UFC Fight Night: Royval vs. Kape Preview

Brandon Royval lands a thunderous knee on Matheus Nicolau. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

The UFC returns to its headquarters at the APEX with an outstanding Fight Night card. The entire card is packed with excellent matchups and exciting fighters, all looking to prove themselves on the biggest stage in the sport. In the co-main event, two dangerous strikers will collide when powerful kickboxer Giga Chikadze takes on surging prospect Kevin Vallejos. In the main event, two top-ranked Flyweights go toe-to-toe when the always-dangerous Brandon Royval squares off against a flashy striker in Manel Kape. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

King Green vs. Lance Gibson Jr.

King Green tags Jim Miller with a stiff jab. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Lightweight Bout

King Green: 32-17-1, 11 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Lance Gibson Jr.: 9-1-0, 4 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Green has won two of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Grant Dawson (23-3-1), Nasrat Haqparast (18-6-0), and Jim Miller (38-19-0). He is an excellent boxer who picks his opponents apart with quick, heavy hands. He’s rarely in a boring fight, always willing to go to the center of the octagon and exchange blows. Green fights with his hands low, remaining unpredictable and never telegraphing his strikes. He fights behind his jab, keeping his strikes sharp and straight while constantly attacking from different angles and varying his targets. Training at Pinnacle MMA, he’s a solid wrestler and averages over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes, but generally looks to keep the fight standing. Green has been fighting professionally since 2008 and has earned various UFC Lightweight records, including the most significant strikes landed (1864), and the most total strikes landed (2091) all time.

Lance Gibson Jr. exchanges blows with Vladimir Tokov. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Gibson has won four of his last five bouts and is making his UFC debut. He’s an aggressive grappler with excellent wrestling skills and solid punching power. He’s constantly moving and feinting when on his feet, throwing every shot with power and blasting his opponent with kicks from range. Gibson will typically shoot for a takedown early on and has solid entries and timing, particularly with his double legs. He’s heavy on top and very aggressive, constantly landing ground and pound shots and looking to posture up. Training at Gibson Kickboxing, he’s efficient in top position, rarely wasting energy or getting sloppy, and has solid scrambles, typically finding himself in the dominant position on the mat. Gibson is always in pursuit of a finish and rarely sees the judges scorecards, with all of his last four fights ending in the first round.

Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Marcus Buchecha

Kennedy Nzechukwu lands a powerful kick to the body of Chris Barnett. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Heavyweight Bout

Kennedy Nzechukwu: 14-6-0, 10 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Marcus Buchecha: 5-2-0, 1 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Nzechukwu has won two of his last five outings and holds UFC victories over #3 ranked Light Heavyweight Carlos Ulberg (14-1-0), Chris Barnett (23-10-0), and Ion Cutelaba (19-11-1). He’s a lengthy striker with fast hands and serious power. He has very fluid striking, keeping his head off the centerline and his hands low before unloading long, heavy shots. Nzechukwu varies his shots well, regularly firing heavy body and leg kicks before closing the distance and letting his hands go. He has solid distance management and is constantly pressuring his opponent, forcing them to the outside of the cage and controlling the pace of the fight. Training at War Room MMA, he is exceptionally durable and has proven his ability to survive in deep waters multiple times in the UFC. Nzechukwu heats up as the fight continues, having scored seven of his eleven finish victories after round one.

Marcus Buchecha attempts to secure a kimura on Martin Buday. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Buchecha has won three of his last five fights and is looking for his first UFC victory. He’s a highly accomplished BJJ practitioner, holding a spot in the IBJJF Hall of Fame and various gold medals in high-level competition. He’s not a particularly technical striker but has solid power in his hands and a good chin. Buchecha usually won’t waste much time before attempting a takedown, typically a powerful blast double leg, and will quickly establish a dominant position on the mat. Once the fight hits the mat, he’s very efficient and tough to get away from, rarely wasting energy or losing control of his opponent. Training at American Top Team, he’s always working for a finish in top position and can find submissions with impressive speed, from seemingly any position. Buchecha has proven to be a quick finisher in his brief MMA career, having secured all his victories in 3:30 or less.

Melquizael Costa vs. Morgan Charrière

Melquizael Costa lands a vicious knee on Julian Erosa. Credit: Ag. Fight.

Featherweight Bout

Melquizael Costa: 24-7-0, 7 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Morgan Charrière: 21-11-1, 13 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Costa has won four of his last five bouts and holds UFC victories coming over Julian Erosa (31-13-0), Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (39-12-0), and Andre Fili (25-12-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper with impressive power in his hands and excellent grappling. He has an outstanding arsenal of kicks, regularly unloading powerful shots to the head and body from range before blitzing into the pocket to throw power punches. Training at Chute Boxe JE, Costa typically doesn’t absorb much damage, utilizing solid footwork, head movement, and distance management to remain elusive. He’s averaging nearly two takedowns landed and over one submission attempted per fifteen minutes, and is very active on the ground, whether in top or bottom position. He’s constantly looking to improve or posture up and has outstanding sweeps and reversals. Costa is most dangerous early on, with nine of his fifteen finish victories coming in round one.

Morgan Charrière batters Nate Landwehr against the cage. Credit: Bloody Elbow.

Charrière has won three of his last five outings, with UFC victories coming over Nate Landwehr (18-7-0), Manolo Zecchini (11-4-0), and Gabriel Miranda (17-8-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter who’s willing to engage the fight anywhere and is always dangerous. Training with Team Chapa Quente, he’s a technical striker with substantial power in his hands and brutal leg kicks. Charrière has excellent footwork and is very defensively sound, taking minimal damage and always keeping his head off the centerline. He remains calm and technical throughout and won’t get pulled into dogfights, typically forcing his opponents to the outside and picking them apart with precise, clean shots. On the ground, he has great top control and heavy ground and pound, especially his elbows. Charrière has gone five rounds multiple times in his career and has great cardio, often increasing his pace and output as the fight progresses.

César Almeida vs. Cezary Oleksiejczuk

César Almeida stuns Ihor Potieria with a heavy right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Middleweight Bout

César Almeida: 7-1-0, 5 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Cezary Oleksiejczuk: 16-3-0, 9 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Almeida has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Abdul Razak Alhassan (12-7-0), Dylan Budka (7-5-0), and Ihor Potieria (20-8-0). A former professional kickboxer, he held a record of 47-8-2 with 27 wins by knockout. He’s an outstanding striker, always accurate and technical, throwing every shot purposefully. Almeida varies his shots well, attacking the head, legs, and body while mixing kicks into combinations without telegraphing. Training at Teixeira MMA, he carries his power throughout the fight and has excellent counterstriking and head movement. His best shot is his straight right, and he’s most comfortable controlling the center of the octagon and the pace of the fight. Almeida won’t usually initiate grappling exchanges, but has shown continued improvement on the ground and will land brutal ground and pound if in top position.

Cezary Oleksiejczuk lands a stinging right hand on Theo Haig. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Oleksiejczuk has won four of his last five bouts and is making his UFC debut. He’s a hard-hitting striker who’s always coming forward, looking to do damage. He fights behind his jab and throws everything with speed and power, but won’t get sloppy and keeps his punches accurate and straight. Oleksiejczuk has excellent distance management and will control the center of the cage, forcing his opponent to the outside and applying constant pressure. Training with the Fighting Nerds, he won’t usually take the fight to the mat, but has excellent takedown defense and is dangerous in top position. He has solid cardio and has gone five rounds multiple times, consistently pushing a heavy pace throughout his fights. Oleksiejczuk has finished his last three outings in the first round and is always in pursuit of a highlight-reel finish.

#15 Giga Chikadze vs. Kevin Vallejos

Giga Chikadze lands a powerful kick to the head of Alex Caceres. Credit: MMA Mania.

Featherweight Bout

Giga Chikadze: 15-5-0, 9 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Kevin Vallejos: 16-1-0, 11 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Chikadze has won two of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Edson Barboza (24-14-0), Cub Swanson (30-14-0), and Alex Caceres (21-15-0). He’s an excellent kickboxer with heavy hands and devastating body kicks. Training at Kings MMA, Chikadze is a former professional kickboxer with a record of 38-8-0 with 22 knockouts. He’s unlikely to take the fight to the mat but has excellent takedown defense and is strong inside the clinch, able to land significant damage without much space. Holding a third Dan black belt in Goju-ryu karate, he has exceptionally educated feet and never telegraphs his attacks. He’s proven to possess one-shot knockout power in both his hands and kicks, capable of finishing opponents with kicks to the body. He’s outlanded his opponents in all his UFC victories and is capable of throwing both with volume and power.

Kevin Vallejos fires a heavy uppercut at Seung Woo Choi. Credit: MMA Mania.

Vallejos is on a five-fight win streak, holding UFC victories over Seung Woo Choi (11-8-0) and Danny Silva (10-2-0). He’s an outstanding striker with excellent punching power and counterstriking. He throws every shot with knockout intentions, regularly adding low kicks to the end of punch combinations. Vallejos has terrific footwork and distance management, regularly looking to slip punches and return fire. Training at Brothers of Life MMA, he remains technical throughout and won’t telegraph shots, entering the pocket at different angles and opening combinations with different punches. He won’t typically pursue takedowns, but he’s a solid grappler with heavy top control and ground and pound. Vallejos pushes a heavy pace and rarely sees the judges’ scorecards, with eight of his thirteen finish victories coming in the first round.

#2 Brandon Royval vs. #6 Manel Kape

Brandon Royval lands a crushing left hand on Brandon Moreno. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Flyweight Bout

Brandon Royval: 17-8-0, 4 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Manel Kape: 21-7-0, 13 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Royval has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #4 ranked Flyweight Brandon Moreno (23-9-2), #3 ranked Flyweight Tatsuro Taira (18-1-0), and Kai Kara-France (25-12-0). He’s a wild brawler who pushes a crazy pace and is dangerous anywhere the fight goes. Training with Mile High Militia, “Raw Dawg” has been awarded six post-fight bonuses in eleven bouts in the promotion and always leaves everything in the cage. Royval is dangerous in any position on the ground, always working to improve and searching for submissions. He throws everything in combination on the feet and is always coming forward, looking to do damage. He’s willing to hang in the pocket and exchange, and has proven to be highly durable with an excellent ability to recover from damage. Royval has set multiple Flyweight records in his five-year UFC tenure, including the most significant strikes attempted in a fight (510), most total strikes both attempted (556) and landed (281) in a fight, and the most head strikes landed in a fight (248).

Manel Kape blasts Asu Almabayev with a right hook. Credit: Bloody Elbow.

Kape has won four of his last five bouts, with UFC victories coming over #7 ranked Flyweight Asu Almabayev (23-3-0), #14 ranked Flyweight Bruno Silva (14-6-2), and Felipe dos Santos (8-3-0). He is a former Rizin Bantamweight champion and is a fantastic, flashy striker. He’s constantly looking to counterstrike, slipping punches and throwing every shot with purpose and deadly accuracy. Kape has excellent distance management, switches stances constantly, and will often blitz in with big shots before returning to range. He has heavy power for a Flyweight and doesn’t telegraph anything, frequently timing his shots when his opponent enters his range. Training at Xtreme Couture, he won’t typically initiate grappling exchanges but has a solid submission game and can be dangerous off his back. Kape takes some time to get going, but once he finds his rhythm, he heats up and lets his hands go.

UFC 323 Preview

Merab Dvalishvili stuns Umar Nurmagomedov with a stiff left hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.

The UFC returns to the T-Mobile Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a fantastic pay-per-view card. The final numbered card of 2025 has been stacked from top to bottom with exciting scrappers, excellent matchups, and ranked contenders all looking to earn a performance bonus this Saturday. In the co-main event, we’ll see red-hot volume striker Joshua Van challenge dominant Flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja for gold. In the main event, we get a long-awaited rematch between the always-dangerous Petr Yan and the marauding Bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvili. First, we’ll take a look at a select few preliminary bouts, then break down the full main card.

Prelims

Terrance McKinney vs. Chris Duncan

Terrance McKinney blasts Mike Breeden with a left hand. Credit: Essentially Sports.

Lightweight Bout

Terrance McKinney: 17-7-0, 8 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Chris Duncan: 14-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

McKinney has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Farés Ziam (17-4-0), Matt Frevola (11-6-1), and Mike Breeden (11-6-0). He’s a wild scrapper who comes out guns blazing, always hunting for a quick finish. He’s always coming forward, pressuring his opponent and firing every shot with knockout intentions. McKinney is just as dangerous on the mat and is highly aggressive in top position, constantly looking to posture up or secure a submission. Training at Fusion X-Cel, he has excellent chokes and can find them with blinding speed, regularly using them to defend takedowns or immediately getting ahold of his opponent's neck when the fight goes to the ground. He has never been to a decision in his professional career, reaching the third round only once in 24 fights. McKinney has already put his name in the UFC Lightweight record books, holding the records for the fastest finish and knockout (0:07) and the shortest average fight time (2:25).

Chris Duncan attempts to secure a guillotine choke on Jordan Vucenic. Credit: MMA Mania.

Duncan has won four of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over Mateusz Rębecki (20-4-0), Bolaji Oki (10-3-0), and Omar Morales (11-4-0). He’s an exciting brawler with a solid wrestling game and dangerous power in his hands. He’s always coming forward and throwing everything with power, constantly unloading long, straight punches and powerful kicks. Duncan has great footwork and distance management and will regularly batter his opponents with step-in elbows and knees when they enter his striking range. Training at American Top Team, he’s averaging over three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and has heavy top and clinch control. He’s always dangerous on the ground, especially in top position, but has outstanding submissions and can find them off his back. Duncan is exceptionally durable and heats up as the fight continues, having earned half of his finishes in the second or third round.

#13 Grant Dawson vs. Manuel Torres

Grant Dawson unloads vicious ground and pound onto Rafa Garcia. Credit: MMA Mania.

Lightweight Bout

Grant Dawson: 23-2-1, 5 KO/TKO, 13 Sub.

