UFC Fight Night 261: Lucas Rocha vs Stewart Nicoll Preview & Prediction
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Flyweights kick off UFC Fight Night 261, as Lucas Rocha takes on Stewart Nicoll in a 125 pound showcase.
Lucas Rocha vs Stewart Nicoll facts
What time are Lucas Rocha and Stewart Nicoll expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night 261: Oliveira vs Gamrot? Farmasi Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 261: Oliveira vs Gamrot? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 261: Oliveira vs Gamrot
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night 261: Oliveira vs Gamrot on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 261: Oliveira vs Gamrot? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night 261: Oliveira vs Gamrot main card
Charles Oliveira vs Mateusz Gamrot (Lightweight)
Deiveson Figueiredo vs Montel Jackson (Bantamweight)
Vicente Luque vs Joel Alvarez (Welterweight)
Jhonata Diniz vs Mario Pinto (Heavyweight)
Ricardo Ramos vs Kaan Ofli (Featherweight)
Lucas Almeida vs Michael Aswell (Featherweight)
UFC Fight Night 261: Oliveira vs Gamrot prelims
Jafel Filho vs Clayton Carpenter (Flyweight)
Vitor Petrino vs Thomas Petersen (Heavyweight)
Beatriz Mesquita vs Irina Alekseeva (Women’s Bantamweight)
Lucas Rocha vs Stewart Nicoll (Flyweight)
Julia Polastri vs Karolina Kowalkiewicz (Women’s Strawweight)
Luan Lacerda vs Saimon Oliveira (Bantamweight)
Lucas Rocha: "Fenomeno" looks to banish the memories of his disastrous UFC debut
Punching his ticket to the UFC with an absolutely vicious knee KO on the Contender Series in 2023, expectations were high for the first appearance of Lucas Rocha (17-2). Unfortunately, "Fenomeno" found himself getting choked out cold by Clayton Carpenter at the Apex last October, considerably dampening the hype on the 25 year old Brazilian. With ten wins by knockout and another four by submission, Rocha is clearly not a fan of the scorecards, a state of affairs that has also seen him go out on his shield in pursuit of the finish.
Stewart Nicoll: Can "Kakamore" earn the upset deep behind enemy lines?
Much like his next opponent, Australian flyweight, Stewart Nicoll (8-1), decidedly had a UFC debut to forget. "Kakamora" was throttled into submission by Jesus Aguilar in his first appearance with the promotion last October, coughing up his undefeated record in the process. With seven stoppages split virtually even between knockouts and submissions, the 30 year old Australian is purportedly a threat wherever the fight takes place and has only ever been to the second round on three occasions throughout his career to date.
Lucas Rocha vs Stewart Nicoll prediction
While he may have ultimately ended up getting submitted, Nicoll had some early success on the feet and with his grappling against Aguilar in his debut. Aguilar is decidedly not Alexandre Pantoja, but he's a decent flyweight in his own right; he arguably had Tatsuro Taira in trouble briefly during their matchup in 2023.
By contrast, Rocha has yet to demonstrate anything that proves he has what it takes to cut it in the big leagues. His strength of schedule leaves a lot to be desired, and at 5'3, he's arguably undersized for the smallest weight class that the UFC has to offer. He's also been KO'd on the regional scene, raising questions as to how he'll handle stiffer levels of competition. As such, it's easy to envision a reality where Nicoll simply outmuscles Rocha across three rounds, leaning on his edge in physicality to bully the smaller man around the cage.
However, Nicoll's wins aren't exactly anything to write home about either. Moreover, his pursuit of the takedown could have devastating consequences against a fighter with multiple knockouts by knee on his record. It could go either way, but the tentative pick is for Rocha to catch Nicoll on the way in for the KO to send the home crowd into early raptures.
Prediction: Lucas Rocha to win
