UFC Tips: Vera vs Sandhagen

<p>The UFC returns to the States after a rollercoaster excursion to London, where ‘AND STILL’ was screamed by stalwart announcer Bruce Buffer as he raised Leon Edwards’ hand to signal the welterweight champion had retained his belt.</p> <p>The fight was a real see-sawing affair, with many pundits surprised by the lack of speed and willingness of the former #1 pound for pound to attempt to win his belt back.</p> <p>Dana White announced that Edwards will face Colby Covington for his next fight.</p> <p>Before we head to Miami to see Pereira vs Adesanya 2 at UFC 287, we make our way to San Antonio for UFC Fight Night: Vera vs Sandhagen which will be sure to be an exciting affair wedged between two stellar main events.</p> <p>Let’s kick it off with our UFC Fight Night Tips. Enjoy the fights and remember to gamble responsibly.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>UFC Tips: Vera vs Sandhagen</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/ufc-mma/ufc-fight-night-vera-v-sandhagen/albert-duraev-v-chidi-njokuani-7206398">Chidi Njokuani vs Albert Duraev</a></p> <p>It's remarkable how much Albert Duraev's stock has plummeted after his loss to Joaquin Buckley. Duraev’s bread and butter is his grappling, and he struggles when he can't land takedowns or keep his opponents on their back. His gas tank is also suspect, and anyone who can make him work for top position can take advantage of his cardio in the later rounds.</p> <p>Njokuani is favourite and for good reason. He’s more dangerous on the feet and has already beaten fighters with similar skills to Duraev, Duraev also lacks versatility and doesn't do much with his top control except set up submissions, which won't be very effective against Njokuani who boasts a BJJ black belt.</p> <p>Njokuani has shown finishing ability since moving up to Middleweight, and Duraev is vulnerable if he gets stuck on the feet. Njokuani has the ability and should be able to land a KO inside the three rounds, a nice feather in the cap for ‘Chidi Bang Bang’</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tip:</strong> Chidi Njokuani to Win via KO</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/ufc-mma/ufc-fight-night-vera-v-sandhagen/alex-perez-v-manel-kape-7206397">Alex Perez vs Manel Kape</a></p> <p>Next up is an anticipated flyweight bout between Alex Perez and Manel Kape, with the potential for an exciting showdown. Perez is looking for his first win since June 2020 after suffering two consecutive losses, while Kape has impressed with consecutive victories following a rocky start in the UFC.</p> <p>With the flyweight division open for contenders after Deiveson Figueiredo’s departure and Brandon Moreno as the current champ, both fighters have an opportunity to make a statement and climb the ranks.</p> <p>Alex Perez can be a difficult fighter to watch. At his best he’s a championship contender, but we haven’t seen him at his best for a long time and his last 2 fights, both losses which ended in the first round are testaments to that. There are a lot of unknowns surrounding Perez and unless he brings his A game on Sunday morning, the up-and-comer Kape will be shooting up the flyweight rankings.</p> <p>Kape has never won a submission victory in the UFC and will be looking to stay on his feet instead of going to ground where Perez is more comfortable. It’s hard to call whether he has the explosiveness to get it done in 3 so the tip would be to cover the KO or decision victory.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tip:</strong> Manel Kape to Win via KO or Submission</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/ufc-mma/ufc-fight-night-vera-v-sandhagen/andrea-lee-v-maycee-barber-7210443">Andrea Lee vs Maycee Barber</a></p> <p>In the flyweight division, two Top 15 fighters, Andrea Lee, and Maycee Barber, will go head-to-head in their first fights of the year. After losing her last match in May 2021, Lee aims to regain her consistency and improve her record, while Barber wants to extend her winning streak to four after experiencing her first two career losses.</p> <p>Expect an exciting clash of styles here - speed vs power. This fight should be competitive, with Lee expected to stay safe on the outside and use footwork to jab her way to victory while Barber will be looking to utilise her power for the big KO victory.</p> <p>Barber will chase a KO, but Lee has never been knocked out before, with 1 submission loss and 5 via decision. Recent performance should play a factor here. The expectation is Barber to win via decision.