UFC St. Louis important card odds, breakdowns and predictions | X-Issue

This weekend (Sat., Might 11, 2024), Final Combating Championship (UFC) hits the highway to to Enterprise Heart in St. Louis, Mo., for UFC St. Louis. Although preliminary responses to the principle occasion between Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento had been fairly unfavourable, the general card has since come collectively to be higher than anticipated. Joaquin Buckley hustling his solution to the co-main occasion slot definitely helped, however all six of the principle card fights seem to vow motion or an early stoppage.

UFC St. Louis’ undercard leaves one thing to be desired outdoors of Slava Borshchev vs. Chase Hooper, however that’s not my duty right here. Let’s dig into all the principle card fights main as much as the co-main occasion:

Mild Heavyweight: Alonzo Menifield (+165) vs. Carlos Ulberg (-225)

Finest Win for Menifield? Jimmy Crute For Ulberg? Jung Da-UnCurrent Streak: Menifield is unbeaten in his final 5 fights, whereas Ulberg has gained 5 in a rowX-Issue: It’s an enormous step up in competitors for UlbergHow these two match up: This one won’t final lengthy …

Menifield has a silly quantity of energy in his fists, and the issue is that “Atomic” is nicely conscious of it. He’s responsible of failing to arrange his greatest swings or develop a lot of a recreation outdoors of hitting absurdly arduous, however in his protection, it really works as a rule. Ulberg can also be persistently knocking out his opposition, nevertheless it doesn’t often come all the way down to pure pressure. The Kiwi kickboxer does actually good work at managing distance, utilizing his feints to get a learn on his opponent, then timing counter pictures — traditional Metropolis Kickboxing stuff.

It is a actually main bounce in competitors for Ulberg. Menifield will not be an ideal technician, however he’s ranked No. 11 on the earth for a motive. He has the power to threaten Ulberg together with his enormous punches and talent to shut the space instantly, and his occasional takedown makes an attempt might show an element as nicely.

He’s additionally a canine … and we’ve by no means seen Ulberg in a warfare of attrition.

On the similar time, Ulberg is solely the higher striker by a good margin, and he additionally hits arduous sufficient to harm his opponent. He’ll must keep away from any enormous errors, however Ulberg ought to discover success in his try to interrupt into the High 15.

Prediction: Ulberg by way of resolution

Light-weight: Carlos Diego Ferreira (+200) vs. Mateusz Rebecki (-280)

Finest Win for Ferreira? Anthony Pettis For Rebecki? Roosevelt RobertsCurrent Streak: Ferreira gained his final bout, whereas Rebecki is 3-0 within the UFCX-Issue: Ferreira is 39 years oldHow these two match up: Good Lightweights hardly ever fail to ship nice fights.

Ferreira achieved much more than most anticipated. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace developed his striker and wrestling to turn into a fierce stress fighter, which resulted in a top quality six-fight win streak that pushed him into the High 10. He’s since fallen down the ranks a bit, however Ferreira stays a really harmful veteran in a stacked division.

Poland’s Rebecki is one in all many severe Light-weight prospects. 19-1 as knowledgeable, the fireplug of a wrestler has a dominating prime recreation and heavy palms, traits which have mixed for 16 finishes thus far.

It is a huge take a look at for Rebecki, positively the hardest opponent of his profession. It additionally seems like one he ought to move. The Light-weight fireplug is a extremely bodily expertise, and his wrestling looks like the right antidote for Ferreira’s stress and aggression. Traditionally, takedowns and prime management is one of the simplest ways to defeat the Brazilian, and that matches Rebecki’s typical recreation nicely.

The combat will get fascinating if and when it goes late. Ferreira is in nice form and is aware of how one can hold the scrambles going, and he’s robust as nails. A end is unlikely, so Rebecki goes to must cope with his foe for all quarter-hour.

Let’s see how he handles it.

Prediction: Rebecki by way of resolution

Featherweight: Alex Caceres (+150) vs. Sean Woodson (-205)

Finest Win for Caceres? Sergio Pettis For Woodson? Charles JourdainCurrent Streak: Caceres misplaced his final bout, whereas Woodson is unbeaten in his final fiveX-Issue: Caceres has a big jiu-jitsu edgeHow these two match up: I’m anticipating a enjoyable combat.

Caceres has been a top quality member of UFC’s roster for greater than a decade now. He’s achieved rankings at varied factors each as a Bantamweight and Featherweight, and customarily has fought rather well lately. He’s a sneaky kickboxer with an underrated grappling recreation, however he doesn’t all the time have the wrestling essential to implement his jiu-jitsu.

Woodson is a statistical anomaly, a 6’2” Featherweight who lives as much as his “Sniper” nickname. An extended-time boxer, Woodson establishes his jab higher than most and may actually make opponents miss because of his huge attain and high quality footwork.

On the entire, I feel Caceres is mostly the higher fighter right here. He’s extra well-rounded and has far more high-level expertise. Sadly, it seems like a foul match up for “Bruce Leeroy.”

Caceres fights largely on the kickboxing vary, which is the place Woodson excels. Typically, it’s arduous to get him out of that mode. It takes an enormous punch or actually strong wrestling recreation — neither of that are Caceres’ strengths. Most certainly, we received a kickboxing battle through which Woodson’s quicker palms and sharper combos make the slight distinction.

Prediction: Woodson by way of resolution

Heavyweight: Waldo Cortes-Acosta (+140) vs. Robelis Despaigne (-185)

Finest Win for Cortes-Acosta? Andrei Arlovski For Despaigne? Josh ParisianCurrent Streak: Cortes-Acosta has gained two in a row, whereas Despaigne lately gained his UFC debut to enhance to 5-0X-Issue: Despaigne has virtually no cage timeHow these two match up: I wouldn’t rely on this one seeing the third.

Cortes-Acosta has gained 4 of his 5 Octagon bouts, establishing himself as an excellent boxer in a position to put numbers on his opponent. He’s not the heaviest handed man within the division, however there’s all the time a spot for Heavyweights who can really throw down for 15 full minutes. Despaigne, conversely, has an unknowable stage of cardio. He’s by no means left the primary spherical, and every of his final 4 wins lasted lower than a minute mixed! The Cuban Taekwondo Olympian is extremely unproven, however clearly has severe potential as nicely.

So, that is the Heavyweight division. It’s necessary to maintain your expectations measured. Greater than most some other class, we now have seen loads of hyped prospects exhausted or mentally damaged when the going will get robust — it ought to virtually be anticipated.

Is Cortes-Acosta the person to push Despaigne, nevertheless? I’m not likely seeing it. That’ll in all probability take a wrestler with a brick jawline. Cortes-Acosta, conversely, is a striker dealing with a top and attain drawback who’s going to interact a bodily superior expertise in his realm of power.

It’s an enormous step up from Despaigne’s earlier competitors stage, however one he appears more likely to deal with.

Prediction: Despaigne by way of knockout

Do not forget that MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of the whole UFC St. Louis combat card proper right here, beginning with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, that are scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining important card stability on ESPN (additionally on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.

To take a look at the newest and biggest UFC St. Louis: “Lewis vs. Nascimento” information and notes remember to hit up our complete occasion archive proper right here.