UFC Vegas 29 Main Card Betting Preview

The UFC will return to its APEX Facility in Las Vegas, Nevada this weekend for UFC Vegas 29. There are no title fights this weekend but this event will not be devoid of exciting fighters and matchups.

The Korean Zombie will headline the event as he takes on Dan Ige in a battle of Top 10 featherweights. Meanwhile, the ageless Aleksei Oleinik will battle Serghei Spivac in the co-main event. Fan favorites Marlon Vera and Matt Brown are also on the card and will face separate opponents in what should be an explosive night of action.

Let’s take a look at the fights in the main event and make our predictions.

Chan Sung Jung vs Dan Ige

Chan Sung Jung is the no. 4 ranked featherweight in the UFC. Known as the Korean Zombie for his incredible
recovery skills, Chan Sung Jung fought for organizations like DEEP, Pancrase, and the WEC. The 34-year old from South Korea is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Brian Ortega and is just 3-3 in his last six bouts.

The leader in post-fight bonuses in the featherweight division has a record of 16-6 with six knockouts and eight submission victories. The Korean Zombie is 5-7 tall with a reach of 72 inches and fights out of the orthodox stance.

Dan Ige is currently the no. 8 featherweight in the UFC. The 29-year old from Hawaii has fought for organizations like Legacy Fighting Championship, Pancrase, RFA, and Titan FC. He joined the UFC in 2017 via the Contender series and 7-2 inside the UFC Octagon while coming off a win over Gavin Tucker.

Ige is 15-3 with four knockouts and five submission victories. He is an orthodox fighter who stands 5-7 tall with a reach of 71 inches.

The Korean Zombie is one of the most creative and dynamic strikers in the UFC. He also has a granite chin that makes him look like a zombie when he’s taking hits. He is also adept on the ground with his BJJ black belt. With his punching power and submission skills, I won’t blame you if you pick the Korean Zombie here.

However, I think that Ige is equally talented on the feet and the mat. What I like about him is that he has an excellent gas tank and a terrific striking defense. He’s going to match Chan Sung Jung in every department and with a bigger pop, I think he lands something big that puts the Zombie to sleep.

Prediction: Dan Ige

Aleksei Oleinik vs Sergey Spivak

Aleksei Oleinik began his fighting career in 1997 and has seen action for promotions like M-1 Global, ProFC, IAFC, Bellator, KSW, and YAMMA Pit Fighting. Oleinik has lost four out of his last six bouts with all losses coming by way of knockout. He owns wins over notable fighters like Fabricio Werdum, Mark Hunt, and Travis Browne.

The 43-year old from the former Soviet Union is 15th in the latest UFC heavyweight rankings and has a record of 59-15 with 8 knockouts and 46 wins via submission. He is 6-2 tall with an 80-inch reach and fights out of the orthodox stance.

Serghei Spivak fought for World Warriors Fighting Championships, Eagles Fighting Championship, N1 Pro Nomad MMA, and Real Fight Promotion before joining the UFC. The 26-year old Moldovan was knocked out by Walt Harris in his UFC debut. But since then, he’s won three of his last four bouts and is coming off a win over Jared Vanderaa.

Spivak has a record of 12-2 with five knockouts and six submission wins. He is an orthodox fighter with a 78-inch reach and has a height of 6-3.

Spivak is an aggressive fighter on the feet. He is always looking to close the distance, looking for the knockout. Oleinik has power in his punches too but he is at his best when he has his opponent on the ground because of his combat sambo and submission wrestling background.

It’s hard to overlook Oleinik just because he’s having a rough patch. However, it’s hard to trust him at this stage of his career because of a questionable chin. Spivak is a savage who throws everything in his arsenal while looking for the finish. He catches Oleinik’s fragile chin and deals the veteran another KO loss.

