UFC Fight Night: Nikolay Veretennikov vs Niko Price Preview & Prediction
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Niko Price steps in for Jose Henrique Souza on five days notice to face Nikolay Veretennikov at welterweight, the second change to the match up after the aforementioned Souza was tabbed to replace Eric Nolan.
Nikolay Veretennikov vs Niko Price facts
What time are Nikolay Veretennikov and Niko Price expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira? Meta Apex, Enterprise, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Not televised
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira main card
Mario Bautista vs Vinicius Oliveira (Bantamweight)
Amir Albazi vs Kyoji Horiguchi (Flyweight)
Jailton Almeida vs Rizvan Kuniev (Heavyweight)
Michał Oleksiejczuk vs Marc-Andre Barriault (Middleweight)
Jean Matsumoto vs Farid Basharat (Bantamweight)
Dustin Jacoby vs Julius Walker (Light Heavyweight)
UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira prelims
Alex Morono vs Daniil Donchenko (Welterweight)
Bruna Brasil vs Ketlen Souza (Women’s Strawweight)
Said Nurmagomedov vs Javid Basharat (Bantamweight)
Wang Cong vs Eduarda Moura (Women’s Flyweight)
Muin Gafurov vs Jakub Wiklacz (Bantamweight)
Klaudia Syguła vs Priscila Cachoeira (Women’s Bantamweight)
Nikolay Veretennikov vs Niko Price (Welterweight)
Nikolay Veretennikov: The Kazakh veteran opens the card following his second opponent change
One of only four men to take top welterweight contender, Michael Morales, to the scorecards, Nikolay Veretennikov (13-7) returns following a loss to Punahele Soriano last time out at UFC 320. A battle tested welterweight with a wealth of experience and ten finishes in thirteen wins, Veretennikov's toughness hasn't quite translated to success in the Octagon to date. The LFA veteran brings a UFC record of 1-3 to his fifth fight in the promotion, with his sole victory coming over the since departed Francisco Prado. However, he's arguably been extremely unlucky in several of those results, dropping a contentious split decision to Danny Barlow and enduring what was largely deemed an early stoppage against Austin Vanderford.
Niko Price: "The Hybrid" returns on ultra short notice in desperate search of a win
The quintessential "kill or be killed" style of fighter, Niko Price (16-9, 2 NC) has fallen on tough times as of late. The only fighter in UFC history to post multiple knockouts from bottom position, Price's tendency to rely on his chin and brawl in the pocket has cost him on more than once. Once known for his ability to absorb damage, "The Hybrid" simply hasn't been the same since a cartoonish KO loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 290, and it's worth noting that he'd been stopped in vicious fashion on multiple occasions prior to that defeat. With that being said, he still gave the undefeated Jacobe Smith what was arguably the hardest fight of his career en route to a second round submission defeat last time out.
Nikolay Veretennikov vs Niko Price prediction
Both men enter this contest in desperate need of a win. Veretennikov is just 1-3 since joining the promotion last year, while a defeat for Price would signal his third consecutive loss and potentially result in his walking papers.
Of the two, the Kazakh veteran looks to be the marginally safer pick. Not only has Veretennikov had a full camp to prepare for entering the cage on Saturday night, but he's arguably the more technical of the two fighters, capable of managing his output and cardio across three rounds if the finish doesn't materialize. Moreover, he's recently been offered a new contract with the promotion, meaning that he won't have the threat of losing his job hanging over his head should he come up short.
Regrettably, the same cannot be said for Price. "The Hybrid" is a dismal 1-4 dating back to 2022, with three of those losses coming by way of nasty finish. Once known for his opportunistic ability to find a vicious KO out of nowhere, Price has seemingly lost all confidence in his finishing abilities; he hasn't scored a stoppage since a spectacular upkick against James Vick all the way back in 2019.
Price likely knows that his job is on the line here and will fight accordingly. Unfortunately for the veteran, it's unlikely to be enough to secure him the victory.
Prediction: Nikolay Veretennikov to win
