UFC Fight Night: Khaos Williams vs Nikolay Veretennikov Preview & Prediction
Two welterweights in need of a win to open up the main card, Khaos Williams looks to bounce back from a two fight skid against dangerous power puncher Nikolay Veretennikov.
Khaos Williams vs Nikolay Veretennikov facts
What time are Khaos Williams and Nikolay Veretennikov expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night 276: Allen vs Costa? Meta Apex, Enterprise, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 276: Allen vs Costa? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Nigh 276
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night 276: Allen vs Costa on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 276: Allen vs Costa? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night 276: Allen vs Costa main card
Arnold Allen vs Melquizael Costa (Featherweight)
Choi Doo Ho vs Daniel Santos (Featherweight)
Malcolm Wellmaker vs Juan Diaz (Bantamweight)
Modestas Bukauskas vs Rodolfo Bellato (Light Heavyweight)
Timothy Cuamba vs Bernardo Sopaj (Bantamweight)
UFC Fight Night 276: Allen vs Costa prelims
Tuco Tokkos vs Ivan Erslan (Light Heavyweight)
Trey Ogden vs Thomas Gantt (Lightweight)
Ketlen Vieira vs Jacqueline Cavalcanti (Women’s Bantamweight)
Cody Brundage vs Andre Petroski (Middleweight)
Alice Ardelean vs Polyana Viana (Women’s Strawweight)
Daniel Barez vs Luis Gurule (Flyweight)
Shauna Bannon vs Nicolle Caliari (Women’s Strawweight)
Khaos Williams vs Nikolay Veretennikov (Welterweight)
Khaos Williams: Can “The Oxfighter” remind everyone why he was once the feared finisher of 170?
Khaos Williams (15-5) has long built his reputation on his highlight-reel knockouts. The Detroit fighter holds multiple Performance of the Night bonuses for stoppages over Alex Morono, Abdul Razak Alhassan, Miguel Baeza, and Carlston Harris. Unfortunately, Oxfighter enters this one on a two-fight losing streak after a submission loss to Bonfim and a decision loss to Gustafsson. At 32, Williams remains a natural athlete with serious power and durability, but his recent investment into real estate has raised questions about how dedicated he still is to the game.
Nikolay Veretennikov: “Gladiator” looks to back up his statement win over Niko Price
Nikolay Veretennikov (14-7) heads into Vegas off the back of his most impressive UFC outing, a first-round TKO over veteran Niko Price in February. Veretennikov sits at 2-3 in the promotion with his other win being a split decision over Francisco Prado, and recent defeats coming against Punahele Soriano and Austin Vanderford. Veretennikov comes from a boxing and combat sambo background, best known for his work in the clinch with his heavy knees, and his short, but powerful boxing combinations. The concern is his fight IQ at the UFC level – repeatedly jumping guillotines he can’t finish, and against Prado, consistently throwing spinning attacks despite being taken down from them.
Khaos Williams vs Nikolay Veretennikov prediction
This one seems winnable for Williams. Veretennikov has shown that his clinch work is dangerous and that he possesses power in his hands, but the path to victory is narrow against a man who has never been knocked out in all his twenty professional fights.
Williams starts his combinations from way out, leaping in with his power shots in a way that catches opponents flat-footed. Veretennikov is hittable as it is, and is unlikely to be expecting Williams to be triggering shots from that far out. Veretennikov’s chin has held up well in the UFC, the Vanderford ground-and-pound loss was more about him not returning fire from the floor than him being put to sleep, and he also survived Michael Morales’ insane power on the Contender Series. So a clean one-shot finish is unlikely, but a barrage could definitely get the job done.
Although taking Veretennikov down would be the easiest way to beat him, Williams hasn’t completed a takedown in his entire UFC run, so the fight will probably stay on the feet. Give me Williams to win, I can see a late finish for him as Veretennikov gases out in the final round.
Prediction: Khaos Williams to win by KO/TKO in round three
