Tomorrow night the UFC returns to the APEX and in the main event, we are going to see a banger it the lightweight division between top ten contenders. Rafael Fiziev (12-2) will look to bounce back as he takes on Mateusz Gamrot (22-2) who will be looking for his second straight win.
The last time we saw Gamrot was back in March when he took on Jalin Turner in a short notice fight. It wasn’t a dominating performance, but Gamrot was able to do enough to get the decision win. Prior to that, he had lost a decision to Beneil Dariush. After losing his UFC debut, Gamrot has gone 5-1 in his last six bouts.
Rafael Fiziev entered this year perhaps only one win away from a title shot. At UFC 286, he faced former interim champion Justin Gaethje and had a ton of success early on in that fight. However, as the fight wore on, Gaethje started to take over and ultimately won a majority decision.
That loss snapped a six-fight winning streak for Fiziev. That winning streak was capped off by a knockout win over former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos. He’s hoping to get a big win tomorrow and get right back into the title picture.
UFC Vegas 79 Prediction
When it comes to the styles of these two, it’s a very classic striker versus grappler matchup. Gamrot is one of the better grapplers in the division while Fiziev is one of the best strikers. Gamrot has been dropped multiple times during his UFC run, however, he’s never been finished.
Fiziev has the power to do some serious damage on the feet especially if he’s aggressive. He also has tremendous takedown defense and I think that’s going to play a big role. This fight is going to come down to Fiziev’s cardio and Gamrot’s ability to take a shot.
If Fiziev can land cleanly, he might be able to put Gamrot away early. However, we know Gamrot has a sensational gas tank so if this fight hits the championship rounds and Fiziev hasn’t conserved his energy properly, Gamrot’s grappling can take over. That’s what makes this intriguing.
Ultimately, I believe that Gamrot will survive the early storm from Fiziev at UFC Vegas 79. However, I don’t believe he’ll be able to come on strong enough to win a decision. Over the course of five rounds, I just see Fiziev doing more damage and ultimately that’ll lead to him winning a decision.
Prediction: Rafael Fiziev by Decision