*Mario Bautista stuns Patchy Mix with a precise left hand. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

The UFC returns to its headquarters at the APEX Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, with an exciting Fight Night card. The entire card has been packed full of excellent matchups, hungry up-and-comers, and established veterans all ready to put on a show this Saturday. In the co-main event, two top-ten Flyweights collide when dominant wrestler Amir Albazi takes on a dynamic scrapper in Kyoji Horiguchi. In the main event, the always-dangerous Mario Bautista will face off with red-hot rising star Vinicius Oliveira. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Dustin Jacoby vs. Julius Walker

*Dustin Jacoby finishes off Vitor Petrino with ground and pound after knocking him out with a straight right hand. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Light Heavyweight Bout

Dustin Jacoby: 21-9-1, 14 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Julius Walker: 7-1-0, 4 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Jacoby has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Vitor Petrino (13-2-0), Michal Oleksiejczuk (21-9-0), and Kennedy Nzechukwu (14-6-1). A former professional kickboxer, he’s an outstanding striker with dangerous hands. He has excellent footwork and head movement, staying off the centerline and remaining elusive throughout. Jacoby fights behind his jab and won’t get sloppy, always staying composed and picking his shots. Training at FactoryX Muay Thai, he has a solid arsenal of kicks but does most of his damage with his hands, often firing a leg or body kick before coming forward and unloading combinations. He has solid cardio and carries his power across all fifteen minutes, remaining dangerous at all times. Jacoby has secured a knockout in more than half of his UFC wins and is always looking for a finish.

*Julius Walker secures a lunging takedown on Rafael Cerqueira. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Walker has won four of his last five bouts, holding a UFC victory over Rafael Cerqueira (11-4-0). He’s a heavy-handed scrapper with great wrestling abilities. He has a solid chin and is willing to exchange inside the pocket, regularly coming forward to unload heavy, wide hooks. However, Walker is most comfortable on the mat and constantly looks to clinch up and pursue takedowns or throws. Training with Team Fusion, he transitions fluidly from position to position and has solid scrambles and reversals, typically ending up in top position. He’s constantly working on the ground, regularly looking to posture and land ground and pound or find an opening for a submission. Walker has earned three of his six finish victories in under two minutes and pushes a heavy pace from the opening bell.

Jean Matsumoto vs. Farid Basharat

*A bloodied Jean Matsumoto fires a kick to the head of Rob Font. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Bantamweight Bout

Jean Matsumoto: 17-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Farid Basharat: 14-0-0, 1 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Matsumoto has won four of his last five outings and holds UFC victories over Brad Katona (16-5-0), Miles Johns (15-5-0), and Dan Argueta (9-3-0). He’s a dangerous, well-rounded fighter with impressive power in his hands and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He throws everything with power and in combination, but won’t get sloppy, always keeping his shots straight and tight. Training at Inside Muay Thai, Matsumoto regularly switches stances on the feet and has excellent kicks, constantly mixing them into punch combinations. He’s averaging over two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes in the UFC and can find submissions with incredible speed, especially chokes. Although he’s a technical striker, he’s willing to throw down in the pocket, regularly standing directly in front of his opponent and unloading hooks and straights. He has excellent cardio and pushes a consistent pace throughout, having already gone five rounds three times in his pre-UFC career.

*Farid Basharat lands a crushing left hook on the chin of Victor Hugo. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Basharat is undefeated, with UFC victories coming over Chris Gutiérrez (22-7-2), Da’Mon Blackshear (17-8-1), and Taylor Lapilus (24-3-0). He’s a versatile fighter with outstanding wrestling skills and precise striking. He’s in perpetual movement on his feet, always feinting and constantly switching stances before coming forward to throw. Basharat is a very measured striker, often throwing a variety of kicks from range before coming forward to fire heavy punch combinations. Training at American Top Team, he has fantastic takedowns, averaging nearly four landed per fifteen minutes and has landed multiple takedowns on all of his UFC opponents. He’s very heavy on top and stays patient, focusing on improving position and controlling his opponent as opposed to getting wild and hunting a finish. Basharat seems to heat up as the fight continues, becoming more comfortable and willing to take risks while increasing the pressure on his opponents.

Michal Oleksiejczuk vs. Marc-André Barriault

*Michael Oleksiejczuk unloads vicious ground and pound onto Sedriques Dumas. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Middleweight Bout

Michal Oleksiejczuk: 21-9-0, 16 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Marc-André Barriault: 17-10-0, 11 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Oleksiejczuk has won two of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Chidi Njokuani (25-11-0), Gerald Meerschaert (37-21-0), and Modestas Bukauskas (19-7-0). He’s a heavy-handed marauder who’s always coming forward and throwing bombs. He won’t spend much time at range, constantly pressuring his opponent and looking to close the distance and fire heavy straights and looping hooks. Oleksiejczuk has solid distance management, doing a great job of cutting off the cage and holding the center, but is always willing to hang in the pocket and exchange. Training with the Fighting Nerds, he very rarely throws kicks, almost exclusively relying on the power in his hands to get the job done. He won’t typically look to grapple but has solid takedown defense and vicious ground and pound if he finds himself in top position. Oleksiejczuk has secured thirteen of his seventeen finish victories in the first round and is especially dangerous early on.

