UFC On ESPN 73 in Las Vegas tomorrow night marks the final event of the year for the promotion, and we’ve got our predictions for all the fights below.
Main Card
Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape
Brandon Royval lost to Joshua Van by unanimous decision earlier this year and now tries to end the year on a better note by headlining the final show of 2025 against Manel Kape, who has won his last two fights by TKO.
Royval and Kape were originally scheduled to fight back in February, but the fight was put on the backburner due to Royval having suffered two concussions in a short space of time in training. Taking some time out afterwards seemed wise, so it was surprising to see Royval back as early as June to fight Van. It didn’t change the way Royval fought on the night though as it proved to be a back-and-forth war that even broke the record for most significant strikes in a 125lb fight after they landed 419 blows between them. Though he lost, Royval will perhaps take some confidence that he was able to withstand so many strikes, but whether it was a good idea from the standpoint of his long-term durability is certainly questionable. Nonetheless it’s just who he is as Royval’s whole fighting style revolves around his fast-paced, all-action offense. He’s not a power puncher, so he leans on his high-volume and versatile weaponry on the feet to try to overwhelm his opponents, while he’s also very active on the mat, where he’s proven to be more of a finishing threat, with 9 submission wins to his name.
The 32-year-old Kape has a distinctly different style as he’s more of a fast and athletic flyweight with big power who likes to pick his moments to strike in the hopes of landing a fight-ending blow. His output can suffer as a result, but he has shown his ability to end fights with hard-hitting punches as well as both kicks and knees to the head or body. Kape prefers to keep the action upright, but he is able to operate on the mat when required and did register a few submission wins earlier in his career, though he’s also been finished on the mat a couple of times too.
I think Kape’s speed, power and dynamic counter-striking will serve him well here, enabling him to capitalize on the defensive holes that materialize from Royval’s offensive approach to deliver a 2nd round TKO finish.
Pick: Manel Kape wins by TKO in Rd2.
Giga Chikadze vs. Kevin Vallejos
Giga Chikadze will attempt to cast aside two losses in a row when he fights in the co-main event against Kevin Vallejos, who has won both his UFC fights so far.
Chikadze arrived in the promotion in 2019 with a wealth of experience, having competed in over 50 kickboxing bouts for organizations like Glory. He quickly made his mark with seven consecutive wins, showcasing his polished striking arsenal, and in particular his dynamic, versatile kicks, backed up by solid boxing. However, Chikadze’s form has dipped since then, while a string of injuries have also slowed his momentum. Now 37 years old, Chikadze has fought just once per year since 2022, going 1-3 in the process, leaving him barely clinging onto the No.15 spot in the featherweight rankings. He’ll have the experience advantage here though and a significant physical advantage, standing five inches taller with six inches more reach, but he has to address his issues facing pressure strikers, while his inexperienced ground game could potentially also be a vulnerability.
Vallejos earned his UFC contract through the Contender Series and has already built an impressive 16-1 record despite only having just turned 24-years-old earlier this week. His lone defeat came in his debut on the Contenders show against Jean Silva, a loss that has aged well given Silva’s subsequent success. Vallejos is a compact, aggressive striker with hard-hitting punches, pressure-heavy boxing, and the ability to mix in kicks. Eleven of his sixteen wins have come via strikes, underscoring his finishing ability, while he also has a couple of submission finishes too.
There’s a 13 year age gap in this fight, and Chikadze will be hoping he can use his experience and reach advantage to keep Vallejos at bay with his kickboxing strikes. He likes room to operate with his kicks though, and that’s something Vallejos’ pressure-game won’t afford him, and with the younger man also likely having more to offer on the mat if required I think it’ll be an uncomfortable night for Chikadze that’ll see him lose to Vallejos on the scorecards.
Pick: Kevin Vallejos wins by decision.
César Almeida vs. Cezary Oleksiejczuk
Cesar Almeida enters this matchup with a 3-1 UFC record, while newcomer Cezary Oleksiejczuk makes his debut after earning a contract on the Contender Series earlier this year.
At 37, Almeida brings a wealth of striking experience from his decorated kickboxing career with Glory and WGP, where he logged over 50 bouts and even claimed a win over future UFC champion Alex Pereira back in 2015. The caveat there however is that Pereira did actually beat him both before and after that fight. Nevertheless, that notoriety eventually led him to to transition to MMA, where he then found himself in the Contender Series in 2023 after just three pro-fights, and he’s since proven himself a capable addition to the roster. Almeida has got a few wins under his belt in the Octagon, but falling short against Roman Kopylov, who is the only opponent of note he’s faced so far, has raised doubts about how far he can go in the UFC. As you’d expect though, Almeida is a solid technical striker with respectable power in both his punches and kicks, but his ground game is still developing and so remains a weak point this late in his career.
Oleksiejczuk arrives in the UFC at 25-years-old with a 16-3 record built largely on the Polish regional scene, where he defeated former UFC fighters Chris Fishgold and Tom Breese. He also had an extensive amateur background, and his older brother Michal already competes in the UFC, so Oleksiejczuk is considered a top European prospect. Like his brother, Oleksiejczuk is primarily a striker, but has more to offer on the mat with a capable wrestling game. No less than 11 of Oleksiejczuk’s stoppage wins have come in the opening round, but it’s worth noting he’s also shown he can go the distance even in championship fights, having won all three of his fights on the regional circuit that lasted five rounds.