Manuel Torres: 16-3-0, 8 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Dawson has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Jared Gordon (21-8-0), Rafa Garcia (18-4-0), and Diego Ferreira (19-7-0). He is a relentless grappler with a lethal submission game and smothering wrestling skills. In his last five appearances, he’s averaged over ten and a half minutes of control time per fight and is very tough to escape from on the mat. Training at American Top Team, Dawson has fantastic takedowns and is an excellent chain wrestler, often stringing together takedown attempts before securing top position. He’s highly efficient and active on top, constantly improving position, posturing up, or looking for submission openings. He’s a technical striker on the feet but willing to engage, keeping his hands high and his punches straight and tight. Dawson has the highest top position percentage in UFC Lightweight history (62.3%) and has successfully taken down twelve of his thirteen UFC opponents.

Manuel Torres stuns Drew Dober with a heavy right hand. Credit: MMA Mania.

Torres has won four of his last five fights, with UFC victories coming over Drew Dober (28-15-0), Nikolas Motta (15-6-0), and Chris Duncan (14-2-0). He’s an explosive striker with one-shot knockout power. He throws everything with knockout intent and is always coming forward, pressuring his opponent. Training at Alliance Jiu-Jitsu, Torres is always willing to take a shot to land one and will use his offense as his defense, rarely looking to cover up and instead trying to overwhelm his opponent rather than avoid punches. He has outstanding takedowns in the clinch and will immediately try to get a hold of his opponent’s neck if the fight hits the mat. He favors power to volume and will throw every shot with knockout intentions, often with reckless abandon. Torres has only been to a single decision in his pro career, with eighteen of his fights ending in the first round, and has earned a Performance of the Night bonus in all of his UFC wins.

Main Card

#5 Jan Błachowicz vs. #11 Bogdan Guskov

Jan Błachowicz lands a stinging left hook on Alex Pereira. Credit: MMA Mania.

Light Heavyweight Bout

Jan Błachowicz: 29-11-1, 9 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Bogdan Guskov: 18-3-0, 15 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Błachowicz has won one of his last five bouts with one draw and has wins over #6 ranked Middleweight Israel Adesanya (24-5-0), #10 ranked Light Heavyweight Aleksandar Rakić (14-6-0), and #13 ranked Light Heavyweight Nikita Krylov (30-11-0). He is an excellent kickboxer with serious power in his hands and kicks. He has great footwork and does an excellent job of stalking his opponents and cutting off the cage, always letting his hands go when he enters the pocket. Training with Berkut WCA Fight Team, Błachowicz has one-punch knockout power and does a great job of varying his shots, attacking the head and body evenly. He’s averaging just over one takedown landed per fight and is a capable grappler, holding a black belt in BJJ and excellent wrestling skills. Błachowicz has great cardio and has gone five rounds multiple times in the UFC, making him constantly dangerous.

Bogdan Guskov batters Billy Elekana with punches against the cage. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Guskov has won four of his last five outings, holding UFC victories over #13 ranked Light Heavyweight Nikita Krylov (30-11-0), Billy Elekana (9-2-0), and Ryan Spann (23-11-0). He’s a marauding striker who’s always looking for a knockout. He’s always coming forward and pressuring his opponent, throwing every shot with accuracy and knockout intentions. Training at GOR MMA, Guskov tends to fight with his hands low, remaining unpredictable before bursting into the pocket to unload combinations. He primarily uses his hands to do damage and varies his shots well, regularly landing brutal body shots. He has secured 13 first-round finishes and rarely sees the judges’ scorecards, going to just a single decision in his professional career. Guskov is very durable and willing to brawl, but has good head movement and moves in and out of the pocket very efficiently.

#10 Henry Cejudo vs. Payton Talbott

Henry Cejudo exchanges blows in the pocket with Merab Dvalishvili. Credit: LA Times.

Bantamweight Bout

Henry Cejudo: 16-5-0, 8 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Payton Talbott: 10-1-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Cejudo has won two of his last five fights and has UFC victories over former Bantamweight champions TJ Dillashaw (18-5-0) and Dominick Cruz (24-4-0) and former Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson (25-4-1). One of the most accomplished athletes in MMA, he’s a former UFC double champion (FLW & BW) and former Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling. Unsurprisingly, he’s an excellent grappler, averaging about two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and possessing smothering top control. Training at Fight Ready, Cejudo has fantastic takedowns and scrambles, seemingly always finding a way to top position. He uses a karate-like style on the feet, holding a wide stance, constantly moving, and mixing kicks into combinations. All his attacks are lightning-fast, often using his striking to get into the pocket and grapple. Cejudo has excellent takedown defense, having defended 76% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC, and is very fluid on the ground and in the clinch.

Payton Talbott tags Felipe Lima with a stinging left hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Talbott has won four of his last five bouts, with UFC victories coming over Felipe Lima (14-2-0), Yanis Ghemmouri (13-4-0), and Cameron Saaiman (9-3-0). He is an elusive, slick striker with serious punching power. He’s a lengthy fighter for the division and uses it well, constantly firing long punches and kicks and keeping his opponent on the end of his strikes. Talbott has outstanding footwork and distance management, always cutting off his opponent and controlling the center of the cage. He fights behind his jab and remains technical throughout, keeping his shots straight and sharp without getting sloppy or overextending himself. Training at the Reno Academy of Combat, he won’t usually pursue takedowns but is dangerous in top position and will immediately look to posture up and land heavy ground and pound. Talbott, although young in his UFC career, has already earned two Performance of the Night bonuses and the third fastest knockout in Bantamweight history (0:19).

#2 Brandon Moreno vs. #5 Tatsuro Taira

Brandon Moreno clips Steve Erceg with a stiff left hook. Credit: MMA Mania.

Flyweight Bout

Brandon Moreno: 23-8-2, 5 KO/TKO, 11 Sub.

Tatsuro Taira: 17-1-0, 5 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Moreno has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #4 ranked Flyweight Amir Albazi (17-2-0), #6 ranked Bantamweight Deiveson Figueiredo (25-5-1), and #10 ranked Flyweight Steve Erceg (13-4-0). He’s an exceptionally well-rounded fighter with fantastic boxing and outstanding grappling. He has a sharp jab and always fights behind it, using it to set up devastating combinations and batter his opponent when they enter striking range. Moreno is willing to throw down in the pocket but always remains composed and accurate, throwing every shot with intent and purpose. He’s taken down four of his last five opponents and has excellent takedowns and control in top position. He has a dangerous arsenal of submissions and can produce quick finishes on the mat. Moreno has fought for gold in six of his last nine fights and has accumulated the most total fight time in UFC Flyweight history (5:08:28).

Tatsuro Taira looks to secure a rear naked choke on Hyun-Sung Park. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Taira has won four of his last five fights, holding UFC victories over #11 ranked Flyweight Alex Perez (25-10-0), Édgar Cháirez (12-6-0), and Jesús Aguilar (12-3-0). A dangerous grappler with impressive power, he’s constantly looking to take the fight to the mat and secure a finish. He’s technical and composed on his feet, fighting behind his jab and constantly firing long, straight punches. He has fantastic clinch striking, particularly his knees, and has excellent distance management, regularly catching his opponents with heavy shots as they enter the pocket. Training at The Blackbelt Japan, he has outstanding takedowns and scrambles, almost always ending grappling exchanges in top position. He has smothering top control and is very active on top, always pursuing a submission while landing heavy ground and pound throughout. Taira has earned two post-fight bonuses in his last three outings and always leaves everything inside the cage.

(C) Alexandre Pantoja vs. #1 Joshua Van

Alexandre Pantoja lands a lunging left hand on Kai Kara-France. Credit: Bleacher Report.

Flyweight Title Bout

Alexandre Pantoja: 30-5-0, 8 KO/TKO, 12 Sub.

Joshua Van: 15-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Pantoja is on an eight-fight win streak and has UFC victories over #2 ranked Flyweight Brandon Moreno (23-8-2), #3 ranked Flyweight Brandon Royval (17-8-0), and #6 ranked Flyweight Manel Kape (21-7-0). He’s a fast starter and dangerous everywhere, with serious power in his hands and outstanding grappling skills. He starts every round guns blazing, pressuring his opponent and unloading quick, heavy combinations. Pantoja has powerful kicks and will regularly mix them into his punch combinations, constantly battering his opponent’s legs, body, and head. Training at American Top Team, he has outstanding takedowns, typically landing them quickly before securing a dominant position on the mat. He is extremely tough to get away from on the ground, using smothering top control to wear down his opponents while constantly looking for submissions. Pantoja has firmly established himself as one of the greatest Flyweights of all time and holds various UFC Flyweight records, including the most wins (14), most finishes (8), and most submission wins (6).

Joshua Van blasts Brandon Royval with a powerful left hand. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Van is on a five-fight win streak, holding UFC victories over #3 ranked Flyweight Brandon Royval (17-8-0), #14 ranked Flyweight Bruno Silva (15-7-2), and Rei Tsuruya (10-1-0). He’s a dangerous striker who’s constantly coming forward and letting his hands go. He fights behind his jab and favors volume to power, throwing everything in combination without loading up or telegraphing. Van has outstanding head movement and distance management, regularly looking to dodge punches before unloading combinations. Training at 4oz Fight Club, he does an exceptional job varying his shots, entering the pocket at different angles, and constantly attacking his opponent’s body and legs. He’s willing to grapple, possessing solid takedown defense and landing, on average, about one takedown per fifteen minutes. Van has the highest significant strikes landed per minute in UFC history, with 8.86, and has outlanded seven of his nine UFC opponents.

(C) Merab Dvalishvili vs. #3 Petr Yan

Merab Dvalishvili lands a thunderous left hook on Cory Sandhagen. Credit: MMA Mania.

Bantamweight Title Bout

Merab Dvalishvili: 21-4-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Petr Yan: 19-5-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Dvalishvili is on a fourteen-fight win streak and has UFC victories over #1 ranked Bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov (19-1-0), #2 ranked Bantamweight Sean O’Malley (18-3-0), and his current opponent, Petr Yan. He has monstrous cardio, relentlessly pursuing takedowns and landing big flurries on the feet. He’s incredibly durable, always willing to eat a shot to land one, and is constantly pressuring forward. Dvalishvili can easily wrestle for five rounds, averaging nearly six takedowns landed per fifteen minutes in the UFC. Training with the Serra-Longo Fight Team, his constant wrestling threat helps to mask his striking, often feinting a takedown before coming forward to land powerful hooks and big combinations. He never stops moving on his feet or the ground, constantly looking for a better position or opening to land a shot. Dvalishvili has outlanded all of his UFC opponents, averaging over 87 significant strikes landed in his last five fights.

Petr Yan blasts Song Yadong with a cracking uppercut. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Yan has won three of his last five bouts, with UFC victories coming over #4 ranked Bantamweight Cory Sandhagen (18-6-0), #5 ranked Bantamweight Song Yadong (22-8-1), and #6 ranked Bantamweight Deiveson Figueiredo (25-5-1). He’s a versatile fighter with excellent striking and wrestling who’s dangerous wherever the fight goes. He’s highly technical and precise on his feet, doing a great job of mixing kicks into combinations and never telegraphing his attacks. Training at BK Arkhangel Mikhail, Yan never slows down, always pursuing a finish and throwing with maximum power and speed. He can push a crazy pace for 25 minutes and has fantastic cardio, landing, on average, about 129 significant strikes in his last five wins. He has excellent takedowns, especially trips, and will look to immediately do damage and land ground and pound from top position. Yan has faced nothing but the best in his UFC tenure and has gone toe-to-toe with five former or current champions.

Best Bets

Brandon Moreno Moneyline: This is an excellent matchup of a quickly rising star and a former champion. Both have well-rounded skill sets, but excel in different areas. Moreno has outstanding grappling and submissions, but is at his best on his feet, utilizing his excellent, technical boxing skills. Taira has proven to have solid punching power and technique, but is most comfortable on the mat hunting for a submission. Although both are comfortable anywhere and match up well, I believe the disparity in striking skills will be the most significant difference. Moreno’s hands seem to only get more and more polished with each fight, and he has now repeatedly proven his ability to knock off young contenders, with back-to-back wins over Amir Albazi and Steve Erceg. Moreno also has a wealth of experience, not just in five-round title fights but across the board, having faced a who’s who of the Flyweight division. Taira is still very young, and while he has a ton of potential, he’s never faced a fighter of Moreno's caliber who can truly fight anywhere. I expect this fight to get off to a quick start, with Moreno getting the better of the striking exchanges, forcing Taira onto the back foot and preventing him from shooting takedowns or clinching up. As the fight continues, I expect Moreno's pace to wear Taira down, slowing him and forcing him to shoot less, which will cause him to engage with Moreno on the feet, where Moreno is most dangerous. Neither of these men has ever been put away, so while I wouldn’t anticipate a crazy highlight-reel finish, I do expect an entertaining fight in which Moreno emerges the victor.

Alexandre Pantoja Moneyline: Possibly one of the most anticipated title fights of the year, I’ve been looking forward to this one. Both of these fighters have consistently put on excellent, exciting fights, and are sure to have an all-time classic this Saturday. Both are fan favorites, but aren’t remarkably similar in style. Pantoja is a true mixed martial artist, possessing exceptional, powerful striking and top-notch wrestling and BJJ. Van is much more of a striking specialist, but unloads a volume of strikes rarely seen outside of a Max Holloway fight and has quickly become a must-watch fighter. Similar to the Moreno vs. Taira fight, Van is still very young. Although he’s coming off a massive win (and fight of the year) over Brandon Royval, Pantoja is a different monster altogether. I believe the difference-maker in this matchup will be Pantoja's grappling. I anticipate some contested striking exchanges early on, but as the fight continues and the pace slows, I expect Pantoja to start shooting takedowns and bringing the fight to the mat. Once it gets there, I believe Van will be entirely outmatched and controlled, with Pantoja landing ground and pound and threatening with submissions. When this fight reaches the championship rounds, I expect Pantoja to be in firm control and the fresher man, able to dictate the pace of the striking exchanges and prevent Van from throwing with his usual volume. Ultimately, I expect plenty of competitive moments and exchanges, but I believe Pantoja will defend the title decisively.