*Marc-André Barriault blasts Dalcha Lungiambula with a thudding right hook. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Barriault has won one of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories coming over Eryk Anders (17-9-0), Bruno Silva (23-13-0), and Jordan Wright (13-5-0). He’s a brawler with one-shot knockout power and excellent cardio. He throws every shot with power and is willing to eat a shot to land one, often marching through punches to land some of his own. Barriault does a great job of mixing kicks into his striking combinations, often landing to the body or legs before letting his hands go. He’s most comfortable in a brawl but can push a heavy pace across fifteen minutes, carrying his power throughout. Training at Kill Cliff FC, he won’t usually pursue takedowns but has solid takedown defense and getups. Barriault has earned two consecutive post-fight bonuses and is always looking to put on a show.

#6 Jailton Almeida vs. Rizvan Kuniev

*Jailton Almeida launches himself into Alexander Volkov to finish a takedown. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Heavyweight Bout

Jailton Almeida: 22-4-0, 8 KO/TKO, 13 Sub.

Rizvan Kuniev: 12-3-1, 6 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Almeida has won three of his last five outings and holds UFC victories coming over #7 ranked Heavyweight Serghei Spivac (17-6-0), #9 ranked Heavyweight Derrick Lewis (29-13-0), and Shamil Abdurakhimov (20-8-0). He’s a powerful, efficient grappler with outstanding wrestling and lethal submissions. He usually won’t waste much time on the feet, shooting in and pursuing powerful takedowns immediately. Almeida is very fluid on the ground and has excellent top control, making it nearly impossible for his opponents to escape. Training at Gãlpao de Luta, he’s finished all but one of his victories and has 11 wins via rear-naked choke, making him extremely dangerous if he gets to his opponent’s back. He has vicious ground and pound, always working for a finish while constantly advancing position and never overcommitting. Almeida has absorbed, on average, about 8 significant strikes per UFC fight and rarely takes much damage.

*Rizvan Kuniev fires a jab at Hugo Cunha. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Kuniev has won three of his last five fights, with one no contest, and is looking to score his first UFC victory. He’s a powerful scrapper who’s constantly looking to land power shots and wear down his opponent. He has decent head movement, staying off the centerline and regularly dipping his head before blitzing into the pocket and throwing heavy shots. Training at Gorets, he does a great job controlling the center of the cage, forcing his opponent to the outside while controlling the pace and distance. He will regularly look to clinch up and control his opponent before pursuing takedowns, often chaining takedown attempts together to bring the fight to the mat. He has heavy top pressure and will constantly look to posture up and land ground and pound. Kuniev has secured most of his knockouts after round one, remaining dangerous at all times.

#6 Amir Albazi vs. #8 Kyoji Horiguchi

*Amir Albazi clips Kai Kara-France with a powerful uppercut. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Flyweight Bout

Amir Albazi: 17-2-0, 5 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Kyoji Horiguchi: 35-5-0, 15 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Albazi has won four of his last five bouts and holds UFC victories over Kai Kara-France (25-12-0), Alessandro Costa (14-5-0), and Malcolm Gordon (14-8-0). He is a well-rounded fighter who’s most comfortable on the mat. He’s a dominant wrestler and has landed a takedown on all of his UFC opponents. Training at Fight Ready, Albazi has excellent takedowns and is very hard to shake off, always staying active and pursuing a finish on top. He’s also dangerous on his back and advances position very quickly on the ground. On the feet, he uses technical boxing, constant forward pressure, and great head movement to damage his opponent. Albazi makes excellent use of feints and doesn’t telegraph his shots, always fighting behind his jab and usually holding the center of the cage.

*Kyoji Horiguchi lands a vicious kick to the head of Tagir Ulanbekov. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Horiguchi has won four of his last five outings, with one no contest, and is making his second UFC appearance after nearly a decade fighting in Rizin and Bellator. He’s a wild fighter with devastating power in his hands and outstanding skills on the mat. He’s a second-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate and throws every shot with knockout intentions, favoring power to volume and adding heavy kicks to the end of combinations. Horiguchi is very explosive and will constantly look to crash into the pocket and unload big hooks and overhands. He has excellent chain wrestling, regularly stringing together multiple takedown attempts to secure a dominant position on the ground. Training at American Top Team, he’s dangerous in top position and has heavy ground and pound, but is just as dangerous off his back, constantly looking to sweep his opponent or grab a submission. Horiguchi has earned belts in Rizin, Bellator, and Shooto, and has faced exclusively high-level competition since leaving the UFC in 2016.

