses
Nate Maness v. Umar Nurmagomedov
Nate Maness enters this fight as one of the biggest underdogs in an untitled fight from recent memory (around +650 according to DraftKings), which is a bit absurd when you realize that Umar Nurmagomedov is making his third appearance in UFC and Maness himself is. 3-0 in the UFC against good competition.
That said, I understand the need to pile up Nurmagomedov’s chariot. In just over five years as a professional, he has proven to be one of the most technically strong fighters in the bantamweight division, perhaps in any division. Don’t let Nurmagomedov’s flashy kicks fool you, he shoots them on purpose and rarely gets unbalanced. In case his opponent believes that he has discovered his moment, Nurmagomedov can always go to his fight, as expected given his background.
One factor to consider in this confrontation is the gap in the blow defense. Nurmagomedov comes in and out expertly and controls the distance with the best of them, while Maness is more of a mentality on the ground. If Maness can force the action and come in to frame Nurmagomedov, he could find an advantage, but that’s great if because that puts you within reach and as we just mentioned, you never want to be in that range with a Nurmagomedov.
In the past, I have warned not to underestimate Nurmagomedov’s more experienced opponents; After tonight, I warn everyone not to underestimate Nurmagomedov’s chances of becoming the best rooster weight in the world.
Selection: Nurmagomedov
Chris Curtis v. Rodolfo Vieira
“The Action Man” doesn’t play.
It is true that Chris Curtis has never faced a fighter of the caliber of Rodolfo Vieira. Since moving to MMA in 2017, the decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion has lived up to the billing, replacing the left and right fools while his gas tank holds up. Simply put, Vieira is as good as any active fighter today if we talk about direct presentation skills.
A strict standing fight would end badly for Vieira, just as a prolonged wrestling competition would do for Curtis, so that result will probably depend on who can lead the fight where he needs it. Here I am in favor of Curtis. He has much more experience when it comes to mixing martial arts, he can …