After a successful event in Abu Dhabi, the UFC heads back to the fight capital of the world Las Vegas for a stacked fight night event UFC Vegas 95 live at the UFC Apex.

On the main card, there is a banger in the welterweight division between Contender Series alumni Danny Barlow and short-notice debutant Nikolay Veretennikov which should provide a ton of fireworks for this fight night event.

These two are going to throw down for the fight fans on Saturday night, so let's take a look at this matchup and our Barlow-Veretennikov prediction and pick.

(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

UFC Vegas 95: Danny Barlow Predictions August 10th

Danny Barlow (8-0) secured his contract with a blistering knockout of Raheem Forest in just a little over 1 minute into the first round.

Barlow did one better against a seasoned competitor in his UFC debut when he dominated Josh Quinlan until he brutally finished him with a knockout in the third round to seal the deal and remain unbeaten.

In Barlow's short time as a professional, he has amassed an unblemished 8-0 record with numerous finishes

• Of Barlow's 8 wins he has 6 finishes which are split with 5 knockouts and 1 submission.

Barlow now has four straight knockouts on his resume with only one of those four seeing the second round. He gets to take on a tough competitor and fellow Contender Series alumni Nikolay Veretennikov who's stepping in for the injured Uros Medic on short notice.

Veretennikov is a big, lanky, pressure fighter that's going to come forward and look to lay hands on Barlow. While that seems like a recipe for success, Barlow has done a great job at countering pressure fighters much like he did against Quinlan and then landed his patented left hand that eventually put him out.

This certainly will be a tough fight for Barlow if he's not able to get Veretennikov out of there but it is one that he can come away victorious as long as he keeps his back away from the cage. If he can utilize his 4" reach advantage with jab to keep his distance he can hammer Veretennikov as he comes within range and pick him apart for either a late finish or the nod on the judge's scorecards.

UFC Vegas 95: Nikolay Veretennikov Predictions August 10th

Nikolay Veretennikov? (16-4) tried to secure his contract on the Contender Series back in 2021 but he was met with one of top propsects in the welterweight division Michael Morales who he dropped a unanimous decision against.

• Since that loss, Veretennikov has rattled off three straight wins all three by finish.
• He most recently knocked out his last opponent Ashley Reece in under three minutes to become the United Fight League Welterweight Champion.

After the news broke that Uros Medic was out of his fight against Danny Barlow, Veretennikov put his name in the mix to step in on short notice and he got the call as he now faces one of hottest prospects in the division Danny Barlow.

• However, Veretennikov is no stranger to fighting top prospects as he went toe to toe with Michael Morales on the Contender Series being only one of the few to go the distance with him.

His durability certainly will be tested here in this matchup with Barlow and if it holds up he has a great chance at becoming victorious in his UFC debut.

His high-level experience will be crucial in this fight as he looks to avoid the left hand of Barlow and make him work from the opening bell. It will be up to Veretennikov to not just stand and bang with Barlow but to mix in the takedowns and keep him honest.

If he has able to make this an MMA fight and not a kickboxing match with MMA gloves he has a chance to score the big upset in his UFC debut..

UFC VEGAS 95: DANNY BARLOW vs NIKOLAY VERETENNIKOV FANDUEL ODDS FOR AUGUST 10

MONEY LINE

• DANNY BARLOW: -460
• NIKOLAY VERETENNIKOV: +320

PROPS

• DANNY BARLOW BY POINTS: +195
• DANNY BARLOW BY SUBMISSION: +1200
• DANNY BARLOW BY KNOCKOUT/TKO: +120
• NIKOLAY VERETENNIKOV BY POINTS: +850
• NIKOLAY VERETENNIKOV BY KNOCKOUT/TKO: +650
• NIKOLAY VERETENNIKOV BY SUBMISSION: +2000

OVER/UNDER (ROUNDS TOTAL)

• OVER 2.5 ROUNDS (+102)
• UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (-128)

BEST UFC VEGAS 95 ODDS FOR DANNY BARLOW vs NIKOLAY VERETENNIKOV

• Nikolay Veretennikov comes in as the sizable underdog in his UFC debut. FanDuel Sportsbook has the best odds for Veretennikov at (+320)
• Danny Barlow is the biggest favorite in his MMA career. Caesars Sportsbook comes in with the best odds at (-340)
• FanDuel has the best odds when it comes to the over/under on the total rounds, which is set at 2.5 Rounds (+102) for the over, and (-128) for the under

FINAL BARLOW-VERETENNIKOV PICK & PREDICTION

This welterweight matchup should be a barnburner between these two rising prospects.

Ultimately, we should see a competitive bout from both but Danny Barlow isn't warranted this price tag with just 8 professional bouts against his stiffest competition to date so it would be best to take a shot on the underdog Veretennikov to weather the early storm and make Barlow work early eventually breaking him down either to a late finish or get the nod on the judge's scorecards.

FINAL BARLOW-VERETENNIKOV PICK & PREDICTION: NIKOLAY VERETENNIKOV (+320)