Fight fans should expect some underrated matchups to deliver as UFC Vegas 94 goes down Saturday night, July 20, inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Click here to watch the fighter’s face-off ahead of their scheduled UFC Vegas 94 bouts, coverage via ‘MMAWeekly.com’ on YouTube.
UFC Vegas 94 Main Event: Amanda Lemos vs. Virna Jandiroba
The UFC’s women’s strawweight division will be put on notice come Saturday night as top-ranked fighters Amanda Lemos (14-3-1) and Virna Jandiroba (20-3-0) take center stage in what should be an entertaining five-round main event matchup at UFC Vegas 94.
The UFC Vegas 94 main event matchup, a significant event in the women’s strawweight division, features top-ranked fighters Amanda Lemos and Virna Jandiroba, promising an all-around mixed martial arts spectacle.
The No. 3-ranked UFC women’s strawweight Amanda Lemos, fresh off an impressive decision victory over the world-class Brazilian jiujitsu practitioner and No. 7-ranked strawweight Mackenzie Dern at UFC 298 back in February, is set to bring her A-game to the octagon.
As for No. 6-ranked Jandiroba, she is coming into this feature matchup as the slight betting favorite despite facing lesser competition over the past five fights.
A three-fight win streak over the likes of Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez, and Lupita Godinez has propelled the 36-year-old Jandiroba into a title eliminator-worthy matchup against the former title challenger.
That said, I value Lemos’s punching power over most of the division, and it will play a massive role in this main-event matchup.
Jandiroba will be looking to avoid the striking game with Lemos on the feet by getting inside and shooting for the legs of the power puncher.I rate Lemos’s defensive grappling ability enough to neutralize Jandiroba’s efforts, ultimately leading to a mid-to-late-round stoppage victory for the 37-year-old former title challenger in this important UFC Vegas 94 matchup.
Prediction: Lemos via TKO/KO R3
UFC Vegas 94 Co-main Event: Steve Garcia vs. Seung Woo Choi
UFC Vegas 94’s co-main event features exciting unranked featherweights Steve Garcia (15-5-0) and Seung Woo Choi (11-6-0), who will be looking to steal the show over three rounds.
Looking at this featherweight matchup, I believe Garcia is coming into this fight with confidence in his finishing ability. Riding an impressive three-fight win streak currently, the 32-year-old will look to knockout Choi in the early rounds.
The 31-year-old Choi is coming off a decision victory over Jarno Errens in August 2023. He will be looking to gather momentum inside the UFC after having suffered a rough patch of consecutive losses against Michael Trizano, Josh Culibao, and Alex Caceres.
That said, I see Garcia holding the slight advantage in striking, and this is where I believe he will separate himself from the younger Choi.
Garcia has been on a roll, securing an impressive three-fight win streak over formidable opponents like Chase Hooper, Melquizael Costa, and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke. This streak underscores his current form and sets a high bar for Choi to overcome.
Garcia will look to establish forward pressure when striking against Choi. He will follow the pressure with body-head combinations with his punches. In these exchanges, I foresee Garcia landing a devastating punch that finishes the fight.
This bout holds the promise of a thrilling finish, potentially outshining other fights on the UFC Vegas 94 card. The high stakes and the fighters’ aggressive styles make this a must-watch for any MMA fan.
Prediction: Garcia via TKO/KO R1
Cody Durden vs. Bruno Silva
UFC Vegas 94 will feature a fiery matchup between gritty flyweights No. 14-ranked Cody Durden (16-5-1) and unranked Bruno Silva (13-5-2, 1NC).
Durden, 33, is coming off a second-round submission loss to the highly touted flyweight grappler Tagir Ulenbekov in December 2023. Prior to this stoppage loss, Durden was fighting like a man on a mission, racking up wins over Jake Hadley, Charles Johnson, and JP Buys.
He now faces a game opponent in the Brazilian native Bruno Silva, who is coming into this matchup on a three-fight win streak. However, Silva last appeared in the octagon back in March 2023.
Silva, 34, has had his last two fights canceled; he now looks to keep his winning streak alive as he faces an experienced fighter in Durden.
Looking at the matchup itself, I see Durden coming into this fight as the more energized fighter. He will be looking to push a pace on his opponent, who hasn’t seen in-cage action in over a year.
I see Silva giving Durden some fits early in the fight as he tries to close the distance and initiate grappling exchanges. However, I trust Durden’s experience and level of competition he’s beat to show up in this fight as he will start to dictate where the fight takes place.
Considering the strategies and recent performances of both fighters, it’s likely that Durden may lose the first round. However, he’s expected to weather the storm and finish the last two rounds as the fresher and better fighter.
Prediction: Durden via Decision
Other Fights on UFC Vegas 94
Main Card:
- (155 lbs.) Kurt Holobaugh (21-8-0, 1NC) vs. Kaynan Kruschewsky (15-2-0, 1NC): Kruschewsky via TKO/KO R2
- (125 lbs.) Cody Durden (16-5-1) vs. Bruno Silva (13-5-2, 1NC): Durden via Decision
- (145 lbs.) Doo-ho Choi (14-4-1) vs. Bill Algeo (18-8-0): Choi via TKO/KO R2
Prelims:
- (145 lbs.) Jeong Yeong Lee (11-1-0) vs. Hyder Amil (9-0-0): Lee via Decision
- (135 lbs.) Brian Kelleher (24-15-0) vs. Cody Gibson (20-10-0): Gibson via Decision
- (W 125 lbs.) Miranda Maverick (15-5-0) vs. Dione Barbosa (7-2-0): Maverick via Decision
- (155 lbs.) Loik Radzhabov (18-5-1) vs. Trey Ogden (17-6-0, 1NC): Radzhabov via Decision
- (W 125 lbs.) Luana Carolina (10-4-0) vs. Lucie Pudilová (14-9-0): Carolina via Decision
- (265 lbs.) Mohammed Usman (11-3-0) vs. Thomas Petersen (8-2-0): Usman via Decision
Stay tuned for more UFC news and updates via RespectMyRegion