#9 Mario Bautista vs. #11 Vinicus Oliveira

*Mario Bautista blasts Ricky Simón with a crushing left hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Bantamweight Bout

Mario Bautista: 16-3-0, 3 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Vinicus Oliveira: 23-3-0, 16 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Bautista has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over José Aldo (32-10-0), Patchy Mix (19-4-0), and Ricky Simón (22-7-0). He’s a technical, well-rounded fighter with an outstanding gas tank. He throws everything in combination and with impressive speed and power, and regularly mixes shots to the body and legs into his combinations. Training at the MMA Lab, Bautista does a great job varying his angles and entries into the pocket, and is very defensively sound, keeping his head off the centerline and his guard high. He’s averaging over one takedown landed per 15 minutes and is very strong in the clinch, often controlling his opponent along the cage and draining their stamina. He’s as quick on the ground as on the feet, transitioning and passing efficiently and effectively. Bautista can comfortably push a heavy pace across an entire fight, remaining dangerous at all times and never getting wild or sloppy.

*Vinicius Oliveira lands an incredible flying knee directly to the chin of Bernardo Sopaj. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Oliveira is on a six-fight win streak, with UFC victories coming over Ricky Simón (22-6-0), Said Nurmagomedov (18-4-0), and Bernardo Sopaj (12-3-0). He’s a vicious, elusive striker with serious power in his hands and an unpredictable arsenal of attacks. He utilizes a very unorthodox stance and movement style, keeping his hands down and relying on his head movement and footwork to avoid damage. Oliveira typically remains at range, keeping his head off the centerline before entering the pocket to unload wild, looping hooks. He never telegraphs his next move, sometimes picking his shots and staying at range, and other times extending long punch combinations punctuated with heavy kicks. Training with Sombra Team MMA, he won’t typically initiate grappling exchanges but has shown outstanding takedown defense in the UFC and will not accept a position on his back. Thirteen of his sixteen knockouts have come in the first round, and he’s most dangerous early on, carrying his power throughout but often reducing his pace and footwork as the fight continues.

Best Bets

Farid Basharat by Decision: This is an outstanding matchup of two highly-touted Bantamweight prospects. While both fighters are dangerous and possess well-rounded skill sets, I believe Basharat is ultimately the more put-together fighter. Matsumoto is a solid grappler but has struggled to defend takedowns in the UFC and has been taken down, on average, more than four times per fight during his promotional tenure. Basharat has recorded multiple takedowns in all of his UFC fights, and I believe he can control Matsumoto on the ground and prevent him from using his dangerous striking. I also think Basharat is the more technical striker of the two, and won’t allow Matsumoto to make the fight into a brawl, where he typically has his most success. I anticipate Basharat fighting a very careful, measured fight, picking his shots on the feet, landing quick combinations and heavy kicks, darting in and out of the pocket, and remaining defensively sound throughout. As the fight continues, I expect Matsumoto’s pace to wane, with Basharat starting to land takedowns and wear down Matsumoto on the mat, ultimately earning an impressive decision victory over an equally hyped prospect.

Kyoji Horiguchi by Decision: This is an interesting matchup of two very dangerous Flyweights. Although these fighters have very different styles and backgrounds, both are dangerous anywhere and always leave it all inside the cage. Horiguchi looked fantastic in his recent bout against Tagir Ulanbekov, and I believe he will continue on his current four-fight win streak. Albazi, although a fantastic grappler, struggled against the boxing of Brandon Moreno, and is now facing a harder-hitting, highly-experienced scrapper who’s willing to go toe-to-toe with anybody. I expect Horiguchi to come out guns blazing, putting Albazi on his back foot and controlling the center of the octagon, not allowing Albazi to shoot takedowns and forcing him to engage in the striking. If the fight hits the mat, I believe Horiguchi has the skills to either get back to his feet or even control Albazi from top position. Ultimately, I expected Horiguchi to win the majority of the striking exchanges, keeping the fight standing and mixing in some entertaining grappling en route to another impressive victory.

Bautista vs. Oliveira to Not Go the Distance: A fascinating matchup of two very different fighters, I’ve been looking forward to this one. These two scrappers have nearly opposite styles: Bautista is highly technical, while Oliveira is very flashy and wild. It’s tough to predict exactly how or where this fight will play out, but it’s a massive opportunity for both of these fighters to move themselves up the rankings in a very tough division, and I believe both will be in pursuit of a highlight-reel finish. Bautista likely has an advantage on the mat and better wrestling skills, and Oliveira has never fought someone of the caliber of Bautista before. At the same time, Oliveira presents a very unique challenge and has a style unlike any of Bautista’s former opponents. I believe this fight will feature many close, heated striking exchanges, and that both fighters will take risks to secure a finish. Regardless of who emerges as the victor, I am confident that this fight will be over before the final bell of round five sounds.

UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs. Oliveira Preview