Holly Holm vs. Ketlen Vieira

Our main event is a top 5 ranked contest at Bantamweight, between #2 ranked Holly Holm and #5 Ketlen Vieira.

Holly Holm (14-5) came over to MMA after a credentialed career in boxing and kickboxing, and rose to stardom through her highlight reel KO over Ronda Rousey in November of 2015. Though she lost her title and subsequent shot at the belt opposite Amanda Nunes, she is currently riding 2 straight wins. Ketlen Vieira (12-2), is a credentialed judoka with a well-rounded game, but is certainly most dangerous on the mat. She recently claimed a victory against former UFC Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate.

Nearly 80% of the Verdict Community are siding with Holm to get the victory this weekend, with 57% expecting her to win the fight via decision.

Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Michel Pereira

All week, this fight has been unofficially called the People's Main Event, and it is not hard too see why. Both fighters bring aggressive striking styles, constantly chasing the knockout, and both have already called for Dana White to sign the Fight of the Night checks!

Santiago Ponzinibbio (28-5) looked like the next big thing at Welterweight after a 2018 KO over Neil Megny, but found himself sidelined for over two years due to various injuries. He lost his return fight to Li Jingliang by knockout, but got back on the right track with a Fight of the Night effort over Miguel Baeza. His last outing was a controversial split decision, which saw him on the wrong side of the scorecards opposite Geoff Neal.

Numerous highlight reel clips from the regional scene made Michel Pereira (27-11) an anticpated signing, and he delivered with two post-fight bonuses in his first two outings. Though he faltered in a Fight of the Night against Tristan Connelly and a subsequent DQ loss to Diego Sanchez, he is currently riding a four-fight winning streak.

This fight will assuredly give the fans some fireworks on Saturday night, and the Verdict Community likes Pereira as a slight favorite, with almost 56% predicting him to get the nod. Despite both fighters being credentialed knockout artists, 73% of the Verdict Community expect us to see the judges' scorecards in this bout.

Chidi Njokuani vs. Dusko Todorovic

We have a fun striking clash at Middleweight in our featured bout, as two Contender Series products lock horns!

Chidi Njokuani (21-7) has been on the radar of many hardcore fans for years. A professional since 2007, Njokuani has been seen in promotions like RFA, LFA, and Bellator, along with his older brother, Anthony, being a UFC veteran. He punched his ticket to the big show in 2021 on the Contender Series, and made the most of his opportunity by starching Marc-Andre Barriault in 15 seconds. "Chidi Chidi Bang Bang" is a talented and dangerous striker, holding thirteen wins via knockout. A Contender Series win also brought Dusko Todorovic (11-2) to the UFC, and he picked up a second round TKO to start his UFC career strong. Though he came up short in his next two outings, he rebounded in his last appearance with a 1st round knockout of Maki Pitolo with fiery ground and pound. Todorovic is a well-rounded threat who is never one to step away from a firefight.

71% of the Verdict Community see this fight as going Njokuani's way, with the most common pick being another first round KO. Only 29% expect this to go the distance, so keep your eyes peeled come fight time!

Polyana Viana vs. Tabatha Ricci

The second fight of our main card pits Brazil v. Brazil in a fun Strawweight clash.

Polyana Viana (12-4) came to the UFC with a plethora of finishes on the Brazilian regional scene, and continued that success with a 1st round submission in her debut. That gave way to a three-fight skid that saw her tenure in the promotion questioned, but she has since bounced back with two 1st round armbar finishes. Viana has secured each of her victories by stoppage, including eight by way of submission. Coming out of the LFA promotion, Tabatha Ricci (6-1) accepted a short notice bout against Flyweight contender Manon Fiorot to make her way to the UFC. Though that bout did not go her way, she scored a unanimous decision her last time out over Maria Oliveira. With three stoppages, Ricci is well rounded but most dangerous with her grappling offensive, holding a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and two world titles in BJJ.

A little over 69% of the Verdict Community like the offensive pace of Viana to win the fight, despite her being a slight underdog on the current betting lines! In addition, 48% see her winning a decision, which would be the first of Viana's career!

Eryk Anders vs. Jun Yong Park

Our main card opens with a fun Middleweight clash between two UFC veterans, always game for a fire fight.

Former Alabama football player Eryk Anders (14-6) came to the UFC with a perfect 8-0 record. Though he started strong with two straight finsihes, he went 3-5 over his next eight bouts. He stayed active in 2021, with a unanimous decision over Darren Stewart following a rematch that ended in a 'No Contest', but then suffered the first submission loss of his career to Andre Muniz. Anders is an explosive athlete with a well-rounded gameplan, and holds eight wins by way of knockout. Jun Yong Park (13-5) made his way to the UFC after putting together a seven-fight win streak on the regional circuit. Although he lost his debut to Anthony Hernandez, he rattled off three straight decision wins. He came up short in his last outing, losing by TKO to Gregory Rodrigues in a wild back-and-forth affair. Park is durable and puts an aggressive pace on his opponents, with eight finishes including five by (T)KO.

The Verdict Community is slightly on the side of Jun Yong Park, with 58% predicting he will win the bout with 68% also expecting this fight will go the distance, with 45% of those giving Park the nod.