UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Pyfer Preview
Joe Pyfer slams Abdul Razak Alhassan. Credit: MMA Fighting.
We’re back with yet another Apex card loaded to the brim with excellent matchups. In the co-main event, two featherweights look to put their name in title contention when Andre Fili faces off against Dan Ige. In the main event, one of the hottest rising stars in the sport takes on a well-rounded veteran when Joe Pyfer takes on Jack Hermansson. The entire main card is loaded with killers and fighters looking to establish themselves in the world’s foremost MMA promotion. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.
Rodolfo Vieira vs. Armen Petrosyan
Rodolfo Vieira submits Dustin Stoltzfus. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Middleweight Bout
Rodolfo Vieira: 9-2-0, 1 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.
Armen Petrosyan: 9-2-0, 6 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.
Vieira has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Cody Brundage (9-5-0), Dustin Stoltzfus (14-5-0), and Saparbeg Safarov (9-3-0). He is among the most credentialed Jiu-Jitsu players in MMA and has won gold medals at the ADCC, World Championships, AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro, and more. He’s averaging nearly four takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and is very explosive, able to land takedowns in open space and along the fence. Vieira has a 100% finish rate, and all of his submission wins have been via choke, making him highly dangerous if he gets a hold of his opponent’s neck. On the feet, he uses basic boxing combinations and stays behind his jab, possessing solid power and typically using his striking to set up his grappling. Training with Team Nogueira, he advances with lightning speed on the ground, has heavy top pressure, and powerful ground and pound. Vieira has shown consistent improvement in his striking and is more willing to engage in striking exchanges, but he is still far more comfortable on the mat.
Armen Petrosyan lands a kick on Kaloyan Kolev. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Petrosyan has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Gregory Rodrigues (14-5-0), AJ Dobson (7-2-0), and Christian Leroy Duncan (8-1-0). A former professional kickboxer, he held a record of 70-22-1 with 27 knockouts. He’s an excellent technical striker who possesses both speed and power. Training at Academy MMA, Petrosyan has great timing and accuracy with his strikes, often able to land shots and slip out of the pocket without taking damage. He does a great job mixing kicks into his combinations and attacks the head and body evenly, as well as providing a steady dose of leg kicks. He’s not likely to initiate grappling exchanges but has shown a solid ability to get off his back and return to his feet, where he’s most comfortable. Petrosyan is a highly active fighter, having fought eight times between 2021 and 2023.
Michael Johnson vs. Darrius Flowers
Michael Johnson cracks Justin Gaethje with a right hand. Credit: MMA Mania.
Lightweight Bout
Michael Johnson: 22-19-0, 9 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.
Darrius Flowers: 12-6-1, 7 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.
Johnson has won two of his last five outings and holds victories over #3 ranked Lightweight Dustin Poirier (29-8-0), #13 ranked Featherweight Edson Barboza (24-11-0), and Tony Ferguson (26-10-0). He has been in the promotion since 2010 and is an alumnus of the 12th season of The Ultimate Fighter, with a background in collegiate wrestling. He has fought a who’s who of the Lightweight division and is respected for his well-roundedness and devastating punching power. Training at Kill Cliff FC, Johnson has blazing-fast hands and loves to get into the pocket and throw 4-5 punch combinations. He has power in both hands, with his best weapon being his straights, but he also tends to throw damaging, looping hooks. He has excellent takedown defense, having defended 79% of takedowns attempted on him in his UFC career. Johnson has wrestling ability but only seems to use it when he’s losing on the feet, but he can land brutal ground and pound if he gets on top.
Darrius Flowers finishes Amiran Gogoladze. Credit: Yahoo.
Flowers has won four of his last five bouts, with his most recent win coming on the Contender Series over Amiran Gogoladze (14-3-0). He’s a true brawler, always moving and looking for openings to crash into the pocket and throw bombs. Training at Uprising MMA, he’s constantly looking to set up his right hand, staying at distance before dipping his head and throwing massive shots. Flowers will typically float along the outside of the cage and look for knockout opportunities, never putting out punches just to touch his opponent. Fighting with a true “kill or be killed” style, ten of his nineteen career bouts ended in the first round, and all his losses are by finish. He is willing to grapple and is very powerful in the clinch and top position. Flowers has devastating ground and pound but can get sloppy on the ground, with most of his losses coming by submission.
