Preview: UFC 318 Prelims

Middleweights

Brunno Ferreira (13-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. Jackson McVey (6-0, 0-0 UFC)

BETTING ODDS: Ferreira (-600), McVey (+440)

“The Hulk” has proven to be a fitting nickname for Ferreira, as his approach generally centers around smashing his opponent and figuring out the rest later. There isn’t much structure in how Ferreira dictates his fights, but he’s an extremely dangerous power puncher. His upset knockout of Gregory Rodrigues in his UFC debut proved that off the bat, and he has continued to find finishes even in fights where things have started to head south. Ferreira’s most recent win over Armen Petrosyan in March even saw him fight with some new ideas, ending the bout with a surprise takedown into an armbar. Ferreira takes on a UFC newcomer and late replacement in McVey, who was slated for his late-notice debut three weeks ago but fell into this opportunity once his opponent and Ferreira’s were unable to fight. McVey is an interesting prospect, even if he’s clearly getting here a few years early.



“The Moose” is massive for the division and awkward as a result, but he has a focused game with some surprisingly effective aspects. McVey is mostly content to rush forward and tie up with his opponents, at which point he has shown some tricky submissions and some vicious work in the clinch. This all comes with the caveat that he has been facing a poor level of competition, so it’s unclear how much of that will hold at the UFC level. McVey still could find some wins going forward, but there’s nothing to indicate he’s prepared to face a proven power puncher like Ferreira. The pick is Ferreira via first-round knockout.

Continue Reading »
Oliveira vs. Phillips
Allen vs. Vettori
Prado vs. Veretennikov
Gautier vs. Valentin
Dulatov vs. Fugitt
Crute vs. Prachnio
Spann vs. Brzeski
Ferreira vs. McVey
Judice vs. Caliari