OK, that might not be the No. 1 question on anyone’s mind with Reinier de Ridder taking on Brendan Allen in Saturday’s main event and “RDR” potentially in line for a middleweight title shot, but check out what else is going in at UFC Vancouver.
The co-main event sees Ontario’s own Mike Malott fighting the always busy Kevin Holland, who just so happens to have a number next to his name in the UFC’s welterweight rankings.
One fight prior to that, Quebec’s Aiemann Zahabi can extend a six-fight win streak if he gets past one-time bantamweight title challenger Marlon Vera, currently No. 10 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, four spots ahead of Zahabi.
And Jasmine Jasudavicius, also out of Ontario, is already coming off of a career-best win over longtime two-division threat Jessica Andrade. If she beats recent flyweight title challenger Manon Fiorot, could Jasudavicius be in line for a championship opportunity herself?
Add in the fact that Allen, stepping in on short notice for an injured Anthony Hernandez, is repping his grandparents’ Alberta roots, and we’re talking serious contender implications for The Great White North.
For all my Canadian peoples out there, there’s only one thing left to say: Give ‘er!
Where: Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C., Canada
When: Saturday, Oct. 18. The seven-fight preliminary card begins at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+, followed by a six-fight main card at 10 p.m. ET also on ESPN+.
(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings and Pound-for-Pound Rankings)
Reinier de Ridder (6) vs. Brendan Allen (12)
This might seem like the most ignorant question in the world come Sunday morning, but I’ll ask it: Is there anything Brendan Allen does better than Reinier de Ridder?
Grappling? It’s “The Dutch Knight” all the way, though Allen knows his way around a submission or two, obviously. In all likelihood, Allen relishes the thought of testing his jiu-jitsu against de Ridder and that probably gives us the most fun version of this matchup. I have de Ridder in the 90th percentile of grapplers currently competing in MMA, so my nod here says more about his strengths than any weakness on Allen’s part.
Striking? You’ve seen de Ridder get funky on the feet. It’s not always pretty, but it’s damn effective when he needs it to be and I’m not worried about him getting caught by Allen unless he does something dumb—and yes, this is middleweight, so that’s entirely possible.
Add in Allen taking this on short notice and I don’t like his chances of pulling off the upset here. But hey, I previously went on a lengthy run of picking against Allen and he just kept on winning, so maybe this is for the best.
Kevin Holland vs. Mike Malott
I’m loathe to point to behavioral intangibles when breaking down a fight, but I admit, Kevin Holland’s fight week demeanor has me concerned.
Where is the jovial and jubilant Holland we all know and love? Where are the sound bites? Where is the, to coin a phrase, “Big Mouth?”
Perhaps this all means Holland is genuinely focused on spoiling Mike Malott’s home-country coronation. Holland had all the makings of a spoiler as soon as this bout was announced and he’s beaten better fighters than Malott. If the right version of Holland shows up, this could be a bad night for Canadian fans.
Malott is not a small welterweight, so Holland can’t just overpower him. In fact, don’t be surprised if Malott goes to counter-wrestling to slow the unpredictable Holland. On the Holland side, he’ll look to test Malott’s cardio. He always puts plenty of volume on his opponents and Malott needs to be prepared for flurries at any moment.
This is a close one on paper. I’ll go Malott for the reasons listed above, mainly that I’m not convinced peak Holland made the trip across the border.
Marlon Vera (10) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (14)
It’s been over a year since we’ve seen Marlon Vera in action and it’s a strange to write that given the metronomic schedule he’s kept over the past few years. “Chito” has fought at twice or thrice a year since 2016 and unless he manages to sneak onto a November or December card somehow, that streak is soon to come to an end. And you know what? That might be for the best.
No one who keeps Vera’s schedule can expect to consistently be at their best on fight night (just ask Alex Pereira), so this time off could serve to rejuvenate the quintessential company man, who has lost three of his past four fights. He’s not being given an easy bounce-back opponent in Aimeann Zahabi, with the Canadian having strung together six straight wins.
Zahabi is a tactician through and through, with adaptation being one of his key strengths. I’m curious how the early sections of this fight play out given that neither fighter is known for fast starts. Whoever loses might be kicking themselves for not pushing the pace earlier.
This feels like a trap for Zahabi, who narrowly escaped being burned by the fading embers of Jose Aldo en route to a hard-earned—and contentious—decision win. Vera has disappointed in the past, but with his back to the wall and more time spent in the lab, I like his chances of pulling off this upset.
Manon Fiorot (3, P4P-6) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (11, P4P-19)
Jasmine Jasudavicius is peaking at the right time and her continued all-around growth should result in another win Saturday.
Let’s be clear here, if Jasudavicius’s usual bully tactics don’t work against Manon Fiorot, she doesn’t have much of a path to victory. Fiorot isn’t the best striker in the flyweight division, but she’s always had power and she put in competitive rounds on the feet against Valentina Shevchenko. If this stays standing up, Fiorot wins in a walk.
But Jasudavicius has locked in with her wrestling during her impressive streak and she knows who she is, which doesn’t sound like much, but many a contender has stumbled well before the finish line trying to fight outside of themselves. She’s going to shoot and shoot and shoot and shoot again, probably putting together the kind of gnarly performance that would get her booed if she were fighting outside of Canada.
It’s also the kind of performance that will earn her a decision and a future title shot.
Cody Gibson vs. Aoriqileng
This fight feels a little random, but I’m never going to complain about two highly competent and experienced bantamweights being thrown in the cage together. Between them, Cody Gibson and Aoriqileng have a combined 80 fights.
I expect this to play out with Aoriqileng focusing on controlling distance and striking, while Gibson works for angles to throw combinations and grapple. Gibson would be wise to heavily emphasize the wrestling because Aoriqileng has always struggled with keeping fights standing, where he’s most dangerous. Even if Aoriqileng tags Gibson a few times, Gibson can always fall back on grabbing Aoriqileng and dragging him to the mat.
As tough as Aoriqileng is, I see Gibson wearing him down and eventually securing a submission. That’s no small feat given that no one has made Aoriqileng tap in his UFC career.
Kyle Nelson vs. Matt Frevola
Look out, it’s Matt Frevola!
The New Yorker is a freight train—or a “Steamrolla,” if you will—and he’s out there to get or get got. He hasn’t gone to a decision since 2021 and he won’t in 2025 either. Sure, Kyle Nelson knows how to muck up his opponents’ strategies and drag them to decisions, but back at lightweight and in front of a friendly crowd, it’s bonus-hunting time.
I’m honestly curious to see if Frevola fights a tad more cautiously given he’s on a two-fight skid. It’s always good to keep guys like him around, but the UFC moves so fast these days that three and out is just the reality of the business. If it were up to me, the Frevolas of the world would have contracts for as long as they’re willing to sign on the dotted line.
With that in mind, I expect Frevola to throw caution to the wind as only he can. And Nelson will be right there to meet him head on, with just as much to lose. I’m giving Nelson the slight edge because of his durability, but this will just come down to who connects with a big shot first, so your guess is as good as mine.
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