UFC Vegas 70 is littered with Dana White’s Contender Series alumni, positively dripping from head-to-toe as 17 of the 26 fighters on the card have come through the DWCS. Perfect for Daddy Dana to lock prospects into contracts for peanuts and churn out weekly Fight Night cards!
The UFC Vegas 70 Main Event is most likely to prove to be insultingly boring. Nikita Krylov has experienced an identity crisis each time he has stepped into the octagon over the past few years. Meanwhile, Ryan Spann has never quite shaken off the ignominy of being wobbled by Smilin’ Sam Alvey. At least we get to see the return of Tatiana Suarez and her potent wrestling.
Our preliminary card features an intriguing Flyweight bout between ultra-offensive Ode Osbourne and the conservative Charles Johnson. Pintsized’s pick, through gritted teeth, is a Women’s Flyweight bout between newcomer Gabriella Fernandes and Jasmine Jasudavicius.
Where is UFC Vegas 70 taking place?
The event will take place at the UFC Apex in Nevada, United States, on February 25 2023.
What time does UFC Vegas 70 start?
The UFC Vegas 70 Main Event is scheduled to start at 9PM ET in the US and 12AM GMT in the UK. The UFC Vegas 70 Prelims are scheduled to start at 4PM ET in the US and 9PM GMT in the UK.
Where can I watch UFC Vegas 70?
The UFC Vegas 70 event can be streamed on ESPN+ in the US and BT Sport in the UK. You are advised to use official streams for UFC Vegas 70 and avoid buffstreams, crackstreams or Reddit streams.
UFC Vegas 70 Bitesize Predictions
| UFC Vegas 70 Odds | UFC Vegas 70 Predictions |
|---|---|
| Nikita Krylov vs Ryan Spann Makhachev Odds: (-170) / (+145) | Nikita Krylov vs Ryan Spann Prediction: Krylov Submission Round 3 |
| Andre Muniz vs Brendan Allen Odds: (-205) / (+175) | Andre Muniz vs Brendan Allen Prediction: Muniz Submission Round 3 |
| Augusto Sakai vs Don’Tale Mayes Odds: (-135) / (+115) | Augusto Sakai vs Don’Tale Mayes Prediction: Sakai Decision |
| Tatiana Suarez vs Montana De La Rosa Makhachev Odds: (-750) / (+550) | Tatiana Suarez vs Montana De La Rosa Prediction: Suarez Decision |
| Mike Malott vs Yohan Lainesse Odds: (-215) / (+185) | Mike Malott vs Yohan Lainesse Prediction: Lainesse TKO Round 1 |
| Erick Gonzalez vs Trevor Peek Odds: (+160) / (-190) | Erick Gonzalez vs Trevor Peek Prediction: Peek TKO Round 2 |
| Gabriella Fernandes vs Jasmine Jasudavicius Odds: (-125) / (+105) | Gabriella Fernandes vs Jasmine Jasudavicius Prediction: Fernandes Decision |
| Jordan Leavitt vs Victor Martinez Odds: (-105) / (-115) | Jordan Leavitt vs Victor Martinez Prediction: Leavitt Submission Round 2 |
| Ode Osbourne vs Charles Johnson Odds: (+145) / (-170) | Ode Osbourne vs Charles Johnson Prediction: Johnson Decision |
| Joe Solecki vs Carl Deaton III Odds: (-520) / (+410) | Joe Solecki vs Carl Deaton III Prediction: Solecki Decision |
| Nurullo Aliev vs Rafael Alves Odds: (-180) / (+155) | Nurullo Aliev vs Rafael Alves Prediction: Alves TKO Round 1 |
UFC Vegas 70: Main Event Prediction
Nikita Krylov vs Ryan Spann
Nikita Krylov (29-9) has transformed over the years from an exciting kill-or-be-killed fighter into a dull, grinding wrestler. It’s difficult to blame the Ukranian. His stalling top game has seen him claim easy victories over the likes of Volkan Oezdemir and Johnny Walker, as well as bringing him to the brink of a decision victory over former champion Glover Teixeira.
