COVID-19 has once again played havoc with the UFC schedule, as UFC on ESPN 19 has had its headliner bout change twice. A middleweight bout featuring Jack Hermansson and former UFC Welterweight Championship challenger Darren Till was on top. However, Till had to withdraw on November 6 due to an injury, and Kevin Holland filled his place. However, Holland tested positive for COVID-19 on November 28, and Marvin Vettori was moved from a bout at UFC 256 to fight a week sooner as Hermansson’s opponent. Ovince Saint Preux and Jamahal Hill will fight in a light heavyweight tilt in the co-main event. You can catch the whole evening, live from the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
Take a look at the full fight card as well as some of our UFC betting thoughts.
UFC on ESPN 19 Preview: Hermansson vs Vettori
Main Card (ESPN2 / ESPN+)
Jack Hermansson vs Marvin Vettori (Middleweight)
Ovince Saint Preux vs Jamahal Hill (Light Heavyweight)
Montana De La Rosa vs Taila Santos (Women’s Flyweight)
Roman Dolidze vs John Allan Arte (Light Heavyweight)
Movsar Evloev vs Nate Landwehr (Featherweight)
Preliminary Card (ESPN2 / ESPN+)
Gabriel Benitez vs Justin Jaynes (Lightweight)
Louis Smolka vs Jose Alberto Quinonez (Bantamweight)
Matt Wiman vs Jordan Leavitt (Lightweight)
Jimmy Flick vs Cody Durden (Flyweight)
Ilia Topuria vs Damon Jackson (Featherweight)
Gian Villante vs Jake Collier (Heavyweight)
Jack Hermansson (21-5, 8-3 UFC, +117) vs Marvin Vettori (15-4-1, 5-2-1 UFC, -137) gives us a fighter who has remained in the title picture since shortly after joining UFC, in Hermansson. He has shown skill in the ground-and-pound game as well as the submission game. A big 2019 win over David Branch gave him a main event against Ronaldo Souza. When Hermansson lost to Jared Cannonier, questions emerged as to whether Hermansson could deal with athletes who were stronger than him. He took down Kelvin GAstelum with a fast submission in July. In Vettori, Hermansson gets an opponent that is likely to be tougher than Till or Holland would have been.
Vettori has improved in each of his UFC fights, bringing aggression into the cage. He has the durability to absorb the punishment that an aggressive approach brings. He lost to Israel Adesanya in a close decision but followed that up with dismantlings of Cezar Ferreira and Andrew Sanchez. He also beat Karl Roberson quickly in June. Vettori is an athletic lefthander, and Hermansson has had difficulty dealing with both of those traits. His jab is not as effective against lefties, which means that his striking game will suffer, and his wrestling will become more important. Through size and strength, some opponents, such as Cannonier , were able to scare him away from the grappling game. If Hermansson can wear down Vettori by starting the wrestling game early, then he should win, but if he cannot, then Vettori should be able to build momentum. However, can Vettori last five rounds? He should have the durability to make it.
Final Prediction:
Vettori wins via decision
Jamahal Hill (7-0, 1-0 UFC, -160) vs Ovince Saint Preux (25-14, 13-9 UFC, +140) is a fascinating matchup between a newcomer and one of the venerable names in UFC. Saint Preux does not really have one cohesive style, instead blending speed and power with a collection of unorthodox moves. In his last two light heavyweight bouts, Saint Preux has beaten prospects Alonzo Menifield and Michael Oleksiejczuk, and he has another prospect in the cage on Saturday.
Hill brings an effective boxing strategy to the ring that starts out cautiously but then increases in viciousness and focus as he senses his opponent’s weaknesses. In his last bout, a win over Klidson Abreu, he showed maturity and development that he would need to start climbing the ladder in the division. Saint Preux is the first UFC opponent for Hill who can match his athleticism and size, and Saint Preux also brings bombs. Because of his unpredictability, I’m liking Saint Preux to deliver a finish.
Final Prediction:
Saint Preux wins via knockout
UFC Betting Odds
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