UFC Vegas 22 Main Card Betting Preview

The UFC heads back to its APEX Facility in Las Vegas for UFC Vegas 22 on March 20, 2021.

Headlining the event is the winningest fighter at the APEX- Kevin Holland. TrailBlazer went 5-0 inside the silent arena last year and has vaulted in the Top 10 with his recent success. Holland hopes to move further up the ladder with a win over veteran and 7th ranked Derek Brunson.

Let’s take a look at the UFC Vegas 22 main card and pick our winners for each bout:

Derek Brunson vs Kevin Holland

Derek Brunson is the UFC’s 7th ranked middleweight and a former NCAA Division II All-American wrestler. However, he’s more known for hitting like a truck in the UFC. The 37-year old from Wilmington, North Carolina is 12-5 inside the Octagon and heads to this bout with a three-fight winning streak. In his last bout, Brunson knocked out top prospect Edmen Shahbazyan inside three rounds. He has a record of 21-7 with 12 knockouts and three wins via submission. Brunson is a southpaw who stands 6-1 tall with a reach of 77 inches.

Kevin Holland is a former XKO welterweight and middleweight champion. The 28-year old from Riverside, California is also a veteran of Bellator, King of Cage, and Legacy Fighting Alliance. Holland is the 2020 Fighter of the Year by most award-giving bodies because he went 5-0 with 4 knockouts last year and is unbeaten in the APEX Facility. He has an overall record of 21-5 with 11 knockouts and six wins via submission. Holland is an orthodox fighter who stands 6-3 and has a reach 0f 81 inches.

Holland is an excellent kickboxer with a solid chin. Although he doesn’t have the best wrestling and takedown defense in the game, Holland is a BJJ black belt who knows what to do when on his back. Brunson is a veteran of the middleweight division. He is one of the most explosive punchers in the game and also has a fantastic takedown offense. However, Brunson’s success comes from his ability to cover ground faster than his opponents. But unless he catches Holland early, this is going to be a difficult fight for Brunson. Holland’s 4-inch reach advantage is going to be the difference here. Either he paws his way to a decision or starches Brunson while coming in, I think Holland wins.

Prediction: Kevin Holland

Gregor Gillespie vs Brad Riddell

Gregor Gillespie is one of the most decorated college wrestlers ever in the UFC. The 33-year old is a four-time NCAA Division I All-American and 2007 NCAA Division I champion at 149 pounds. He is a three-time Ring of Combat lightweight champion who joined the UFC in 2016. Gillespie has a record of 13-1 with six knockouts and five wins via submission. He is 5-7 tall with a reach of 71 inches and is an orthodox fighter.

Brad Riddell is a former Wollongong Wars welterweight champion. The 29-year old from Christchurch, New Zealand joined the UFC in 2019 and has won his last six bouts, including three inside the Octagon. Ridell is 9-1 with five knockouts and he stands 5-7 tall with a reach of 71 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance.

Gillespie is one of the best wrestlers in the UFC. He also hits hard but doesn’t have the same striking skills as Riddell who is a pure kickboxer. Riddell’s striking has looked great so far but this is Gillespie’s fight to lose. If he can drag Riddell down and wear him out, it’s going to be an easy win. However, if he decides to stand and trade, that won’t be a good strategy. I can’t simply count out Riddell because of Gillespie’s inactivity but he’s not faced a wrestler with Gillespie’s pedigree.

Prediction: Gregor Gillespie

Cheyanne Buys vs Montserrat Ruiz

Cheyanne Buys is a product of the Contender Series who also fought for Invicta FC and LFA. This 25-year old from Clearwater, Florida is on a four-bout winning streak and has a record of 5-1 with one knockout. She stands 5-3 tall with a reach of 63 inches and is a switch hitter.

Montserrat Ruiz fought for XFL and Invicta FC before joining the UFC. This 28-year old from Guanajuato, Mexico has a record of 9-1 with three knockouts and two submission victories. Ruiz defeated Janaisa Morandin in her most recent bout. She stands five feet tall with a reach of 61 inches and fights out of the southpaw stance.