Unfortunately, Krylov seems to have all but retired his previously dangerous hands. In such a poor division, it is a shame for fans to lose out on a slight X-factor. Granted, Krylov’s experience should denote that taking the fight to the ground against Ryan Spann (21-7) is by far the path of least resistance. Superman is a technical mess but he is a granite-handed power puncher who is happy to take 50/50 exchanges early doors.
Still, it proves difficult to hop on any form of the Spann hype train. The 31-year-old almost had his lights shut out by Sam Alvey in 2020. A year later, Anthony Smith dominated him on the feet and mat. Spann’s shock first-round KO over former title challenger, Dominick Reyes, garnered attention but conveniently overlooked Reyes’ deterioration.
Krylov vs Spann Prediction: Krylov Submission Round 3
UFC Vegas 70: Co-Main Event Prediction
Andre Muniz vs Brendan Allen
A cracking Middleweight affair takes up the Co-Main Event spot, pitting Andre Muniz’s (23-4) serpentesque submission skills against Brendan Allen’s (20-5) well-rounded skillset. Muniz has accumulated an unbeaten 5-fight streak since joining the promotion in 2019. While the 33-year-old failed to ignite his career after submitting ground-God Jacare Souza, a win on Saturday should see Muniz fast-tracked towards title contenders.
The blessing and curse with Brendan Allen is that he never stops fighting. The 27-year-old sneakily racked up three wins over 2022. Allen’s latest first-round submission over Krzysztof Jotko has helped to paper over the blemishes of his disputed points victory against Jacob Malkoun. Gas tank issues and concrete feet remain red flags, but most concerning was his inability to stay standing against Jacob Malkoun. Muniz is a more physically imposing wrestler and could punish a flagging Allen down the stretch.
Muniz vs Allen Prediction: Muniz Submission Round 3
UFC Vegas 70: Main Card Predictions
Augusto Sakai vs Don’Tale Mayes
Four stoppage losses in a row for Augusto Sakai (15-5-1) have all but confirmed the Brazilian’s role as a roster warmer. Before Alistair Overeem surgically picked apart the 31-year-old, Sakai had been tipped for future shots after accumulating wins over Marcin Tybura and Blagoy Ivanov. Christ, the Heavyweight division was dire in 2018.
Don’Tale Mayes (9-4) had his last fight, a split decision loss, overturned to a no contest following Hamdy Abdelwahab’s positive PEDs test. That, therefore, puts the American on course for a three-fight win streak. Have I already commented on how dire the 265lb division is? Mayes imposing 6’6″ frame is unlikely to ever be refined into an effective MMA machine – evidenced best by his total inability to stay balanced while throwing strikes.
Sakai vs Mayes Prediction: Sakai Decision
Tatiana Suarez vs Montana De La Rosa
After a three-year lay-off stemming from neck issues, Tatiana Suarez (8-0) returns in a bid for Valentina Shevchenko’s title. It’s anyone’s guess as to how much the time on the sidelines has impacted Suarez. The American was on a crash course to the top of Strawweight in the late 2010s, however – collecting scalps over former champion Carla Esparza and Alexa Grasso.
Returning at Flyweight may pose some size issues but Montana De La Rosa (12-7-1) lacks the offensive output on the feet to cause many issues. Rather, De La Rosa’s best shot is a speculative submission off her back as Suarez postures to rain down ground and pound.
Suarez vs De La Rosa Prediction: Suarez Decision
Mike Malott vs Yohan Lainesse
An all-Canadian Welterweight affair sees Mike Malott (8-1-1) build on his first-round TKO over Mickey Gall against the heavy hands of Yohan Lainesse (9-1). Malott’s exceptional finishing ability comes at the cost of a porous defence – a significant area of weakness against a one-shot KO artist in Lainesse. The White Lion is unable to maintain an imposing pace throughout the three rounds, however, often coasting the later rounds to recover.