Merab Dvalishvili by Decision: An intriguing rematch of two top-level Bantamweights, this one is sure to deliver. Now over two years removed from their first meeting, they will meet again, with gold on the line. At the time of their first matchup, they were both in very different spots in their careers; Yan was in the midst of his first-ever losing streak and two fights removed from losing the title. Dvalishvili was still only a contender on his way up to the belt, albeit on an impressive win streak. Now, Dvalishvili is a dominant champion with three successful defenses, and Yan is riding a three-fight win streak against top-ranked opponents. Although much has changed since the first time these two went toe-to-toe, neither fighter’s style has changed significantly. Dvalishvili is still a cardio monster and marauding wrestler, and Yan is still a sharp striker with serious power and excellent grappling. While both are still at the top of their game, I still believe Dvalishvili is the better, more put-together fighter. The pace and pressure Dvalishvili applies have consistently proven insurmountable, as he seems to drown his opponents in a sea of takedowns and punch combinations. Despite his recent victories, I haven’t seen anything in Yan’s performances to suggest this fight will go any differently than the first. I expect Dvalishvili to push a heavy pace from the opening bell, constantly coming forward and forcing Yan to engage with him, both on their feet and on the ground. As the fight continues, I expect Dvalishvili to keep pouring on takedowns and damage, wearing down Yan and preventing him from fighting at range and using his dangerous kickboxing. While I do expect this fight to be more closely contested than their first meeting, I still expect it to end in an identical outcome and for Dvalishvili to earn his fourth title defense of 2025.

UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Hooker Preview

Arman Tsarukyan unloads a vicious ground and pound elbow onto Charles Oliveira. Credit: MMA Junkie.

The UFC heads to the ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar, with an outstanding Fight Night card. The entire card has been filled from top to bottom with excellent matchups, exciting fighters, and future contenders all looking for a highlight-reel victory. In the co-main event, we’ll see two highly-ranked Welterweights face off when former champion Belal Muhammad takes on a dangerous scrapper in Ian Machado Garry. In the main event, two excellent Lightweight contenders will go toe-to-toe when #1 contender Arman Tsarukyan faces off with the marauding brawler, Dan Hooker. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

#11 Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Kyoji Horiguchi

Tagir Ulanbekov picks up Clayton Carpenter for a slam takedown. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Flyweight Bout

Tagir Ulanbekov: 17-2-0, 1 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Kyoji Horiguchi: 34-5-0, 15 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Ulanbekov has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #13 ranked Flyweight Bruno Silva (15-7-2), Azam Maksum (15-3-0), and Allan Nascimento (22-6-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter with powerful, technical striking and an excellent grappling game. He’s large for a Flyweight and uses it well, constantly damaging his opponents with long straights and kicks and catching them as they enter his range. Ulanbekov throws everything with power but remains technical throughout, staying patient and looking for openings to explode forward and land big shots. He’s averaging nearly 3 takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and is efficient on top, maintaining control and constantly posturing up to land ground and pound. Training at Eagles MMA, he’s particularly strong in the clinch and will often land impressive slam takedowns up against the cage. Ulanbekov gets increasingly dangerous as the fight continues and has secured five of his eight finish wins after round one.

Kyoji Horiguchi unloads ground and pound shots onto Kai Asakura. Credit: Rizin FF.

Horiguchi has won four of his last five bouts, with one no contest, and is returning to the UFC after nearly a decade fighting in Rizin and Bellator. He’s a wild fighter with devastating power in his hands and outstanding skills on the mat. He’s a second-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate and throws every shot with knockout intentions, favoring power to volume and adding heavy kicks to the end of combinations. Horiguchi is very explosive and will constantly look to crash into the pocket and unload big hooks and overhands. He has excellent chain wrestling, regularly putting multiple takedown attempts together to secure a dominant position on the ground. Training at American Top Team, he’s dangerous in top position and has heavy ground and pound, but is just as dangerous off his back, constantly looking to sweep his opponent or grab a submission. Horiguchi has earned belts in Rizin, Bellator, and Shooto, and has faced exclusively high-level competition since leaving the UFC in 2016.

#6 Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. #11 Shamil Gaziev

Waldo Cortes-Acosta clips Sergei Pavlovich with a stinging right hook. Credit: Yahoo Sports.

Heavyweight Bout

Waldo Cortes-Acosta: 15-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Shamil Gaziev: 14-1-0, 9 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Acosta has won four of his last five outings and holds UFC victories over #7 ranked Heavyweight Serghei Spivac (17-6-0), #9 ranked Heavyweight Ante Delija (26-7-0), and Andrei Arlovski (34-24-0). He is a heavy-handed striker with excellent boxing and a dangerous right hand. He throws every shot with power, regularly coming forward to unload looping hooks and devastating overhands. Training at UKF Gym, Acosta is most at home in a brawl, working inside the pocket and firing knees and elbows in the clinch. He tends to favor power to volume, unloading single shots with knockout intentions. While he won’t usually initiate grappling exchanges, he has demonstrated a solid ability to return to his feet. Acosta is defensively sound and won’t usually absorb much damage, having outlanded seven of his ten UFC opponents.

Shamil Gaziev blasts Thomas Petersen with a heavy right hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Gaziev has won four of his last five fights, holding UFC victories over Don’Tale Mayes (11-9-0), Martin Buday (16-2-0), and Thomas Petersen (10-4-0). He’s a dangerous power-puncher who can produce a flash knockout at any time. He fights behind his jab and has impressive hand speed for a Heavyweight, able to piece up his opponent with quick, heavy flurries. He throws everything with knockout intentions but won’t load up and keeps his hands low, always remaining unpredictable. Training with the KHK MMA Team, Gaziev does most of his work with his hands but has heavy kicks and will occasionally add them to the end of combinations. He has excellent takedowns in open space and along the fence, and he can perform impressive slams. He’s smart in top position, staying heavy and not getting wild while constantly looking to posture up and land ground and pound. Gaziev tends to slow as the fight progresses, but he is very dangerous early on and has earned 9 first-round finishes, five of which came in under a minute.

Jack Hermansson vs. Myktybek Orolbai

Jack Hermansson batters Edmen Shahbazyan with brutal ground and pound. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Welterweight Bout

Jack Hermansson: 24-9-0, 11 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Myktybek Orolbai: 14-2-1, 6 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Hermansson has won two of his last five bouts and holds UFC victories over Joe Pyfer (15-3-0), Chris Curtis (32-12-0), and Kelvin Gastellum (21-10-0). Training at Frontline Academy, he is a well-rounded fighter with solid striking and an outstanding submission game. He’s a sharp, accurate striker, fighting behind his jab and constantly feinting while remaining in perpetual motion. He’ll constantly fire kicks from range before entering the pocket, often firing low kicks and body kicks before firing punch combinations. Hermansson heats up as the fight continues and has excellent cardio, able to go five rounds comfortably. He has solid takedowns and excellent top control but is comfortable on his feet and won’t try to force the fight to the mat. Hermansson has been in the UFC since 2016 and holds a few records in the Middleweight division, including the most significant body strikes landed in a fight (64) and the most total strikes attempted in a fight (496).

Myktybek Orolbai elevates Tofiq Musayev for a devastating slam takedown. Credit: MMA Mania.

Orolbai has won four of his last five outings, with UFC victories coming over Elves Brener (16-5-0), Uroš Medić (10-3-0), and Tofiq Musayev (22-6-0). A well-rounded scrapper, he’s always coming forward and looking to do damage. He’s landing, on average, nearly six takedowns per fifteen minutes in the UFC and is a tenacious grappler, willing to work to get the fight to the mat. Orolbai always comes forward, usually unloading long, lunging punches while mixing takedowns into his striking. Training with Team Alpha Male, he’s exceptionally durable, always willing to eat a shot to land one, and pushes a heavy pace at all times. He has smothering top control and is always active in top position, constantly looking to posture or improve position. Orolbai has secured four of his last five finishes after round one, typically wearing down his opponent throughout the fight until securing a finish.

#9 Volkan Oezdemir vs. #14 Alonzo Menifield

Volkan Oezdemir exchanges powerful blows with Bogdan Guskov. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Light Heavyweight Bout

Volkan Oezdemir: 20-8-0, 13 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Alonzo Menifield: 17-5-1, 10 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Oezdemir has won three of his last five fights and holds victories over #10 ranked Light Heavyweight Aleksander Rakić (14-6-0), #12 ranked Light Heavyweight Johnny Walker (22-9-0), and Bogdan Guskov (18-3-0). He’s a dangerous striker with serious power that pushes a heavy pace from the opening bell. He controls the center well and gets on his front foot immediately, forcing his opponent to the outside of the cage. Oezdemir is always looking to close the distance, often firing thudding leg kicks before lunging into the pocket to unload looping hooks and straights. Training at Allstars Training Center, he’s willing to get wild and exchange in the pocket, but remains accurate and will regularly mix up his targets and attack the body. He will occasionally pursue takedowns and is very dangerous in top position, constantly looking to posture up and do damage or get a hold of his opponent’s neck. Oezdemir has earned the nickname “No Time,” having secured fourteen of his fifteen finishes in the first round.

Alonzo Menifield lands a thunderous left hand on Julius Walker. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Menifield has won three of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over Oumar Sy (12-1-0), Dustin Jacoby (21-9-1), and Jimmy Crute (14-4-2). He is an explosive striker with serious power in both hands and constantly pursues a finish. He will regularly enter the pocket to fire looping shots and overhands and can do serious damage from any position. Menifield has excellent leg kicks and can land damage even when moving backward, remaining dangerous at all times. Training at Fortis MMA, he’s unlikely to initiate grappling exchanges but will immediately posture up and land devastating ground and pound if he secures top position. Of his thirteen finishes, he’s scored ten in the first round and always comes out guns blazing. Menifield is at his most dangerous early on, often fading as the fight continues, and has never scored a third-round finish.

#2 Belal Muhammad vs. #6 Ian Machado Garry

Belal Muhammad ties up Leon Edwards as he pursues a choke. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Welterweight Bout

Belal Muhammad: 24-4-0, 5 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Ian Machado Garry: 16-1-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Muhammad has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #7 ranked Welterweight Sean Brady (18-2-0), #9 ranked Welterweight Leon Edwards (22-6-0), and #12 ranked Welterweight Gilbert Burns (22-9-0). Primarily a wrestler, he prefers to take the fight to the mat, using blast double-leg takedowns to drag his opponents to the floor and do damage. He has heavy top pressure, advances position quickly, and never puts himself in dangerous spots. On the feet, Muhammad uses a heavy-handed boxing style, remaining technical and throwing in combination, often using his striking to set up his grappling. Training at Valle Flow Striking, he’s landing, on average, about 94 significant strikes per fight in his last five outings and pushes a consistently heavy pace throughout. He’s exceptionally defensively sound, having defended 90% of takedowns and 55% of significant strikes attempted on him in the UFC. Muhammad has outlanded seven of his last ten opponents and is always looking to wear down and outpace his foe.

Ian Machado Garry stuns Carlos Prates with a sharp left hand. Credit: Home of Fight.

Garry has won four of his last five fights, with UFC wins coming over #5 ranked Welterweight Carlos Prates (23-7-0), #10 ranked Middleweight Michael Page (24-3-0), and #14 ranked Welterweight Geoff Neal (16-7-0). He’s an excellent striker with a very fluid style, constantly moving and bouncing on his feet with an almost karate-like stance. He’s highly accurate, throwing everything with speed and power but stays composed and rarely wastes energy. Garry has excellent distance management and does a great job controlling range, quickly darting in and out of the pocket and not allowing his opponents to get long combinations off. He does a fantastic job of varying his strikes and angles, remaining unpredictable and elusive throughout. Training at Chute Boxe DL, he holds a black belt in Judo and is willing to grapple, regularly mixing in takedowns and clinches to wear down his opponent and control the pace. Garry benefits from a slower, more technical fight, not looking to be pulled into a knockdown, drag-out brawl.

#1 Arman Tsarukyan vs. #6 Dan Hooker

Arman Tsarukyan blasts Beneil Dariush with a thudding right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Lightweight Bout

Arman Tsarukyan: 22-3-0, 9 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Dan Hooker: 24-12-0, 11 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Tsarukyan has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #2 ranked Lightweight Charles Oliveira (36-11-0), #12 ranked Lightweight Beneil Dariush (23-7-1), and Joaquim Silva (14-6-0). A well-rounded combatant, he has serious punching power and outstanding, smothering wrestling. He has fast hands and throws everything in combination, regularly mixing heavy body and head kicks into his offense. Training at American Top Team, Tsarukyan has a solid chin and a flashy arsenal of kicks, often firing spinning attacks or even axe kicks. He is a dominant grappler and has excellent timing and entries on his takedowns, usually getting to his opponents’ hips with impressive speed before securing a powerful takedown. He’s very efficient in top position, maintaining control and not allowing his opponent up while constantly landing brutal ground and pound shots, especially elbows. Tsarukyan, on average, lands twice as many significant strikes per minute as he absorbs and is always dangerous.

Dan Hooker cracks Mateusz Gamrot with a stiff right hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Hooker has won three of his last five outings, holding UFC victories over #7 ranked Lightweight Mateusz Gamrot (25-4-0), #12 ranked Welterweight Gilbert Burns (22-9-0), and Jalin Turner (14-9-0). He’s a savage striker who’s always coming forward and looking to turn things into a dogfight. He has solid head movement and counterstriking but is always willing to eat a shot to land one, regularly marching through his opponent’s offense to do damage of his own. Hooker is a devastating clinch striker, possessing some of the most brutal knees in the UFC and great dirty boxing. Training at City Kickboxing, he does a great job of mixing up his attacks and regularly lands brutal body shots. He has solid takedown defense and outstanding submissions, often defending takedowns with his guillotine choke. Hooker pushes a heavy pace and will never back down, always leaving everything inside the cage.

Best Bets

Myktybek Orolbai Moneyline: This is an intriguing matchup of two exciting scrappers that I’ve been looking forward to. Both of these fighters have well-rounded skill sets and are dangerous from anywhere, and they are very rarely in boring fights. Hermansson is a true veteran of the UFC, having faced a who’s who of the Middleweight division, and is venturing down to Welterweight to take on Orolbai. Orolbai has had just four fights in the UFC but has quickly risen to popularity thanks to his incredible durability and willingness to brawl. These fighters had very different outcomes in their last appearances: Hermansson suffered a vicious knockout loss, while Orolbai scored an impressive first-round submission victory. They’re obviously at different places in their career, and after five years of trading wins and losses, I’m not anticipating Hermansson suddenly having a career revival down a weight class. Orolbai pushes a ferocious pace, and I expect him to get on the gas early, controlling the center and forcing Hermansson to the outside before eventually taking him down. Once Orolbai secures top position, I expect him to batter Hermansson on the mat and wear him out with nonstop offense. Although Hermansson is coming off a very quick knockout loss, it was against one of the hardest hitters in the Middleweight division, and he’s generally a tough guy to finish, so I wouldn’t expect a quick win here for Orolbai. Regardless, I expect him to do serious damage and dominate Hermansson en route to another impressive victory.

