The UFC returns to Las Vegas this weekend with a 12-fight card, topped by Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac in the main event. UFC Vegas 65 is set to an exciting night at the Apex.
Let’s take a look at look at some of the prelim fighters to look out for on the card.
Charles Johnson
Johnson takes on Zhalgas Zhumagulov in the featured prelim bout of the card, with both men looking to make waves in the ever-improving flyweight division. The 31-year-old had to settle for a loss in his UFC debut against UK prospect Muhammad Mokaev, but that loss didn’t take away from his stock. He is an all-action fighter with eight stoppages in his 11 pro wins. He loves to press the action in a Muay Thai stance – using kicks and clinch work to hurt his opponents. The former LFA champion will need to be on his A-game come Saturday night, however, when he meets Zhumagulov in the octagon.
Maryna Moroz
Moroz will be taking on former title challenger Jennifer Maia on Saturday – and a win could propel her into the top 10 of the 125lb division. She is on a three-fight win streak, and although she hasn’t been massively active in the last few years, she will be looking to claim the biggest win of her career this weekend. The Ukrainian – who is coming off the back of an impressive but emotional submission win over Mariya Agapova, has a well-rounded skillset, possessing a Master of Sports in boxing and kickboxing whilst also having a strong arsenal of submissions at her disposal.
Ricky Turcios
Turcios will be looking to earn his victory inside the UFC since the TUF 29 Finale in August 2021, when he takes on Kevin Natividad. He came out on top of the returning series of The Ultimate Fighter last year with his eccentric and funky style. Turcios – who trains out of Team Alpha Male – uses different techniques to overwhelm his opponents, kicks, punches, elbows, and takedowns and will be aiming to bounce back from his loss against Aiemann Zahabi. His forward pressure is incredible, and he has lots of potential in the bantamweight division, but it will be interesting to see how he implements his game plan against Natividad.
Brady Hiestand
Turcios’ opponent from the TUF 29 Finale, Hiestand, is a super exciting young prospect that just fell at the final hurdle last year – but will be looking to win his comeback fight against Fernie Garcia. “Bam-Bam” is durable, with good grappling and striking. However, the man standing in front of him will be no easy feat. It is no surprise that Hiestand is a good grappler, being a training partner for both Michael Chiesa and former women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Peña. Two of his five pro victories came by way of submission.
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