Malott vs Lainesse Prediction: Lainesse TKO Round 1
UFC Vegas 70: Preliminary Card Predictions
Erick Gonzalez vs Trevor Peek
Erick Gonzalez (14-7) had managed to handle Terrance McKinney’s nuclear early-doors power before walking himself into a standing rear naked choke. The Ghost Pepper can dig deep down the stretch but has been once again pitted against a fearsome striker. Trevor Peek (7-0) has collected a perfect KO streak on the regional scene. Gonzalez is a step up in competition but lacks the tools to take the contest away from a battle on the outside.
Gonzalez vs Peek Prediction: Peek TKO Round 2
Gabriella Fernandes vs Jasmine Jasudavicius
Jasmine Jasudavicius (7-2) welcomes former LFA Flyweight Champion, Gabriella Fernandes (8-1), on Saturday night. Jasudavicius shocked the odds on her debut when she comfortably beat Kay Hansen on the feet. Unfortunately for the Canadian, she was then out-struck 3-1 and had her wrestling threat neutralised by newcomer Natalia Silva. Fernandes is a full-blooded striker with an immense athletic ceiling. The Brazilian can be stiff on her feet, however, as there are clear transitionary delays while deciding upon her next move.
Fernandes vs Jasudavicius Prediction: Fernandes Decision
Jordan Leavitt vs Victor Martinez
After being unceremoniously twerked on by Paddy Pimblett, Jordan Leavitt (10-2) looks to get back to his comedically one-dimensional submission game. The Monkey King will struggle to climb the ladder until his wrestling pitfalls are resolved, but his slick grappling tends to prove enough at the UFC entry level.
Victor Martinez (13-4) debuts off the back of a DWCS decision victory which showcased his gritty, imposing striking. Martinez is decently experienced against respectable opposition so there is a strong chance that the Texan can keep this fight standing – but I’m backing The Monkey King for the memes.
Leavitt vs Martinez Prediction: Leavitt Submission Round 2
Ode Osbourne vs Charles Johnson
A rare flyweight power puncher, Ode Osbourne (11-5) injects a vital ‘die by the sword’ energy into a rapidly growing division. Odebourne’s lightning-fast 1-2 often proves enough to batter opponents. Most detrimental to the Jamaican is his propensity for spinning strikes which negate his reach advantage and leave him vulnerable. Charles Johnson (13-3) is a fantastically durable, conservative striker who can be blamed for waiting for his ideal opening rather than creating them. Against Osbourne, Johnson will have a delectable selection to feast upon.
Osbourne vs Johnson Prediction: Johnson Decision
Joe Solecki vs Carl Deaton III
Joe Solecki (12-3) showcased his improvement from the Jared Gordon loss with a close-fought yet ultimately successful victory over Alex da Silva. The 29-year-old’s ceiling remains fixed due to his average athleticism but he remains an effective, controlling wrestler with an increased penchant for submissions. Regional scene marauder, Carl Deaton III (17-5), has been drafted in as a last-minute replacement following Benoit Saint-Denis’ ankle injury. At 33 years old, there isn’t much time left for Deaton to finally win a step-up, but his risk-averse striking leaves few openings for Solecki to shoot.
Solecki vs Deaton III Prediction: Solecki Decision
Nurullo Aliev vs Rafael Alves
The undefeated 23-year-old Tajik Eagle, Nurullo Aliev (8-0), enters his UFC debut after pounding out Josh Wick in under a round on the DWCS. A relentless chain wrestler with a smothering top game, he has the tools to neutralise the best weapons of explosive counter-striker, Rafael Alves (20-11). There isn’t anything on the tape that leads me to question anything other than Alves rolling over the prospect, however. The Brazilian is ferociously powerful, explosive and a nightmare to take down.
Aliev vs Alves Prediction: Alves TKO Round 1
TIPPING JAR
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