Volkan Oezdemir by KO/TKO: This is an excellent fight between two dangerous, ranked Light Heavyweights. Both of these fighters have a wealth of UFC experience and are looking for a big win to solidify their position in the top 15. While both of these fighters are powerful strikers with plenty of finishes on their record, I don’t believe they’re at the same skill level. Menifield, while technically skilled, tends to rely on his size and power, and won’t usually look to grapple. Oezdemir has a much more well-rounded skill set and a more polished striking style, willing to bring the fight to the mat or engage in a technical striking duel. Oezdemir is known for his knockout power and is always looking for a quick finish, but he has the ability and cardio to go all three rounds and has more than one path to victory. Menifield has also struggled throughout his career against top-level talent, especially strikers, and Oezdemir has been fighting at the top of the Light Heavyweight division for the past 7 years. I expect Oezdemir to be a bit more measured and technical in this fight, avoiding a wild brawl and not giving Menifield an opportunity to land power shots. I anticipate Oezdemir using his kicking game to damage and slow Menifield, limiting Menifield’s weapons and explosiveness while remaining elusive and avoiding the pocket. As the fight continues, I believe Menifield will get increasingly desperate and open more opportunities for Oezdemir’s offense, and Oezdemir will ultimately find the finishing blow and put himself back into the win column.

Tsarukyan vs. Hooker Over 3.5 Rounds: This is an outstanding fight between two top contenders, either of whom could be fighting for a title soon with a landmark victory this Saturday. Both are highly dangerous, for varying reasons. Tsarukyan is an excellent grappler with big-time punching power to supplement his wrestling skills. Hooker is a marauder, always coming forward to do damage and make the fight dirty. While both of these fighters have serious finishing abilities, this is an enormous matchup for either, and I wouldn't anticipate either throwing caution to the wind early in this fight. Although both have come close, neither has contested a title and could earn a shot this Saturday, so I expect them both to have very measured game plans. I wouldn't predict a boring fight, but I do expect an early feeling-out process before either man starts taking serious risks. As the fight continues, I expect more close exchanges and for both fighters to go for the finish. While I'm unsure of how exactly this fight ends, I'm confident that it will last at least three and a half rounds before it does.

UFC 322 Preview

Islam Makhachev submits Renato Moicano with a vicious d’arce choke. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

The UFC heads to Madison Square Garden in New York City with an absolutely stacked pay-per-view card. This entire event is loaded from top to bottom with high-level matchups, ranked contenders, and titleholders all looking to earn a victory on the biggest stage in the sport. In the co-main event, we’ll witness two of the greatest female fighters of all-time go toe-to-toe for the women’s Flyweight title when Valentina Shevchenko takes on Zhang Weili. In the main event, former dominant Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev moves up to the Welterweight division to challenge current champion and lethal striker Jack Della Maddalena. First, we’ll take a look at two select preliminary bouts, then break down the full main card.

Prelims

Roman Kopylov vs. Gregory Rodrigues

Roman Kopylov lands a devastating kick to the head of Claudio Ribeiro. Credit: Yahoo Sports.

Middleweight Bout

Roman Kopylov: 14-4-0, 12 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Gregory Rodrigues: 17-6-0, 11 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Kopylov has won three of his last five fights and holds UFC victories over Chris Curtis (32-12-0), César Almeida (7-1-0), and Punahele Soriano (12-4-0). He’s a sniper on his feet, using precision and power to dismantle his opponents. He has solid distance management and fights behind his jab, constantly pumping it out and tagging his opponent when they enter the pocket. Kopylov does an excellent job of varying his shots, constantly damaging his opponent’s legs, body, and head without telegraphing or loading up. He’s highly durable and has never been knocked out, always willing to eat a shot to land one and exchange blows on the inside. Training with Raty Team, he will occasionally mix takedowns into his striking offense and land devastating ground and pound from top position. Kopylov carries his power and speed throughout the fight and has secured all of his UFC finishes in the second or third round.

Gregory Rodrigues clips Brad Tavares with a heavy right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Rodrigues has won four of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over Jack Hermansson (24-9-0), Christian Leroy Duncan (13-2-0), and Brad Tavares (21-12-0). He is a world-class grappler with serious knockout power. He’s always coming forward and constantly looking to blitz into the pocket so he can unload heavy combinations. Training at Kill Cliff FC, Rodrigues has one-shot knockout power and throws everything with power, regularly unloading massive hooks and overhands, especially with his right hand. He’s comfortable on his feet and in a brawl, but has outstanding grappling skills and various accolades in BJJ and wrestling. He has smothering top pressure and is smart on top, working methodically and looking for openings to damage or find submissions. Rodrigues has earned back-to-back bonuses in his last two fights and will never back down from a scrap.

Bo Nickal vs. Rodolfo Vieira

Bo Nickal submits Cody Brundage with a tight rear naked choke. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Middleweight Bout

Bo Nickal: 7-1-0, 2 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Rodolfo Vieira: 11-3-0, 1 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Nickal has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Paul Craig (17-10-1), Val Woodburn (9-2-0), and Cody Brundage (11-7-1). He is a former three-time NCAA D1 collegiate wrestling champion with excellent submissions and solid punching power. Despite his grappling skills, he’s comfortable on his feet and won’t get desperate for takedowns. Nickal favors power to volume in his striking, throwing everything with power and often lunging forward with big, heavy overhands. He has outstanding takedowns and often lands them with little resistance, then immediately works to improve his position or find a finish. Training at American Top Team, he advances with impressive speed on the ground but is efficient, not wasting energy or getting sloppy and losing his position. Nickal has earned four professional wins in a minute or less and is always pursuing a quick finish.

Rodolfo Vieira secures an arm triangle choke on Armen Petrosyan. Credit: MMA Mania.

Vieira has won three of his last five fights, with UFC victories coming over Cody Brundage (11-7-1), Dustin Stoltzfus (16-8-0), and Armen Petrosyan (9-5-0). He is among the most credentialed Jiu-Jitsu players in MMA and has won gold medals in various high-level BJJ competitions. He’s averaging over three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and has excellent timing, usually landing them quickly but willing to shoot repeatedly to bring the fight to the mat. Over his UFC tenure, he’s improved his striking considerably and is much more willing to stay standing. He has decent power in his hands and fights behind his jab, constantly putting it out and following it with heavy straights and hooks. Training with the Fighting Nerds, he has excellent top control and will constantly work and improve in top position. Vieira is a submission ace with outstanding chokes, especially his arm triangle choke, with which he has secured five victories in his pro career.

Main Card

#9 Beneil Dariush vs. #13 Benoît Saint Denis

Beneil Dariush fires a heavy kick at Renato Moicano. Credit: MMA Mania.

Lightweight Bout

Beneil Dariush: 23-6-1, 5 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Benoît Saint Denis: 15-3-0, 4 KO/TKO, 11 Sub.

Dariush has won three of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #7 ranked Lightweight Mateusz Gamrot (25-4-0), #11 ranked Lightweight Renato Moicano (20-7-1), and Drew Dober (28-15-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and excellent Muay Thai. He is more than willing to brawl on the feet, regularly getting into slugfests and hanging in the pocket, unleashing powerful shots. Training at Kings MMA, Dariush has a solid arsenal of kicks and can do serious damage without much space, particularly with his knees. He’s landing, on average, about two takedowns per fifteen minutes and has excellent wrestling and top control. He’s patient in top position, always choosing position over submission and never putting himself in bad spots. In his 17 UFC victories, he’s secured eight finishes and five post-fight bonuses, always leaving everything inside the Octagon.

Benoît Saint Denis blasts Kyle Prepolec with a thudding elbow. Credit: MMA Mania.

Saint Denis has won three of his last five outings, holding UFC victories over #15 ranked Lightweight Mauricio Ruffy (12-2-0), Ismael Bonfim (20-6-0), and Thiago Moisés (19-9-0). A versatile combatant, he has powerful striking and outstanding grappling skills. A decorated veteran and former French SAS paratrooper, he’s incredibly tough and capable of enduring impressive damage. He throws everything with fight-ending intentions and is always in pursuit of a finish. Saint Denis is an excellent grappler with plenty of experience, holding a black belt in Judo and a brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Training at CYFIT, he has great takedowns and heavy top control, constantly looking to posture up in top position and do damage or secure a submission. Saint Denis always pushes a heavy pace and has only left the second round a single time in his UFC tenure.

#4 Leon Edwards vs. #9 Carlos Prates

Leon Edwards knocks out Kamaru Usman with a powerful head kick. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Welterweight Bout

Leon Edwards: 22-5-0, 7 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Carlos Prates: 22-7-0, 17 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Edwards has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #5 ranked Welterweight Kamaru Usman (21-4-0), #11 ranked Welterweight Colby Covington (17-5-0), and Rafael Dos Anjos (32-17-0). He is a very polished striker with an outstanding kicking game and sharp boxing. He has excellent footwork and distance management, always looking to force his opponent to the outside and put them on their back foot. Edwards has excellent takedown defense and is most comfortable on his feet, but is solid on the mat and willing to grapple. Averaging over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes, he has heavy ground and pound and holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Training at Renegade MMA, he’s highly accurate and remains technical throughout, constantly varying his attacks and targets and rarely telegraphing anything. Edwards has great cardio and can comfortably fight for 25 minutes, but also holds the sixth fastest knockout in UFC history and is dangerous at all times.

Carlos Prates clips Neil Magny with a stiff right hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Prates has won four of his last five outings, with UFC victories coming over #13 ranked Welterweight Geoff Neal (16-7-0), Neil Magny (31-14-0), and Charles Radtke (11-5-0). He’s a destructive, technical striker with serious power in his hands. He favors power to volume but is highly accurate, throwing every shot with fight-ending intent. Prates does an excellent job varying his targets and angles and is a very fluid striker, regularly mixing knees and kicks into punch combinations. Training with the Fighting Nerds, he keeps his hands down, remaining unpredictable throughout the fight and firing vicious spinning attacks without telegraphing them. He’s unlikely to take the fight to the mat but has solid takedown defense, capable of defending shots both in open space and against the cage. Prates has exceptional knockout power and rarely sees the judges' scorecards, having won 11 of his last 12 fights by knockout.

#2 Sean Brady vs. #8 Michael Morales

Sean Brady taps out Leon Edwards with a tight guillotine choke. Credit: Bloody Elbow.

Welterweight Bout

Sean Brady: 18-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Michael Morales: 18-0-0, 13 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Brady has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #4 ranked Welterweight Leon Edwards (22-5-0), #12 ranked Welterweight Gilbert Burns (22-9-0), and Kelvin Gastelum (21-10-0). He is an outstanding grappler and submission ace with excellent Muay Thai striking. Training at Renzo Gracie Philly, he methodically and efficiently breaks down his opponents, constantly making them defend submissions and absorb damage until he can secure a finish. He has outstanding takedowns and timing and can land takedowns in open space or in the clinch, with excellent double legs and trips. Brady has smothering top control, especially on the back, and will take his opponent’s back with blinding speed. He has fast, accurate hands and heavy kicks, regularly mixing them into his combinations. Brady becomes more dangerous as the fight goes on and earned four of his last five finishes in the third round or later.

Michael Morales rains down brutal ground and pound onto Gilbert Burns. Credit: MMA Mania.

Morales comes into this fight undefeated, holding UFC victories over #12 ranked Welterweight Gilbert Burns (22-9-0), Jake Matthews (22-8-0), and Max Griffin (20-12-0). He’s a heavy-hitting, precise kickboxer who can produce a finish in the blink of an eye. He’s big for a Welterweight and uses it well, fighting his opponent at range and landing long straights and low kicks before closing the distance and unloading combinations. Morales has excellent distance management, moving in and out of the pocket without taking much damage, and can do damage from anywhere. Training at Entram Gym, he’s a solid grappler and won’t usually pursue takedowns, but is dangerous in top position and will land vicious ground and pound. Morales rarely absorbs much damage and has outlanded all the opponents he’s faced in his UFC tenure.

(C) Valentina Shevchenko vs. #1 (SW) Zhang Weili

Valentina Shevchenko fires a kick to the head of Alexa Grasso. Credit: MMA Mania.

Women’s Flyweight Title Bout

Valentina Shevchenko: 25-4-1, 8 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Zhang Weili: 26-3-0, 11 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Shevchenko has won three of her last five fights with one draw and has UFC victories over #1 ranked Flyweight Manon Fiorot (13-2-0), #3 ranked Flyweight Alexa Grasso (16-5-1), and #1 ranked Bantamweight Julianna Peña (13-6-0). She holds black belts in Taekwondo and Judo and the rank of Master of Sports in Taekwondo, Judo, Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and Boxing. One of the best strikers in the sport, she throws everything in combination with lethal power and serious speed. Training at Tiger Muay Thai, Shevchenko does a great job of varying her shots and remains unpredictable, constantly attacking the head, body, and legs without any tell. She’s landed, on average, over four takedowns per fight in her last five appearances and has excellent top control, ground and pound, and submissions. She has outstanding footwork and distance management, moving in and out of the pocket with impressive speed and rarely taking significant damage. One of the most prolific champions in UFC history, she has the most fight time, title victories, takedowns landed, and knockout wins in the Women’s Flyweight division, among many other accolades and records.

Zhang Weili lands a thunderous right hand on Tatiana Suarez. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Zhang is on a five-fight win streak and has UFC victories over #2 ranked Strawweight Tatiana Suarez (12-1-0), #4 ranked Strawweight Yan Xiaonan (19-5-0), and #5 ranked Strawweight Amanda Lemos (15-5-1). She’s a marauder who pushes a heavy pace and can finish a fight from anywhere, at any time. She throws every shot with power, is highly accurate, and will regularly add heavy kicks to the end of her punch combinations. Training at Beijing Black Tiger, she’s very light on her feet and can close distance with impressive speed, quickly darting into the pocket to let her hands go before returning to range. She’s averaging over 2 takedowns landed per 15 minutes and is extremely active in top position, constantly firing ground and pound and looking for submission openings. She has smothering, heavy top pressure, rarely conceding a position, and often using her superior strength to reverse or sweep her opponent. Of Zhang’s twelve UFC appearances, eight of them have been for titles, and she’s exclusively faced the best of the best since entering the promotion.

