For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.
Adrian Yanez and Vinicius Salvador meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 241 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Yanez (16-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and Salvador (14-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) meet in an exciting bantamweight scrap. … Yanez will be looking to right the ship after dropping two straight due to stoppages. After being signed to the promotion through Dana White’s Contender Series, Yanez won his first five UFC fights, stopping four of those opponents. … Salvador is also in need of a win, in fact, he’s looking for his first in the UFC. Another DWCS veteran, Salvador ended up on the wrong side of a pair of unanimous decisions to begin his UFC run.
Serving as a solid offering at bantamweight is a fight between Yanez and Salvador. Both men are looking to stop the bleeding of a two-fight losing skid, with Salvador coming up a division to do so.
A savvy southpaw striker, Salvador brings a ton of flamboyant techniques and slick counters to the table. The Brazilian fighter also carries some accolades in judo and jiu-jitsu, but primarily likes to sort things out on the feet.
Yanez, who also has an underrated ground game, will likely oblige Salvador standing.
Although I favor the more proven bantamweight in a firefight, it’s important to note that Yanez is 0-2 against UFC-level southpaws, showing some discomfort defensively and lacking a jab offensively.
I’ll still pick Yanez to win by decision, just don’t be surprised if we end up with a competitive striking fight.
The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the American, listing Yanez (-400) and Salvador (+300) via FanDuel. Yanez has been a favorite in all of his UFC bouts, amassing a record of 5-2. Salvador was a slight favorite in his UFC debut, and then a slight underdog in his second appearance. Both fights took place at flyweight.
As the second fight on the main card, Yanez and Salvador are expected to make their walk to the octagon around 7:40 p.m. ET (4:40 p.m. PT). The fight streams live on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.
For more detailed analysis from Dan Tom, check out his weekly show, “The Protect Ya’ Neck Podcast.”