*Merab Dvalishvili fires punches at Umar Nurmagomedov after denying a takedown. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

The UFC heads to the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, with an outstanding pay-per-view card. The entire card has been loaded with excellent matchups and exciting fighters all looking for a landmark win. In the co-main event, we’ll finally receive the long-awaited matchup of women’s Bantamweight champion Julianna Peña and surging contender Kayla Harrison. In the main event, two of the best fighters the 135-pound division has to offer rematch for gold when Merab Dvalishvili looks to defend his title against Sean O’Malley. First, we’ll take a look at two outstanding preliminary matchups, then break down the main card.

Prelims

#12 Azamat Murzakanov vs. Brendson Ribeiro

*Azamat Murzakanov blasts Alonzo Menifield with a left hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Light Heavyweight Bout

Azamat Murzakanov: 14-0-0, 10 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Brendson Ribeiro: 17-7-0, 9 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Murzakanov is undefeated and has UFC victories over #15 ranked Light Heavyweight Alonzo Menifield (16-5-1), Devin Clark (14-9-0), and Dustin Jacoby (21-9-1). He’s a powerful, elusive striker who’s always pursuing a knockout. He’s highly explosive, favoring power to volume and constantly looking to land shots up the middle, especially uppercuts and knees. He has excellent footwork and distance management, regularly blitzing into the pocket to land power shots before quickly returning to range unscathed. Training at K Dojo, he does a great job varying his shots, constantly attacking from different angles while changing his targets between the head and body. He’s most comfortable on his feet but is willing to grapple, possessing solid wrestling and clinch control. Murzakanov has secured eight of his eleven finishes in the first round and is at his most dangerous early on.

*Brendson Ribeiro stuns Caio Machado with a lunging right hand. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Ribeiro has won three of his last five fights, with UFC victories coming over Caio Machado (8-4-1) and Diyar Nurgozhay (10-1-0). He’s a wild scrapper with solid power and dangerous submissions. He throws everything with knockout intentions, fighting behind his jab before unloading long, looping hooks. Ribeiro has heavy kicks and throws them constantly, regularly mixing leg kicks into combinations. Training at Brazilian TKO, he is an explosive grappler and can land powerful takedowns even when on the back foot. He can survive in deep waters on his back, has solid scrambles and reversals, and has heavy pressure in top position. He stays patient on top, not putting himself in bad spots while looking to land ground and pound. Ribeiro has secured four of his seven submission victories via guillotine and will regularly pursue chokes if the fight hits the mat.

#12 Bruno Silva vs. #14 Joshua Van

*Bruno Silva lands a brutal front kick to the face of Tyson Nam. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Flyweight Bout

Bruno Silva: 14-6-2, 6 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Joshua Van: 13-2-0, 6 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Silva has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Cody Durden (17-7-1), Tyson Nam (21-14-1), and JP Buys (9-6-0). He’s a well-rounded, explosive fighter who’s dangerous anywhere, anytime. He’s in perpetual motion, regularly firing kicks from range before dipping his head and crashing into the pocket to unload hooks and overhands. Silva varies his attacks well and throws everything with impressive speed and power. He has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has landed, on average, nearly two takedowns per fifteen minutes in the UFC. Training at Fight Ready, he’s dangerous on the mat, possessing excellent submission defense, scrambles, and chokes. He’s earned Performance of the Night bonuses in all his last four wins and always leaves everything inside the cage.

*Joshua Van clips Zhalgas Zhumagulov with a powerful left hook. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Van has won four of his last five outings, holding UFC victories over Rei Tsuruya (10-1-0), Kevin Borjas (10-3-0), and Cody Durden (17-7-1). He’s a dangerous striker who’s constantly coming forward to let his hands go. He fights behind his jab and favors volume to power, throwing everything in combination without loading up or telegraphing. Van has outstanding head movement and distance management, regularly looking to slip punches and return fire. Training at 4oz Fight Club, he does an exceptional job varying his shots, entering the pocket at different angles and constantly attacking his opponent’s body and legs. He’s willing to grapple, possessing solid takedown defense and landing, on average, over one takedown per fifteen minutes. Van has the highest significant strikes landed per minute in UFC history, with 8.10, and has outlanded his opponent in all his UFC victories.

