Bantamweights
Vinicius de Oliveira (19-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. Bernardo Sopai (11-2, 0-0 UFC)For a fight thrown together on days’ notice, this is a fairly excellent pairing of UFC newcomers. De Oliveira punched his ticket to a UFC contract with a knockout victory on Dan White’s Contender Series in September, but “Lok Dog” looked ready for the opportunity for a while during a successful regional career. At 28 years old, the Brazilian has the game of a much younger man, focusing on aggression with some particularly wild striking, but his combination of size and power has made things work in entertaining fashion, even if that includes getting blasted by opponents who are sharp enough to counter him. Oliveira was left without an opponent until a few days ago, and the UFC did well to bring in a top Swedish prospect in Sopai. A professional since the age of 15, Sopai has the expected level of poise with a game that seems quite well-rounded. He is a sharp counterstriker and has also shown the ability to outwork his opponents on the mat when he needs to change things up. The main questions surrounding “The Lion King” have to do with his ability to hang athletically at a higher level, and if nothing else, this fight against de Oliveira should provide some insight in those aspects. Sopai has the ability to put together a one-sided win and announce himself as a problem for the rest of the division—or just spark the Brazilian with a well-timed counter—but the bet is that de Oliveira’s size and athleticism allow him to land more effective offense in a close fight. The pick is de Oliveira via decision.
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Anders vs. Pickett
Klein vs. Cunningham
Basharat vs. Zahabi
Duncan vs. Ribeiro
De Oliveira vs. Sopai
Al-Sewady vs. Radzhabov