The UFC makes their first ever apperance in Uruguay! The bout is headlined by a championship rematch between two high level female fighters. There are a number of intriguing fights and matchups, as the UFC enters a new market. Be sure and tune in for the action, and I will have a recap after the event concludes.
Prelims
Women’s Flyweight: Veronica Macedo (5-3-1) vs Polyana Viana (10-3)- Viana Submission
Lightweight: Rodrigo Vargas (10-2) vs Alex da Silva (20-2)- da Silva Split Decision
Bantamweight: Geraldo de Freitas (12-4) vs Chris Gutierrez (13-4)- Gutierrez Split Decision
Flyweight: Rogerio Bontorin (15-1) vs Raulian Paiva (18-2)- Bontorin Submission
Women’s Strawweight: Tecia Torres (10-4) vs Marina Rodriguez (11-0)- Torres Unanimous Decision
Heavyweight: Ciryl Gane (3-0) vs Raphael Pessoa (9-0)- Gane TKO
Welterweight: Gilbert Burns (15-3) vs Alexey Kunchenko (20-0)- Burns Unanimous Decision
Main
Featherweight: Enrique Barzola (15-4-1) vs Bobby Moffett (14-4)- Barzola Split Decision
Barzola is a well rounded fighter with a multitude of tools. He is a solid striker, wrestler, and above average grappler. Bobby Moffett is more of a specialist who tends to rely on his submission game. Barzola will likely want to keep this on the feet, while Moffett would like to make this a ground fight. I am leaning towards Barzola I just feel he is a little better all-around than Moffett.
Middleweight: Rodolfo Vieira (5-0) vs Oskar Piechota (11-1-1)- Vieira Submission
Vieira is one of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practioners in the world. He is a multiple time world champion in Jiu-Jitsu, and has kickstarted his career with a undefeated streak. He will have a ton of pressure going into his UFC debut. The question will be if he can use his grappling at the highest level of competition. Piechota is a balanced Polish fighter who has a solid standup and ground game. He is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Robert Drysdale. Piechota will be looking to boune back after suffering his first career loss. This is another fight where Vieira will be looking to make this a ground fight, while Piechota will look to strike with the Brazilian. I am picking Vieira, I feel he will get the takedown and eventually win by submission. There are levels to grappling, and Vieira is one of the best of all time.
Light Heavyweight: Volkan Oezdemir (15-4) vs Ilir Latifi (14-6)- Latifi Unanimous Decision
Oezdemir is a hard hitting Swiss fighter, who is a on a rough road as of late. Volkan has lost three in a row, and is desperate for a win. Oezdemir is primarily a boxer, who has had issues in the past against wrestlers. Ilir Latifi is also a boxing based striker, who is an elite wrestler from Sweden. Latifi has power in his hands, and has the ability to control where the fight goes. This one is tough to call, but I am going to lean with Latifi for the win tomorrow. I believe he can make this a wrestling match which does not bode well for Oezdemir.
Featherweight: Luiz Garagorri (11-0) vs Humberto Bandenay (14-6)- Bandenay Unanimous Decision
Garagorri enters his UFC debut as an undefeated prospect. Garagorri is well rounded with an ability to strike, but tends to lean on his grappling. The major question mark with Garagorri is the lack of high level competition he has faced. Bandenay is looking to bounce back from back to back losses. The Peruvian product is a massive featherweight standing at 5’11. He fights well on the outside, and has shown a decent striking throughout his UFC career. He can be sneaky with submissions off of his back as well. Bandenay has had real issues with solid wrestlers in the past, and will have to defend takedowns against Garagorri. I am going with Bandenay, I feel his UFC experience will give him an advantage, and his UFC career could be over with another loss.
Welterweight: Vicente Luque (16-6-1) vs Mike Perry (13-4)- Perry TKO
Luque has quietly become a rising contender in the UFC Welterweight division. Luque is a solid muay thai fighter, with knockout power in all of his limbs. He is also above average on the mat, and has several submission wins on his resume. Luque tends to struggle with his striking defense however, and can often be dragged into a brawl. Perry is one of the most intense fighters in the UFC. The Flint, Michigan product is always over the top, and tries to make his fights personal. In the cage, Perry is known for his solid boxing and big time knockout power. He has improved his overall game after joining Greg Jackson’s MMA. He is coming off an upset win over Alex Oliveira, and could find himself in the top 15 with a win Saturday. I’m picking Perry by knockout, I just feel Luque gets into a fire fight too often, and Perry is the wrong guy to mess with in that kind of fight. I see Perry getting a big finish in the co-main event in Uruguay.
Women’s Flyweight: Valentina Shevchenko (17-3) vs Liz Carmouche (13-6)- Shevchenko Submission
Shevchenko is one of the best female fighters of all time. She has high level muay thai, and is coming off a brutal head kick knockout over Jessica Eye. Shevchenko is an underrated wrestler, and has become a above average grappler as well. Shevchenko has incredible striking defense, and almost never puts herself in a bad position. She also has found her perfect weight class at 125. She will be motivated to get back one of her losses on her resumè. Carmouche was truly one of the original fighters who put women’s MMA on the map. She has been competing since 2010, and was the first female ever to enter the UFC octagon. In the cage, Carmouche is a solid boxer who packs a heavy punch that surprises opponents. Liz has also become one of the best female wrestlers who uses that to her advantage. She likes to take the fight to the mat, and use her top pressure and ground strikes to break her opponents. She also holds the rank of black belt in Brazilian-Jiu Jitsu as well. The biggest question is can Carmouche take down Shevchenko, and better yet can she keep her there. She holds a victory over her in the past, and will look to make the matchup a shut out Saturday. I am picking Valentina Shevchenko to successfully defend her title. She is a much better fighter than their previous matchup, and holds advantages in just about every area. If she takes Carmouche seriously, I see Shevchenko finishing this fight early.
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