UFC Fight Night 67 fight card: K.J. Noons vs Alex Oliveira full fight preview

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight talents K.J. Noons and Alex Oliveira will scrap this Saturday (May 30, 2015) at UFC Fight Night 67 inside Goiania Arena in Goiania, Brazil.

After a fairly putrid run inside both Strikeforce and UFC, Noons put together consecutive wins for the first time in years. He's technically on an unbeaten streak at the moment, as some eye pokes ended his bout with Daron Cruickshank early.

While Oliveira is fairly unknown, he put forth a very strong performance in his Octagon debut. Oliveira will look to showcase his potential once more on Saturday and hopefully leave with a victory this time around.

Let's take a look at the keys to victory for both fighters:

KJ Noons
Record: 13-7 (1)
Key Wins: Nick Diaz (Elite XC: "Renegade"), Sam Stout (TUF: "Nations" Finale), George Sotiropoulos (UFC 166)
Key Losses: Donald Cerrone (UFC 160), Josh Thomson (Strikeforce: Tate vs Rousey), Jorge Masvidal (Strikeforce: Overeem vs. Werdum)
Keys to Victory: Noons is a former professional boxer and has been semi-successful in bring those skills into the cage. Though Noons has yet to really develop his other skills -- at least offensively -- the striker has scored nine knockout victories.

Since Noons only ever has one path to victory, his game plan is pretty obvious. The boxer will box, but luckily, his opponent is also a striker.

Though he has an opponent willing to trade with him, Noons should focus on doing a few things. His opponent is a nasty kicker, something Noons has struggled with in the past. In order to limit the effectiveness of Oliveira's kicking attack, Noons should keep the pressure on his opponent and be ready to counter with punches.

Additionally, Noons should go to the body early and often. For the second time in his short UFC career, Oliveira is stepping up on short notice. Last time, it cost him, as his fatigue allowed Gilbert Burns to rally late and earn a submission.

While Noons isn't going to grapple, some body shots would really help slow Oliveira down.

Alex Oliveira
Record: 10-2
Key Wins: Joilton Santos (Face to Face 10)
Key Losses: Gilbert Burns (UFC Fight Night 62)
Keys to Victory: A dangerous Muay Thai-style kickboxer, Oliveira has finished eight of his opponents via knockout. In addition, the Brazilian showed some pretty nice defensive wrestling and grappling against one of the most highly touted prospects in the division.

While Oliveira actually has a pretty decent takedown game to accompany his striking assault, he probably doesn't have the conditioning to keep Noons down for three rounds. Noons may be a fairly novice offensive grappler,but he's proven to be a very difficult man to finish.

If Oliveira wins, it's likely by decision.

Only the Brazilian knows exactly how well his cardio will hold up, but he did well enough in his short notice debut. Plus, it's not like Noons is a conditioning machine.

To defeat Noons, Oliveira should get very active with his kicks. In particular, Oliveira should dig into Noons' legs as often as possible. Not only will it limit his movement, but it will slow Noons down and prevent him from turning the tide if Oliveira gets tired.

Bottom Line: This should be an entertaining striking bout between a veteran and up-and-comer.

At this point, Noons ceiling is clear. He's not going to break into the rankings any time soon, but Noons can still put on entertaining fights. Plus, there's always a chance Noons can score a crowd pleasing knockout. So while Noons isn't really fighting to climb up the division, he's just trying to hold onto his current position.

Similarly, a loss wouldn't really hurt Noons either. The UFC could have cut him following his loss to Cerrone, but they clearly have an interest in keeping him around to brawl.

On the other hand, the Brazilian "Cowboy" is young in the sport and looking to make a name for himself. This is a big opportunity for him, as Noons still has a name but is likely past his prime. That's the exact type of match up prospects should desire.

If Oliveira loses to Noons, he should still have a position on the roster. He's proven willing to take short notice bouts and is undoubtedly a tough scrapper. Still, it wouldn't be a good start for the Brazilian's UFC career.

At UFC Fight Night 67, K.J. Noons and Alex Oliveira will slug it out. Which fighter will earn the victory?