UFC Vegas 75: Lucas Almeida is the fighter to watch

Lucas Almeida returns after a one year layoff and looks to add another finish to his record.

The UFC is back to its home base this weekend at the UFC APEX where it will host 14 bouts in Sin City. The fight night is being headlined by two middleweight contenders coming off wins. No. 3 ranked Marvin Vettori and No. 4 ranked Jared Cannonier. The fight card features fighters attempting to make names for themselves and move up the ranks, and one of those is Lucas Almeida (14-1) who faces UFC veteran, Pat Sabatini (17-4).

Almeida first stepped inside the UFC airspace a year ago when he defeated Mike Trizano (10-3) late into the third round by landing a left hook and finishing via ground strikes. The year-layoff comes as a result of some unfortunate luck from his opponents continuing to withdraw due to injury or weight-cutting issues. He was previously scheduled to fight Zubaira Tukhugov, Andre Fili, and Hakeem Dawadu but none of the matchups came to fruition.

The featherweight prospect fights out of Sorocaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and has an impressive 100 percent finish rate when he wins. The singular loss on his record comes at the hands of Daniel Zellhuber via unanimous decision in Dana White's Contender Series in 2021.

Pat Sabatini looks to avenge his first UFC loss

Pat Sabatini previously was undefeated in the UFC with four wins until he ran into Damon Jackson and was finished in the first round via ground & pound. In this loss he was hurt by a front kick that was followed up by punches, which proceeded to him giving side control, then mount and back mount for Jackson to ultimately finish the fight.

Sabatini has accumulated 12 finishes (11 submissions, 1 KO) to his name but has not recorded one in his favor since August of 2021 when he defeated Jamall Emmers via heel hook. Despite giving up three inches in height and one inch in reach, the experience has edged him as the favorite at (-185) according to BetMGM. Almeida is the underdog and is listed at odds of (+150).

UFC Vegas 75: Marvin Vettori vs. Jared Cannonier takes place on Saturday, June 17, 2023, live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, NV. Follow along with FanSided MMA for all your news and highlights.