UFC Predictions: UFC Vegas 18: Overeem vs. Volkov - Predictions and Picks

#3 The Main Card: UFC on ESPN+ card

Highly ranked UFC Flyweight contender Alexandre Pantoja features on this weekend's undercard.

This weekend’s main card sees a further four fights on offer. In the Women’s Bantamweight division, Marion Reneau faces Macy Chiasson.

This is an interesting fight as it offers TUF winner Chiasson her toughest test to date. Reneau is a great athlete with skills in all areas, and she’s definitely got the ability to test Chiasson.

However, The Belizean Bruiser is also 43 years old now and hasn’t won a fight since 2018, losing three in a row. Add in Chiasson’s 4” reach advantage, and I think Reneau is in trouble here. Chiasson via decision is the pick.

In the Flyweight division, Alexandre Pantoja takes on Manel Kape. A native of Angola, Kape is making his UFC debut here following a run in Japan’s Rizin promotion. His 15-4 ledger is outstanding, and judging from available footage. He’s an absolutely excellent striker.

That aggressive style should make for a fun fight here, but the UFC newcomer may be in over his head with Pantoja.

The Cannibal is perhaps best seen as a lesser version of current UFC Flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo. Like Figueiredo, he’s absolutely deadly in all areas and can finish on both the feet and ground. Essentially, he’s only missing the raw power and athleticism of the champion.

Kape may go onto make some noise in the UFC in the future, but this sounds like an awful debut match for him. Pantoja via decision is the pick.

In the Bantamweight division, Cody Stamann battles Andre Ewell. This one should be fun as neither man tends to put on boring fights, even if they don’t always pick up finishes.

Of the two, Stamann should probably be favored here. A hard-as-nails wrestler with an excellent boxing game, The Spartan has only lost twice in the UFC, to Aljamain Sterling and Jimmie Rivera. And his grinding style has taken him past five foes.

Ewell is an excellent, well-rounded fighter in his own right, but he lacks the grappling strength and toughness of Stamann, so I’m going to take The Spartan to win here by decision.

Finally, Diego Ferreira faces Beneil Dariush in a rematch of their clash at UFC 179 in 2014. That fight saw Dariush comfortably grapple his way to a win, but can he recreate that here?

Both men have improved in the years that have followed. Always a dangerous finisher, Ferreira is more well-rounded now and is much more capable on the ground. Meanwhile, Dariush has developed a heavy striking game under Rafael Cordeiro and has picked up a number of KO wins since.

This one is tight to call, but Ferreira has been slightly more impressive recently, so I’m going to take him via TKO.

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#4 The Prelims: UFC on ESPN+ card

Picks in bold

Michael Johnson vs. Clay Guida

Mike Rodriguez vs. Danilo Marques

Molly McCann vs. Lara Procopio

Seung Woo Choi vs. Youssef Zalal

Karol Rosa vs. Joselyne Edwards

Denys Bondar vs. Ode Osborne

Martin Day vs. Timur Valiev