After kicking off the month of June with a star-studded PPV card, the Octagon returns to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada for a fourteen-bout Fight Night card.
In the main event, top five Middleweights Marvin Vettori and Jared Cannonier square off, while Arman Tsarukyan and Joaquim Silva duke it out in our Lightweight co-main.
Headlining the prelims is a Bantamweight contest between Raoni Barcelos and Miles Johns, while DWCS vets Alessandro Costa and Carlos Hernandez look for statement performances.
Raoni Barcelos (17-4) vs. Miles Johns (13-2) (BW)
Raoni Barcelos is making somewhat of a quick return after suffering the first KO loss of his career to Umar Nurmagomedov in January. He has fantastic Brazilian jiu-jitsu with excellent wrestling to back it up, along with crisp Thai boxing and powerful leg kicks to corral his opponents into big shots. Johns came off the Contender Series as a standout wrestler but has really developed his striking game with several highlight KOs, though his volume could be higher at times. Barcelos has the takedown defense to keep this fight standing and the more superior boxing to find a late knockout or clear decision, though the recent KO does give me some pause.
My Pick: Raoni Barcelos via Decision
Jimmy Flick (16-6) vs. Alessandro Costa (12-3) (FLW)
Jimmy Flick came back from retirement only to drop a first-round TKO to Charles Johnson, though he has impressed UFC fans with his entertaining submission style, as shown in his flying triangle submission of Cody Durden. While his submission game can catch nearly anyone, his wrestling often does not afford him those opportunities on the mat. After being snubbed for a UFC contract, Costa took a short-notice appearance against Amir Albazi, suffering a late TKO. He is well-rounded and dangerous everywhere with slick jiu-jitsu, one-shot KO power, and slick Muay Thai. I see Costa being better in nearly every avenue this fight could go and expect him to avoid the early storm to take over for his own late finish.
My Pick: Alessandro Costa via Knockout
Kyung Ho Kang (18-9) vs. Cristian Quiñonez (18-3) (BW)
With ten years of UFC experience under his belt, Kyung Ho Kang has long shown his entertaining grappling skills with eleven submission victories and all-action scrambles. His striking is considerably improving in recent years, keeping a high volume with excellent shot selection, even securing three knockdowns in his last five UFC bouts. Cristian Quiñonez earned a contract on DWCS and impressed with a follow-up knockout of Khalid Taha in his Octagon debut. A potent finisher with ten knockouts to his name. While all action offensively, Quiñonez gives up a lot of ground defensively and Kang has the power on the feet to put him down, along with the grappling to control or submit him on the mat. I see a wild first round with Kang taking over for a submission.
My Pick: Kyung Ho Kang via Submission
Carlos Hernandez (8-2) vs. Denys Bondar (16-4) (FLW)
After scoring a narrow decision in his UFC debut, Carlos Hernandez suffered a submission loss to Allan Nascimento in his next outing. Hernandez mixes up his attack well but is most impressive with his quick striking and footwork, sticking and moving along the outside. Bondar is returning after over a year away from the cage, suffering a knockout loss to Malcolm Gordon in his UFC debut. Bondar is a trademark finisher, not yet seeing the judges in victory in his pro career. He has a varied striking attack though his chin is left open, but impresses with his relentless takedown attack and submission game. While Bondar’s durability is a concern, Hernandez’s finishing ability (or lack thereof) leads me to believe it will remain competitive on the feet due to Bondar’s output and grappling threat. Nevertheless, I expect Bondar to take this to the mat and work for a finish there.
My Pick: Denys Bondar via Submission
Felipe Bunes (13-6) vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov (14-8) (FLW)
Felipe Bunes is getting the call up to the big show here after securing the LFA Flyweight belt with a first-round knockout. He has heavy hands and keeps a high volume on the feet along with a penchant for flying submissions and electric scrambles, though his defensive striking and wrestling need work. Zhumagulov is likely fighting for his UFC career coming off three straight losses (though the last two were contentious split decisions). His striking and powerful kicks are the highlights of his game, as he can be controlled on the mat, but has displayed developing wrestling skills in recent contests. I think that this bout is either a Bunes finish or Zhumagulov decision, as the Kazakh should remain ahead on control and volume, but will need to watch for haymakers and wild submissions. I see Zhumagulov picking him apart while mixing in takedowns for an entertaining decision.
My Pick: Zhalgas Zhumagulov via Decision
Tereza Bledá (6-1) vs. Gabriella Fernandes (8-2) (FLW)
Expect some wild exchanges on the mat here. Tereza Bleda narrowly missed earning a contract on the Contender but made it to the UFC off a short notice opportunity, suffering a third-round TKO loss to rising star Natalia Silva. She is a talented grappler who looks to control her opponents on the mat and force them to. finish, though her striking defense and cardio are concerns. Fernandes captured the LF title with a submission but suffered a decision loss to Jasmine Jasudavicius in her UFC debut. She is an elite BJJ practitioner with heavy hands, although her wrestling and volume have not caught up to her offensive threat. Similar to the bout above this one, I think Bleda either controls her way to decision or Fernandes finds a stoppage, but with Bleda’s cardio concerns, I like Fernandes here, especially at the inflated +220 odds (even if you pick Bleda, betting on her moneyline is a joke at current odds). I actually give the striking advantage here to Fernandes and don’t see Bleda making measurable progress on the mat against a BJJ specialist of Fernandes’ caliber. I expect a tense match before Bleda gasses and Fernandes finds a finish.
My Pick: Gabriella Fernandes via Submission
Ronnie Lawrence (8-2) vs. Daniel Argueta (9-1) (BW)
We have a fantastic clash of wrestlers here and I’m excited to see some top-notch scrambles. After earning a contract on DWCS, Lawrence picked up two straight wins before running into Saidyokub Kakhramanov, losing an entertaining decision. His wrestling and pace are notable weapons, averaging over seven takedowns per fifteen minutes in the Octagon. Argueta is a chain wrestler, keeping control from top position while dishing out ground and pound. While his striking is technical, his output and defense could be improved. I expect many great wrestling transitions in this fight and for both to secure some top control but for Lawrence’s work rate and pressure to get the judges’ nod.
My Pick: Ronnie Lawrence via Decision
Modestas Bukauskas (14-5) vs. Zac Pauga (6-1) (LHW)
Light Heavyweight strikers kick off the card, looking to cement a UFC win streak for each of themselves. Modestas Bukauskas reclaimed the Cage Warriors title to earn his way back to the UFC, picking up a decision victory over Tyson Pedro. Pauga suffered a KO loss up a weight class in the last TUF finale, then rebounding at his home of LHW with a decision over Jordan Wright, the first time Wright had been to the scorecards in his career. I expect this to be contested closely on the feet with Pauga’s boxing and tight shot selection against the versatile kickboxing and volume of Bukauskas. I think the leg kicks and movement of Bukauskas will win out, winning him a narrow decision.
My Pick: Modestas Bukauskas via Decision
Stay tuned to our home page to catch the main card predictions, dropping tomorrow!
FightFreaks.co 
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