MMA Preview – Nicolae Negumereanu vs Ike Villanueva at UFC Fight Night 196
NICOLAE NEGUMEREANU VS IKE VILLANUEVA FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 196? Saturday 23rd October, 2021 -19:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 196? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 196? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Fight Night 196 on? BT Sport 2
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 196? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
NICOLAE NEGUMEREANU VS IKE VILLANUEVA LOWDOWN
Nicolae Negumereanu (10-1) is standing tall on an impressive looking record littered with finishes, but the light heavyweight division is not exactly going to be put on notice with a unanimous decision loss to Saparbek Safarov. He lost to the Russian on his debut in 2019 which was the first loss of his career, but he responded well with a split decision win over Aleksa Camur four months ago.
Ike Villanueva (18-12) has not set the division alight either losing three of his last four. His debut was at heavyweight however, taking on Chase Sherman. He got TKO’d and Jordan Wright welcomed him to the light heavyweight division with another TKO, but Villanueva was gifted the whipping boy Vinicius Moreira to get off the mark. He starched him in the second round, but Marcin Prachnio made it three knockout losses in four fights back in June.
NICOLAE NEGUMEREANU VS IKE VILLANUEVA PREDICTION
On paper, Negumereanu should take this all day. He is a finisher and Villanueva has been knocked out six times and submitted five times. The Romanian is also 10 years younger and not absorbed much damage in his career.
However, when you consider Villanueva’s power and Negumereanu’s technique or lack of defence, anything can happen. They are both very aggressive and Negumereanu has more strings to his bow and may mix in takedowns. Villanueva does not offer much on the floor, so we could see the Romanian hunt a submission.
Villanueva has a puncher’s chance, but Negumereanu should have the edge in every area. We are safe in the knowledge neither fighter will make a run for the title, but this should be a fun fight.
Prediction: Negumereanu via KO/TKO - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
