The MMA Daily

After a fun PPV card, the UFC returns to the APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada with a fun card on ESPN. Headlining the event is the Korean Zombie Chan Sung Jung, who looks to bounce back against Featherweight contender Dan Ige. In what should be an awesome fight, the winner of this fight will put themselves right into the title picture. One in which is crowded, with Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez matching up in what should be a title eliminator. Anyways, this fight is one you should not miss. Both men are extremely durable and have already fought in some epic fights. The ingredients here are exactly what required for the recipe of a barnburner, so don’t blink.

UFC Vegas 29 Main Card On ESPN2/ESPN+ (7 p.m. ET):

145 lbs.: Chan Sung Jung vs. Dan Ige – It’s kind of crazy that Dan Ige called for this fight long ago and now it comes to fruition. It’s a fun fight and unquestionably has the feels and ingredients to be a Fight of the Night or even Year. Chan Sung Jung AKA the Korean Zombie returns to the octagon after dropping a title eliminator fight against Brian Ortega. A bittersweet feeling for TKZ, as he was closing in on a title shot. A chance to rebound comes in the form 50k Ige. With seven wins in his last eight fights, Ige is a certainly a contender to look out for. To put out the surging Gavin Tucker in 22 seconds was really eye opening. So much so, it granted him his wish to fight TKZ.

As for a prediction, give me TKZ. His durability is relatively unmatched, and his striking is just so good. I’m not really sure what happened in his fight against Brian Ortega, but he looked flat. Perhaps, the threat of Ortega getting the fight to the ground changed his approach, but his grappling is really good – borderline underrated. In what should be a back-and-forth brawl, I liken TKZ to come out on top. Let’s say via fourth round TKO.

265 lbs.: Aleksei Oleinik vs. Serghei Spivac – Part of me hopes Aleksei Oleinik pulls off a victory here, but the man is 900 years old and is as stiff as an ironing board. Perhaps Serghei Spivak’s lack of standing power aids Oleinik in his pursuit for sixty wins in mixed martial arts. The again, the Russian has been finished in four of his last six fights. Add another to that total, as I believe Spivac win this fight via TKO.

135 lbs.: Davey Grant vs. Marlon Vera – The resurgence of Davey Grant is fun, but this is Marlon Vera’s fight to lose. Grant is a solid grappler and submission threat, with his striking and power slowly becoming a threat in his arsenal. Problem is, he’s more serviceable than good at striking. Meanwhile, Vera is well rounded and should comfortably control the fight wherever it goes. So with that, give me Vera to win via decision.

145 lbs.: Julian Erosa vs. Seungwoo Choi – This is a toss up. The confidence of Julian Erosa is at an all-time high, having winning back-to-back fights via knockout. The problem that lies in the way of a third victory is if he can shrug off the takedowns of Seungwoo Choi. If he can, I believe Erosa’s volume and aggressiveness should alone edge him out a hard fought decision victory.

185 lbs.: Bruno Silva vs. Wellington Turman – I’ve been high on Bruno Silva before the UFC signed him. Obviously it’s disappointing that he tested hot before debuting in the UFC, missing two years in the process. However, I’m still on board. Silva via knockout!

170 lbs.: Matt Brown vs. Dhiego Lima – The odds of this fight seem a little off. I mean, Dhiego Lima has certainly bounced back of recent, but his skillset isn’t anything that Matt Brown should be terribly worried about. For one, Lima isn’t that good of a striker. He throws little volume, is inaccurate and doesn’t offer much power. His wrestling is pretty good, so that might be where he can get Brown. Then again, I liken the ground game of Brown to get back to his feet, where he owns several advantage. In a fun fight, give me the upset minded Brown to win via decision.

UFC Vegas 29 Prelims Card On ESPN2/ESPN+ (4 p.m. ET):

205 lbs.: Aleksa Camur vs. Nicolae Negumereanu – This is a clear bounce back fight for Aleska Camur. The only thing that’s in question in this fight, is if Camur gets the finish. I’ll say no, as Camur wins via decision.

115 lbs.: Virna Jandiroba vs. Kanako Murata – People might be high on Kanako Murata, and that’s fine. However, Virna Jandiroba is the more established and experienced fighter. It’s one thing to pad your record with no names, it’s another to become the Invicta FC Champion and fight top UFC fighters. The odds might be close, but that’s not how I feel. Give me Jandiroba to win via submission.

170 lbs.: Matthew Semelsberger vs. Khaos Williams – If Matthew Semelsberger can survive the initial storm of Khaos Williams, he probably will wear on him and out strike him for the next two rounds. However, I don’t think Semelsberger makes it to round two. It’s one thing to fight Carlton Minus and Jason Witt, it’s another to fight a vicious striker like Williams. So with that, give me Williams to win via knockout.

265 lbs.: Roque Martinez vs. Josh Parisian – This is truly the bottom of the barrel at Heavyweight and I’m all in (not really) on Roque Martinez here. Both men seem to have pretty good durability and cardio, but I foresee Martinez doing everything possible to win. That means, takedown Josh Parisian. In what might be a sloppy fight decided on the few takedowns, give me Martinez to get his first UFC victory via decision.

155 lbs.: Rick Glenn vs. Joaquim Silva – Rick Glenn has time and time again turned fights in which I thought he had no chance, into sloppy affairs that he wins or it’s extremely close. Given his layoff and that he makes the jump to Lightweight, I liken the durability and power of Joaquim Silva to put Glenn out via knockout.

125 lbs.: Casey O’Neill vs. Lara Procopio – This fight could turn into a heavy grappling affair, which given what we’ve seen by both ladies thus far – it’s hard to give the edge to anyone. And while Lara Procopio is the more experienced veteran, it’s the undefeated Aussie Casey O’Neill I’m picking. Her debut gave me insight into what I believe to be a future contender at Flyweight. Obviously her striking needs work, but her grappling and top control are polished enough to run through some Flyweights while her striking catches up. So with that, give me O’Neill to win via decision.