UFC Utica Preview, Breakdown & Analysis

Due to the fact that it’s following a packed weekend of mixed martial arts action and the fact that a blockbuster UFC pay-per-view (PPV) will be taking place next weekend, UFC Fight Night 131, which goes down this Friday (June 1, 2018) from the Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York, has flown under the radar a bit.

And while it’s not the most stacked card, there are a few important and intriguing fights.

In the main event, surging bantamweight contender Jimmie Rivera will take on Marlon Moraes in a five-round affair that could, in fact, determine the next 135-pound title contender. The co-main event will play host to a lightweight battle between red-hot contenders Gregor Gillespie and Vinc Pichel. Also on the main card, heavyweights Walt Harris and Daniel Spitz will do battle.

Without further ado, let’s take a deeper look into UFC Utica’s top fights:

Jimmie Rivera vs. Marlon Moraes

In the main event we have a battle between two of the top bantamweights in the world.

Since losing his second professional fight in 2008, Rivera has been on a tear, rattling off 20 straight victories including five straight in the UFC.

A third-degree black belt under Tiger Schulmann, Rivera is quite a skilled striker. The 28-year-old moves well, has solid footwork and possesses strong kickboxing skills. Aggressive at times, Rivera has also shown the ability to counter-strike, although he’s also shown to be a bit hittable at times, especially when coming in.

In terms of grappling, Rivera has solid wrestling skills despite not coming from a traditional wrestling background. And while he has shown the ability to land the takedown, his wrestling has more often than not been seen defensively.

Not necessarily known for his submissions (only two submission wins to his credit, Rivera certainly isn’t a slouch when the fight hits the mat. His submission defense is typically on point and he’s a strong bantamweight who’s proven to have solid awareness.

Moving on to Moraes, the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) bantamweight champion has gone 2-1 since signing with the UFC in 2017 and is coming off of a vicious knockout victory over Aljamain Sterling.

On the feet, the Brazilian is a dangerous Muay Thai striker, which likely comes from years of training with Edson Barboza. His leg kicks are some of the best in the sport, but he varies up his attack as well, kicking to the head and the body. He’s also been training with Mark Henry, which has helped round out his striking game and specifically, improved his jab.

In terms of grappling, Moraes’ wrestling has only improved since making the move to America to train with the likes of Frankie Edgar and Eddie Alvarez. He’s difficult to take down, but when he is, he’s dangerous. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Moraes is usually looking to attack on the canvas and has five submission victories to his credit.

As far as a prediction goes, this fight is a difficult one to call for me given that both men are closely matched high-level fighters. I could see either scoring a finish in the opening rounds, but I feel the more likely outcome is for the bout to go to a decision where I think Rivera will be rewarded for controlling the action and winning more rounds.

Prediction: Jimmie Rivera def. Marlon Moraes via unanimous decision

Gregor Gillespie vs. Vinc Pichel

In this fight, we have a pairing of two lightweight contenders on the rise.

The 31-year-old Gillespie is undefeated in his professional MMA career and is riding a four-fight winning streak that includes three consecutive finishes.

What sticks out first and foremost about Gillespie stylistically is his wrestling acumen, as he was a two-time New York State champion in high school. Then in college, he was a four-time NCAA Division I All-American and a national champion in 2007. This skill set allows him not only to take down almost any fighter he shares the cage with but to control and dictate the pace of a fight as well.

And once the fight hits the canvas, Gillespie is dangerous as well, immediately looking to advance position and do damage. With four submission wins to his credit, the New York native is also dangerous with ground-and-pound from the top position.

In the striking department, Gillespie is no slouch either, as he’s continued to hone his craft training under Keith Trimble at Bellmore Kickboxing. With improved footwork, combinations and awareness, Gillespie has also shown that he possesses power, as five of his victories have come by way of T/KO.

Moving on to Pichel, the 35-year-old has won four-straight bouts since competing on season 16 of The Ultimate Fighter. He’s dealt with some injuries and long layoffs over the years, but he may just be hitting his stride. A solid athlete, Pichel has shown improvements in the striking department, mixing up combinations better to go along with his natural power. Eight of his 11 professional victories have come by way of T/KO, meaning Gillespie will have to be cautious of heavy shots.

In terms of grappling, Pichel has made strides here as well over the years, but his wrestling defense is still a bit of a question mark, which could cause him problems in this bout. A brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he isn’t known much for his submission game, but he has shown solid awareness and transitions. He also has very strong ground-and-pound should he find himself in the top position.

As far as a prediction goes, I’m not counting Pichel out because I do seem him as a tough fighter with legitimate finishing power. However, I just feel as if Gillespie is the superior talent here and his high-level wrestling and grappling skills should allow him to control the action and break Pichel down if he can’t find a finish on the feet.

Prediction: Gregor Gillespie def. Vinc Pichel via third round submission

Walt Harris vs. Daniel Spitz

In this bout, we have a battle between two heavyweights, with one looking to rebound and the other looking to continue his ascent up the rankings.

Starting off with Harris, the 34-year-old was once viewed as a bright prospect, but he’s gone just 3-4 in the UFC and is coming off of back-to-back losses.

On the feet, Harris a big and athletic heavyweight, who possesses true knockout power, as 10 of his professional victories have come by way of knockout.

Although he prefers to land the big shot on the feet, Harris isn’t lost when it comes to the grappling department. He has solid wrestling skills, specifically defensively, and has only been submitted once, which was against the legendary Fabricio Werdum.

Moving on to Spitz, the 27-year-old is 6-1 overall, but only 1-1 in the UFC. He didn’t put on the best performance in his promotional debut, but he bounced back with a quick TKO victory over Anthony Hamilton in his last bout.

On the feet, Spitz likes to use his length to throw long-range strikes and also has some power in his hands, although I’m not sure he’ll want to exchange with Harris, who likely holds advantages in the strength and speed departments.

Although he doesn’t come from a wrestling background, Spitz may look to land the takedown here and look for the submission. Overall, he likely has the grappling advantage, as three of his victories have come via submission, but once again, he’ll have to be careful shooting in due to Harris’ power.

I don’t expect this fight to last too long and although Harris hasn’t looked too great as of late, I’ll side with him due to his fight-ending power.

Prediction: Walt Harris def. Daniel Spitz via first-round TKO