Main Card

#14 Vicente Luque vs. Kevin Holland

*Vicente Luque secures a D’arce choke on Michael Chiesa. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Welterweight Bout

Vicente Luque: 23-10-1, 11 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Kevin Holland: 27-13-0, 13 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Luque has won two of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #1 ranked Welterweight Belal Muhammad (24-4-0), Themba Gorimbo (14-5-0), and Randy Brown (20-6-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper with educated hands and lethal chokes. He fights behind his jab and throws everything with purpose, never telegraphing shots or wasting energy. Training at Kill Cliff FC, Luque has excellent low kicks and regularly adds them to the end of punch combinations. He has solid technical and counterstriking abilities but loves to brawl and is always willing to eat a shot to land one. He holds black belts in BJJ and Luta Livre and can find chokes with impressive speed when the fight hits the mat. Luque won’t typically pursue many takedowns, often finding chokes defensively or scoring knockdowns to reach top position.

*Kevin Holland fires brutal ground and pound shots at Gunnar Nelson. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Holland has won two of his last five bouts and has wins over #7 ranked Welterweight Joaquin Buckley (21-6-0), #9 ranked Middleweight Anthony Hernandez (14-2-0), and Michael Chiesa (20-7-0). A wild scrapper who’s comfortable anywhere the fight goes, he’s always dangerous and constantly pursuing a finish. He’s an aggressive striker, throwing everything in combination with knockout intentions, and is always willing to brawl. Holland does a great job of moving in and out of range without taking damage, but is willing to brawl and will hang in the pocket to exchange blows. Training at Travis Lutter BJJ, he tends to throw kicks at range, using his legs to set up his hands, often throwing kicks naked or at the start of a combination. He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has a slick submission game, possessing particularly lethal chokes. Holland is one of the most active fighters in MMA, having fought 25 times in the UFC since 2018, and has earned nine post-fight bonuses in his promotional tenure.

#10 Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix

*Mario Bautista pursues a takedown on José Aldo. Credit: Ag. Fight.*

Bantamweight Bout

Mario Bautista: 15-2-0, 3 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Patchy Mix: 20-1-0, 2 KO/TKO, 13 Sub.

Bautista is on a seven-fight win streak and has UFC victories over José Aldo (32-10-0), Miles Johns (15-3-0), and Da’Mon Blackshear (17-7-1). He’s incredibly quick and dangerous on his feet, regularly moving in and out of the pocket to land shots without taking damage. He throws everything with power, keeps his punches tight and technical, and attacks the head and body evenly. Training at the MMA Lab, Bautista always comes forward, throwing combinations and typically a steady flow of low kicks. He’s averaging nearly two takedowns landed per 15 minutes and has landed at least one takedown in five of his last seven fights. He’s as quick on the ground as on the feet, transitioning and passing efficiently and effectively. Bautista has heavy top pressure and will find submissions in the blink of an eye, possessing three first-round submission victories in the UFC.

*Patchy Mix lock in a rear naked choke on Ricky Bandejas. Credit: Bellator MMA.*

Mix is on a seven-fight win streak and is making his UFC debut. A former Bellator Bantamweight champion, he’s a well-rounded scrapper with lethal submissions. He fights behind a sharp jab, constantly pumping it out while holding the center of the cage and forcing his opponent to the outside. Mix has solid power in his hands and great kicks, regularly darting in and out of the pocket to land quick shots. He is an outstanding wrestler capable of impressive slams and will shoot early on, but is comfortable fighting on his feet and won’t force the fight to the mat. Training at Xtreme Couture, he has very heavy top pressure and is active on the ground, constantly looking to improve his position. Mix will regularly pursue submissions, particularly chokes, continually looking to take his opponent’s back or catch them in a guillotine.

Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer

*Kelvin Gastelum cracks Daniel Rodriguez with a powerful left hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Middleweight Bout

Kelvin Gastelum: 20-9-0, 6 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Joe Pyfer: 13-3-0, 9 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Gastelum has won two of his last five outings and has victories over Daniel Rodriguez (19-5-0), Chris Curtis (31-12-0), and Jacaré Souza (26-10-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter who’s highly durable and comfortable wherever the fight goes. He’s constantly moving and feinting on the feet, never staying in one spot or keeping his head on the centerline for long. Gastelum is willing to eat a shot to land one and has solid power, throwing every shot in combination and with purpose. Training at Fight Ready, he’s averaging just over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes and has a black belt in BJJ. He has heavy ground and pound and dangerous chokes, with three of his four submissions coming via rear naked choke. Gastelum has earned eight bonuses in his over ten-year promotional tenure and is never in a boring fight, win or lose.

*Joe Pyfer lands a vicious right hand on Gerald Meerschaert. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Pyfer has won four of his last five fights and holds UFC victories over Marc-André Barriault (17-9-0), Abdul Razak Alhassan (12-7-0), and Gerald Meerschaert (37-19-0). He is an explosive striker with one-punch knockout power who constantly pursues a finish. He has solid, technical hands, always keeping his guard high, his shots tight, and never telegraphing. Training at Marquez MMA, Pyfer has excellent head movement and footwork, always keeping his head off the centerline, and can land damage going forward or backward. He has a solid grappling game with great takedowns, smothering top control, and submission ability to back up his brutal ground and pound. He does his best work on the inside with his hands but will throw heavy kicks at range, particularly to the legs. Pyfer has seven first-round finishes and has only gone to two decisions in his career, rarely going past the second round.

(C) Julianna Peña vs. #2 Kayla Harrison

*Julianna Peña tags Raquel Pennington with a lunging right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Women’s Bantamweight Title Bout

Julianna Peña: 13-5-0, 3 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Kayla Harrison: 18-1-0, 6 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Peña has won three of her last five bouts and has UFC victories over #1 ranked Bantamweight Raquel Pennington (16-10-0), Amanda Nunes (23-5-0), and Cat Zingano (14-5-0). The winner of the 18th season of the Ultimate Fighter, she’s a high-pace brawler with a dangerous submission game. She’s constantly pressing forward, throwing everything with power and in combination. Peña fights behind her jab, continually pumping it out before throwing heavy straights and looping hooks. She’s landing, on average, nearly two takedowns per fifteen minutes and advances position very quickly on the mat. She’s also proven defensively sound, remaining dangerous even on her back, and can survive in deep waters. Peña heats up as the fight continues, with the majority of her UFC finishes coming after round one.

*Kayla Harrison unloads brutal ground and pound shots onto Holly Holm. Credit: Fight Sports.*

Harrison has won four of her last five outings and has UFC victories over #3 ranked Bantamweight Ketlen Vieira (15-4-0) and Holly Holm (15-7-0). She is a former two-time Olympic gold medalist Judoka and a two-time PFL Women’s Lightweight champion. She is exceptionally powerful and explosive, especially in the clinch, where she’ll regularly look to use her excellent trips and throws to bring the fight to the mat. She has heavy, smothering top pressure and is always working to advance position or posture up. Training at American Top Team, Harrison will constantly posture up and unload ground and pound onto her opponent, either to land damage or create submission openings. She stays patient and composed on her feet, throwing everything tight and straight, often closing distance and striking in the clinch before mixing in her grappling. Nine of Harrison’s thirteen finishes have come in round one, and she pushes a heavy pace from the opening bell.

(C) Merab Dvalishvili vs. #1 Sean O’Malley

*Merab Dvalishvili fires ground and pound strikes at Sean O’Malley. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Bantamweight Title Bout

Merab Dvalishvili: 19-4-0, 3 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Sean O’Malley: 18-2-0, 12 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Dvalishvili is on a twelve-fight win streak and has UFC victories over #2 ranked Bantamweight Petr Yan (18-5-0), #3 ranked Bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov (18-1-0), and his current opponent, Sean O’Malley. He has monstrous cardio, relentlessly pursuing takedowns and landing big flurries on the feet. He’s incredibly durable, always willing to eat a shot to land one, and is constantly pressuring forward. Dvalishvili can easily wrestle for five rounds, averaging nearly six takedowns landed per fifteen minutes in the UFC. Training with the Serra-Longo Fight Team, his constant wrestling threat helps to mask his striking, often coming forward to land powerful hooks and big combinations. He never stops moving on his feet or the ground, constantly looking for a better position or opening to land a shot. Dvalishvili has outlanded all of his UFC opponents, averaging over 94 significant strikes landed in his last five fights.

