Wes Schultz vs Jackson McVey Prediction & Fight Preview - 8/22/2026
Updated August 21, 2026
Updated August 21, 2026
The middleweight prelim between Wes Schultz and Jackson McVey at UFC Fight Night in Sacramento features two fighters looking for their second straight UFC victories. McVey enters as the favorite after a first-round submission of Sedriques Dumas in April, while Schultz bounced back from a UFC debut loss by submitting Ben Johnston in Round 3 in May. Before the action begins on this Fight Night card, continue reading to get my Wes Schultz vs Jackson McVey prediction.
Statistic | Wes Schultz | Jackson McVey |
|---|---|---|
Age | 30 | 27 |
Height | 6'2" | 6'4" |
Reach | 77" | 77" |
Stance | Orthodox | Southpaw |
Record | 9-3-0 | 7-2-0 |
Schultz's recent form is better than his UFC record initially suggests. He was stopped by Damian Pinas in his February debut, but he answered that defeat with a significant win over Johnston in Perth. Schultz absorbed plenty of control time in that fight and still found a way to reverse the position late, finishing Johnston with a guillotine choke at 1:50 of Round 3. The victory moved Schultz to 9-3 and gave him his first UFC victory.
Schultz has 6 professional submission victories and has finished his past 3 wins by submission. His grappling is his clearest route to winning this fight, particularly if he can force McVey into extended exchanges along the fence or capitalize on a poor shot. His wrestling background is also useful because it gives him ways to take the fight away from McVey's preferred striking range.
McVey, however, has produced some eye-catching numbers in his MMA appearances. The 27-year-old has 3 knockout wins and 4 submission wins, with all 7 of his professional victories coming inside the distance. He has landed 6.51 significant strikes landed per minute, 3.37 absorbed per minute, and has an average fight time of only 4:09. His striking has been particularly effective from the clinch, where 52 of his 81 UFC significant strikes have landed.
In his April victory over Dumas, McVey landed 21 of 29 significant strikes, scored a knockdown, and controlled the fight for 2:03 before finishing Dumas with a D'Arce choke at 2:14 of Round 1. That combination of damaging offense and submission ability makes McVey difficult to game-plan against.
The biggest question is whether Schultz can turn McVey's aggression into grappling opportunities. If Schultz gets underneath McVey's punches, forces him backward and starts chaining takedowns into submission attempts, the underdog has a very realistic route to an upset. McVey's history against strong submission specialists prevents this from being a comfortable favorite's play.
Still, McVey's recent UFC form, physical advantages, and superior striking numbers make him the more reliable option relative to the price. He has also shown that he can finish fights from the clinch, while Schultz has demonstrated vulnerability to damaging offense when opponents keep the fight at range. The market may be remembering Schultz's old amateur victory more heavily than it should, so I'll take the favorite here.
