UFC Vegas 13 - Full Card Breakdown & Predictions
THIAGO SANTOS VS GLOVER TEIXEIRA FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 13? Sunday 8th November, 2020 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 13? UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 13? No tickets are available as this event will take place without spectators
What channel is UFC Vegas 13 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 13? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
THIAGO SANTOS VS GLOVER TEIXEIRA
Thiago Santos (21-7) makes his return after his thrilling title fight with Jon Jones back in July last year. He earnt the shot after an impressive four-fight streak including a knockout over the current champion Jan Blachowicz. He had Jones in dark waters but blew his left knee out and partially tore the ACL in his right knee requiring surgeries on both knees. Those injuries early in the fight were such a shame as he looked great, hurting Jones with his power and even took him to a split decision carrying those catastrophic injuries. It is the price you pay for being a warrior as the torn ligaments were a result of continuing to throw kicks after the initial tears early in the fight and he has been rehabbing ever since.
Meanwhile, as Jan Blachowicz captured the vacant title, Glover Teixeira (31-7) has quietly stretched his winning streak to four and hopefully the winner of this fight will be granted a shot at the new champ. Teixeira’s streak started after his unanimous decision loss to Corey Anderson where he submitted Karl Roberson and Ion Cutelaba. He then earnt a tight decision over Nikita Krylov before putting a beating on Anthony Smith proving he has a lot of fuel in his final pursuit for UFC gold.
PREDICTION
Stats-wise, they match up very similarly. They are both 6’2” with a 76-inch reach and had 19 UFC fights with common opponents so their striking and grappling stats are very relevant here. They both have a virtually identical significant strike accuracy, defence and strikes landed per minute but Teixeira eats slightly more shots per minute (3.87) to Santos (2.19).
Santos also has a slightly higher output, but it is his speed and power that will give him the edge and he will be desperate to keep the fight on the feet. Teixeira is better technically, certainly in his hands, but Santos is unpredictable and can cause fight ending damage from anywhere.
Expect Teixeira to resort to his grappling and clinch up with Santos hoping to eventually gain top control to rain down ground-and-pound. Santos is also a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu but not quite on the same level as Teixeira so he will also have to defend the submission attempts if the fight does go to the floor.
If the Santos that started his fight with Jones turns up he will walk through Teixeira but after 16 months out repairing his knees, he may be more reluctant to throw his devastating leg kicks. He also has a lot of weight to cut and Teixeira will exploit any holes in his preparations.
Teixeira eats a lot of shots and when Santos lands, he hurts people so the difference will be Santos’ excellent takedown defence which will provide opportunities to offload that fight-ending power.
Prediction: Santos via KO/TKO
ANDREI ARLOVSKI VS TANNER BOSER
There is just no quit in the old Pitbull as Andrei Arlovski (29-19(2)) steps out for his 33rd UFC fight at the age of 41. Wins are not the easiest to come by fighting young, hungry lions but he is coming off a good win and unanimous decision over Philipe Lins back in May. This came after a brutal first round knockout loss courtesy of Jairzinho Rozenstruik and he earnt another unanimous decision win before that over Ben Rothwell but that triumph was his first in four fights and he is desperate to end his career on a winning streak.
However, the next hungry lion lined up for the legend is Tanner Boser (19-6-1). The former Unified MMA champion has looked great in recent fights despite a loss on his second UFC appearance. He had a successful debut earning a unanimous decision over Daniel Spitz and then ran into the unbeaten Ciryl Gane but was he the first man to take him to a decision. He has responded to that loss with a knockout over Lins and doubled up a month later with a knockout and ‘performance of the night’ against Raphael Pessoa in July.
PREDICTION
The former UFC champion’s role is now the gatekeeper of the division and Boser is tearing down that gate. Arlovski’s style has also changed, using his experience to fight more patiently and last more rounds with more of his fights going to decisions.
Boser is part of the new generation of heavyweights and what separates him from most lumps in the division is his speed and footwork. He moves like a light heavyweight which is going to cause Arlovski a host of problems.
