UFC Fight Night returns to Las Vegas on Saturday, April 5, with some huge Featherweight division bouts lined up in Sin City.
At the top of the UFC Vegas 105 card, Josh Emmett takes on Lerone Murphy in a bout that could have ramifications for a future UFC Featherweight title shot. Emmett returns after 16 months away from the octagon as he hopes to end Murphy’s 16-fight undefeated streak in Vegas.
Elsewhere on the card, Joanderson Brito is hoping to bounce back from a split-decision loss against William Gomis to beat Pat Sabatini in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 105, while there’s an impromptu Heavyweight clash between Martin Buday and Uran Satybaldiev after future star Kennedy Nzechukwu was forced to pull out of his planned fight with Buday due to injury.
Ahead of UFC Vegas 105, the experts at Bloody Elbow have picked their winners for the two main event fights, as well as the Performance of the Night and their Fight of the Night.
Josh Emmett vs Lerone Murphy prediction
- Jordan Ellis – Lerone Murphy via decision
- James Sweetnam – Lerone Murphy via KO
- Kyle Diamond – Lerone Murphy via KO
The Bloody Elbow team are unanimous in picking The Miracle as the winner, as they back Murphy to keep his undefeated streak alive against Emmett. However, they’re split on whether it will be via decision or knockout.
A win for Murphy would go a long way to helping him earn a world title shot. This victory would put him at 16 wins and 0 defeats, the same as former Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria before he vacated the belt.
Emmett took an extended break after his last bout, which could leave him with some ring rust and may be the difference in winning and losing the fight at UFC Vegas 105. Fans haven’t seen Emmett fight since December 2023, which is a long break for the 40-year-old.
Pat Sabatini vs Joanderson Brito
- Jordan Ellis – Joanderson Brito via decision
- James Sweetnam – Joanderson Brito via decision
- Kyle Diamond -Joanderson Brito via decision
The co-main event seems to be a foregone conclusion, according to our Bloody Elbow experts. All three have gone for Brito to take home the decision victory over Sabatini in Las Vegas.
Both men will walk into the fight with similar records, although Brito lost to Gomis in his last match. He will have a point to prove to get himself back up the Featherweight rankings by beating the 34-year-old Sabatini in his home country.
They may be looking back at Brito’s victory over Diego Lopes as a hint to how the fight could go, with the bout showing the Brazilian’s striking ability that could prove an issue for Sabatini in the octagon.
Fight of the Night at UFC Vegas 105
- Jordan Ellis – Davey Grant vs Daniel Santos
- James Sweetnam – Brad Tavares vs Gerald Meerschaert
- Kyle Diamond – Josh Emmett vs Lerone Murphy
Three separate picks for Fight of the Night show the quality of bouts on offer for UFC Vegas 105. Jordan’s frontrunner is Davey Grant’s fight with Daniel Santos on the prelims. This is Santos’ first fight since 2023, but his record of 12 wins and just 2 defeats will pair well with Grant’s 16 wins and 7 defeats, giving the chance for an open, exciting fight where anything can happen.
James’ prediction is that the Brad Tavares vs Gerald Meerschaert bout will be the best one of the night. The men are two veterans of the octagon, boasting 57 wins between them in their years fighting professionally. However, both sport losing records in their past five fights, and the desperation to improve their fortunes will help make this a potential Fight of the Night.
Finally, Kyle thinks the main event of the evening will be the Fight of the Night. Murphy is an exciting young fighter boasting an impressive record. Combining him with one of the UFC’s strongest punchers in Emmett is a recipe for a classic fight.
Performance of the Night at UFC Vegas 105
- Jordan Ellis – Torrez Finney
- James Sweetnam – Davey Grant
- Kyle Diamond – Torrez Finney
Two of our experts picked Torrez Finney, also on the prelims, as who they predict will be the most impressive performer at UFC Vegas 105. Finney is undefeated, winning his last 10 fights, 7 of them via KO/TKO. If he carries on his destructive streak inside the octagon, he has a great chance of picking up the bonus at the end of the night.
Finney has been criticized by Dana White in the past for his performances, so winning may not be enough for the young fighter. A Performance of the Night is just what he needs to catapult himself up the rankings and nearer to a title shot in the future.
James sees it differently, picking Grant as the man who will impress in Las Vegas on April 5. He sees the ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ runner-up impressing against Santos. Grant nearly lost a toe after a recent injury at UFC Tampa, so he’ll have quite the test on the prelims to earn Performance of the Night.