(C) Jack Della Maddalena vs. #1 (LW) Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev looks to unload ground and pound after dropping Alexander Volkanovski. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Welterweight Title Bout

Jack Della Maddalena: 18-2-0, 12 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Islam Makhachev: 27-1-0, 5 KO/TKO, 13 Sub.

Maddalena is on an eighteen-fight win streak and has UFC victories over #1 ranked Welterweight Belal Muhammad (24-4-0),  #8 ranked Welterweight Gilbert Burns (22-9-0), and Kevin Holland (28-15-0). He is an excellent striker with technical boxing and bricks for hands who carries power going forward and backward. He’s outlanded seven of his eight UFC opponents and always pushes a heavy pace, averaging 89 significant strikes landed in his last five outings. Maddalena throws everything in combination, excels at changing levels, attacks the head and body evenly, and regularly mixes body kicks and knees into punch combinations. He is an excellent counterstriker, utilizing outstanding head movement and footwork to remain elusive while landing offense of his own. Training at Scrappy MMA, he fights behind his jab and often strings together long, powerful combinations, cracking his opponent with seven or eight shots before returning to range. While Maddalena won’t usually go to the ground, he’s shown great scrambles, takedown defense, and an ability to escape deep waters.

Jack Della Maddalena blasts Belal Muhammad with a stinging right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Makhachev is on a fifteen-fight win streak and has UFC victories over Featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski (27-4-0), #2 ranked Lightweight Arman Tsarukyan (22-3-0), and #3 ranked Lightweight Charles Oliveira (36-11-0). He is a dominant wrestler who wastes little time taking it to the mat and pursuing a finish. Training at AKA, he’s dangerous on the mat but willing to stay on his feet and let his hands go. Makhachev has serious knockout power, educated hands, and an excellent chin, always willing to hang in the pocket and exchange. He averages over three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and applies smothering top pressure, controlling his opponent while constantly hunting for a submission. He rarely sees the judges’ scorecards, having scored finishes in eight of his last nine wins. Makhachev holds various records in the Lightweight division, including the longest win streak, most title wins, most title defenses, and the most consecutive title defenses.

Best Bets

Carlos Prates Moneyline: This is an exciting matchup of a former champion and a quickly rising star. Both are dangerous strikers, but with very different styles. Edwards is a very measured, technical striker, using precise shots and a steady pace to break down opponents and put them away. Prates, while also very technically skilled, favors his power and flashy attacks like spinning kicks and elbows to secure highlight-reel finishes. Their careers seem to be trending in opposite directions at the moment: Edwards has suffered back-to-back devastating losses, while Prates is coming off the biggest win of his career. Although this is Edwards' first matchup against a true striker since before his title reign, I believe that may be to his detriment. With his last five fights coming against fighters who primarily grapple, he hasn’t faced a striker at the level of Prates in some time, if at all in the UFC. I expect Prates to push a heavy pace from the opening bell, staying right in front of Edwards and not allowing him to fight with his usual technical, point-fighting style. As Prates stays on his front foot and makes it into a dogfight, I anticipate Edwards being forced to take more risks and, in doing so, absorb more damage and big shots from Prates. Edwards has never been knocked out, so while I’m not willing to predict a finish, I’m confident that Prates will have his hand raised at the end of this bout.

Zhang Weili by Decision: This is an absolutely massive superfight between the absolute best of the best in women’s MMA, and I’ve been looking forward to it. Both have been dominant champions in their respective weight classes, and now Zhang is coming up to Flyweight to challenge Shevchenko in a matchup for the ages. Both are dangerous absolutely everywhere, with outstanding, well-rounded skill sets and serious finishing abilities. While they match up very similarly in terms of size and skill, I think Zhang's strength could be a difference-maker. I expect plenty of close striking exchanges early on in the fight, and for both to pursue takedowns and grappling as the fight goes on, and that’s where I believe Zhang will take over. I anticipate her overpowering and overwhelming Shevchenko on the mat, controlling her and landing ground and pound while slowly wearing down Shevchenko’s cardio. When the fight reaches the championship rounds, I expect Zhang to take full control and not waste much time on the feet, shooting powerful takedowns and preventing Shevchenko from landing her own offense. I still believe this will be a close and competitive fight, but I also believe it will ultimately be a decisive victory, earning Zhang a second title.

Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev to Not Go the Distance: This is another huge superfight with massive implications featuring two excellent champions. While both have proven to have excellent, well-rounded skills, they’re also prolific finishers who never back down from a brawl. In their combined 48 professional fights, they have produced 32 finishes with 17 knockouts and 15 submissions, with 19 of those finishes coming in the first round. They have gone to just 13 decisions between the two of them and are rarely in boring fights. This is also, obviously, an enormous fight for both of these men; for Makhachev, it’s a chance to become a double champion and establish himself among the best of all time. For Maddalena, a victory here would not only instantly legitimize him as a champion but also put him into the top three of the pound-for-pound fighters in the promotion. Both fighters have their own distinct advantages in this matchup, and while it’s much tougher to predict who makes better use of those advantages, I’m very confident that this fight will not see the end of all five rounds.

UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs. Brown Preview

Gabriel Bonfim clips Stephen Thompson with a left hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.

The UFC heads to its headquarters at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, with an excellent Fight Night card. The entire card has been filled with outstanding matchups, rising stars, and established veterans all looking to score a bonus-earning victory this Saturday. In the co-main event, two exciting flyweights will face off when the always-game Matt Schnell takes on TUF 33 winner Joseph Morales. In the main event, we’ll see two dangerous Welterweight finishers collide when submission ace Gabriel Bonfim challenges knockout artist Randy Brown. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Christian Leroy Duncan vs. Marco Tulio

Christian Leroy Duncan tags Andrey Pulyaev with a left hand. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Middleweight Bout

Christian Leroy Duncan: 12-2-0, 9 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Marco Tulio: 14-1-0, 10 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Duncan has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Andrey Pulyaev (10-3-0), Claudio Ribeiro (11-5-0), and Eryk Anders (17-9-0). He’s a flashy striker with power in both hands and an expansive arsenal of kicks. He’s unpredictable, constantly moving and switching stances while attempting spinning and jumping attacks. Duncan is highly accurate and efficient, throwing every shot purposefully without loading up or overextending. He’s excellent at controlling the center of the cage, forcing his opponent to the outside of the Octagon while fighting behind his jab and piecing them up with clean shots. Training at Range MMA Academy, he’s willing to grapple and will occasionally shoot takedowns, advancing very quickly and raining down heavy ground and pound when in top position. Duncan carries his power across all three rounds and is always dangerous, capable of creating a highlight-reel finish at any moment.

Marco Tulio lands a thudding right hand on Tresean Gore. Credit: MMA Mania.

Tulio is on a ten-fight win streak, holding UFC victories over Tresean Gore (6-4-0) and Ihor Potieria (20-8-0). He’s a devastating Muay Thai striker with serious power in his hands and kicks. He throws everything with knockout intentions but remains accurate and technical, doing an excellent job of varying his strikes between his opponent’s legs, head, and body. Tulio has great head movement and distance management, often firing kicks at range and remaining safe before closing the distance and unloading his hands inside the pocket. Training at Chute Boxe DL, he won’t typically pursue takedowns but is dangerous in top position and will constantly look to posture up and land ground and pound. He can do damage with or without space, regularly landing powerful knees and elbows in the pocket or in the clinch. Tulio comes out guns blazing from the opening bell and is especially dangerous early on, with more than half of his knockouts coming in the first round.

Chris Padilla vs. Ismael Bonfim

Chris Padilla viciously submits James Llontop with a rear naked choke. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Lightweight Bout

Chris Padilla: 16-6-0, 8 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Ismael Bonfim: 20-5-0, 9 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Padilla is on a six-fight win streak with UFC victories coming over Jai Herbert (13-6-1), Rongzhu (27-6-0), and James Llontop (14-5-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter with powerful striking and outstanding wrestling skills. He’s patient, typically floating along the outside of the cage and looking to draw his opponent in so he can either counterstrike or shoot a takedown. Padilla has accurate hands, outstanding elbows and knees, and heats up as the fight continues, letting his hands go and hanging in the pocket more often. His striking often sets up his grappling, distracting his opponents with his power and landing kicks from range before blitzing forward to secure a takedown. Training at Fight Science MMA, he’s averaging over 1 takedown landed per 15 minutes and is very explosive, able to secure blast double-legs and perform powerful slam takedowns. Padilla gains confidence as the fight goes on, but he’s still very dangerous early, with ten of his thirteen finishes coming in round one. 

Ismael Bonfim lands a heavy body shot on Vinc Pichel. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Bonfim has won three of his last five bouts, with UFC victories coming over Terrance McKinney (17-7-0) and Vinc Pichel (14-5-0). He is an exceptional striker with great technical boxing and fantastic range management. He does an excellent job of varying his shots, attacking the head and body with equal tenacity and always pursuing a finish. Bonfim is willing to brawl inside the pocket, has devastating knees, and throws everything in combination. He is extremely explosive and always coming forward, often looking to land countershots. Training at Cerrado MMA, he has great cardio and can throw with power and volume, rarely gassing himself out or overextending. Bonfim is at his best when dictating the pace and controlling the center of the Octagon, searching for counters and fight-ending shots.

Muslim Salikhov vs. Uroš Medić

Muslim Salikhov lands a brutal spinning wheel kick on Song Kenan. Credit: MMA Mania.

Welterweight Bout

Muslim Salikhov: 22-5-0, 15 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Uroš Medić: 11-3-0, 9 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Salikhov has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Carlos Leal (22-7-0), Song Kenan (22-9-0), and Santiago Ponzinibbio (31-9-0). He holds the rank of Master of Sport in Wushu Sanda and a pro kickboxing record of 185-13 with 76 wins by knockout. He’s a dangerous knockout artist with big-time power and outstanding technical skills. Salikhov has an impressive arsenal of kicks, particularly his array of spinning attacks that he’ll constantly set up and throw. Training at the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School, he’s defensively sound, having defended 62% of significant strikes attempted on him in the UFC. He is willing to grapple and averages just over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes, and will rain down devastating ground and pound when in top position. Salikhov is highly experienced and very tough to put away, always coming forward and looking to do damage throughout the fight.

Uroš Medić lands a powerful left hand on Gilbert Urbina. Credit: MMA Mania.

Medić has won three of his last five fights, holding UFC victories over Matthew Semelsberger (11-8-0), Omar Morales (11-4-0), and Tim Means (33-17-1). He’s a powerful kickboxer with great footwork and excellent kicks. He does an outstanding job varying his shots, attacking the head and body evenly while remaining technical. Medić throws everything with power and will regularly mix kicks in at the end of combinations. Training at Kings MMA, he favors power over volume but has solid cardio and can maintain a consistent pace across 15 minutes. He’s highly accurate, landing 60% of the significant strikes he’s attempted in the UFC, and can produce a flash knockout at any time. He won’t typically initiate grappling exchanges, but will not accept a position on his back and will pursue submissions. Medić has only seen the third round once and has not been to a decision, with ten of his fourteen fights ending in the first round.

Matt Schnell vs. Joseph Morales

Matt Schnell exchanges blows inside the pocket with Jimmy Flick. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Flyweight Bout

Matt Schnell: 17-9-0, 2 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Joseph Morales: 14-2-0, 2 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Schnell has won two of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Sumudaerji (18-7-0), Tyson Nam (21-14-1), and Louis Smolka (17-9-0). He’s dangerous anywhere the fight goes with excellent, gritty striking and outstanding grappling. He has solid speed and power in his hands, often using his striking to set up his grappling. Schnell does a great job of capitalizing on his opponent’s mistakes and regularly grabs chokes when defending takedowns. He has a slick submission game, particularly his chokes, with seven of his nine submission wins coming via guillotine or triangle. Training at Fortis MMA, he favors his hands but has a black belt in karate and a sneaky arsenal of kicks to back up his boxing. Half of Schnell’s professional bouts have ended in the first round, and he’s never in a boring fight.

Joseph Morales submits Alibi Idiris with a triangle choke. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Morales is on a five-fight win streak and is making his official UFC debut after defeating Alibi Idiris (11-1-0) to become the Flyweight winner of the Ultimate Fighter 33. He’s an outstanding technical fighter with excellent boxing and grappling skills. Morales is constantly coming forward and pressuring his opponent, forcing them to the outside of the cage and landing damage with precise punches. He does an excellent job of mixing body shots into combinations, never gets sloppy or drawn into brawls, and always keeps his hands high and his striking sharp and technical. Training with Team Alpha Male, he has powerful takedowns, typically landing them in open space, and is relentless in top position, constantly advancing and pursuing submissions. He excels at taking his opponent’s back and is very tough to shake off, maintaining control and always choosing position over submission. Morales is dangerous at all times and carries his power and speed throughout the fight, having secured his last two finish wins after the first round.

Gabriel Bonfim vs. Randy Brown

Gabriel Bonfim secures a powerful takedown on Khaos Williams. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Welterweight Bout

Gabriel Bonfim: 18-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 13 Sub.

Randy Brown: 20-6-0, 8 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Bonfim has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Stephen Thompson (17-9-1), Khaos Williams (15-5-0), and Trevin Giles (16-7-0). He always comes out guns blazing, throwing bombs, and looking for an early finish. Fighting behind his jab, he employs crisp boxing and consistently throws in combination, possessing excellent speed and power in his hands. Bonfim loves to engage in the pocket and tends to headhunt, but won’t get sloppy; he always keeps his guard high and his punches tight and straight. He has a lethal submission game, can find chokes from seemingly anywhere, and has fantastic takedowns. Training at Cerrado MMA, he advances with lightning speed on the ground and always pursues a finish. Bonfim has secured all of his submission victories via choke and can finish the fight quickly if he gets a hold of his opponent’s neck.