The Belarussian’s experience can drag this fight into the second or third round, but this is very likely to end in a knockout with Boser’s movement likely to set up shots Arlovski will struggle to react to.
Prediction: Boser via KO/TKO
RAONI BARCELOS VS KHALID TAHA
Raoni Barcelos (15-1) is the dark horse in the stacked bantamweight division and has looked exceptional in his four UFC fights. He debuted at featherweight against Kurt Holobaugh, finishing him with a savage uppercut. He then dropped down to bantamweight submitting Chris Gutierrez, knocking out Carlos Huachin and is coming off a unanimous decision over the highly touted Said Nurmagomedov to extend his winning streak to eight.
Khalid Taha (13-2(1)) has had mixed fortunes so far in his UFC career. He also debuted at featherweight but lost a unanimous decision to Nad Narimani. However, he dropped to 135 lbs and knocked out Boston Salmon. He followed that up with a beautiful arm triangle on Bruno Gustavo da Silva but it was later overturned to a ‘no contest’ as USADA picked up an illegal substance - furosemide that was actually in his anti-inflammation medicine.
PREDICTION
Barcelos is a late replacement for Jack Shore but he will still be the favourite. He is 35 years old, but he continues to improve. He is an extremely strong grappler with high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu complimented by a wrestling background.
He is a beast on the ground and considering Narimani’s success in taking Taha down, Barcelos should have his way with him. That said, Barcelos prefers to apply his trade with his hands first and is expected to start hunting the chin.
This will make the fight more competitive as the German is a very dangerous striker. A stand-up battle will be exciting to see but with the grappling in Barcelos’ locker, you have to back the Brazilian.
Prediction: Barcelos via Decision
IAN HEINISCH VS BRENDAN ALLEN
Ian Heinisch (14-3) is back after one of his most impressive victories to date. After kicking off his UFC career with two unanimous decisions over Cezar Ferreira and Antonio Carlos Junior he then fell on the wrong side of decisions to Derek Brunson and then Omari Akhmedov. However, he met Gerald Meerschaert in June knocking him out in the first round.
He takes on Brendan Allen (15-3) who is becoming a serious threat in the division. The former Legacy Fighting Alliance middleweight champion is on a seven-fight win streak including three impressive hard-fought UFC wins. He submitted Kevin Holland, knocked out Tom Breese and is coming off a recent unanimous decision over Kyle Daukaus.
PREDICTION
Considering their talents and the bad blood here, this is an exciting match-up and destined to be a very competitive scrap. They are both extremely well-rounded and evenly matched, but Allen will boast a three-inch height and reach advantage and will also have the edge on the ground with his submission threat.
This fight is likely to end in a decision and will be tough to call. Heinisch is very hard to put away but if Allen is at his best he could pull off a submission.
Prediction: Allen via Decision
CLAUDIA GADELHA VS YAN XIAONAN
Claudia Gadelha (18-4) has fought at the highest level for six years now and is still picking up decent wins. She has lost to the best including Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Jessica Andrade in and amongst great wins. After edging Carla Esparza in 2018, she got outclassed on the feet by Nina Ansaroff in a unanimous decision but she has responded with a unanimous decision over Randa Markos and a razor thin split decision over Angela Hill in her last fight.
Yan Xiaonan (12-1(1)) does not have the name power of Gadelha, but she is storming her way up to the top of the division and has not lost in over 10 years. She has won all five of her UFC fights via unanimous decision and her last two wins over Angela Hill and Karolina Kowalkiewicz have forced fans to take notice.
PREDICTION
They match up similarly physically although Gadelha will have the power advantage. They are both well-rounded, but Gadelha will hold the slight advantage in the grappling department and Xiaonan is the better striker with a vast array of technical strikes which is likely to be the difference.
If her 75% takedown defence holds up, she will be able to light Gadelha up with kicks from range, combinations in the pocket as well as knees and elbows in the clinch. Xiaonan can grapple but her diverse arsenal will overwhelm Gadelha so she will try and keep the fight standing.
