UFC Fight Night: Alden Coria vs Stewart Nicoll Preview & Prediction
Two flyweights clash on the prelims as Texan prospect Alden Coria takes on the winless Stewart Nicoll.
Alden Coria vs Stewart Nicoll facts
What time are Alden Coria and Stewart Nicoll expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman? Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 281
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman main card
Dricus du Plessis vs Kamaru Usman (Middleweight)
Jared Cannonier vs Christian Leroy Duncan (Middleweight)
Chase Hooper vs Mitch Ramirez (Lightweight)
Tommy McMillen vs Alberto Montes (Featherweight)
UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs Usman prelims
Tabatha Ricci vs Fatima Kline (Women's Strawweight)
Austin Bashi vs Jose Miguel Delgado (Featherweight)
Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani vs Ko Seok-hyeon (Welterweight)
Levi Rodrigues Jr. vs Felipe Franco (Light Heavyweight)
Alden Coria vs Stewart Nicoll (Flyweight)
RJ Harris vs Alvin Hines (Heavyweight)
Anna Melisano vs Dione Barbosa (Women's Flyweight)
Marc-Andre Barriault vs TBC (Middleweight)
Alden Coria: “Cobra” looks to prove he belongs alongside his championship-level teammate
Alden Coria (12-3) has quietly put together one of the more promising starts in the flyweight division, going 2-0 in the UFC since a short notice debut, against two good fighters. He announced himself by finishing Alessandro Costa with third-round TKO at Noche UFC, before outworking Luis Gurule this February. Longtime training partner of flyweight champion Joshua Van, Coria mirrors his teammate’s game – a sharp, patient jab, crisp combination boxing, and good takedown defence. He picks his shots at range before loading up in the pocket, checks calf kicks well, and stays defensively responsible throughout, leaning off centre line to counter and using head movement to safely exit.
Stewart Nicoll: Aussie fights to keep his spot on the roster
Stewart Nicoll (8-3) arrived from the Australian regional scene as an undefeated BJJ black belt with the XFC flyweight title and seven finishes across his eight wins, but the step up has been absolutely brutal for him. He’s lost on all three UFC outings, a debut guillotine to Jesus Aguilar, a decision to Lucas Rocha, and most recently a liver-shot TKO from Alessandro Costa. He’s a dynamic striker who switches stances and throws with decent volume, but his chin hasn’t looked too good at this level, and his gas tank can start to empty in the second half of his fights.
Alden Coria vs Stewart Nicoll prediction
Nicoll just can’t catch a break, the UFC are setting him up again by feeding him to another prospect rather than matching him with someone competitive at his own level or form. The shared opponent tells us what we need to know: Coria finished Costa, and Costa finished Nicoll, and the body shot that folded Nicoll is the type of weapon that Coria has in his locker. Van’s team drill body shots in their boxing combinations and Nicoll has already crumbled to the liver shots before.
On paper this is a similar matchup for Coria to when he fought Luis Gurule, just with a more dynamic striker in Nicoll who happens to be less durable. Nicoll may show more on the feet early than Gurule did, but his realistic path runs through the grappling, but Coria won’t let that happen. Nicoll struggled to take down Rocha in his fight, and with Coria, who defended everything Gurule threw at him and even reversed a takedown, this is a far tougher task. This fight should stay standing, exactly where Coria wants it.
Coria’s a sharper and stronger prospect than the last fighter Nicoll shared the cage with, which is why I’m slightly confused as to why the UFC have even created this match up. Coria to win by stoppage in the final round carries good value at the bookies, and I have Coria as a lock to win this fight.
Prediction: Alden Coria to win
