MMA Preview – Johnny Eduardo vs Anthony Birchak at UFC Vegas 22
JOHNNY EDUARDO VS ANTHONY BIRCHAK FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 22? Saturday 20th March, 2021 - 22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 22? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 22? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 22 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 22? 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!
JOHNNY EDUARDO VS ANTHONY BIRCHAK LOWDOWN
The 42-year-old, Johnny Eduardo (28-12) kicks off the main card desperate for a win. He is 3-4 in the UFC, but he has fought some bantamweight beasts and he has not even managed to get in one fight a year since his debut all the way back in 2011. He lost to Raphael Assuncao back then and then knocked out Eddie Wineland in 2014 but the got submitted by Aljamain Sterling in 2015. He returned a year later to knock out Manvel Gamburyan but that was his last win. He suffered his first knockout loss in 2017 to Matthew Lopez and his last fight was a year after that where he got submitted by Nathaniel Wood.
Anthony Birchak (15-7) is also getting on a bit and coming off a loss. It was last year in November where he took on Gustavo Lopez for his first fight in the UFC since getting released back in 2016 and it did not go to plan at all getting submitted in the first round. He went 2-2 in his first stint and things did not get much better losing three fights in a row for Rizin. He picked up a TKO over Adam Martinez (Combate Americas) and a submission over Raphael Montini de Lima (Legacy Fighting Alliance) before taking his opportunity, but he needs to impress at the APEX to have any future.
JOHNNY EDUARDO VS ANTHONY BIRCHAK PREDICTION
Both men need to throw caution to the wind and aggressively hunt a finish. They are not going to make any kind of dent in the bantamweight division especially at this stage in their career so need to put on a show to potentially earn some exciting matchups in the future.
Fortunately, there is a good chance we will see an exciting fight here. Although, it was nearly three years ago, Eduardo looked good before getting submitted by Wood. If he still has that pop, he can put Birchak in trouble on the feet. Birchak will oblige in a trade, but he has not shown enough in career to suggest he has the quality to get past Eduardo, on paper at least.
This will not be a technical masterclass, but it should be a fast-paced scrap with Eduardo doing enough to earn a decision at least.
Prediction: Eduardo via Decision - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
This fight has now been cancelled due to visa issues for Johnny Eduardo