Buys is a high-volume striker who has a wide array of strikes in her arsenal. Ruiz meanwhile is a wrestler who likes to grind her way to victory and is aggressive when she gets top position. However, Ruiz is taking this fight on short notice, and Buys is a tough matchup for her. Buys’ kickboxing isn’t good for Ruiz’s clinch game and unless she produces an early finish, Buys is going to strike her way to victory.

Prediction: Cheyanne Buys

Adrian Yanez vs Gustavo Lopez

Adrian Yanez is a veteran of Bellator, LFA, and Fury Fighting who joined the UFC via the Contender Series. The 27-year old from La Porte, Texas has a record of 12-3 with seven knockouts and two submission victories. He is coming off a first round KO win over Victor Rodriguez in his UFC debut. Yanez stands 5-7 tall with a reach of 70 inches and is an orthodox fighter.

Gustavo Lopez fought for Combate and Combate Americas before he arrived in the UFC. The 31-year old from Wapato, Washington is coming off a submission win over Anthony Birchak last November 2020. He has a record of 12-5 with five knockouts and six wins via submission. Lopez stands 5-5 tall with a reach of 67 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance.

This should be a fun bout between two bantamweights who have come to throw down. But between the two, Yanez should have the edge because not only does he have the better MMA record, he also produced two big knockout wins in 2020. Lopez is tough to read and I’m not sure which version shows up on Saturday night. I’ll go with the more consistent fighter.

Prediction: Adrian Yanez

Song Kenan vs Max Griffin

Son Kenan fought in China before joining the UFC in 2017. The 31-year old from Hebei, China is 4-1 inside the UFC octagon and heads to this event with back to back wins over Derrick Krantz and Callan Potter. Song is an orthodox fighter who stands six feet tall and has a reach of 71 inches. He has a record of 16-5 with eight knockouts and six submission wins.

Max Griffin is a former welterweight champion at Tachi Palace Fights. This 35-year old from Santa Barbara joined the UFC in 2016 but has struggled with a 4-6 record inside the UFC Octagon. Griffin is an orthodox fighter who stands 5-11 tall with a reach of 76 inches. He is coming off a knockout win over Ramij Brahimaj last November 2020.

Since his early days, Griffin has developed a decent jab and an outside kickboxing game to compliment his power punching. He now also has an offensive wrestling game that has become one of his weapons. However, his improvement has yet to produce results although he’s been competitive in his recent bouts. Song Kenan is a brawler who throws with plenty of power and is a very athletic fighter. While he can match Griffin in power, the latter has a clear advantage in skill and technique. I think Griffin darts in and out without getting into a brawl. If that doesn’t work, he can turn to his wrestling to turn the tide.

Prediction: Max Griffin

Tai Tuivasa vs Harry Hunsucker

Tai Tuivasa is a former Australian Fighting Championship heavyweight champion. The 28-year old from Sydney, Australia joined the UFC in 2017 and won his first three UFC bouts. However, Tuivasa has since gone 1-3 with losses to Junior Dos Santos, Blagoy Ivanov, and Sergey Spivak. Tuivasa bounced back with a KO of Stefan Struve last October 24, 2020. He has a record of 10-3 with nine knockouts while standing 6-2 tall with a reach of 75 inches and fighting out of the southpaw stance.

Harry Hunsucker is a champion from the HRMMA Promotion. The 32-year old from Richmond, Kentucky appeared in the Contender Series last November but lost to Jared Vanderaa. He didn’t earn a UFC contract but after Don’Tale Mayes could not make this fight, Hunsucker got the call on short notice. He is an orthodox fighter who stands 6-2 tall with a reach of 75 inches and a record of 7-3 with three knockouts and four wins via submission.

Tuivasa is far more athletic and skilled in the stand up which should be an advantage in a fight that is likely to end up being a striking battle. Hunsucker prefers to wrestle and submit his opponents but he doesn’t have elite grappling skills to put Tuivasa in real danger. Not only is Hunsucker taking this fight on very short notice, but he also has not fought someone in the caliber of Tuivasa.

Prediction: Tai Tuivasa

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