UFC Vegas 55: Holly Holm vs Ketlen Vieira Preview, Predictions, and more

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns this weekend with a brand new event – the UFC Vegas 55, which will be headlined by Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira.

Holm vs Vieira: Preview and Predictions

Holly Holm Preview

Holly Holm is a former UFC Bantamweight Champion. Her record to this day is 14 wins and five defeats. In 2015, Holm reached her peak in MMA when she defeated Ronda Rousey for the Bantamweight Championship. This is where her career peaked and went south.

Since that legendary victory over Ronda Rousey, Holm lost five of her last 9 fights in two divisions, and in general, she has not fought since 2020. Did we mention that she is already 40 years old? This is likely going to be her final fight in MMA unless she wins it and gets another chance to be in the Octagon.

Holm has a background in boxing and kickboxing, so her wrestling and ground game are far below the standards. She feels extremely uncomfortable on the ground and this will be a serious issue against Vieira, who has black belts in BJJ and Judo.

May 21 is just around the corner. I may not have posted much about it because I’ve just been working. I’m always trying to improve as a fighter 👊 I love this game and I love this sport. https://t.co/vvURX01KEA

— Holly Holm (@HollyHolm) May 10, 2022

Ketlen Vieira Preview

Ketlen Vieira has been a contender for years but never really got to the top of the division. This is mainly due to her inability to get on a winning streak in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Right now, she is ranked 5th in the Bantamweight rankings and a triumph against Holm could mean a title shot in her next fight.

Overall, Ketlen Vieira has not proven herself against top tier opponents until now and her biggest triumph was against Miesha Tate in November 2021. Nevertheless, Tate is no longer considered an elite fighter because she originally retired in 2016 and only came back in 2021 for two fights.

Vieira has black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well as Judo, and is also a former Brazilian national wrestling champion. It is quite obvious that her game is on the ground and this is where we expect to see most of this fight. She is 10 years younger than Holly Holm and in a far better physical form right now.

Holm vs Vieira Predictions: Vieira to win @2/1 (3.00)

Undoubtedly, Holly Holm will have a clear advantage in the standing position. She is more experienced and far more technical and mobile as a boxer/kickboxer. She has a powerful punch and can diversify her attacks from all distances.

Nevertheless, Vieira's main weapon is her ground game and most of her fights have either been decisions or submissions. She has two TKO wins from back in the day but none in the UFC to date.

Our take is that Holly Holm would have been a favorite here about 4-5 years ago. But in 2022, Holm is already 40 years old and coming after two years of no fighting. This is an extremely long period for a veteran and we are not 100% sure if she will be in her best shape.

Vieira will undoubtedly find a way to put Holm on the ground and she will do her best to tire her up. The fact is that most of Vieira's fights reach the scorecards and this is also the most probable method of victory if you are wondering. This means that we expect the fight to go do the distance with all three rounds played.

Anders vs Park: Preview and Predictions

The main card will open with a middleweight fight. Eryk Anders is in a serious decline. In the last 5 fights, he reached only 2 victories. His opponent, Jun Yong Park, whose last fight interrupted a streak of 3 victories in a row, lost to Gregory Rodriguez.

Eryk Anders Preview

Eryk is a 35-year-old American fighter. He started his professional career in 2015. Before moving to the UFC, Eryk, in addition to performing in second-rate organizations, was noted for fights in the LFA, where he became the champion in 2017.

In total, Anders spent 13 fights in the UFC: 6 won, 6 lost, and 1 NC. The American defeated mediocre and average fighters, but with an increase in the level of opposition, he always lost.

Anders is a versatile fighter. His wrestling background allows him to effectively transfer opponents to the ground and control them there. In the stance, the athlete shows good boxing skills. He throws good combinations, tries to mix floors, and has knockout power.

Anders has problems with his endurance. He is what we call a ‘one-round fighter'. He usually gets exhausted as soon as the second round and cannot work at a high pace.

Jun Yong Park Preview

Jung Yong is a 31-year-old fighter from South Korea. He started his professional career in 2013. Before moving to the UFC, Park fought in second-rate promotions, where he scored a professional record of 10-3.

Park Chung Yong made his UFC debut in August 2019 against Anthony Hernandez, whom he lost to via choke in the 2nd round. But he came back from this failure by going on a series of 3 victories in a row.

Park prefers to fight on his feet. He is good at boxing and throws a lot of punches throughout his entire fights. Overall, it is very difficult to beat him on points.

His main weakness is his weak ground game and wrestling. He underperforms against fighters that focus on BJJ. Another issue is his fear of taking risks. He throws a lot of punches but rarely attempts to finish his opponents.

Anders vs Park Predictions – Eryk Anders To Win @ 33/20 (2.65)

Park is a very cautious fighter, the type that is not too entertaining to watch. He does not take risks, he prefers to exchange fire with an opponent at a distance.

In the fight against Anders, Park will be even more careful as he will be afraid of allowing a takedown and Anders' strong ground game. Therefore, I believe that the fight will be difficult for the Korean.

Eryk outperforms Park physically, in size, and in skills. He will not allow the Korean to have his way on his feet and we expect a fast takedown in the first round. From then, we expect full control by Anders and a win, one way or another.

Holmes vs Amedovski: Preview and Predictions

Joseph Holmes Preview

Joseph is a 26-year-old American fighter. He began his professional career in 2019 with his Bellator debut in which he lost.

For the next 2 years, Joseph performed in a series of second-rate promotions, where he spent 5 fights, winning each. In October 2021, Holmes took part in the Dana White's Contender Series show, where he choked Shonte Barnes in the middle of the 2nd round. But the matchmakers considered the fighter inexperienced and did not offer him a contract with the UFC.

In January 2021, Jamie Pickett was scheduled to fight but his opponent pulled out of the fight due to health issues. The matchmakers contacted Holmes and asked him to leave on short notice. The fighter agreed, accepted the fight and lost to Pickett by unanimous decision. This was the last performance of Joseph Holmes.

Holmes has a strong background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is effective with his takedowns and his size and technique help him with ground control. Moreover, he has that rare knockout power that a lot of fighters do not. He is seriously diverse in his attacks and he also loves throwing knees on occasion.

The main problem for Holmes is his endurance. He is a young fighter still and inexperienced. All of his fights ended ahead of schedule. He has shown that his cardio is not great and he tires very fast.

Alen Amedovski Preview

Alen is a 34-year-old fighter from North Macedonia. He started his professional career in 2012. Before moving to the UFC, in addition to performances in European promotions, Amedovski managed to shine in Bellator.

The UFC matchmakers noticed the bright finisher and offered him a contract. Amedovski made his debut in the strongest league in the world in April 2019 and lost.

Alen's last fight was in September of the same year. His opponent was John Phillips. Amedovski was knocked out in 14 seconds.

Amedovski is a good puncher. His game plan is always identical – try to break the jaw of your opponent. All of his wins came by knockout.

Holmes vs Amedovski Predictions – Holmes To Win @1/2 (1.50)

This will be the last fight in the UFC for Alen Amedovski. The fighter comes out after a huge downtime and I'm not sure if he will show good physical shape in the octagon.

Moreover, it is stylistically convenient for Holmes. He will be able to take him down easily and the massive size advantage will help him control the Macedonian.