Predictions! UFC Vegas 84 ‘Prelims’ Preview – Pt. 1

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing more “Prelims” fights to ESPN+ this weekend (Sat., Jan. 13, 2024) when UFC Vegas 84: “Ankalaev vs. Walker 2” returns to UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. MMAmania.com’s Patrick Stumberg kicks off the UFC Vegas 84 “Prelims” party with the first installment of a two-part undercard preview series below.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) obsession with its APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, shows no signs of slowing down, as the world’s leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion will kickoff its 2024 campaign with gusto this Saturday (Jan. 13, 2024) in those familiar halls.

UFC Vegas 84’s main event sees Magomed Ankalaev rematch Johnny Walker after an illegal knee ended their first clash in controversial fashion (watch it), while the co-main features another rematch pitting Matheus Nicolau vs. Manel Kape.

Seven “Prelims” bouts will set UFC Vegas 84’s main card stage, four of which we’ve broken down below. Let’s get started …

135 lbs.: Farid Basharat vs. Taylor Lapilus

After cutting his teeth on the European circuit, Farid Basharat (11-0) secured a UFC contract by out-classing Allan Begosso on Contender Series. A unanimous decision over Da’Mon Blackshear put him on the scoreboard, after which he claimed his first UFC finish via first round arm-triangle choke against Kleydson Rodrigues (watch highlights).

He faces a two-inch reach disadvantage despite standing two inches taller than “Double Impact.”

Taylor Lapilus (19-3) went 3-1 in his first UFC stint before being released in 2016. He responded by winning eight of his next nine bouts, then handed Caolan Loughran his first professional defeat in his Octagon return.

His professional finishes are split 6:4 between submissions and knockouts.

I actually really like Lapilus’ chances in this matchup. His takedown defense is generally excellent, which should take away the grappling that’s been Basharat’s key weapon, and his sniper style should work well against Basharat’s jab-heavy approach. He’s got the heavier hands of the two, so even if Basharat can match him blow-for-blow, Lapilus figures to come out on top when they exchange.

The clash of styles suggests that a decisive victor is unlikely. That said, Lapilus is Basharat’s toughest opponent to date, and though Basharat is improving rapidly, my gut says this is a step too far. In short, Lapilus’ movement and clean punches win a squeaker.

Prediction: Lapilus via split decision

145 lbs.: Westin Wilson vs. Jean Silva

Westin Wilson (16-8) started his career 10-6 before finding his footing with a 6-1 run, marred only by a loss to UFC veteran, Teruto Ishihara. He stepped up on short notice to battle Joanderson Brito in his UFC debut, only to succumb to “Tubarao’s” ground-and-pound midway through the first round.

All of his wins have come by stoppage, 14 of them in the first round.

A 3-2 professional start gave way to seven straight wins for Jean Silva (11-2), all of them via first round finish. His efforts earned him a spot on Contender Series, where “Lord Assassin” overpowered Argentinean prospect, Kevin Vallejos, to win a UFC contract.

He steps in for Gabriel Silva on around one month’s notice.

The good news for Wilson is that unlike Brito, Silva isn’t too likely to force a grappling battle. The bad news is that Silva doesn’t really have to because he’s way too powerful and way too dangerous on the inside for Wilson to handle. It would be one thing if Wilson had the skill to properly utilize his six-inch height advantage and four-inch reach advantage but, well, he doesn’t.

Unless the short notice kills Silva’s gas tank and/or leaves him overly passive, I’ll be shocked if “Lord Assassin” doesn’t just walk down Wilson and brutalize him against the fence. There are desperately few UFC fighters Wilson can beat … and Silva’s not one of them.

Prediction: Silva via first round technical knockout

155 lbs.: Nikolas Motta vs. Tom Nolan

Fresh from winning CFFC gold with a decision over Juan Gonzalez, Nikolas Motta (13-5) put on a dominant performance against Joseph Lowry to graduate from Contender Series. He now finds himself with just one win in four UFC appearances, most infamously fighting Trey Ogden to a “No Contest” in Nov. 2023.

He gives up six inches of height and three inches of reach to “Big Train.”

Tom Nolan’s (6-0) time on the Australian circuit saw him go 6-1 (1 NC) as an amateur and perfect (5-0) as a professional before joining Contender Series. There, he took just 83 seconds to smash Bogdan Grad and walk away with a UFC contract.

Three of his four professional knockouts have come in the first round.

The Motta who could knockout Nolan does not exist anymore. If I could trust Motta to pressure like he used to — to time that murderous left hook of his when Nolan inevitably overcommitted on a blitz — he’d be a live underdog.

The problem is … I can’t.

“Iron’s” confidence seems to have finally shattered after four knockout losses; therefore, if he couldn’t pull the trigger against a light hitter like Ogden, I can’t imagine him doing so against Nolan’s avalanche of offense. In the end, “Big Train” mows down a gun-shy Motta inside of three minutes.

Prediction: Nolan via first round technical knockout

125 lbs.: Felipe Bunes vs. Joshua Van

Felipe Bunes (13-6) saw a seven-fight win streak — capped by a flying triangle armbar finish of Yoni Sherbatov — turn into a 1-4 skid under the ACA and LFA banners. Subsequent efforts proved more successful, though, edging out Wascar Cruz before knocking out Yuma Horiuchi for LFA gold.

He has submitted eight professional foes and submitted another three.

Joshua Van (9-1) — previously slated to meet Kevin Borjas on Contender Series — powered through a rough start to beat Zhalgas Zhumagulov in his short-notice UFC debut. He then did the same to Borjas, racking up an absurd 156 significant strikes to take home the decision.

He replaces Denys Bondar on less than one month’s notice.

Van’s slow starts are going to be a problem going forward. I’m uncomfortably reminded of Jose Torres, who arguably had what it took to be UFC champion if he didn’t need a minimum of five minutes to turn into a functional fighter. I’m not saying Van will follow a similar path — especially since he just turned 22 a couple months ago — but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Luckily for him, this is more than winnable even with that handicap.

Indeed, Van’s the better in-fighter by a large margin and showed off his ability to deal with a reach disadvantage against Borjas, who’s a far faster and more powerful hitter than “Felipinho.” The only real threat here is Bunes’ grappling, which Van’s rapidly improving ground game should be able to handle. When the dust settles, Van weathers another tough first round to bury Bunes in volume and claim a clear decision.

Prediction: Van via unanimous decision

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Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 84 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 84: “Ankalaev vs. Walker 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.