MMA
Joshua Perreira predicts hook-led finish of Antonio Cesar at ONE Fight Night 48
ONE ChampionshipEvery one of his six professional wins has ended before the final bell. The unbeaten Hawaiian now has a plan to keep that streak alive, and it starts with a hook along the ropes.
Joshua Perreira meets Antonio “The Flash†Cesar in a flyweight MMA bout at ONE Fight Night 48 on Prime Video on Friday, October 2. The contest airs live in U.S. primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The 29-year-old American owns a 6-0 (1 NC) record, with four knockouts and two submissions. He returned from a serious knee injury earlier this year to stop Gilbert Nakatani with a 38-second spinning backfist.
Cesar, 22, is 14-2 and riding a nine-fight winning streak, including a unanimous decision over Lito Adiwang in his ONE debut in July. Perreira pictures the finish starting with a hook.
“I think, as he's circling out, it'll be a right or a left hook if he circles to either side up against the ropes. I'll shift forward to another stance. I'll catch him with that hook. I think it'll stumble him, not necessarily knock him out, but I see it hurting him to the point where I follow him to the ground,†Perreira said.
“If he's able to defend my strikes, I'm going to try to establish a solid position, rain shots down, and if the submission – whatever that may be – presents itself, I will secure it. And like a vice grip, I will get him.â€
Joshua Perreira targets Yuya Wakamatsu next
A win over the in-form Brazilian would place Perreira in the top tier of the division. He is unsure whether it would earn an immediate shot at ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Avazbek Kholmirzaev.
Instead, the Immortal Martial Arts Center product has his sights on former titleholder Yuya “Little Piranha†Wakamatsu.
“I think that'd be fantastic, even more of a step up in competition. He's an elusive striker with solid grappling. And a win over him would cement me as next in line for the title,†Perreira said.
“Who knows? I'm just happy to be doing what I love, being a complete martial artist and showing my skills on the world stage.â€
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLCUFC 333 features two of the biggest title fights of the year as the Octagon returns to Abu Dhabi for a stacked card.
UFC 333 is just hours away as featherweight titleholder Alexander Volkanovski looks to stop Movsar Evloev's meteoric rise in the Abu Dhabi headliner. Volkanovski returns to the Octagon after defeating Diego Lopes in a title rematch at UFC 325.
Evloev earned the title shot against Volkanovski after recent wins over Aljamain Sterling, Lerone Murphy, and Arnold Allen. He remains unbeaten in his career and finally gets his long-awaited featherweight title shot.
The UFC 333 co-main event pits reigning bantamweight champion Petr Yan against Merab Dvalishvili in a trilogy fight. Yan defeated Dvalishvili by unanimous decision in their second fight at UFC 323 in December.
UFC 333 also features the returns of Alexander Volkov, Dominick Reyes, Aaron Pico, and other savvy veterans. Emerging talents will also look to make statements on one of the biggest cards of the year.
Check out the latest edition of BJPenn's Best Bets, sponsored by BetOnline, ahead of UFC 333.
ALL betting odds courtesy of BetOnline.
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev OVER 4.5 RDs (-275)
Volkanovski and Evloev have proven to be two of the most dominant fighters in UFC featherweight history during their careers. Ahead of their five-round battle at UFC 333, Volkanovski and Evloev have also shown a tendency to fight the long game inside the Octagon.
Volkanovski's last stoppage win came against then-interim featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290. Entering UFC 333, Volkanovski is coming off back-to-back unanimous decision wins over Diego Lopes in his second featherweight title reign.
Meanwhile, Evloev doesn't have a single stoppage win through 10 UFC fights. His last stoppage win came against Rafael Dias at M-1 Challenge 95 in July 2018, his final fight outside of the UFC before making his promotional debut.
Evloev recently claimed he wants to go the full five-round distance with Volkanovski when they meet in the Octagon, but Volkanovski wants to earn a long-awaited finish. Their intriguing stylistic matchup could mean a slower-paced fight in the Octagon when Volkanovski and Evloev clash.
Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev by KO/TKO (-140)
UFC light heavyweight prospect Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev will look to remain undefeated as he prepares to face the struggling Nikita Krylov on the UFC 333 undercard.
Yakhyaev has quickly risen in the light heavyweight division with three first-round finishes to kick off his UFC tenure. He secured a contract via Dana White's Contender Series with a 30-second knockout last year.
Three of Yakhyaev's last four fights lasted no longer than 33 seconds, including an eight-second knockout against Julius Walker in June. Eight of Yakhyaev's 10 wins have also finished by first-round stoppage.
Meanwhile, Krylov holds a significant experience advantage, but has struggled mightily since 2023. He's lost three of his last four fights, including against light heavyweight debutant Robert Whittaker at UFC 329 by TKO.
Yakhyaev's riding a lot of momentum heading into UFC 333, a trend that is worth betting on continuing against the struggling veteran.
Noah Gugnon ML (+136)
UFC lightweight prospect Noah Gugnon is one of the most overlooked talents preparing to fight at UFC 333. The French standout most recently submitted a fighter with twice his experience, Milos Janicic, in his promotional debut in August.
Gugnon has a well-rounded style with nasty grappling when he gets the fight to the ground. While Gugnon's opponent Kody Steele presents a similar challenge, Gugnon arguably has more ways to win inside the Octagon.
Gugnon vs. Steele has ‘Fight of the Night' potential at UFC 333. As a modest underdog, Gugnon is well worth taking a chance to continue his six-fight winning streak in Abu Dhabi.
What is your prediction for Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev? Share your thoughts in the comments!
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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