Jamahal Hill may well be the injection of clean blood that the mild heavyweight title photo has been trying to find.
Having made his seasoned debut in 2017, Hill is the least experienced contender with a host (14) next to their name in MMA combating's world Rankings, but he may also be a lot closer to a championship probability than a few of his extra seasoned friends. Aleksandar Rakic (7) and Anthony Smith (8) face unclear timetables for his or her returns as they improve from injury, Volkan Oezdemir (11) only recently snapped a dropping streak, and Hill's UFC Vegas 59 main adventure opponent Thiago Santos (12) is nearer to exiting the rankings than moving up in them.
All of here's a moot point of Santos can regain some of his former glory on Saturday. the man who become a scorecard far from beating Jon Jones has gained just once for the reason that that close name and he has struggled to position collectively the sorts of performances that prior to now made him one of the most feared knockout threats at each 205 and 185 pounds. On paper, he has the magnificent competencies to provide Hill issues; really, Father Time may well be sending a message to the 32-fight veteran.
In different main card action, Vicente Luque defends his spot in the welterweight rankings towards a resurgent Geoff Neal, The choicest Fighter 30 finals go down with Mohammed Usman (the younger brother of UFC champion Kamaru Usman) struggling with Zac Pauga at heavyweight and Invicta FC veteran Brogan Walker combating Juliana Miller for the flyweight match crown, heavyweight veteran Augusto Sakai fights the up-and-coming Serghei Spivac, and Ariane Lipski takes on Priscila Cachoeira within the flyweight opener.
What: UFC Vegas 59
the place: UFC APEX in Las Vegas
When: Saturday, Aug. 6. The five-combat preliminary card begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+, followed by using a six-fight main card at 10 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN+.
(Numbers in parentheses point out standing in MMA combating international Rankings)
Thiago Santos (12) vs. Jamahal Hill (14)It hurts to assert it: Thiago Santos just isn't the fighter he was once.
Blame it on age (he grew to become 38 this previous January), blame it on the knee injuries that Santos suffered in his close-upset of Jon Jones, or blame it on the competitors he's had to face as an elite gentle heavyweight (his losses following the Jones battle were to Magomed Anklaev, Aleksandar Rakic, and Glover Teixeira), however the effects comfortably haven't been there for "Marreta." Even his win over Johnny Walker became forgettable, to place it kindly.
So every thing is lined up for Jamahal Hill to have one more showcase efficiency. Coming off of back-to-again first-circular finishes, he's been given a reputation that still has adequate luster to raise him, however most likely not enough left within the tank to threaten him. as long as he's respectful of Santos' fantastic, Hill gained't locate himself in too a good deal danger. He's bigger and sooner and at this stage of their careers, more of a knockout chance than Santos.
Onward and upward. Hill by means of KO.
prefer: Hill
Vicente Luque (9) vs. Geoff NealIf the main adventure is supposed to be a exhibit for Hill, the co-main is anything else but for Vicente Luque. This has the makings of a entice online game.
Luque should still be the select in opposition t all however the premier at one hundred seventy pounds (his most contemporary losses? Belal Muhammad, Stephen Thompson, and Leon Edwards). how you view this battle depends on how high you see Neal's ceiling. At his ideal, he's shown the equal type of explosive finishing capability as Luque, he simply doesn't have Luque's music record. Yet.
One most important aspect of issue for Neal is the discrepancy in grappling. Luque likes to stand and bang, however he's such a versatile finisher and if he receives this one to the ground, Neal is toast. It's that factor of Luque's game it's the change maker during this combat as a result of a standup contest is usually a toss-up, even given Luque's popularity as an murderer on the ft.
I expect an exciting delivery to this one with Luque finally taking Neal down or getting the stronger of a scramble circumstance after which successful with the aid of submission.
select: Luque
Mohammed Usman vs. Zac PaugaBrogan Walker vs. Juliana MillerAh yes, now we are able to talk about the true main adventure(s).