*Sean O’Malley stuns Marlon Vera with a cracking right straight. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

O’Malley has won three of his last five outings with one no-contest and has UFC victories over #2 ranked Bantamweight Petr Yan (18-5-0), #7 ranked Bantamweight Marlon Vera (23-10-1), and #9 ranked Featherweight Aljamain Sterling (24-5-0). He’s a wild, flashy striker, throwing out a variety of spinning and flying kicks seemingly at will. Averaging over seven significant strikes landed per minute, he’s always pursuing a finish, holding knockout wins in nearly half of his bouts in the promotion. Training at MMA Lab, O’Malley rarely engages in grappling exchanges, preferring to stay at range and pick his opponent apart with long punches and kicks. Beyond his arsenal of flashy attacks, his most dangerous weapons are his straight punches, often adding them at the end of combinations and regularly resulting in knockdowns or knockouts. O’Malley carries his power throughout the fight and can produce a finish anytime.

Best Bets

Luque vs. Holland to Not Go the Distance: An excellent matchup of two dangerous finishers, I’m looking forward to this one. Both are veterans of the sport and have plenty of impressive victories, combining for a total of 74 fights with 42 finish wins. Although they’re both well-rounded fighters, they have very different styles: Luque is a brawler, doing most of his damage with his hands, along with his excellent grappling and submissions. Holland also loves to brawl, but is a more lengthy, measured striker, battering his opponents from range and possessing his own arsenal of submissions. Both fighters are always in pursuit of a finish and will regularly throw caution to the wind, seeing just six decisions in their last 20 combined fights. It’s tough to predict where this fight will play out or where the finish will come from; both men are comfortable anywhere the fight goes. Regardless, with the finishing prowess of these two, I don’t expect the judges to be involved.

Patchy Mix Moneyline: This is a matchup of two highly skilled, well-rounded scrappers I’ve been looking forward to. Mix, the former Bellator Bantamweight champion, is making his UFC debut riding an impressive win streak, ready to show UFC fans his skills. Bautista, also on a seven-fight win streak, has steadily risen in the Bantamweight division and is looking for a landmark win. Although Bautista is coming off a highly controversial victory over former champion José Aldo, Mix is likely the highest level of competition Bautista has faced in his professional career. Essentially facing other prospects for most of his UFC tenure, Aldo was his first top 15 opponent, and it’s safe to say Bautista did not impress en route to a slow, clinch-heavy victory. Alternatively, Mix has been facing championship-caliber opponents for some time now, fighting for gold in his final three appearances in Bellator, with his first title shot coming in 2020. Mix is the taller and longer fighter in this matchup, and with his outstanding arsenal of chokes, particularly guillotines, Bautista will be in trouble if he’s looking to pursue constant takedowns and clinches. I expect Mix to control the center of the octagon, keeping Bautista at the end of his shots and on the back foot. I anticipate Mix denying multiple takedowns while wearing down and piecing Bautista up, ultimately securing a victory in his debut and getting vengeance for José Aldo fans across the globe.

Merab Dvalishvili by Decision: Although exciting, this is definitely an unprecedented rematch. Their first fight wasn’t what most would describe as close: Dvalishvili landed six takedowns, had over ten minutes of control time, and landed over four times as many total strikes as O’Malley. O’Malley also has not had a fight since their first appearance, and unless he’s transformed into a world champion wrestler in the past year, I can’t imagine his style has changed much. Still, rematches tend to be much more competitive than their first meeting now that the fighters are familiar with each other's skills, and I would expect that to be true in this matchup. With that being said, Dvalishvili pushes a pace that we’re yet to see another fighter match, shooting endless takedowns and always coming forward. O’Malley had visibly slowed by the end of their first fight, getting overwhelmed and burnt out by the offensive onslaught of Dvalishvili. I expect more of the same in this matchup, with Dvalishvili keeping a high pace, forcing O’Malley to the outside while landing multiple takedowns, battering him on the ground, and wearing him down for five rounds. Ultimately, while I believe this will be closer than their first fight, I expect Dvalishvili to secure another decision win.

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