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tip:</strong> Maycee Barber to Win via Decision</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/ufc-mma/ufc-fight-night-vera-v-sandhagen/nate-lanwehr-v-austin-linngo-7221469">Nate Landwehr v Austin Lingo</a></p> <p>The originally scheduled fight between Nate Landwehr and Alex Caceres was cancelled, but Austin Lingo stepped in after his fight against Ricardo Ramos fell through a few weeks ago.</p> <p>Both Landwehr and Lingo are tough strikers who like to wear out their opponents. While they may not be the most technically gifted fighters, they’re known for their work ethic. Expect a real slobber knocker here.</p> <p>Landwehr has more experience and success implementing a brawling style, but this fight is likely to be closely contested. Landwehr typically relies on outworking his opponents, but Lingo's ability to land significant strikes could make it difficult for him to win rounds. Landwehr's wrestling could be the key to winning this fight, but Lingo's takedown defense has improved in his last two fights, though against a lower level of competition.</p> <p>Experience should be the deciding factor here. Both guys are tough as nails, but Landwehr is the favourite and while Lingo is durable, he should get the finish in the 3.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tip</strong>: Nate Landwehr to Win via KO</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/ufc-mma/ufc-fight-night-vera-v-sandhagen/holly-holm-v-yana-santos-7210445">Holly Holm vs Yana Santos</a></p> <p>A pair of bantamweight veterans meet in the co-main event as UFC legend Holly Holm takes on Yana Santos.</p> <p>Both fighters are coming in with a 14-6 record. Holms has the more impressive resume, with a famous win over Ronda Rousey but that was 8 years ago, and 8 years may as well be a lifetime in the UFC. Holms’ is 41 now and her stats are far from impressive. 3.24 significant strikes landed per minute is a shockingly low number, and Holm has a lot of in-cage time. She also only averages 0.72 takedowns per 15 minutes, spending too much time in the clinch and that wont work against a fighter like Yana Santos.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tip: </strong>Yana Santos to Win via Decision</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.sportsbet.com.au/betting/ufc-mma/ufc-fight-night-vera-v-sandhagen/marlon-vera-v-cory-sandhagen-7210426"><strong>Cory Sandhagen vs Marlon Vera</strong></a></p> <p>The main event in San Antonio, Texas blesses us with a bantamweight matchup of #3 contender Marlon “Chito” Vera, and #5 contender Cory “Sandman” Sandhagen. The bantamweight division is absolutely stacked at the moment, and the winner here will be joining a long list of fighters like Merab Dvilishvili who are chasing Aljamain Sterling's crown. They won't be guaranteed a shot at the title, but they’ll be one step closer.</p> <p>Vera has been on a hot streak, claiming two scalps in each of the last two years and entering this bout on a four-fight winning streak. He earned a unanimous decision victory over Rob Font and knocked out Dominick Cruz in 222, showcasing his impressive striking and ground game.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Sandhagen is a formidable opponent with a record of 2-2 in his last four fights. After losing to TJ Dillashaw and Petr Yan, he bounced back with a fourth-round stoppage victory over Song Yadong in his one appearance in 2022. Sandhagen is known for his fluid striking and great movement, making him a tough opponent for anyone in the division.</p>

<p>Vera has always relied on his power and finishing ability to carry him through fights, and there are instances where he’s down on the overall scorecards before finding a finish. His wins over Dominick Cruz and Frankie Edgar are the two best examples.</p> <p>Vera’s inability to win minutes and start strong could end up becoming a problem here. The pivotal question in this fight is whether Vera can hurt or finish Sandhagen. He’s one of the most dangerous guys P4P on the roster, with KO and submission potential across all five rounds. However, Sandhagen has been durable in his MMA career, with Aljamain Sterling being the only man of 19 able to finish him.</p> <p>Given the calibre that Sandhagen has fought against in the last four years, we have to give him the benefit of the doubt in assuming he can stay safe here. If that is the case, expect him to win rounds with superior output and a faster pace – especially considering he’s got a high likelihood of being one round up after five minutes.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tip:</strong> Cory Sandhagen to Win via Decision</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

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