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UFC Vegas 75: Vettori vs. Cannonier will roll on from the UFC Apex as we bring you another prediction and pick for the next Main Card bout in the Lightweight (155 lb) Division. Mexico's next prospect Manuel Torres will return after a year to face off against Brazil's Nikolas Motta. This has the potential to be the Fight of the Night! Check out our UFC odds series for our Torres-Motta prediction and pick.
Manuel Torres is 13-2 as a mixed martial artist and is 1-0 in his UFC bouts. He earned a contract on DWCS with an exciting TKO and knocked out Frank Camacho in his debut with a sensational right hook. He's one of the more exciting prospects coming out of Mexico and has a well-rounded base of striking and grappling already. He hasn't been very active, however, and will be eager for his second UFC fight against another young killer. Torres stands 5'10” with a 73.5-inch reach.
Nikolas Motta is 13-4 as a professional fighter and has gone 1-1 in his UFC bouts after shining on Contender Series. Motta was caught slipping in his debut and got knocked out by UFC all-time fights leader Jim Miller. Motta bounced back against Cameron VanCamp with a first round TKO finish and has been looking for a fight ever since his bout with Ignacio Bahamondes got cancelled. He gets a willing dance partner in Torres and will look for another KO victory. Motta stands 5'9″ with a 70.5-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Vegas 75 Odds: Manuel Torres-Nikolas Motta Odds
Manuel Torres: -188
Nikolas Motta: +152
Over (1.5) rounds: +120
Under (1.5) rounds: -154
How to Watch Manuel Torres vs. Nikolas Motta
TV: ESPN, ESPN+
Stream: ESPN App, UFC Fight Pass, fuboTV
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)
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Why Manuel Torres Will Win
Manuel Torres came in as a very exciting prospect and showed a crazy striking game in his two fights with the UFC. He fights like a wild man and will throw the kitchen sink at his opponent in the first round. He blitzes his opponents and throws a flurry of combinations while mixing in high head kicks. He's extremely fast with both his punches and kicks, not letting up a single second for his opponent to catch their breath. While he's not known for his grappling, he did a great job of stuffing takedowns in his last fight against Camacho.
Torres will be the longer and quicker fighter here, playing perfectly into his game plan of darting in-and-out of distance. Motta will be coming back with heavy counter-strikes, so the movement of Torres will be crucial in ensuring he doesn't take too much damage. He was unscathed after his last win, so there's questions surrounding his long layoff. Still, oddsmakers are giving him the edge on the lines nonetheless, indicating he'll be the more skillful fighter.
Why Nikolas Motta Will Win
Nikolas Motta may be more familiar to MMA fans due to his activity and exciting fights since his arrival. He always shows up to throw hands and does so at a feverish pace. Motta fights with a lot of attitude and doesn't mind getting into heated exchanges. He also welcomes fire fights and has been knocked down numerous times in his fights. He feels most comfortable in those situations and will engage even if it means getting knocked out himself. It's this mindset that helps Motta thrive in situations where he can start to cleanly work his boxing. When he's on his rhythm, he becomes a frightening puncher for anyone in the division.
Motta will have to work on being more defensively minded in his fight. While he welcomes a scrap, he's often getting stunned in the process. He can't afford to lose this fight from being overly aggressive, so Motta should look to pick his shots more precisely. He does a great job of covering his head and has a very high boxing guard. He'll need to keep his hands up while throwing strikes as Torres will be snapping punches in return. It'll take a new-look, patient approach from Motta if he wants to win as the underdog on Saturday.
Final Manuel Torres-Nikolas Motta Prediction & Pick
Both of these fighters throw caution to the wind and throw haymakers, which is exactly why this could shape up to be the fight of the night. Torres is the favorite due to his striking speed and larger physical build. If he can sustain the kind of pace he has in previous fights, he could prove to be too much for Motta. However, Motta could land the more significant shots due to his power and precision. Motta has been the more active guy and continues to get better each time out. His constant evolution could prove to be a deciding factor against Torres. Let's go with the underdog in Nikolas Motta to get this win. If you want to cover your bet, take the fight to end in a TKO/KO as both of these guys swing for the fences.
Final Manuel Torres-Nikolas Motta Prediction & Pick: Nikolas Motta (+152); Fight Ends in KO/TKO (-180)
