The UFC Vegas 48 prelim card features seven bouts, the final three of which will be previewed in this post. Rising women’s bantamweight star Jessica-Rose Clark (pictured above) will look to earn a spot in the top 15. All win probabilities are based on a fighter’s CC Rating and their place in the CC Rankings.

You can view the first set of prelim projections HERE.

[11] Chas Skelly vs. Mark Striegl (Men’s Featherweight)

Chas Skelly

• Record: 18-3-0
• Division Ranking: 12/75 featherweights
• Vegas Odds: -200 (Favorite)

Mark Striegl

• Record: 18-3-0
• Division Ranking: 55/75 featherweights
• Vegas Odds: +170 (Underdog)

Skelly (#11 CC, NR UFC) made his UFC debut back in 2014. He’s amassed an impressive 7-3 record since (with one no contest). Skelly has also made a name on the ground, having ten submissions over his career. This will be his first fight since September of 2019. This is not for lack of trying on Skelly’s part. He’s had five fights cancelled since then, with one being cancelled after Skelly had already walked out. Barring more bad luck, Skelly will finally get a chance to throw hands in the octagon again soon.

Striegl came to the UFC as the URCC featherweight champion. He dropped down to make his debut, facing off against Said Nurmagomedov. The Dagestani finished Striegl in the very first minute of the first round. Striegl now returns to his natural weight class, looking for his first UFC win. Of his 18 wins, a staggering 14 have come by submission.

Subjective Spin on Objective Reality: In this battle between two accomplished grapplers, it is possible this bout stays on the feet due to each not wanting to play to their opponent’s strength. On the feet, Skelly has the distinct advantage.

Editor’s Pick: Skelly

Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Stephanie Egger (Women’s Bantamweight)

Jessica-Rose Clark

• Record: 11-6-0
• Division Ranking: 17/28 bantamweights
• Vegas Odds: -175 (Favorite)

Stephanie Egger

• Record: 6-2-0
• Division Ranking: 19/28 bantamweights
• Vegas Odds: +150 (Underdog)

During her fight with Sarah Alpar, Clark tore her ACL, but still managed to get the KO win. After recovering from surgery, Clark delivered another win back in October. Before coming to the UFC, Clark was an MMA champion in her home nation of Australia. Her KO of Alpar was her first finish win since June of 2014. At 34, she’s looking to end her career on a run through the UFC rankings. She’s right on the cusp of earning a number next to her name.

Egger made her UFC debut against the rising prospect Tracy Cortez, falling short. However, she soon made people forget by delivering a highlight reel elbow KO over Shanna Young. Egger is a talented Judoka who has a very well-balanced game between striking and grappling. Only one of her six career wins came by decision. The other five have been finishes (three knockouts, two submissions).

Subjective Spin on Objective Reality: This is an exciting stylistic matchup. Egger has the aforementioned well-rounded game. Clark has a background as a striker, but in her last two fights, showed more mastery of wrestling. Clark will need to dictate the striking game and choose her moments to earn takedowns.

Editor’s Pick: Clark

Gabriel Benitez vs. David Onama (Men’s Featherweight)

Gabriel Benitez

• Record: 22-10-0
• Division Ranking: 42/75 featherweights
• Vegas Odds: +135 (Underdog)

David Onama

• Record: 8-1-0
• Division Ranking: 68/75 featherweights
• Vegas Odds: -160 (Favorite)

Benitez came in slightly overweight for this featherweight tilt. It is another strike against a fighter who is desperate for a win to stay in the promotion. He is 1-3 in his last four fights. The lone win came against Justin Jaynes in December 2020 via first round KO, which earned Benitez performance of the night honors. Jaynes was subsequently cut from the UFC. Benitez is a seasoned grappler, with ten submissions to his name (in addition to eight knockouts).

Onama lost his UFC debut back in October to Mason Jones. It was Onama’s first career defeat. It came only two weeks after his last fight in the FAC promotion. Onama performed admirably despite being a betting underdog. He showed striking far above the talent level one might expect from a debut fighter coming in on relatively short notice. However, Jones proved too much for him. The Ugandan will look to secure UFC win number one with a relatively easier fight this time around.

Subjective Spin on Objective Reality: Onama has all the talent in the world and, on paper, is better than his opponent. However, this is a matchup nightmare for Onama. He was taken down eight times against Jones in October. Now, he faces an experienced submission artist. This will be a big test, especially considering Benitez is also known for superior cardio.

Editor’s Pick: Benitez

Photo Credit: MMA Junkie