It is hard to back against Gadelha with her experience, but she is starting to slow down whereas Yan is reaching her prime and an impressive win could propel her into title contention.
Prediction: Xiaonan via Decision
TREVIN GILES VS BEVON LEWIS
Trevin Giles (12-2) is coming off his ‘fight of the night’ and split decision win over James Krause. He was scheduled to fight Antonio Arroya who pulled out the day before and ended up picking up his biggest win. Krause deserves all of the respect for stepping up and arguably won the fight, but Giles also deserves credit for accepting the fight and showing the character in bouncing back from back-to-back submission losses to Zak Cummings and Gerald Meerschaert.
Bevon Lewis (7-2) is also coming off a win in response to back-to-back losses. After arriving to the UFC unbeaten at 6-0, he met Uriah Hall and his right hand getting knocked out and then lost a unanimous decision to Darren Stewart. However, he got back in the win column by outpointing Dequan Townsend back in January.
PREDICTION
This is a very close match-up on paper and should mainly be contested on the feet. Lewis is the slight favourite and will boast a five-inch reach and three-inch height advantage. If he can utilise that advantage to outland, Giles may try and take Lewis down.
This is going to be very competitive and as long as Giles does not have any complications in his weight cut like he did with his cancelled Holland fight, we back him to pull off the win.
Prediction: Giles via Decision
GIGA CHIKADZE VS JAMEY SIMMONS
Giga Chikadze (15-8) steps out for the fourth time this year and looks to continue his roll and make it five UFC wins out of five. The Georgian is on a six-fight win streak after earning split decisions over Brandon Davis and Jamall Emmers and then pulled off more convincing decisions over Irwin Rivera and Omar Morales.
He welcomes Jamey Simmons (7-2) to the octagon who is on a three-fight streak himself. He made his sole appearance for the Legacy Fighting Alliance back in June last year but ate Jake Childers knee to suffer his second loss. He responded by knocking out Nick Spina and Morgan Sickinger before submitting Shawn West.
PREDICTION
Simmons has fought for a variety of promotions but the UFC and Chikadze is a huge step-up. The Georgian is the obvious favourite with a clear technical advantage on the feet that will only be exacerbated by his significant height and reach advantage.
Combine this with his experience, Chikadze is expected to pepper Simmons on the feet, landing at will and may land enough damage to secure a late finish and his first UFC knockout.
Prediction: Chikadze via KO/TKO
MARCOS ROGERIO DE LIMA VS ALEXANDER ROMANOV
This fight is back on after Marcos Rogerio de Lima (17-6-1) got struck down by COVID-19 prior to UFC Vegas 9. He is coming off a vintage performance and the 12th knockout of his career when he put Ben Sosoli away in the first round. This win kept up his win/loss pattern in the UFC struggling to string two wins together and he will be desperate to avoid another loss let alone a submission.
Fortunately, Alexander Romanov (12-0) still managed to make his debut at UFC Vegas 10 against Roque Martinez and extended his perfect record. He racked up his seventh career submission to keep up his 100% finishing rate but this fight against de Lima will go further in proving whether he is UFC calibre. The Moldovan slayed in the local Eagles Fighting Championship and had a perfect debut against Martinez, but the Brazilian is a big step-up in competition.
PREDICTION
De Lima is a very good match-up for Romanov. The Brazilian is very inconsistent and will have a predictable game plan. He is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but he has been finished on the ground four times in his last eight fights.
Romanov is no Fabricio Werdum, but he is very effective in getting his opponents to the ground and unleashing ferocious ground-and-pound which sets up his knockouts or submissions.
If Romanov can get de Lima to the ground, we can expect another submission or knockout, but he cannot stay on the feet for too long against the seasoned veteran.
