MMA Preview – Brian Kelleher vs Domingo Pilarte at UFC Vegas 34
BRIAN KELLEHER VS DOMINGO PILARTE FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 34? Sunday 22nd August, 2021 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 34? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 34? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 34 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 34? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
BRIAN KELLEHER VS DOMINGO PILARTE LOWDOWN
Brian Kelleher’s (22-12) UFC future looked bleak in 2018, sitting on two losses to John Lineker (knockout) and Montel Jackson (submission) with one fight left on his contract. He was out for over a year recovering from injury waiting for his chance to extend his career. He met Ode Osbourne in 2020 and proceeded to seal a first-round guillotine and ‘performance of the night’ bonus. He has been very active since but suffered mixed fortunes knocking out Hunter Azure, getting outpointed by Cody Stamann, submitting Ray Rodriguez but is coming off another unanimous decision, this time to Ricky Simon.
Domingo Pilarte (8-2(1)) appears for his annual fight. He has only fought once a year since 2015 which is a shame. He earnt a split decision over the red-hot prospect Adrian Yanez in 2017 for the Legacy Fighting Alliance which led to a shot on the Contender Series. He was paired with Vince Morales and submitted him in the second round. His UFC performances have not quite matched those performances losing a split decision to Felipe Colares and then got knocked out in 38 seconds by Journey Newson although his record was spared the damage after that was overturned to a ‘no contest’ due to Newson testing positive for marijuana.
BRIAN KELLEHER VS DOMINGO PILARTE PREDICTION
These two finally meet more than three years after their original date. Pilarte is a big bantamweight and will boast a significant six-inch height and 10-inch reach advantage. However, he has not fought in 18 months and his last win was over three years ago.
Pilarte will tower above Kelleher in his southpaw stance, but Kelleher is used to being the shorter fighter and will try and burst into the pocket and offload his power. The striking exchanges will be fun, but they are also good grapplers with 14 submissions between them.
Pilarte is a good wrestler and Kelleher’s last two losses have come to top wrestlers Stamann and Simon although Pilarte is not quite on their level. We can see Pilarte wearing Kelleher down with his grappling nonetheless and controlling the range on the feet to sway the judges.
However, Pilarte’s defence is the real worry. His chin is suspect, and we can see Kelleher landing one of his bombs like Newson did and even punce on a submission if the scrambles get sloppy. This is a tough one to call, but we are leaning towards Kelleher with his experience.
Prediction: Kelleher via KO/TKO - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Pilarte to win