Oleksiejczuk may be over a decade younger, but he has a vast amount of MMA experience for his age and I think he has what it takes to get the upper-hand over Almeida her to claim a decision victory.
Pick: Cezary Oleksiejczuk wins by decision.
Melquizael Costa vs. Morgan Charrière
Melquizael Costa enters this bout riding a four-fight winning streak, while Morgan Charriere looks to build momentum after getting back to winning ways with a KO victory last time out.
The 29-year-old Costa is an aggressive pressure fighter who is capable of presenting a threat wherever the fight goes. Costa can be solid technically, especially his kicks, but his eagerness to attack can result in him being reckless at times. That has led to him being stopped before, but generally speaking Costa has shown good resilience and tenacity when he’s put in danger. He complements his striking with solid offensive wrestling and a confident grappling game, having secured eight submission wins so far, though he’s not as sound defensively.
Charriere is a well-versed kickboxer, but he also holds a black belt in judo and has proven capable on the mat too. The 30-year-old is fast, athletic and carries power in both his punches and adept kicks, delivering 13 finishes via strikes from 21 career wins. Charriere doesn’t go all-out on the attack however, and prefers to play the role of sniper, though he often waits too long for the perfect shot. It’s a habit that has cost him rounds, and in fact, 10 of Charrier’s 11 career losses have come via decision. Still, he has shown versatility with three submission wins and he can work for the occasional takedowns when needed.
This match-up promises to be a competitive one. Charriere carries the heavier hands, but Costa’s pressure and more reliable output from round-to-round may well prove to be the deciding factor, leading him to win a closely contested decision.
Pick: Melquizael Costa wins by decision.
Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Marcus Buchecha
Kennedy Nzechukwu returns from a submission loss last time out to face Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, whose debut back in July ended in a unanimous decision defeat.
The 33-year-old Nzechukwu has been plying his trade at heavyweight over the past 14 months, starting with back-to-back TKO victories that showed his ability to carry finishing power up a division. That’s not too surprising though when you consider he was previously a huge 205lb’er at 6’5” with an 83-inch reach, and his fairly unrefined but potent striking style seems well suited to this particular weight class. That being said, his initial momentum was halted in his last outing when Valter Walker took just 54 seconds to catch him in his trademark heel hook that’s now claimed numerous victims. It’s probably best not to read too much into that though as Nzechukwu generally shows decent enough takedown defense and can mix in some offensive wrestling at times.
The 35-year-old Buchecha is a decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu star, having captured numerous world titles during a decade-long run there before transitioning to MMA in 2020. He compiled a 5-1 record in ONE Championship before signing for the UFC, notching up four submission victories along the way. His debut against Martin Buday exposed a key weakness though that’s often seen from BJJ specialists, which is a difficulty securing takedowns, which left him vulnerable on the feet. Whether that’s something he can now address to give him the opportunity to make the most of his talents on the mat remains to be seen.
If Nzechukwu can keep the fight standing then he appears to hold all the aces, and given Buchecha’s lack of a convincing wrestling game I think he can do so here to emerge with a second round TKO victory.
Pick: Kennedy Nzechukwu wins by TKO in Rd2.
King Green vs. Lance Gibson Jr
In a fight put together on just four days notice, King Green will attempt to rebound from two defeats when he goes up against newcomer Lance Gibson Jr, who has a 9-1 career record.
Green, 39, is a seasoned veteran known for his trick-to-deal-with boxing style. He often fights with a low guard, relying on head movement, shoulder rolls, and sharp counters from unusual angles to catch out his opponents, while also playing mind games by taunting his foes. It’s an approach that depends heavily on fast reflexes and the safety of having a good chin though, which becomes problematic at this late stage in his career. And recent results show that as he’s now lost three of his last four fights, including two knockout losses, while looking a little further back he was finished twice by strikes in 2022 as well.
The 30-year-old Gibson Jr’s UFC debut is more notable given that he has family ties to the promotion as his father, Lance Gibson, fought twice in the Octagon back in 2000, going 1-1. The younger Gibson has spent much of his career so far over at Bellator, where he went 5-0 before suffering a quick knockout loss in his final fight in 2023. Since then, he’s picked up a couple of wins on the regional circuit, albeit against unheralded opposition. Athletically built, Gibson Jr is primarily a wrestler but has shown enough versatility to be a competent striker and also threaten with submissions when opportunities arise.
Green’s age and recent knockout losses suggest he may be approaching the end of his career, but his unorthodox boxing style still makes him hard to deal with, especially with little time to prepare, and it’s not easy to take down and control the veteran on the mat. Given that this is a big step-up in competition for Gibson Jr. I think Green will still prove to have enough in his locker to outfox him and emerge with a decision victory.
Pick: King Green wins by decision.
Prelims (Predicted winners in bold)
Amanda Lemos vs. Gillian Robertson
Joanderson Brito vs. Isaac Thomson
Neil Magny vs. Yaroslav Amosov
Sean Sharaf vs. Steven Asplund
Melissa Croden vs. Luana Santos
Allen Frye vs. Guilherme Pat
Jamey-Lyn Horth vs. Tereza Bledá
