UFC Vegas 75: Vettori vs. Cannonier Main Event Prediction

UFC VEGAS 75: VETTORI VS. CANNONIER MAIN EVENT PREDICTION- Our main event fighters this week are in a tough position. Both have lost to the current champion recently and are now trying to find their footing within the top of the division.

Marvin Vettori is fresh off a victory over Roman Dolidze back in March, looking to string together a winning streak for the first time since early 2020.

His opponent, Jared Cannonier, picked up a split decision victory at the last event of 2022 over Sean Strickland, hoping to close his career out with a couple more wins as he nears 40 years old.

Will Vettori add another top ranked middleweight to his record? Or will Cannonier get his second straight win in a row? Read on to find out how these middleweights match up and if there is a lucrative side to this coin-flip matchup.

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Marvin Vettori

There wasn’t much method to the madness of Vettori when he made it to the UFC.

He was just a big, strong, over-powering fighter who imposed his will on his opponents with his grappling. A couple fights into his stint with the company, he moved his training camp to Kings MMA in California, and we saw a legitimate transformation in his game. Consequently, we a much more polished version of him now.

Vettori put together a five-fight winning streak to eventually earn a rematch with the last person who defeated him, Israel Adesanya. However, the champion showcased why he’s at the top of the division. Vettori had no answer for Adesanya’s slick striking style. Adesanya also showcased improved takedown and clinch defense to nullify most Vettori’s game.

The Clinch

At his best, Vettori is able to shut down his opponent’s game by clinching them or dragging them to the mat.

He is one of the strongest fighters in the middleweight division, which is why he was so successful during his rise up the ranks.

Unfortunately, unless Vettori improves other aspects of his game, he won’t have much of an answer for fighters that can stop his grappling. His striking is improving, something we saw in his last fight against Dolidze, but it’s still a work in progress.

He no longer trains at Kings MMA. Consequently, he has set up shop in Las Vegas where he can take advantage of the UFC Performance Institute as well as the many gyms and training partners the city has to offer.

Jared Cannonier

After dropping down to the middleweight division in 2018, it was just a matter of time before Cannonier would earn himself a title shot.

He had a minor slip up against Robert Whittaker in a fight where Cannonier incurred an injury. However, he put together two straight wins afterwards and the UFC finally matched him up with Israel Adesanya last July.

As many expected, Adesanya cruised past Cannonier en route to a decision victory. It was a very underwhelming performance from both guys, but it looked like Adesanya played it very safe to shut down the power striking style of Cannonier.

The Kickboxing Skills

Cannonier does his best work when he can flow at kickboxing range with his power striking style.

He shows great takedown defense, which has allowed him to operate in the striking realm where he butchers opponents or finishes them. A perfect example of this was his win over Jack Hermansson in Hermansson’s backyard. Cannonier stopped the takedown attempts early and then put Hermansson away with vicious strikes.

Even when he goes a full 25 minutes, he’s been able to defeat some of the top fighters in the division like Kelvin Gastelum and Sean Strickland. It’s his consistency with his output, switching up his targets often, and looking like he is landing with significance every time he throws.

The Pick

Something that has rang true through most decisions recently is the person who is constantly landing more damage likely gets their hand raised.

Based on that narrative alone, it feels like Cannonier should be the side in this fight. Vettori is making improvements with his striking, but Cannonier will have an edge in that realm, and he’ll have the ability to keep this fight upright where he can keep landing big shots.

The OVER isn’t a bad idea as well considering both men have great durability. Cannonier hasn’t been finished in the middleweight division and Vettori has never been stopped. In terms of a side, I’ll go with Cannonier based off more accumulative damage.

Jared Cannonier -110 & Over 4.5 -200