UFC events such as Fight Night never fail to impress. This summer the company has blessed us with UFC Fight Night 243. The event will be held at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 24th. Yes, there is plenty of fighting to occur before this event, but we believe that the time is right to start preparing everyone for what's to come in August.
Despite failing to attract some of the biggest names in the UFC, UFC Vegas 96 still promises to be a lot of fun for both passionate MMA fans and casual onlookers. Regardless of which group you belong to reading this article and moments after it are the right moment to set your mind on your UFC picks for the upcoming event. To help you decide we have singled out the biggest duels of the upcoming UFC Fight Night 243.
Dennis Buzukja vs. Danny Silva
Let's start with the preliminary round. The fun begins with the Dennis Buzukja vs. Danny Silva duel. Both men are ambitious fighters and are looking to join the main card sooner rather than later. Dennis and Danny are coming in strong and want to make a name for themselves as soon as possible. At the moment we're looking at two unknowns and it is hard to pinpoint their positions in the latest UFC betting markets on leading online sports betting platforms like Stake.com
During his latest outing, Dennis Buzukja managed to defeat Connor Matthews via TKO bringing his professional MMA tally to 12-4. While these numbers appear to be impressive, Danny Silva has even more bragging rights. Silva has lost only one professional bout at the hands of Canaan Kawaihae. Putting that aside he has accumulated nine wins in the process. While there are plenty of fighters in the UFC with similar resumes, his style and determination put his head above the rest. Also, he is on a hot three-win streak and it wouldn't be a surprise if he adds fourth here. Young and upcoming fighters such as Silva and Buzukja are the reasons why you need to keep an eye on events such as UFC Fight Night 243.
Cong Wang vs. Victoria Leonardo
The Flyweight division manages to shore new and interesting fighters from time to time. While both Cong Wang and Victoria Leonardo are not young fighters, they're the ones we're talking about. MMA is so much fun in the flyweight category and we're sure that Wang and Leonardo have plenty to offer in terms of good fighting. The girls that go under nicknames The Joker and Fury are a recipe for fun.
To no one's surprise, Cong is the betting favorite to win this bout. She's on a hot streak, knows how to finish opponents, and is currently ranked as the #6 fighters in the division which is a clear testimony to her battle prowess. Add to the equation the fact that she's still undefeated in the UFC and the picture gets even clearer. If you're looking at our expert UFC picks and predictions, put your money on Wang.
Victoria Leonardo is a fighter we hold in high esteem but so far in her career, she has been hot and cold. A score of nine wins and five defeats doesn't impress anyone. Her form especially dipped in recent times as she only has two wins out of her last five outings. Having her paired against Wang is a recipe for a disaster when you think about it.
Leonardo is shorter, slower, has less of a reach, and a few pounds less. Nothing favors her to win and we can't see her coming out victorious. On the other hand, Wang is building a fine MMA resume after her kickboxing career and we see her rising through the ranks. This time she's a part of the preliminary round but in the not-so-distant future, we see her headlining UFC main events.
Michael Morales vs. Neil Magny
Here is a duel that is going to set UFC Vegas 96 on fire. The clash of the worlds between Morales and Magny will be the talk of the show on Aug. 24th at UFC Apex. Morales is a fighter on the rise and mixed martial artists from Ecuador do not know defeat in his professional career. In this stage of his career, an experienced fighter such as Neil Magny is the right choice for an opponent and a chance to further cement his young legacy.
This is the match that stands out in the plethora of fine duels that we're going to see at UFC Apex during UFC Fight Night 243. Morales will be looking to win the 17th match of his career and avoid first defeat. After defeating Jake Matthews last year and recovering from an injury it appears that nothing is stopping this man.
Magny is approaching this duel from a different angle. The American MMA fighter who has spent most of his career as a welterweight combatant has 40 matches in his career. In recent years he is usually pitted against the young and upcoming dogs and has proven to be a tough pill to swallow. He made a fine comeback in January with a win against Mike Malott and will be looking to continue the streak against Morales. If you're a betting man and follow UFC and MMA on Stake you know that he's given little chances to do so. Yet, there's still a chance, right?
José Medina vs. Zachary Reese
José Medina vs. Zachary Reese has all the makings of a future classic. If you want to Bet on UFC online this match provides an opportunity to make countless combinations. Savage Reese started his career on a high note and currently holds a 7-1 record. Medina, his opponent, is on a similar trajectory currently standing at 11-3. Both are looking to rise through the middleweight division rankings and UFC Fight Night 243 provides a great opportunity for both.