Randy Brown blasts Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos with a vicious knee. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Brown has won four of his last five fights, with UFC wins coming over Khaos Williams (15-4-0), Francisco Trinaldo (28-9-0), and Muslim Salikhov (21-5-0). He’s a lengthy fighter with serious knockout power and a sneaky submission game. He uses his size well, staying at range and piecing his opponent up with long straights and jabs. Brown throws every shot with purpose and will constantly fire attacks up the middle, particularly with front kicks and especially his right cross. Brown has solid power in both hands and devastating knees and elbows inside the clinch. Averaging just under a takedown landed per fifteen minutes, he does an excellent job mixing grappling into his striking, often using his length in the clinch to get his opponent to the mat. Training at Budokan Martial Arts, Brown gets increasingly dangerous as the fight goes on and has secured nine of his thirteen finishes in the second or third round.

Best Bets

Chris Padilla Moneyline: This is an outstanding matchup of two very different but dangerous Lightweights. Padilla has solid striking but primarily relies on his outstanding wrestling and dangerous BJJ skills to secure victory. Bonfim, on the other hand, is almost a pure striker, throwing every shot with big-time power and constantly pursuing a knockout. Although Bonfim has a power advantage when they’re on their feet, I believe his wild striking style and desire for early finishes may be his downfall in this matchup. Padilla has shown an excellent ability to lull his opponent in and let them get comfortable striking before suddenly shooting in to land a powerful takedown. I expect to see him do the same to Bonfim. I anticipate Bonfim coming out guns blazing and pushing a heavy pace, throwing constant bombs and overswinging as Padilla remains elusive and lands shots of his own. As Bonfim continues pushing the action, I expect Padilla to find success with his takedowns, slowing the pace and wearing down Bonfim's explosiveness. I believe Padilla will be able to control and damage Bonfim on the mat, and as Bonfim starts to gas out, Padilla will take full control, start doing damage in top position, and set up submissions. Whether by finish or decision, I believe that Padilla will emerge the victor.

Muslim Salikhov Moneyline: In this exciting matchup, we’ll see two dangerous Welterweight knockout artists face off inside the Octagon. Medić is the more orthodox striker of the two, favoring the devastating power in his hands to batter and finish his opponents. Salikhov is an unusual fighter who relies heavily on his outstanding kicking game, especially spinning kicks, to earn highlight-reel victories. While both are very dangerous, Salikhov has the larger arsenal of attacks and striking options. Not to say that Medić is limited, but he doesn't have anywhere near the type of kicks that Salikhov does. Salikhov also has superior grappling to Medić, and while he won't often look to bring the fight to the mat, he certainly has the option to do so. I expect this fight to start quickly, with both fighters throwing with knockout intentions from the opening bell. I expect Salikhov to float along the outside, remaining elusive as he lights up Medić with high and low kicks and heavy punches. As Salikhov continues to do damage, I expect Medić's aggression and pace to wane, and for Salikhov to take control of the fight. As Medić slows, I anticipate Salikhov opening up and finding success with his arsenal of spinning kicks en route to another impressive victory.

Bonfim vs. Brown to Not Go the Distance: This is an intriguing matchup of two dangerous strikers that I’ve been looking forward to. Both of these fighters have proven to be prolific finishers in their professional MMA careers. In a combined 38 victories, they’ve finished 29 of those fights, and 34 of their combined 45 fights have not gone to the scorecards. Although both rarely go the distance, neither tends to earn their finishes early on, with seventeen of their combined twenty-nine finish wins coming after round one. Both have very different ways of earning these victories as well, with Brown being more of a knockout artist with a solid submission game, and Bonfim being essentially a submission specialist with solid power. Both have the skills to exploit their opponent's weaknesses, and both have been finished inside the UFC before. This is also a significant matchup for both fighters, with both coming off victories and looking for a landmark win to place them in the top 15. Regardless of who takes this fight or how, I’m confident that this fight will end before the final bell sounds.

UFC Fight Night: Garcia vs. Onama Preview

Steve Garcia unloads ground and pound strikes onto Shaylian Nuerdanbieke. Credit: MMA Junkie.

The UFC returns to its headquarters at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, with an excellent Fight Night card. This card has been loaded with plenty of exciting prospects, rising stars, and top-ranked fighters all looking to score a bonus-earning highlight this Saturday night. In the co-main event, two powerful Heavyweights will collide when the heavy-handed Waldo Cortes-Acosta takes on dangerous UFC newcomer Ante Delija. In the main event, two red-hot Featherweights face off for a chance at a top-ten ranking when knockout artist Steve Garcia goes toe-to-toe with an equally potent striker in David Onama. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Allan Nascimento vs. Cody Durden

Allan Nascimento maintains top control on Jafel Filho. Credit: Ag. Fight.

Catchweight Bout

Allan Nascimento: 21-6-0, 1 KO/TKO, 15 Sub.

Cody Durden: 17-8-1, 6 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Nascimento has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Jake Hadley (12-5-0), Jafel Filho (17-4-0), and Carlos Hernandez (10-5-0). He’s a submission ace with outstanding grappling skills and powerful striking. While standing, he throws everything with power and uses his striking to set up his grappling, often stunning his opponent with heavy shots before shooting for a takedown. Nascimento has outstanding control on the mat and will rarely lose position, not typically looking to posture up or get wild with ground and pound. Training at Chute Boxe DL, He’s very fluid on the mat and will regularly transition from one submission to another, constantly pursuing a finish. He has outstanding reversals and sweeps and will often find a way to top position even if he’s the one taken down. Nascimento is particularly dangerous on the back and can find chokes very quickly, with nine of his fifteen submission victories coming via choke.

Cody Durden fires a lunging jab at Matt Schnell. Credit: MMA Mania.

Durden has won one of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over Matt Schnell (17-9-0), Charles Johnson (18-7-0), and Aoriqileng (26-12-0). He’s a dominant wrestler with great cardio and technical striking. He’s landing, on average, over four takedowns per fifteen minutes in the UFC and can land takedowns in the clinch or in open space. Durden is always working in top position, advancing with impressive speed and constantly attacking with ground and pound and submission attempts. Training at American Top Team, he won’t get sloppy on the feet, throwing everything straight and tight while regularly mixing in body shots. He has excellent striking in the clinch and can do serious damage without much space, particularly with his elbows. He’s averaging nearly six minutes of control time in his UFC victories and will always look to get the fight to the mat.

Charles Radtke vs. Daniel Frunza

Charles Radtke lands a cracking left hook on Blood Diamond. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Welterweight Bout

Charles Radtke: 10-5-0, 5 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Daniel Frunza: 9-3-0, 8 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Radtke has won three of his last five outings and holds UFC victories over Matthew Semelsberger (11-8-0), Gilbert Urbina (7-5-0), and Blood Diamond (3-3-0). He’s a powerful scrapper who’s always coming forward and throwing bombs. He throws every shot with power and comes out guns blazing, getting on his front foot immediately and forcing his opponent to the outside of the cage. Radtke will throw very few kicks and is constantly looking to close the distance and let his hands go, especially his left hook. He has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is a solid wrestler, but is comfortable on his feet and won’t typically look to bring the fight to the mat. Training at Valle Flow Striking, he’s highly explosive and favors power to volume, regularly going from methodically stalking his opponents to unloading heavy shots in the blink of an eye. Radtke can produce a knockout at any time but is especially dangerous early on, with five of his seven finish wins coming in the first round.

Daniel Frunza stuns Vadym Kutsyi with a cracking right hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Frunza has won four of his last five fights and is looking to score his first UFC victory. He’s an aggressive striker with solid power who’s always willing to brawl. He fights behind his jab and has power in both hands, regularly switching stances before stepping into the pocket to let his hands go. Frunza favors power to volume, throwing every shot with accuracy and purpose and constantly looking to land a knockout blow. Training at Black House Santiago, he tends to headhunt and carries his power throughout the fight, often heating up as the fight continues and increasing his pace. He rarely pursues takedowns but has solid takedown defense and getups, not usually spending much time on the mat. Frunza always leaves everything inside the cage and has only been to a single decision in his professional career.

Isaac Dulgarian vs. Yadier del Valle

Isaac Dulgarian rains down vicious ground and pound shots onto Brendon Marotte. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Featherweight Bout

Isaac Dulgarian: 7-1-0, 4 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Yadier del Valle: 9-0-0, 2 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Dulgarian has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Francis Marshall (8-3-0) and Brendon Marotte (8-3-0). He’s a dominant wrestler with excellent takedowns and top control. He won’t waste much time on the feet, usually shooting a takedown immediately, and has landed 10 takedowns in three UFC fights. Dulgarian can land takedowns in open space or along the fence, and will advance position and transition quickly when it goes to the mat. Training at FactoryX Muay Thai, he’s intelligent in top position, never forcing anything or putting himself in dangerous positions. He’ll take what his opponent gives him; if there’s an opening for a submission, he’ll pursue it; otherwise, he'll throw brutal ground and pound. Dulgarian can produce finishes with astounding speed, having secured three victories in two minutes or less.

Yadier del Valle sinks in a tight guillotine choke on Antonio Monteiro. Credit: MMA Mania.

Del Valle is undefeated, with a UFC victory coming over Connor Matthews (7-4-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter with knockout power and a slick submission game. He’s in perpetual motion, constantly circling and utilizing his footwork before blitzing into the pocket to unload a flurry of heavy, looping shots. Del Valle has excellent clinch striking and can do significant damage without much space, particularly with his punches, knees, and elbows. Training at Gracie Barra Westchase, he has solid takedowns and times them well, is very strong in the clinch, and is tough to get away from along the fence or on the mat. He has particularly dangerous chokes, especially his guillotine, and will constantly look to get a hold of his opponent's neck, even when standing. Del Valle's pace slows as the fight continues, but he remains dangerous at all times, carrying his power throughout. 

Jeremiah Wells vs. Themba Gorimbo

Jeremiah Wells lands follow up shots after dropping Warlley Alves with a right hand. Credit: Essentially Sports.

Welterweight Bout

Jeremiah Wells: 12-4-1, 5 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Themba Gorimbo: 14-5-0, 2 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Wells has won three of his last five outings and holds UFC victories over Matthew Semelsberger (11-8-0), Court McGee (23-14-0), and Warlley Alves (15-8-0). He’s a wild brawler with big-time punching power and explosive wrestling skills. He’s constantly looking to get into the pocket and let his hands go, often circling and not offering much offense before suddenly charging inside and unloading a barrage of wide, powerful hooks. He looks to make every bout into a dogfight, always throwing caution to the wind and looking to exchange on the inside. Wells is landing, on average, over three takedowns per 15 minutes and is a powerful wrestler with excellent double-legs and takedowns in the clinch. Training at Renzo Gracie Philly, He’s very active in top position, always working to improve and constantly looking to posture up and land brutal ground and pound. Wells has secured all of his submission wins via rear-naked choke and is especially dangerous if he can secure his opponent’s back.

Themba Gorimbo charges at Niko Price with a right hand. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Gorimbo has won four of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over Niko Price (16-9-0), Ramiz Brahimaj (13-5-0), and Takashi Sato (16-8-0). He’s a tenacious grappler who’s constantly looking to get the fight to the mat and find a finish. He’s averaging nearly five takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and is willing to chain together attempts and work along the cage to bring the fight to the mat. Whether in the top or bottom position, he’s always working to improve, find a submission, or do damage. Training at Xtreme Couture, his grappling sets up his striking, making his opponents worry about his takedowns and not the power in his hands. He’s very accurate with his striking, landing, on average, nearly 3 times as many significant strikes as he absorbs, and has landed 61% of the significant strikes he’s attempted in the UFC. Gorimbo has secured more than half of his finishes in the first round, but he has solid cardio and is dangerous at all times.

#6 Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. #9 Ante Delija

Waldo Cortes-Acosta unloads heavy ground and pound shots onto Ryan Spann. Credit: MMA Mania.

Heavyweight Bout

Waldo Cortes-Acosta: 14-2-0, 6 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Ante Delija: 26-6-0, 12 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Acosta has won four of his last five outings and holds UFC victories over #7 ranked Heavyweight Serghei Spivac (17-6-0), Ryan Spann (23-11-0), and Andrei Arlovski (34-24-0). He is a heavy-handed striker with excellent boxing and a dangerous right hand. He throws every shot with power, regularly coming forward to unload looping hooks and devastating overhands. Training at UKF Gym, Acosta is most at home in a brawl, working inside the pocket and firing knees and elbows in the clinch. He tends to favor power to volume, unloading single shots with knockout intentions. While he won’t usually initiate grappling exchanges, he has demonstrated a solid ability to return to his feet. Acosta is defensively sound and won’t usually absorb much damage, having outlanded six of his last eight opponents.

Ante Delija blasts Marcin Tybura with a concussive left hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Delija has won four of his last five fights, with a UFC victory coming over #10 ranked Heavyweight Marcin Tybura (27-10-0). He’s a hard-charging brawler with one-shot knockout power. He comes out guns blazing, throwing everything with power and pushing a heavy pace from the opening bell. Delija has fast hands for a Heavyweight, often putting out single shots before entering the pocket to unload thunderous combinations. Training at the Cro Cop Squad Gym, he will pursue takedowns, typically against strikers, and is capable of powerful slams. He has heavy pressure in top position and remains active, constantly looking to posture up and work for a finish. Delija has the cardio to go three rounds but rarely sees a second, having earned 11 first-round knockouts, and five of his last six outings ended in round one.

#12 Steve Garcia vs. #13 David Onama

Steve Garcia looks to finish Kyle Nelson with ground and pound. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Featherweight Bout

Steve Garcia: 18-5-0, 14 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

David Onama: 14-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Garcia is on a six-fight win streak and has UFC victories over Calvin Kattar (23-10-0), Kyle Nelson (17-6-1), and Melquizael Costa (24-7-0). He’s a heavy-handed striker who’s always coming forward and pursuing a knockout. He’s lengthy for the division and uses it well, throwing everything in combination and regularly mixing kicks into his combos. Garcia varies his shots well, attacking the head and body evenly, and constantly looks to enter the pocket and let his hands go. Training at Jackson-Wink MMA, he’s averaging about one takedown landed per fifteen minutes in the UFC and has heavy ground and pound. He throws everything with power but has impressive speed and technicality, never loading up or telegraphing his shots. Garcia rarely takes much damage and is landing, on average, more than double the amount of significant strikes than he absorbs.