Brad Tavares vs Gregory Rodrigues
Brad Tavares launches a head kick at Caio Magalhaes. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Middleweight Bout
Brad Tavares: 20-9-0, 5 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.
Gregory Rodrigues: 14-5-0, 9 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.
Tavares has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Krzysztof Jotko (24-7-0), Chris Weidman (15-7-0), and Nate Marquadt (35-19-2). He’s an excellent, technical striker, always throwing in combination and keeping all his shots tight and straight. He has great distance management and constantly moves, never telegraphing or loading up. Tavares varies his shots, attacking the head and body evenly and often chewing up his opponent’s legs with kicks. Training at Xtreme Couture, he has fantastic takedown defense, having defended 82% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC. He has solid cardio and can push a consistent pace across 15 minutes, using both power and volume. Tavares is at his best when he’s controlling the center of the octagon and the fight's pace.
Gregory Rodrigues blasts JunYong Park with a right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Rodrigues has won three of his last five fights, with UFC wins coming over Junyong Park (17-5-0), Chidi Njokuani (22-9-0), and Julian Marquez (9-4-0). “Robocop” not only has one of the best nicknames in MMA but also devastating power in his hands. He fights with a powerful kickboxing style, is willing to engage both in the pocket and at range, and has quick kicks for someone his size. Training at Kill Cliff FC, Rodrigues has knockout ability at all times and can seemingly find finishes from nowhere. He has excellent range management and movement and can land in the pocket and return to range unscathed. He has solid accuracy and volume to match his power, landing with 55% accuracy in his UFC tenure. Rodrigues has a solid chin and is more than willing to eat a shot to land one, regularly getting drawn into wild brawls.
Robert Bryczek vs. Ihor Potieira
Robert Bryczek lands ground and pound on Samuel Kristofic. Credit: Oktagon MMA.
Middleweight Bout
Robert Bryczek: 17-5-0, 11 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.
Ihor Potieira: 20-5-0, 10 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.
Bryczek has won all his last five fights and is making his UFC debut. He’s a devastating knockout artist on a five-fight 1st-round knockout streak, with ten of his twelve career finishes coming in round one. He utilizes a boxing style, fighting behind his jab and throwing every shot with knockout intentions. Training with Veto Team, Bryczek is constantly pressuring forward, has excellent distance management, and keeps his head off the centerline. He favors power to volume but is exceptionally accurate and varies his attacks well, attacking the head and body evenly. He’s always looking to set up his right hand and is willing to eat a shot to land one. Bryczek constantly throws hooks and overhands, rarely throwing kicks and always hunting a knockout.
Ihor Potieria lands a right hand on Shogun Hua. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Potieria has won two of his last five bouts and has a UFC victory over Shogun Rua (27-14-1). He’s a wild striker with an awkward style, throwing everything with power and always pursuing a finish. He’s at his most dangerous early on and is yet to see a decision in his promotional tenure. Potieria uses a karate-like stance, keeping his hands low and throwing plenty of single shots and naked kicks. He’s always looking to close the distance and will attack from various angles, often blitzing forward to throw combinations. He has power in both hands and tends to headhunt, throwing lunging straights and overhands while entering the pocket. Potieria always comes forward, often throwing caution to the wind and eating shots to get inside.
#13 Dan Ige vs. Andre Fili
Dan Ige lands a left hook on Damon Jackson. Credit: MMA Mania.
Featherweight Bout
Dan Ige: 17-7-0, 5 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.
Andre Fili: 23-10-0, 10 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.
