UFC Fight Night 206 is headlined by the ladies’ bantamweight clash between Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira. This could be the clash for the next title challenger, but that is still not confirmed as Julianna Pena and Amanda Nunez have to sort out their situation regarding the rematch.
The men’s welterweight bout between Santiago Pozinibbio and Michel Pereira is the co-main event. Pereira is on the rise, while Pozinibbio struggles to stay relevant in the division.
Stay tuned for two previews with BetXchange odds and the safest possible picks.
Holm VS Vieira
Holly Holm is one of the most decorated fighters in the UFC and women’s combat sports in general. She is the only person to win both the boxing and the UFC title, and is arguably the greatest ever living female fighter in the USA. This is her last run at the belt, and that is why many believe that if she wins, the next step would be a title match.
We haven’t seen Holm in the octagon since 2020 when she beat Raquel Pennington and Irene Aldana both via unanimous decisions. Previously she lost via TKO against Amanda Nunes in the title bout.
On the other side, Vieira is the No.6 in the bantamweight rankings. She was perfect until 2018, after which the American began posting mixed results. She suffered a loss to Irene Aldana and Yana Kunitskaya and in between, defeated Sijara Eubanks and Miesha Tate in her last bout in November 2021.
We don’t need to talk too much about Holm. Her style is already known among the MMA fans. She moves very lightly inside the octagon, uses her jab to control the opponent, and knows to inflict serious punching combos as soon as she gets the chance for it. After all, she was the boxing champion.
Vieira is a completely different type of fighter, the one that likes to take the business down to the mat. She is much better at grappling and wrestling than on her feet.
Vieira’s standup is much worse than Holm’s grappling and we believe that the former champion has what it takes to defend herself from takedowns and impose her own style of fight. The bookmakers are sure of Holm’s victory, and so are we.
Pick: Holms 1/3 at BetXchange
Pozinibbio VS Pereira
Pozinibbio was one of the most promising welterweight fighters, but his injuries and health problems ruined what could have been a great career, and maybe even prevented him from winning the title. Since returning to the ring after a two-year layoff, Pozinibbio lost to Li Jingliang, then beat Miguel Baeza before suffering a defeat to Geoff Neal via split decision at the UFC 269.
On the other side, Pereira has four straight wins against Imadaev, Khaos Williams, Niko Price, and at last vs. Andre Fialho at the UFC 270. He is pushing hard towards the top of the division, and in case of winning here, he could earn a title eliminator, according to some of the analysts.
Pozinibbio is a ferocious puncher, the one that inflicts immediate damage once in the pocket. However, we need to add that his speed was severely downgraded following all the injuries. Compared to before, he is at least 15 to 20% slower.
Meanwhile, Pereira is a very fluid kicker who likes to mix his attacks, but overall, the one thing that is certain with his style is a constant control of the distance between him and the rival. He isn’t very keen on getting into a close and dirty brawl.
The raw power of Pereira is the only reason why we back up his victory here. The 28-year-old is in better shape, despite having to cut down a lot of his weight, and we believe that sooner or later, he will break Pozinibbio.
Pick:Pereira 2/3 at BetXchange