Reese is entering this match fully rested after ending his last bout in a 20-second win against Julian Marquez. This fight occurred at UFC on ESPN 57 in Louisville. This duel was a great way to bounce back from his first professional defeat which happened in December last year. Zachary had a bad start to his UFC career but now it appears that things are settling the right way.
Jose Medina will also be looking to get his career back on track after being defeated by Magomed Gadzhiyasulov almost one year ago. Contender Series will be an event he will want to put behind him and another opportunity provided by Dana White needs to be seized by Medina. As a man who, before the named defeat, won ten out of his eleven matches and was on a streak of six wins can certainly do that.
Roman Kopylov vs. Brunno Ferreira
Kopylov vs. Ferreira is going to be one of the main matches at UFC Fight Night 243. Middleweight division is open as it ever was and there's a path to success for both of these men. Unfortunately, one will have to lose this one. With the styles Roman and Brunno nurture we can see this one ending before the final bell rings.
From the get-go, Roman is seen as a favorite to win this one. With a 13-3 record and an amazing win against Cesar Almeida at UFC 302, he has proven that all the necessary tools for success are there. It is a special kind of win when you give someone their first defeat and Roman did this for Cesar. Kopylov is a fighter who knows how to battle diversity and his rocky start to his UFC career is proof of this. After two initial defeats, he has now won five out of his six bouts. Also, among all of his wins, only one didn't come by KO. This is enough to have every opponent on his toes.
Brunno Ferreira is not one to back down from a challenge. But, youth and inexperience could be his downfall. As far as UFC goes he only has 4 bouts to his name with 3 of those being wins. During his career, he amassed 12 wins with only one defeat and that one came on his UFC debut against Nursulton Ruziboev in July of 2022. Those who failed to take the best out of him are Phil Hawes, Dustin Stoltzfus, and Gregory Rodrigues.
While Roman is the favorite entering this bout, it is a hard task to pick a winner. Both fighters are hard hitters, so if you want to put out a bet, make it revolve around a knockout.
Angela Hill vs. Tabatha Ricci
The UFC strawweight division has some of the most interesting fighters in the world of MMA. Hill and Ricci fit that bill. UFC Apex will be a witness to the duel between two polarizing ladies Angela and Tabatha. Once the talks of their bout started circling both were more than eager to confirm the fight.
Angela Hill is a hit/miss fighter and she has a 17-13 score to prove this. Her bouts are either slugfests she loses or quick finishes in her hands. Prior to this event, she was the #9 ranked fighters in the UFC strawweight division. The recent defeat to Mackenzie Dern was a wake-up call for her and she won her two following matches against Denise Gomes and Luana Pinheiro respectively. Her resume is a rich one even without those wins but they certainly helped her achieve the most wins in the history of the division and also the title of a fighter with most matches.
Tabatha Ricci will have to look past this if she's to continue her successful UFC career that currently stands at 5 wins and two defeats (10-2 in her professional MMA career). Ricci has been a member of UFC since 2021 and never looked back. The number #11 ranked fighter is coming strong into this event after beating Tecia Pennington back in May.
Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Gerald Meerschaert
Last but not least is the main event of UFC Fight Night 243. Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Gerald Meerschaert has all the makings of the main event and the chances are small that it's going to disappoint. UFC Vegas 96 will be home to this three-round bout which will headline the event. Edmen Shahbazyan is one of those fighters who entered the UFC undefeated (7-0). Of course, the opponents got tougher and his UFC record is only 6-4. Even the start to his UFC career was stellar as it was blessed with three wins before being followed by three defeats. Since then he changed gyms and is now 2-1 after the shift.
Gerald Meerschaert is nowhere as young and inexperienced with more than 50 bouts to his name. The 36-17 record is nothing to scoff at. The master of submission won 20 fights in the UFC with 10 of those coming in via submission. Now, he's the stopping stone for younger fighters and many of them fail to climb the mountain that Gerald Meerschaert is. Will Edmen Shahbazyan manage to do it, remains to be seen. Bookies have him as the hot favorite but we wouldn't bet against Gerald. This could be a tricky match for both, but if Edmen plans on sticking in the UFC and even growing as a fighter he needs to win when headlining events such as UFC Fight Night 243.
Summary
The hot Nevada nights are going to be even hotter in August. The UFC made sure of it. UFC Fight Night 243 is an event you do not want to miss. Yes, it lacks household MMA names, but we're sure that even in the preliminary card there are names that will become famous in MMA circles. So, tune in to UFC Vegas 96 in one month and enjoy the festival of fighting in Las Vegas on August 24th.
