UFC Vegas 48 Pre-fight Preview
Johnny Walker vs. Jamahal Hill
After Jamahal Hill quickly finished Jimmy Crute in his last fight, he immediately got on the mic and called out Johnny Walker. Hill got what he asked for, as he’ll compete in his first UFC main event against Walker at UFC Vegas 48. Nearly half of the Verdict Community is predicting Hill to finish Walker by knockout, with 42% expecting it to come in the first 2 rounds. Walker last competed in a lacklustre fight against Thiago Santos. This was Walker’s first UFC main event. Prior to his fight against Santos, Walker was known for always pushing the action. He fought at a slow pace against Santos and that could be attributed to the fight being 5 rounds. Walker appeared as if he was trying to conserve his energy, but that worked against him as he couldn’t pull the trigger. Walker has the opportunity to bounce back, as he’ll compete in his 2nd scheduled 5 round fight against Hill. Out of his 18 career wins, Walker has only one win by decision. Hill has gone the full 5 rounds once in his career when he defeated Dequan Townsend to become the KOP Light Heavyweight Champion. If Hill defeats Walker, expect him to ask for another big fight in his post-fight speech.
Kyle Daukaus vs. Jamie Pickett
Kyle Daukaus was originally supposed to fight Julian Marquez at this event, but Marquez withdrew from the fight due to undisclosed reasons. Jamie Pickett stepped in on short notice to fight Daukaus at a catchweight of 195 lbs. Daukas is the biggest favorite on the card, with 80% of the Verdict Community predicting him to defeat Pickett. Daukaus is coming off of a No Contest against Kevin Holland, in a fight where Holland was compromised by an accidental clash of heads. It looked like the fight was originally going to be declared a TKO win for Daukaus, but officials declared the bout a No Contest after reviewing the footage of the fight. This fight will mark the first UFC main card appearance by Pickett.
Parker Porter vs. Alan Baudot
Normally when there’s a Heavyweight fight on a card, the majority of the Verdict Community predict it to end by stoppage. This fight is the exception, with 64% predicting it to go to a decision. Parker Porter is coming off back to back wins against Chase Sherman and Josh Parisian. If Porter defeats Baudot, this would mark the first time in Porter’s 15 year career that he’s won more than 2 consecutive fights.
Jim Miller vs. Nikolas Motta
When Jim Miller made his UFC debut in 2008, no fighter from this main card with the exception of Parker Porter had made their professional MMA debut. History is on the line with this fight, as if Miller defeats Motta, he’ll tie Donald Cerrone for the most wins in UFC history at 23. The Verdict Community is confident in Miller, with 78% predicting him to defeat Motta.
Joaquin Buckley vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan
Joaquin Buckley has a 77% knockout rate while Alhassan has a 100% knockout rate. It’s no surprise that 75% of the Verdict Community are predicting this fight to end by knockout. This is the closest fight of the card, as the community is almost dead split on who they think will win. Both Buckley and Alhassan are coming off of knockout wins where they earned performance of the night honors. This fight will kick off the main card for UFC Vegas 48. Don’t blink.