Don't let the company hashtag fool you, this isn't just UFC Vegas anything, it is the #TUF30Finale. That's correct, we have two most beneficial Fighter 30 finals on Saturday, starting with the flyweights Brogan Walker and Juliana Miller, adopted through heavyweights Mohammed Usman and Zac Pauga.
Let's beginning with the big boys.
sure, Mohammed Usman is Kamaru Usman's younger brother. No, he doesn't combat like Kamaru at all. sure, there's a reason why he's the underdog during this one. those commonplace with Usman might consider remaining seeing him being submitted by way of Brandon Sayles within the PFL. He bounced back neatly enough in the TUF apartment with a pair of decision victories, however his semifinal win turned into a close split nod over Eduardo Perez that may have gone either method. Usman has the tools and the practicing however rarely places it all collectively on fight evening.
That's not going to fly in opposition t Zac Pauga, some of the season's enhanced strikers. He has powerful fundamentals, good takedown protection, and the kind of laid-lower back attitude that is going to serve him smartly going ahead in the UFC heavyweight division. And he'll go ahead after winning a convincing decision over Usman.
Walker vs. Miller is a more challenging call. Miller become arguably the breakout celebrity of TUF 30, a talented newcomer who wears her heart on her sleeve and fights like a demon within the cage. She had just three fights earlier than TUF, however on the display she avenged her lone professional loss by means of outpointing Claire Guthrie in one of the season's most effective fights after which showed off her potent submission video game in opposition t Kaytlin Neil to e-book a ticket to the finals.
That pointed out, it's hard for me to decide on towards the event of Walker. She has a pleasant-looking win over Miranda Maverick on her resume and has fought a stronger level of competitors than Miller as much as this element. It's viable Miller is an undiscovered gem like her TUF train Julianna Peña became when she dominated her personal season, nonetheless it's just too early to tell. Walker has the aspect on the feet and that i'll be enormously impressed if Miller can dominate her on the ground.
I be aware the hype surrounding Miller. provide me Walker for the upset.
pick: Pauga and Walker
Augusto Sakai vs. Serghei SpivacI'm high on Serghei Spivac's chances of becoming a member of the likes of Tom Aspinall, Alexandr Romanov, and Sergei Pavlovich within the discussion of desirable possibilities, however he hasn't been given an easy one here. in spite of the fact that Sakai is mired in a brutal stretch of knockout losses, he's difficult out on the ft and i'm bound he'd argue that he just continues ending up on the wrong side of the heavyweight coin flip.
Let's simplify this and call it a striker vs. grappler matchup as a result of I consider Sakai's muay Thai expertise supply him the capabilities on the ft, while Spivac's aggressive wrestling gives him the area on the mat. Whoever can get their tools going first, there's your winner.
You be aware of what's throwing me off? Spivac is coming off of a win over Greg Hardy. Greg Hardy isn't respectable. Now he has to re-calibrate and face a properly 25 heavyweight? That's got to scramble your equipment. This battle feels funny to me.
Sakai sprawls and brawls his technique to a decision win.
opt for: Sakai
Ariane Lipski vs. Priscila Cachoeiraunfortunate weight miss aside, there's no motive to lose religion in Ariane Lipski in this matchup. She's a higher technical striker than Priscila Cachoeira and he or she should be in a position to take Cachoeira down at will. Cachoeira presents a challenge to any one that accepts a brawl along with her, however even then it's no longer as if she's this sort of high-quantity striker that she will simply crush Lipski.
The other nod I'll give to Cachoeira is that she has legitimate vigor for a 125er, which Lipski must be aware of. Lipski doesn't have a background of getting rocked on the ft, so seek her to avoid Cachoeira's haymakers and opt for her aside with counters or put her on her returned if Cachoeira starts to have any success with her fingers.
Cachoeira snuck out of the UFC APEX with a decision win in her most recent time out, but Lipski will take the judges out of the equation on Saturday when she rankings a submission win.
select: Lipski
Preliminaries
Michal Oleksiejczuk def. Sam Alvey
Terrance McKinney def. Erick Gonzalez
Bryan fight def. Takashi Sato
Cory McKenna def. Miranda Granger
Stephanie Egger (T15) def. Mayra Bueno Silva
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