Prediction: Sergey Spivak

Davey Grant vs Marlon Vera

Davey Grant was one of the competitors at TUF 18 and despite losing in the final to Chris Holdsworth, he was given a UFC contract. The 35-year old from England started his UFC career with a 1-3 record but has since won three straight bouts, the last two via knockout and both earning Performance of the Night honors.

This former SNA bantamweight champion has a record of 13-4 with three knockouts and eight submission victories. Grant is 5-8 tall with a 69-inch reach and fights out of the orthodox stance.

Marlon Vera is the no. 15 ranked bantamweight in the UFC and a former contestant at The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America. Vera has won six out of his last eight UFC bouts but is coming off a loss to Jose Aldo last December. The 28-year old from Ecuador ended Sean O’Malley’s unbeaten streak in the UFC in August 2020.

Chito has a record of 16-7 with six knockouts and seven submission wins. Vera has never been stopped or submitted in his career. He is a switch hitter who stands 5-8 tall with a 70-inch reach.

Grant just knocked out two opponents who were technically better than him on the feet. But Vera has a granite chin and his takedown defense has improved since their first bout where Grant out-wrestled him. Vera does his best work when he pushes forward which should back up Grant who doesn’t like to fight on his back foot. I think Vera overwhelms Grant this time, keeping the fight on the feet and scoring an emphatic knockout.

Prediction: Marlon Vera

Bruno Silva vs Wellington Turman

Bruno Silva fought in the regional circuits in Brazil then made an appearance for M-1 Global where he won a title before joining the UFC. The 31-year old Brazilian will be making his UFC debut in this bout and he has won his last four bouts, all by knockout and including three inside round one.

He is 16-4 with four knockouts and seven submission wins. Silva stands six feet tall with a reach of 74 inches while fighting out of the orthodox stance.

Wellington Turman fought in Brazil for promotions like Immortal FC and Future FC before coming over to the United States and joining the UFC in 2019. This 24-year old from Curitiba, Brazil lost to Karl Roberson in his UFC debut, beat Markus Perez on points in his second bout, and was knocked out by Andrew Sanchez in his last outing.

Turman is 16-4 with four knockouts and seven submission losses. He is an orthodox fighter who stands six feet tall with a 72-inch reach.

Silva is a bit wild on his feet. He swings wildly with powerful punches that knock out opponents when they land. But he can also be open for counters because of his style. Fortunately for him, that’s not one of Turman’s strengths. Turman loves to grind his opponents in the clinch or control them from top position. I think he gets Silva on his back several times to win on points.

Prediction: Wellington Turman

Matt Brown vs Dhiego Lima

Matt Brown is best remembered for his appearance in the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter. known as The Immortal, this 40-year old owns the record for most finishes in the UFC’s welterweight division with 13. He is the former ISCF East Coast welterweight champion.

Brown has a record of 22-18 with 14 knockouts and six wins via submission. He has won just three out of his last 10 bouts and is coming off a loss to Carlos Condit last January. The Immortal is an orthodox fighter who is six feet tall with a 74-inch reach.

Dhiego Lima was a contestant at TUF 19 where he lost to Eddie Gordon in the final. He also appeared in the 25th edition of the TUF and also lost to Jessie Taylor in the final. The 32-year old Brazilian is a former Titan FC welterweight champion who joined the UFC in 2018 and has won three out of his last four bouts.

Lima is 15-8 with four knockouts and four submission wins. He is 6-2 tall with a reach of 75 inches and is an orthodox fighter.

Lima can be very vulnerable when his opponent tries to bully him, whether by punches or takedowns. But his counter-punching has improved over the years, making his offensive arsenal more dangerous. Brown is already 40 but Lima’s style looks tailor-made for The Immortal to shine one more time. Lima doesn’t like to fight on his back foot. Brown is good at applying pressure. I think Matt Brown goes crazy to start the fight, throwing punches, kicks, and elbows until one connects and drops Lima.

Prediction: Matt Brown

Place Your Bets Now!