David Onama lands a stinging left hand on Giga Chikadze. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Onama has won four of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over #15 ranked Featherweight Giga Chikadze (15-5-0), Jonathan Pearce (14-7-0), and Gabriel Santos (12-2-0). He is in perpetual motion on his feet and constantly switches stances. He’s always coming forward, fights behind his jab, and throws every shot with fight-ending intentions. Onama has finished all but three of his wins, with six of those finishes coming in round one. He manages distances well and will land damage from the outside, but is more than willing to exchange blows inside the pocket. Training at FactoryX Muay Thai, he’s a solid grappler with great clinch control, decent takedowns, and advances position quickly on the ground. Onama is likelier to pursue a submission than a ground-and-pound finish and has excellent chokes, with all his submission wins coming via some form of strangulation.

Best Bets

Radtke vs. Frunza to Not Go the Distance: This is an exciting matchup of two brawlers that’s sure to produce highlights. Neither of these fighters often sees the judges' scorecards; in a combined 27 fights, they’ve produced 15 finishes, with 8 of them coming in the first round. Both men fight with a kill-or-be-killed mentality and tend to go out on their shield, with both having been finished in the majority of their losses and only going to a combined six decisions total. Win or lose, both of these fighters are always willing to go toe-to-toe and leave everything inside the cage. This is also an opportunity for both of these scrappers to bounce back, as both of them are coming off of knockout losses and in need of a big win to solidify their status within the UFC. I expect this fight to get off to a quick start, with them meeting in the middle of the Octagon and letting their hands go from the opening bell. I anticipate constant exchanges in the pocket, with both fighters throwing with knockout intent, until one lands the finishing blow. Regardless of who emerges as the victor, I’m confident that it will not be decided by the judges.

Themba Gorimbo Moneyline: An excellent matchup of two dangerous scrappers, I’ve been looking forward to this one. While both fighters have well-rounded skill sets, they aren’t identical in style. Wells is an explosive brawler, constantly looking to land huge, heavy punches or blast double legs. Gorimbo is a more measured fighter, still willing to brawl a bit on his feet but with excellent wrestling skills to back up his striking. While neither is overly technical or a point-fighter, I believe Gorimbo has the edge in technical skills, both in striking and grappling. Wells largely relies on his power, offering little volume when striking and using his explosiveness and forward momentum to earn takedowns. Gorimbo, while a powerful striker in his own right, maintains a more cautious pace, using his striking to create openings for takedowns and focusing on maintaining control in top position rather than just posturing and hunting for a finish. Gorimbo also has a sizeable four-inch height advantage, which should make it tougher for Wells to close the distance and fight in the pocket where he’s most effective. I expect Gorimbo to fight Wells from range, landing long punches and kicks, and keeping Wells on the outside of the cage and on his back foot. As the fight continues, I anticipate Wells's pace and aggression to decrease, and for Gorimbo to take control, landing takedowns and inflicting damage from top position. While I’m unsure how this fight will end or how long it will last, I believe Gorimbo will earn a solid victory this Saturday.

Steve Garcia Moneyline: This is an outstanding fight between two hot prospects who are quickly rising up the rankings. While both are primarily strikers, they’ve earned their UFC victories in very different fashions. Onama has methodically and technically beaten down his opponents, using sharp striking and efficient wrestling to secure victory. Garcia is a knockout artist, having KO’d five of his last six opponents, utilizing his excellent power and accuracy to end fights quickly. Although currently on an impressive win streak, Onama has proved not only willing to brawl but to be hittable, absorbing, on average, about 61 significant strikes in his last five fights. Garcia is averaging just 12 significant strikes absorbed in his last five outings, and in my opinion, has been facing higher-level competition than Onama has. Regardless, I expect Garcia to give Onama more respect than he has other opponents and fight with a more measured approach, similar to how he fought in his last outing against Calvin Kattar. I expect this fight to start a little slow, with both men finding their distance and timing, but for it to quickly heat up in the early rounds. As both fighters get comfortable and let their hands go, I expect Garcia to get the better of Onama in the pocket, overpowering him in striking exchanges and landing the more consequential shots. When Garcia begins to control the fight, I anticipate Onama to look for takedowns and get denied, allowing Garcia to either further wear him down on his feet or damage him from top position. Ultimately, I believe Garcia will put on an outstanding, well-rounded performance and earn another ranked victory.

UFC 321 Preview

Tom Aspinall floors Sergei Pavlovich with a devastating right hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

The UFC returns to the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi with an outstanding pay-per-view card. The entire card is filled with exciting matchups and outstanding fighters all looking to score a highlight-reel victory. In the co-main event, the vacant Strawweight title will be on the line when the always-dangerous Virna Jandiroba takes on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace Mackenzie Dern. In the main event, we’ll see the newly crowned undisputed Heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, look to defend his title for the first time against the number one contender, Ciryl Gane. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

#7 Aleksandar Rakić vs. #10 Azamat Murzakanov

Aleksandar Rakić tags Jiří Procházka with a right hook. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Light Heavyweight Bout

Aleksandar Rakić: 14-5-0, 9 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Azamat Murzakanov: 15-0-0, 11 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Rakić has won two of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Anthony Smith (38-22-0), Devin Clark (14-9-0), and Thiago Santos (22-13-0). He’s a powerful, technical striker with excellent distance management and footwork. He’s constantly looking to use his feints and footwork to draw a reaction out of his opponent and land counterattacks. Rakić favors power to volume, regularly throwing single shots and naked kicks from range, all with knockout intentions. Training at Gym 23, he remains technical throughout, never getting sloppy even when he lets his hands go inside the pocket. He’ll often lunge forward and throw long, heavy, straight shots before returning to distance and throwing kicks. Rakić has seven first-round knockouts and can produce a flash finish anytime.

Azamat Murzakanov unloads ground and pound shots onto Brendson Ribeiro. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Murzakanov is undefeated, holding UFC victories over #14 ranked Light Heavyweight Alonzo Menifield (17-5-1), Brendson Ribeiro (17-9-0), and Dustin Jacoby (21-9-1). He’s a powerful, elusive striker who’s always pursuing a knockout. He’s highly explosive, favoring power to volume and constantly looking to land shots up the middle, especially uppercuts and knees. He has excellent footwork and distance management, regularly blitzing into the pocket to land power shots before quickly returning to range unscathed. Training at K Dojo, he does a great job varying his shots, constantly attacking from different angles while changing his targets between the head and body. He’s most comfortable on his feet but is willing to grapple, possessing solid wrestling and clinch control. Murzakanov has secured nine of his twelve finishes in the first round and is at his most dangerous early on.

#2 Alexander Volkov vs. #5 Jailton Almeida

Alexander Volkov fires a lunging right hand at Sergei Pavlovich. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Heavyweight Bout

Alexander Volkov: 38-11-0, 24 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Jailton Almeida: 22-3-0, 8 KO/TKO, 13 Sub.

Volkov has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #3 ranked Heavyweight Sergei Pavlovich (20-3-0), #8 ranked Heavyweight Marcin Tybura (27-10-0), and #11 ranked Heavyweight Tai Tuivasa (15-8-0). He is a lengthy, technical kickboxer who’s comfortable fighting at range or inside the pocket. He has solid footwork and head movement, tending to skirt along the outside of the cage, avoiding damage while picking his opponents apart. Volkov is highly accurate and throws everything with purpose, having landed 57% of the significant strikes he’s attempted in the UFC. His best weapons are his front kick and right straight, and he’ll constantly look to set up both in pursuit of landing a knockout blow. Training with Strela Team, he’s dangerous inside the clinch and uses his length very well, making him particularly hard to take down. Volkov carries his power throughout, but tends to decrease his pace and output as the fight continues, focusing on picking his shots and landing heavy blows.

Jailton Almeida stuns Serghei Spivac with a powerful right hand. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Almeida has won four of his last five outings, with UFC victories coming over #7 ranked Heavyweight Serghei Spivac (17-6-0), #8 ranked Heavyweight Derrick Lewis (29-12-0), and Shamil Abdurakhimov (20-8-0). He’s a powerful, efficient grappler with outstanding wrestling and lethal submissions. He usually won’t waste much time on the feet, shooting in and pursuing powerful takedowns immediately. Almeida is very fluid on the ground and has excellent top control, making it nearly impossible for his opponents to escape. Training at Gãlpao de Luta, he’s finished all but one of his victories and has 11 wins via rear-naked choke, making him extremely dangerous if he gets to his opponent’s back. He has vicious ground and pound, always working for a finish while constantly advancing position and never overcommitting. Almeida has absorbed, on average, just six significant strikes per UFC fight and rarely takes much damage.

#2 Umar Nurmagomedov vs. #9 Mario Bautista

Umar Nurmagomedov postures up and batters Bekzat Almakhan with ground and pound. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Bantamweight Bout

Umar Nurmagomedov: 18-1-0, 2 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Mario Bautista: 16-2-0, 3 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Nurmagomedov has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #4 ranked Bantamweight Cory Sandhagen (18-6-0), Nate Maness (16-3-0), and  Raoni Barcelos (20-5-0). He’s a technical, well-rounded fighter with big power in his hands and dominant wrestling. He’s constantly switching stances and throwing lead leg attacks, always moving and never staying in one spot for long. Training at the American Kickboxing Academy, Nurmagomedov has fantastic takedowns and top control, often landing takedowns in open space and quickly advancing position. He’s averaging over three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and remains patient in top position, always looking for openings to land ground and pound or grab a submission. He has devastating power in his hands and can produce a flash knockout at any moment. Six of Nurmagomedov’s seven submissions have been via rear-naked choke, so he’ll regularly look to take his opponent’s back.

Mario Bautista lands a cracking right hand on Patchy Mix. Credit: MMA Mania.

Bautista is on an eight-fight win streak, holding UFC victories over José Aldo (32-10-0), Patchy Mix (19-4-0), and Ricky Simón (22-6-0). He’s incredibly quick and dangerous on his feet, regularly moving in and out of the pocket to land shots without taking damage. He throws everything with power, keeps his punches tight and technical, and attacks the head and body evenly. Training at the MMA Lab, Bautista always comes forward, throwing combinations and typically a steady flow of low kicks. He’s averaging nearly two takedowns landed per 15 minutes and will regularly blend takedowns into his striking offense. He’s as quick on the ground as on the feet, transitioning and passing efficiently and effectively. Bautista has heavy top pressure and will find submissions in the blink of an eye, holding three first-round submission victories in the UFC.

#1 Virna Jandiroba vs. #5 Mackenzie Dern

Virna Jandiroba lands a thudding elbow on Marina Rodriguez. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Women’s Strawweight Title Bout

Virna Jandiroba: 22-3-0, 1 KO/TKO, 14 Sub.

Mackenzie Dern: 15-5-0, 0 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Jandiroba is on a five-fight win streak and has UFC victories over #3 ranked Strawweight Yan Xiaonan (19-5-0), #4 ranked Strawweight Amanda Lemos (15-5-1), and #6 ranked Strawweight Loopy Godínez (14-5-0). She’s a tenacious grappler with excellent takedowns and lethal submissions. She’s a bit limited on her feet, mostly throwing straight punches and 1-2 combinations before closing the distance and pursuing takedowns. Jandiroba is averaging over two takedowns landed and nearly two submissions attempted per fifteen minutes, and will constantly look to get her opponent in the clinch along the fence. Training at Academia Fight House, she holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, heavy top control, and always works for a finish on the ground. She has excellent sweeps and reversals, almost always ending up in top position when the fight hits the mat. Jandiroba has secured nine of her fourteen submission victories via choke, with six of those being rear-naked chokes, and is extremely dangerous if she can get a hold of her opponent’s neck.

Mackenzie Dern submits Amanda Ribas with a vicious armbar. Credit: Bloody Elbow.

Dern has won three of her last five bouts, with UFC victories coming over #6 ranked Strawweight Loopy Godínez (14-5-0), #11 ranked Strawweight Amanda Ribas (12-7-0), and her current opponent, Virna Jandiroba. Easily the most credentialed grappler in the Strawweight division, she’s won gold medals at the ADCC World Championship, World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, European Championship, and more. Training at RVCA, she’ll do whatever she can to get the fight to the mat, including pulling guard or jumping for submissions while standing. Dern has excellent top control, transitions quickly, and never puts herself in bad spots on the ground. She tends to headhunt on the feet, often blitzing forward to throw combinations. She’s willing to eat a shot to land one and has decent power in her hands, but she usually uses her striking to close the distance and set up a takedown. With six of her eight submission wins coming in round one, Dern is at her most dangerous early on.

(C) Tom Aspinall vs. #1 Ciryl Gane

Tom Aspinall exchanges blows with Curtis Blaydes. Credit: The Independent.

Heavyweight Title Bout

Tom Aspinall: 15-3-0, 11 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Ciryl Gane: 13-2-0, 6 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Aspinall has won four of his last five outings with UFC victories over #2 ranked Heavyweight Alexander Volkov (38-11-0), #3 ranked Heavyweight Sergei Pavlovich (20-3-0), and #4 ranked Heavyweight Curtis Blaydes (19-5-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter who’s comfortable anywhere and constantly pursues a finish. He’s a fast starter but won’t get wild, never overextending on his shots and always keeping his head off the centerline. Aspinall has excellent footwork and distance management, absorbing, on average, just six significant strikes per fight in his UFC tenure. He has 100% takedown defense and accuracy, can land shots in open space, and advances position very quickly on the ground. Training at Team Kaobon, he’s never reached the third round in his career, with his last six fights not going past the first round. Aspinall has racked up seven Performance of the Night bonuses in just nine UFC fights and has 14 first-round finishes in his career.

Ciryl Gane lands a stinging right hand on Serghei Spivac. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Gane has won three of his last five fights, holding wins over #2 ranked Heavyweight Alexander Volkov (38-11-0), #7 ranked Heavyweight Serghei Spivac (17-6-0), and #11 ranked Heavyweight Tai Tuivasa (15-8-0). He is one of the most technical strikers ever seen in the Heavyweight division, using efficient, brutal Muay Thai to damage his opponents. Training at the MMA Factory, he has an excellent arsenal of attacks, all of which he can throw with power and do severe damage. Although Gane has established himself as a striker, he’s also an excellent grappler with two submission wins in the UFC, one coming via heel hook. He has solid takedowns, wrestling, top control, and lethal ground and pound. He’s willing to exchange in the pocket but is also excellent at range, throwing plenty of high and low kicks and crisp combinations with his hands. Gane, on average, lands more than twice as many strikes per minute as he absorbs and has excellent volume to match his power.

