UFC Vegas 51
Event Preview

Ok my dozens of readers, I can’t lie to you, this card is not good. Sometimes cards don’t have big names. But the card will still have some solid prospects, and potentially exciting fights. And while this card does have some of that to some extent, it is a shallow card.

This card however is interesting from one perspective – it is an example of what the new UFC looks like.
Back in the day, even the big PPVs, were big because of one fight, the main event. And sometimes the co-main. 3 title fights was unheard of until UFC 205! So sometimes I think we may take these stacked PPVs for granted nowadays. They are usually stacked top to bottom! It is crazy.

But the other side of those stacked PPVs, are fight nights like this. And to be fair, this card had some fights fall through. So it wouldn’t have been so bad if the card stayed together. But it didn’t.

Point is, the UFC doesn’t need to sell anything to anyone. They are in the APEX, so no tickets to sell. The ratings for a random fight night in 2022 will have absolutely zero influence on their next rights deal years from now. And, it will still pull decent numbers. Because there are a bunch of sickos just like me who will watch every fight. And there are a bunch of other sickos who are always watching ESPN. ESPN is an enormous platform, a few more “hardcore” names on a card barely matters.

The main event is really what sways the ratings. And we do have a good main for this card. It is a big fight at 170, and it kind of feels like the the winner is the Official Dark Horse at welterweight. They have met before, and Vicente won via KO in the 1st round. Will be interesting to see what differences there are this time around nearly 7 years later.

Also, do yourself a favour and catch the Bellator card this Friday.
AJ McKee is without question the best MMA fighter competing this weekend. He might not only be the best 145er in the world, he very well might be the #1 P4P. He is a star in the making. Don’t sleep on him.

Jordan Leavitt vs Trey Ogden
Lightweight – 155 pounds

A matchup of grappling specialists! Combined, 70% of their wins have come via submission, and only 1 via TKO (This was that nasty smash Leavitt had against Matt Wiman, kind of grapply..)

Jordan Leavitt is an interesting character. He was a DWCS contestant and he stood out right away. He mentioned how he was going to school to become a lawyer! And that MMA is something he is passionate about. Which is not common back story for most cage fighters. And his fight style was also interesting. He has a really funky style of striking, but his game is to spam the takedown and get the fight on the ground any way he can.

Trey Ogden is making his UFC debut, and he has found his success in a similar fashion to his opponents, with his grappling. 11 of his 15 wins have come via submission. While he will probably be the one who is more willing to stand and trade, I am assuming he is also going to be happy to look for the submission.

This is a fun style matchup, and I am pretty interested in seeing where Jordan Leavitt’s career goes.

Chris Barnett vs Martin Buday
Heavyweight – 265 pounds

The fighter formally known as Beatboy, Chris “Huggybear” Barnett returns for his 3rd UFC appearance coming off a wheel kick KO at MSG! Huggybear has been a hardcore fan favourite for a long time. He is a true MMA vet and has made his way all over the world in MMA and kickboxing. He has a fan friendly style, and is one of the nicest guys in the sport. Chris Barnett is an easy guy to root for. And it is nice to see him making a name for himself in the UFC. Long overdue.

Beaboy/Huggybear will be taking on a fighter making his UFC debut! Martin Buday earned this opportunity in the UFC with an impressive win on DWCS. Buday looks like he might be a serious prospect at heavyweight. He is a big dude and knows how to use that size to win his fights. He also carriers a serious chin, he might be tough to take out for most heavyweights.

Interesting clash of careers here. And this will also be a rare case where both fighters need to cut weight to make the limit at 265. Barnett used to fight at superheavyweight! Coming in around 330!

Couple of big boys.

Miguel Baeza vs Andre Fialho
Welterweight – 170 pounds

Well this one feels like a do or die for someone who was previously seen as a top prospect at 170. Miguel Baeza had a big fight against Santiago Ponzinibbio after starting his UFC career 3-0 with 3 finishes. And after the 1st round, it was looking like Baeza was on his way to true contender status. But from that point on, he has struggled. He ended up losing a decision to Santiago Ponzinibbio, and then getting KO’d by Khaos Williams in his next fight in the 3rd round.

Miguel Baeza is a big and strong welterweight. He has clean technical striking and some solid grappling. He looks to have all the tools of a contender, but he is potentially looking at a 3 fight losing streak.

His opponent, Andre Fialho has a decent track record and experience, fighting on some of the biggest shows outside the UFC. And he is mostly known for his boxing, which could pose a difficult challenge for Baeza, who has been prone to getting hit.

Big stakes here. Fialho will want to prove he belongs in the UFC after losing his debut, and Baeza can not afford another loss. Should be fun.

Caio Borralho vs Gadzhi Omargadzhiev
Middleweight – 185 pounds

A matchup between DWCS prospects…as the 2nd to last fight (it is not a “co-main”).

Both of these guys are interesting. Caio won two fights on DWCS in less than a month. He has an interesting look and vibe to him, and he has a fun well rounded fight style. Some people are getting ready to hop on the hype train..

His opponent is named – Gadzhi Omargadzhiev. You can probably guess how he fights based on his name and how he looks. And while we don’t want to encourage stereotyping, you would be correct to make that guess. He is 13-0 and it looks like he also has some skills on the feet. I am interested to see how he does in the UFC.

Interesting clash of DWCS prospects here.

Vicente Luque vs Belal Muhammad
Welterweight – 170 pounds

This is a big fight at 170. And it is an interesting clash of style. It is also a rematch of a fight in 2016, a fight Vincente Luque won via 1st round TKO.

This very well could crown the dark horse at 170 pounds. Colby is stuck at number 2, Leon is getting ready to fight Usman. Khamzat is making his climb. All the while, you have Luque on a 4 fight win streak, and Belal is on a 7 fight unbeaten streak! Both of these guys are in line for a really big fight if they win this fight.

Vicente is a killer. He’s got really clean and powerful boxing and will throw some nasty leg kicks. Vicente also has the grappling to submit the best grapplers in the division. Vicente is one of those fighters that has really earned his place, he started his pro career 4-3-1! And has still lost a bunch since then. But he has grinded, and kept at it. And now he is one of the most dangerous fighters in the division. He has stopped all 4 fights on his current run, and has finished 19 of his 21 wins. Win lose or draw, Vicente Luque comes to fight. He deserves to be a bigger star than he is. I think his Diaz, or Masvidal style moment is coming someday soon.

Belal Muhammad has quietly amassed a very respectable 11-3 record in the UFC, and has gone unbeaten in his last 7. Belal is one of the most likeable guys in the sport, outside the cage. He is by no means a boring fighter, he can strike and throw down. But he will also take a grapple heavy approach if that is his best path to victory. Belal’s record is kind of the inverse of his opponents, winning 15 of his 20 wins via decision. But this doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a worse fighter, decisions are often a reflection of a high fight IQ.

The realty is, fair or not fair, the winner of this fight will need to do something a little extra to stand out in the crowded UFC welterweight division.

An important fight that should be fun, despite the quality of the card, this is a solid main. Looking forward to it

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