Preview: UFC 313 Prelims

The UFC 313 prelims on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas might be on the thinner side for an Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-view, but there are still plenty of bright spots. Curtis Blaydes returns in the featured slot after an unsuccessful heavyweight title shot and surprisingly draws Rizvan Kuniev in a huge opportunity for the promotional newcomer. Meanwhile, flyweight young guns Joshua Van and Rei Tsuruya square off in a fascinating matchup at 125 pounds. Beyond that, there are a bunch of fights matched for action, with “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 32 winner Mairon Santos standing out as the highest-upside prospect on the lower half of the undercard.

Now to the preview for the UFC 313 “Pereira vs. Ankalaev” prelims:

Heavyweights

Curtis Blaydes (18-5, 13-5 UFC) vs. Rizvan Kuniev (12-2-1, 0-0 UFC)

ODDS: Blaydes (-310), Kuniev (+250)

The UFC apparently wants to try to make Kuniev an immediate contender, and there are worse ideas, even if the Russian has some clear concerns. Kuniev failed to earn a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, earning a finish but tiring badly in the process, but he rebounded well enough, running through UFC veteran Anthony Hamilton and impressively mauling Renan Ferreira over three rounds in the Professional Fighters League. The Ferreira fight seemed to be a turning point for Kuniev, who showed up in the best shape of his career and showed a level of cardio that had previously eluded him. That made it less of a shock when the win was overturned due to Kuniev failing a drug test for multiple banned substances. Kuniev was back in his previous form for a return appointment on the Contender Series in 2024, when he looked solid enough in quickly dispatching his opponent. Still, questions remain as far as how Kuniev will look down the stretch against better opposition. To that end, Kuniev’s initially planned UFC debut against Martin Buday in December looked like just about the perfect test. Buday has been on the fringes of the UFC’s heavyweight rankings and has typically been the type of durable competitor who asks some hard questions of flawed fighters. However, with Buday out and the matchup completely scrapped, the UFC surprisingly rebooked Kuniev against Blaydes, who fought for the interim title in his last bout. At the very least, it’s a fresh matchup for Blaydes, who finds himself stuck outside of the title picture but with little to prove as a potential contender. Blaydes came to the UFC as a mauling wrestler—an attribute that remains his best skill—and did well to build out a solidly effective striking game with an impressive level of technique. There are a few victories where Blaydes has been able to win and score knockouts cleanly on the feet without even having to pivot to his best weapons. With that said, he’s still not a natural striker and there’s some clear clunkiness when Blaydes tries to mix the two phases. He can become a bit tentative about when to shift into pursuing his takedowns, particularly against faster opponents who can stun Blaydes and get him quickly on his heels. That has made for some poisonous matchups against top heavyweights, including interim champ Tom Aspinall, who knocked Blaydes out in a minute flat in July. However, Kuniev doesn’t seem to have the right formula to win here. He can throw a bit, so there’s certainly a chance, but by default, he seems likelier to try and outgrind the best wrestler in the heavyweight division, which just should wear him out sooner rather than later. The pick is Blaydes via second-round stoppage.

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Blaydes vs. Kuniev
Van vs. Tsuruya
Petrosyan vs. Ferreira
Miranda vs. Morono
Santos vs. Marshall
Ribeiro dos Santos vs. Diaz
Gutierrez vs. Castaneda