Bantamweights
Adrian Yanez (16-5, 5-2 UFC) vs. Vinicius Salvador (14-6, 0-2 UFC)Yanez figures to be fine in the long run, but it’d be nice to see him bounce back from a rough 2023 in a big way. Yanez announced himself with a 39-second knockout win on the Contender Series in 2020, and from there, he went on to prove himself as one of the bantamweight division’s most electric prospects. A slick but aggressive boxer, Yanez got matched for action and obliged with firefight after firefight, kicking off his UFC career with five straight wins and ending four of them via knockout. An April 2023 fight with Rob Font was Yanez’s big step up, and that’s where he finally fell short. For as much trouble as Font has against the divisional elite, he still had enough firepower to meet Yanez head-on and score a quick knockout of his own. An October loss to Jonathan Martinez was a bit more worrying for him, as the Factory X standout blasted Yanez’s legs with kicks to great effect in a one-sided fight. The hope is that Yanez learns from the experience and starts to add some new wrinkles to his game, but it’s unclear if any of that is needed against Salvador.
Salvador came out the victor in one of the best fights on the 2022 edition of the Contender Series, and he looked like a prospect who could make some noise in the flyweight division. He was inefficient with his high-powered offense but appeared to have enough athleticism and creativity to catch some opponents off their games. Instead, Victor Altamirano and C.J. Vergara outworked and outlasted him, and weight cut issues have now forced the Brazilian to move up to 135 pounds. Yanez’s aggression always leads to the risk that he can get caught with a knockout blow, but it’s unclear if Salvador will even be a power puncher as a bantamweight. The pick is Yanez via first-round knockout.
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Barboza vs. Murphy
Williams vs. Harris
Gorimbo vs. Brahimaj
Yanez vs. Salvador
Hill vs. Pinheiro
The Prelims