Here are three reasons why fans should watch UFC Vegas 33, the last event of the month, on Saturday night.
The UFC concludes the month of July with another “Fight Night” installment, as the UFC APEX will play host to a middleweight five-rounder between Uriah Hall and Sean Strickland that is simulcast on ESPN and ESPN+ in the U.S. The event consists of 15 fights and features a mix of prospects and veterans looking to establish themselves in their respective divisions.
While the card is not deep in name-value like other cards that have taken place throughout the summer, that is not to say that there aren’t fights viewers should have their eyes on throughout the evening. Unofficially, this card is the 572nd event in the company’s history, and as of April, the UFC APEX has hosted the second-most events all-time upon its inception just three years ago.
Here are three reasons why UFC Vegas 33 is worth staying home to watch this Saturday night and for what to bet on, continue reading below.
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- The return of Chris Daukas
Heavyweight Chris Daukas makes his return to the Octagon for the second time in 2021. He will stand across from Shamil Abdurakhimov in the night’s co-main event. Daukas enters the bout at 11-3 and kickstarted his UFC career in August 2020 after a stint on the regional scene. His first bout would see him take on Parker Porter at UFC 252. A late first-round KO/TKO was only a sign of things to come. Since his debut, Daukas has only produced finishes in each of his last two outings. In February, Daukas established himself as a prospect to watch after he stopped long-time veteran, Alexey Oleynik, by TKO at just under two minutes into the opening round.
Daukas’ opponent, Abdurakhimov, is the most experienced fighter that he has faced to date. At 20-5, Abdurakhimov had a three-fight winning streak snapped in October 2020, losing to Curtis Blaydes by TKO in the second round.
Either or, Daukas should have his hands full come fight night, as both men look for the finish early and often.
- The official UFC debuts of Collin Anglin and Melsik Baghdasaryan
After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Melsik Baghdasaryan will finally make his UFC debut as one of the newest members of the featherweight division. He punched his ticket to the big show by winning a one-sided unanimous decision against Dennis Buzukja in September 2020. The victory extended his current win streak to five-straight, as he has not tasted defeat since a kickboxing loss to Yuta Kubo in March 2018. He has been backed as favourite for a straight at the UFC Vegas 33.
Baghdasaryan’s opponent, Collin Anglin, is also an emerging prospect who is finally touching the Octagon canvas for the first time. Anglin is 8-1 as a professional and also earned a roster spot with a victory on DWCS against Muhammadjon Naimov just two weeks after Baghdasaryan was given a UFC contract.
A battle between two DWCS alumni is the third-to-last fight on the prelims and a victory for either man could be a sign of things to come in the years ahead.
- The freer fights, the better
The UFC is based on a subscription model that requires fans to have access to ESPN+ in order to access pay-per-view content. Thankfully, the last few events have featured all of the fights shown on a combination of ESPN and ESPN+. In addition, Bellator rounds out a big night of MMA action, making it a perfect excuse to have two screens in order to experience a double dose of fisticuffs and see the top two promotions go head-to-head Saturday night.
