UFC 277 is right around the corner. There are plenty of great fights on the card. It should be a fun night of UFC action. With that being said, let’s get into the UFC 277 preview and discuss the fights on the main card of the event.
UFC 277 Preview: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Anthony Smith
The first fight on the main card of UFC 277 is a light heavyweight fight between Anthony Smith and Magomed Ankalaev. Smith is on a three-fight win streak after his loss to former champion Glover Teixeira. Ankalaev is on a five-fight win streak, having most recently beaten Thiago Santos by decision. Both fighters are certainly capable of finishing the fight.
However, due to his submission skills, Smith appears to be the more well-rounded fighter of the two. He also has more UFC experience than Ankalaev. For those reasons, Smith has the advantage in my opinion.
Prediction: Anthony Smith by Split Decision
Alexandre Pantoja vs. Alex Perez
The next fight on the main card is a flyweight fight between Alexandre Pantoja and Alex Perez. Both Perez and Pantoja are top contenders in the UFC flyweight division. Additionally, both of them have very good Brazilian jiujitsu and can finish fights via submission.
Perez and Pantoja seem fairly evenly matched. However, Perez hasn’t fought since 2020 and that could play a big part in the outcome of this fight. Pantoja also has more KO/TKO wins than Perez, which is significant.
Prediction: Alexandre Pantoja by TKO
UFC 277 Preview: Derrick Lewis vs. Sergei Pavlovich
Derrick Lewis vs. Sergei Pavlovich is the only heavyweight fight on the main card of UFC 277. Derrick Lewis is coming off a KO loss against Tai Tuivasa at UFC 271 and Pavlovich is coming off a KO win against Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall. It is important to note that Pavlovich is only 3-1 in the UFC so far.
Derrick Lewis has had stamina issues in the UFC before and he has struggled against some fighters in the upper echelons of the heavyweight division. However, Lewis’s KO power and UFC experience give him an edge in this match-up. Those will be decisive factors in the outcome of this fight.
Prediction: Derrick Lewis by TKO
UFC 277 Preview: Brandon Moreno vs. Kai Kara-France 2
The co-main event of UFC 277 is an interim UFC flyweight title bout between Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara-France. Moreno is coming off his championship trilogy with Deiveson Figueiredo and Kara-France just beat Askar Askarov by unanimous decision. Moreno and Kara-France faced each other in 2019 and Moreno won by decision.
However, Kara-France has certainly improved since then. Kara-France is also perhaps the more technical striker out of the two. Despite this, Moreno’s championship experience provides him with a slight edge in this match-up. Whatever the outcome, this should be an excellent fight.
Prediction: Brandon Moreno by Split Decision
Amanda Nunes vs. Julianna Pena 2
Julianna Pena shocked the MMA world by defeating Amanda Nunes for the UFC women’s bantamweight title back at UFC 269. With that in mind, Nunes will be quite motivated to reclaim her title. Pena is quite skilled on the ground and has some good submission wins in her record, including her title win.
Nunes will likely try to keep the fight standing and be more calculated. She did seem to gas herself out by going for the finish so hard in round 2. Nunes’ greater experience and more well-rounded game make her the slight favorite in this fight.
Prediction: Amanda Nunes by Split Decision
UFC 277 Should Be A Great Card
There are plenty of good fights on this card. It should be an excellent night of fights. Of course, there are plenty of opportunities to make some bets on fights. Check back in next month for our preview of UFC 278 and enjoy the fights.