After falling to Michael Moreales on Dana White’s Contender Series back in 2021, Nikolay Veretennikov arrives in the UFC on Saturday on the strength of a three-fight win streak. The UFC Vegas 95 card is topped by a heavyweight rematch in Marcin Tybura vs. Serghei Spivac 2; Veretennikov is paired up with Danny Barlow in main card action.
Nikolay Veretennikov
Fighting at 170 lbs (welterweight)
34-years-old
Fighting out of Kazakhstan/California, US
Training out of Kings MMA
A pro record of 12-4
9 KO/TKOs, 1 Submission
How Veretennikov will fare in the UFC:
I didn’t ever expect to see Veretennikov in the UFC when he lost on the Contender Series in 2021. He was 32 then and is 34 now, so I thought we wouldn’t see him in UFC gloves. He has been on a nice three-fight win streak beating good regional guys. Ashley Reece, Demarques Jackson, Anthony Ivy, Steve Jones, Austin Jones, and Charlie Ontiveros are all good regional wins. His only loss in the last eight years came to UFC rising star Michael Morales on DWCS, which isn’t a bad look at all.
Boxing: C+
Jab: C+
Feints: B-
Knockout power: B-
Head movement: C
Counter striking: C-
Volume: B-
Combinations: B-
Kickboxing: B
Bodywork: B
Explosiveness: D
Athleticism: C
Footwork: C
Clinch: B+
Stand-up: B-
Veretennikov is billed more as a striker. What stands out would be his power and bodywork even though he’s gotten away from that a little bit. After watching his current tape to his old you can see he’s on the decline. Weird to say because of his run recently but those guys he beat wouldn’t get a win in the UFC. Veretennikov doesn’t throw enough volume as he usually throws one to two punches at a time. He has no head movement and relies on connecting in short bursts. He lacks not only the age but physical attributes to be a serious threat in the UFC.
Wrestling: B-
Takedown entry/timing: C-
Chain-wrestling: C
Top Control: C+
Transitions: C-
Ground and Pound: B+
Submission attack: C
Takedown defense: C
Grappling defense: C-
Ground game: C-
I will say in his last three fights his takedown defense has improved. Prior to that and in his Contender Series fight the takedown defense was a big issue. Not only that but his grappling defense. Veretennikov struggles off his back and makes mistakes in giving up his back. His wrestling is good on the surface level. He can’t chain wrestle but does have good judo in the clinch. Even with takedowns, Veretennikov isn’t much on top. He postures up with ground and pound but doesn’t look to improve his position.
Speed: C
Strength: A
Cardio: C+
Chin: A-
Fight IQ: B-
Overall: C
I don’t see Veretennikov making any waves in the UFC at this point in his career but he could be a gatekeeper for a few years. He proved to be able to beat regional-level guys and some of those are in the UFC right now.
How he matches up with Barlow:
Barlow is one of the top up-and-comers in the UFC right now. A lot to be seen with his ground game but his his striking is top-notch. Veretennikov is going to be fighting a longer more technical striker and Barlow also has more power. With the way Veretennikov comes in I see Barlow being able to counter all day. I feel pretty good about Barlow finding the knockout. Veretennikov has proved to be durable but at 34 with a lack of defense, it’s going to come soon.