Ige has found victory in two of his last five bouts and holds wins over #11 ranked Featherweight Edson Barboza (24-11-0), Nate Landwehr (17-5-0), and Damon Jackson (22-6-1). He is a brawler with serious power inside the pocket and excellent technical boxing. He has great footwork and constantly varies his attacks, going to the head and body evenly. While Ige primarily uses his hands to land damage, he also possesses powerful kicks, which he’ll often throw naked or at the end of combinations. He throws every shot with power and deadly intent and has one-shot knockout ability. Although more known for his striking, he has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has landed a takedown in seven of his nine victories in the UFC. While Ige won’t often initiate grappling exchanges, he has shown great defensive grappling and is always active on the ground, never staying in one spot.
Andre Fili lands a left hand on Bill Algeo. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Fili has won two of his last five with one no-contest and has UFC victories over Charles Jourdain (15-7-1), Bill Algeo (18-7-0), and Lucas Almeida (14-3-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper who will engage in the fight wherever it goes. He’s always coming forward on the feet, constantly switching stances and fighting patiently behind his jab. Fili throws in combination, throwing every shot with accuracy and purpose, and possesses devastating kicks, especially to the head. He’s averaging just over two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes in his promotional tenure and is excellent on top. He never telegraphs his attacks and does a great job switching angles, landing damage at range and in the pocket. Fili has solid cardio and won’t get sloppy, pushing a consistent pace throughout the fight.
#11 Jack Hermansson vs. Joe Pyfer
Jack Hermansson rains down ground and pound onto Edmen Shahbazyan. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Middleweight Bout
Jack Hermansson: 23-8-0, 11 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.
Joe Pyfer: 12-2-0, 8 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.
Hermansson has won 3 of his last 5, with wins over #13 ranked Chris Curtis (31-10-0), Kelvin Gastellum (18-9-0), and Jacare Souza (26-10-0). Training at Frontline Academy, he is a well-rounded fighter, willing to engage in exchanges on the feet and the ground. He has power in his hands and a dangerous grappling pedigree, making him dangerous wherever the fight goes. While Hermansson has solid striking, he prefers to take the fight to the mat, averaging over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes. When on the top, he is more likely to pursue ground and pound than a submission but will grab a choke when given a chance. On the feet, he uses a boxing style, often throwing a lot of leg and body kicks before letting his hands go. Hermansson is at his most dangerous early in a fight, having five first-round finishes in the UFC, two being knockouts with three submissions.
Joe Pyfer chokes out Abdul Razak Alhassan. Credit: MMA Mania.
Pyfer has won all of his last five bouts and holds UFC victories over Alen Amedovski (8-4-0), Abdul Razak Alhassan (12-6-0), and Gerald Meerschaert (35-17-0). He is an explosive striker with one-punch knockout power that constantly pursues a finish. He has solid, technical hands, always keeping his guard high, his shots tight, and never telegraphs. Training at Marquez MMA, Pyfer has excellent head movement and footwork, never staying on the centerline, and can land damage going forward or backward. He has a solid grappling game with great takedowns, smothering top control, and submission ability to back up his brutal ground and pound. He does his best work on the inside with his hands but will throw heavy kicks at range, particularly to the legs. Pyfer has six first-round finishes and has only gone to one decision in his career, as well as only seeing the third round once.
Best Bets
Michael Johnson Moneyline: If you know anything about Michael Johnson, you know he’s the biggest anomaly in the history of MMA. He’s gone toe to toe with the best and even beaten some of them, but he also has some tough losses on his record. This is an excellent matchup for him stylistically, and he should get the win as long as he can keep his chin tucked.
Robert Bryczek by KO/TKO: Although he’s a debuting fighter, it feels like the UFC is setting this guy up for a push. He’s a wild fighter with a ton of first-round finishes and is fighting a guy who’s much less technical than him and hasn’t seen a third round in five years. Bryczek has crazy power and skill, and I expect him to get it done early.
Joe Pyfer Moneyline: This is easily my riskiest pick. Although Pyfer has torn through every guy the UFC has put in front of him, this is by far his toughest test. I believe Pyfer is well-rounded enough to find a victory, and I feel Hermansson won’t be too keen on striking with him.