Prediction: Romanov via Submission
DARREN ELKINS VS LUIZ EDUARDO GARAGORRI
The war beaten Darren Elkins (24-9) put on his best run in the UFC which included his amazing comeback win over Mirsad Bektic, split decision over Dennis Bermudez and submission over Michael Johnson. However, the damage has taken its toll and after the current champ Alexander Volkanovski outclassed him snapping his six-fight win streak, he has slumped to four losses in a row thanks to Ricardo Lamas, Ryan Hall and Nate Landwehr.
Luiz Eduardo Garagorri (13-1) is coming off the first loss of his career which came a year ago against Ricardo Ramos who submitted him in the first round. The Uruguayan got his UFC career off to a great start by earning a unanimous decision against Humberto Bandenay but the holes in his takedown defence were exposed in his last fight.
PREDICTION
All 22 of Elkins’ UFC fights combined with the fact he is preventing a five-fight skid mean he is likely to play it safe and try to take Garagorri down. He has dangerous jiu-jitsu but Elkins’ wrestling should be enough to subdue him for three rounds.
If the fight plays out on the feet you should back Garagorri who is an excellent striker but if Elkins suffocates him with his wrestling, we will see an uneventful decision.
Prediction: Elkins via Decision
MAX GRIFFIN VS RAMIZ BRAHIMAJ
Max Griffin (15-8) has slumped to 3-6 in the UFC after two losses in a row. His last seven fights have been hard-fought decisions, but he has struggled to sway the judges. He managed to convince them enough to edge past Zelim Imadaev but he lost a unanimous decision to Alex Morono and now is coming off split decision loss to Alex Oliveira.
He welcomes Ramiz Brahimaj (8-2) to the UFC who has applied his trade for the Legacy Fighting Alliance. He is 2-2 in his last four but is coming off a win over Carlos Martinez keeping up his 100% submission rate. However, he has not fought in a while with that arm-triangle over Martinez occuring in March last year.
PREDICTION
Brahimaj only deals in submissions and the game plan will be obvious. He will look to take Griffin down to snatch a limb, neck or anything. He is a weapon on the ground and if he can take Griffin down, it could be a matter of time.
Griffin is a huge step-up in competition and is better everywhere apart from the ground, especially on the feet. His kickboxing alone can knock Brahimaj out, but his striking will count for nothing on his back.
Griffin is a good wrestler, but this fight will all be about his takedown defence which is 66% in the UFC. He is usually the one taking his opponents down, but he should have technique to defend the attempts of Brahimaj. So, expect a Griffin decision but do not be surprised if Brahimaj hands him his first submission loss.
Prediction: Griffin via Decision
GUSTAVO LOPEZ VS ANTHONY BIRCHAK
Gustavo Lopez (11-5) is coming off his UFC debut loss to Merab Dvalishvili back in June. However, it was not really a loss as he filled in for Ray Borg last minute and deserves a ton of credit for accepting a fight and taking the experienced machine that is Dvalishvili to a decision, let alone as a late replacement. This broke his three-fight win streak he compiled under the Combate Americas banner but now he hopes to pick that form back up and show the UFC what he is capable of.
Anthony Birchak (16-6) replaces Felipe Colares who tested positive for COVID-19 and embarks on his second stint in the UFC. He went 2-2 in his first stint between 2014-2016 with wins over Joe Soto and Dileno Lopes but lost to Ian Entwhistle and Thomas Almeida. After an unsuccessful run in the Rizin bantamweight tournament he is now coming off three wins in a row – a TKO over Adam Martinez (Combate Americas) and two rear-naked chokes over Raphael Montini de Lima (Legacy Fighting Alliance) and Erik Radleim (Combate).
PREDICTION
Birchak is very experienced but is taking this fight on just four days notice. Although his promising career stuttered a few years ago it looks like he is experiencing a resurgence and he will give Lopez everything he has got.
Although Lopez has been preparing for Colares, he has had a training camp and is in great shape which will give him the edge here. We can expect a mixture of striking and grappling where Birchak’s wrestling will be his best weapon but Lopez’ output could just get him over the line in a decision but this is a very tough one to call.