Best Bets

Rakić vs. Murzakanov to Not Go the Distance: This is an excellent matchup of two exciting strikers that’s sure to produce highlights. Both of these fighters are prolific finishers, particularly with their hands, having combined for 22 finishes, 20 of which are knockouts. This is also an important matchup for either fighter; for Rakić, it’s an opportunity to snap his losing streak and earn a win over a ranked, quickly rising prospect. For Murzakanov, this is easily the biggest name he’s ever faced, and a finish victory would solidify him as a legitimate contender at Light Heavyweight. Both have excellent technical skills and the ability to go three rounds, but I expect this fight to get off to a quick start, with both hunting for a finish from the opening bell. I anticipate heated striking exchanges early on, with neither fighter willing to back down, and as these exchanges continue, someone will eventually land the finishing blow. Regardless of who has their hand raised at the end of this fight, I’m confident it will not go all three rounds.

Mackenzie Dern Moneyline: An unprecedented rematch now with gold on the line, I’ve been looking forward to this one. This is primarily a matchup of grapplers, and both are outstanding on the mat, but I think striking will be the biggest difference in this fight. While neither is a world-class striker, Jandiroba relies on her grappling far more to earn her victories than Dern, having landed at least one takedown in all of her fights. Jandiroba typically holds a grappling advantage over her opponents, but Dern is one of the most accomplished female grapplers in the UFC and is not a fighter you can simply control on the mat. Dern has also proven impressively durable and shown steady improvement in her striking and confidence on her feet, seemingly more willing to keep a fight standing as she’s progressed through her UFC career. I expect Dern to deny the early takedown attempts from Jandiroba or find reversals on the ground and gain the dominant position, wearing down Jandiroba as Dern forces her to work hard to bring the fight to the mat. As the fight continues, I expect Jandiroba’s pace to slow and Dern to find more success on the feet before landing takedowns of her own, controlling the pace and location of the fight. Jandiroba is tough herself and not an easy out, so while I won’t predict a finish, I’m confident that Dern will be crowned the new Strawweight champion.

Tom Aspinall by KO/TKO: This is an outstanding matchup of two dangerous Heavyweights competing for gold. Aspinall, now officially the Heavyweight champ, looks to earn his first defense of the undisputed title, while Gane gets his third and possibly final attempt at the belt. Both of these fighters have excellent, well-rounded skillsets, but unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll see that this weekend. I don’t expect there to be much grappling in this fight, nor do I expect it to last very long. Gane is a very dangerous fighter in his own right, but Aspinall seems to be on another level than his competitors and possesses punching power that few can match or withstand. It feels like an exaggeration, but I believe Aspinall has the skill advantage anywhere that this fight goes. I believe he’s the more powerful, accurate striker, as well as the more dominant grappler, and I think Aspinall could finish this fight from anywhere. I expect Aspinall to get on the front foot early, forcing Gane to the outside, staying in his face, not allowing him to use his kickboxing skills, and making it a dogfight. As Aspinall controls the pace and the distance, I believe he will find the knockout blow sooner rather than later, and earn his first proper title defense.

UFC Fight Night: de Ridder vs. Allen Preview

Reinier de Ridder lands a vicious knee to the body of Bo Nickal. MMA Fighting.

The UFC heads to the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada, with a top-notch Fight Night card. The entire card has been filled with outstanding matchups, rising stars, and established contenders all looking to prove themselves on the biggest stage in MMA. In the co-main event, we’ll see two exciting Welterweights go toe-to-toe when crafty veteran Kevin Holland takes on a heavy-handed grappler in Mike Malott. In the main event, two top-ten Middleweights collide in the Octagon when grappling ace Reiner de Ridder squares off against the always dangerous Brendan Allen. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Kyle Nelson vs. Matt Frevola

Kyle Nelson clips Bill Algeo with a stiff right hand. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Lightweight Bout

Kyle Nelson: 16-6-1, 6 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Matt Frevola: 11-5-1, 4 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Nelson has won three of his last five fights, with one draw, and holds UFC victories over Bill Algeo (18-9-0), Fernando Padilla (16-6-0), and Blake Bilder (8-2-1). He’s a powerful striker who’s always coming forward and never slows down. He fights behind his jab, throwing it with plenty of power, and is efficient with his striking, rarely wasting energy. Nelson does an excellent job of mixing in kicks with his punches, constantly throwing leg kicks and sneaking head kicks in at the end of combinations. He has solid footwork, regularly cutting off the cage before entering the pocket to unload looping hooks and overhands. Training at House of Champions, he’s landing, on average, over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes in the UFC and is very strong in the clinch. Nelson throws everything with power and excels at landing kicks and counter shots on his opponent while they’re attempting a strike.

Matt Frevola knocks Ottman Azaitar unconscious with a heavy right hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Frevola has won three of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over Jalin Turner (14-9-0), Drew Dober (27-15-0), and Ottman Azaitar (13-3-0). He is a wild striker who always comes out guns blazing and pushes a heavy pace from start to finish. He relentlessly pressures his opponents, is always willing to brawl in the pocket, and throws everything in combination with serious power. Frevola tends to headhunt but won’t telegraph his attacks, possessing very fast kicks and one-shot knockout power. Training at Gracie Tampa South, he started his UFC tenure as more of a grappler, averaging over two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes. He has solid top pressure and devastating ground and pound, but typically seems content with staying on his feet and letting his hands go. All of Frevola’s knockout wins have come in round one, and he’s always pursuing a finish. 

Cody Gibson vs. Aoriqileng

Cody Gibson unloads a vicious ground and pound elbow onto Chad Anheliger. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Bantamweight Bout

Cody Gibson: 22-11-0, 7 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Aoriqileng: 25-12-0, 8 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Gibson has won two of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Brian Kelleher (24-16-0) and Chad Anheliger (13-8-0). He’s a dominant grappler with excellent submissions and heavy top control. He pushes a heavy pace from the opening bell, making good use of his length on the feet and usually throwing kicks from range and long straights before closing the distance. Gibson will shoot for takedowns early on and is a grinder, looking to wear out his opponent with a nonstop onslaught of grappling offense. He’s relentless in top position, constantly transitioning between throwing ground and pound and pursuing submissions without losing control of his opponent. Training at Xtreme Couture, he’s technical and efficient on top, always choosing position over submission and doing an excellent job to ward off scrambles and reversals. Gibson has outstanding finishing abilities on the mat and has dangerous chokes, having secured all five of his submission victories via choke.

Aoriqileng lands a powerful shot to the body of Cody Durden. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Aoriqileng has won two of his last five fights, with one no contest, with UFC victories coming over Jay Perrin (12-8-0), Johnny Muñoz (12-4-0), and Cameron Else (11-4-0). He’s a slick striker with a Sanda background who’s always dangerous. He’s very explosive, often starting out slow and not offering much in terms of movement or feints before suddenly coming forward and unloading heavy shots. Aoriqileng tends to heat up as the fight continues, steadily increasing his aggression and output but remaining technical throughout. Training at Fight Ready, he’s a solid grappler with heavy ground and pound and solid submission defense, fully capable of doing damage from top position and surviving off of his back. He does an excellent job of varying his attacks, never headhunting and constantly mixing up his targets between the head, body, and legs of his opponents. Aoriqileng carries his power throughout the fight and can produce a finish at any time, but has secured seven of his eight knockout wins in the first round and is especially dangerous early on.

#2 Manon Fiorot vs. #5 Jasmine Jasudavicius

Manon Fiorot blasts Mayra Bueno Silva with a right hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Women’s Flyweight Bout

Manon Fiorot: 12-2-0, 6 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Jasmine Jasudavicius: 14-3-0, 2 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Fiorot has won four of her last five bouts and holds UFC victories coming over #4 ranked Flyweight Erin Blanchfield (13-2-0), #7 ranked Flyweight Rose Namajunas (15-7-0), and #8 ranked Strawweight Tabatha Ricci (12-3-0). She is an efficient, karate-style fighter with serious power and speed. She has outstanding lead leg attacks, constantly throwing side and head kicks without any load up or tell. Fiorot is in perpetual motion, producing solid output while remaining highly accurate and throwing everything purposefully. Training with the Boxing Squad, she has excellent footwork and effortlessly moves in and out of the pocket. She has outlanded six of her eight UFC opponents and has successfully defended 66% of the significant strikes attempted on her in the promotion. Fiorot has landed at least one takedown in six of her seven UFC wins and will rain down heavy ground and pound when in top position.

Jasmine Jasudavicius batters Priscila Cachoeira with brutal ground and pound. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Jasudavicius is on a five-fight win streak, holding UFC victories over #9 ranked Strawweight Jéssica Andrade (26-15-0), #10 ranked Flyweight Miranda Maverick (17-6-0), and #10 ranked Bantamweight Mayra Bueno Silva (10-5-1). She’s a well-rounded combatant with outstanding wrestling and technical striking skills. Training at Niagara Top Team, she’s willing to exchange on the feet and eat a shot to land one, but won’t get sloppy, always keeping her punches straight and tight. Jasudavicius’s striking sets up her grappling, often punching to close the distance before shooting in for a takedown. She has outstanding takedowns and is capable of adding elevation to them, performing powerful slams before assuming a dominant position on the ground. She has outstanding top pressure and is very active on top, constantly looking to improve position while relentlessly raining down vicious ground and pound. Jasudavicius has taken down nine of her ten UFC opponents and owns the record for the largest strike differential ever in a UFC women’s fight, landing 326 total strikes and absorbing just 26 in return against Priscila Cachoeira.

#7 Marlon Vera vs. #9 Aiemann Zahabi

Marlon Vera stuns Dominick Cruz with a powerful right hook. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Bantamweight Bout

Marlon Vera: 23-10-1, 8 KO/TKO, 10 Sub.

Aiemann Zahabi: 13-2-0, 6 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Vera has won two of his last five outings and holds UFC victories over #1 ranked Bantamweight Sean O’Malley (18-3-0), #13 ranked Bantamweight Rob Font (22-9-0), and Dominick Cruz (24-4-0). He is an experienced veteran with a diverse striking game and a granite chin. He has an impressive ability to absorb damage and continue forward, absorbing, on average, over 121 significant strikes per fight in his last five outings without a single finish loss. Vera improves as the fight continues, getting increasingly aggressive and precise, particularly with his dangerous clinch striking and kicking game. He stays technical across five rounds and regularly switches stances, holding power in both hands but never telegraphing or loading up. He supplies his opponent with a steady dose of kicks, constantly throwing various attacks with his legs, all with heavy power. Vera has dangerous BJJ and slick submissions, so although he’s most comfortable on his feet, he can produce a finish from anywhere.

Aiemann Zahabi stuns José Aldo with a left hook. Credit: Rocky Mountain Outlook.

Zahabi is on a six-fight winning streak and has earned UFC victories over José Aldo (32-10-0), Javid Basharat (14-2-0), and Pedro Munhoz (20-10-0). Zahabi is a sharp striker with crisp boxing and solid power in his hands. He’s highly technical, always keeping his guard high and his punches tight and straight, rarely getting drawn into a brawl. He favors power to volume but is very explosive, often going from 0-60 on a moment’s notice and extending five or six punch combinations. He has excellent footwork and distance management, remaining in perpetual motion while darting in and out of the pocket without taking damage. Training at TriStar Gym, he’s unlikely to take the fight to the mat but has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and excellent takedown defense. Zahabi has secured all his finishes in round one, but heats up as the fight continues, steadily increasing his pace and output.

#15 Kevin Holland vs. Mike Malott

Kevin Holland locks in a tight anaconda choke on Vicente Luque. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Welterweight Bout

Kevin Holland: 28-14-0, 13 KO/TKO, 10 Sub.

Mike Malott: 12-2-1, 5 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Holland has won two of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #6 ranked Middleweight Anthony Hernandez (15-2-0), #7 ranked Welterweight Joaquin Buckley (21-7-0), and Vicente Luque (23-12-1). A wild scrapper who’s comfortable anywhere the fight goes, he’s always dangerous and can finish the fight anywhere. He’s an aggressive striker, throwing everything with serious power and in combination, and is always willing to brawl. Holland is lengthy and capable of fighting on the inside or at range, but typically looks to crash into the pocket and unload combinations. Training at Travis Lutter BJJ, he’s a solid grappler, holding a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and landing, on average, about one takedown per fifteen minutes. He has solid top control and excellent submissions, particularly chokes, with seven of his nine submission victories coming via choke. Holland is one of the most active fighters in MMA, having fought 27 times in the UFC since 2018, earning ten post-fight bonuses during his tenure with the promotion.

Mike Malott lands a powerful kick to the body of Trevin Giles. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Malott has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Charles Radtke (10-5-0), Adam Fugitt (10-5-0), and Trevin Giles (16-7-0). He’s dangerous on the feet with a solid kicking game and one-shot knockout power. He’s highly technical and accurate, throwing every shot with purpose and plenty of power. Malott has excellent footwork and typically throws in combination, supplying his opponent with a healthy dose of hooks and overhands. Training at Niagara Top Team, he’s a solid grappler with great wrestling skills and tremendous pressure on top. He’s landing, on average, about two takedowns per fifteen minutes and has a dangerous submission game, particularly chokes. Similar to his striking, Malott stays technical and patient on the ground, looking for openings and quickly advancing position.

#4 Reiner de Ridder vs. #9 Brendan Allen

Reinier de Ridder lands a heavy ground and pound shot on Robert Whittaker. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Middleweight Bout

Reinier de Ridder: 21-2-0, 5 KO/TKO, 13 Sub.

Brendan Allen: 25-7-0, 5 KO/TKO, 14 Sub.

De Ridder has won four of his last five fights, with UFC victories over #8 ranked Middleweight Robert Whittaker (27-9-0), Kevin Holland (28-14-0), and Bo Nickal (7-1-0). He’s a former ONE Championship Middleweight and Light Heavyweight champion and is an outstanding, dangerous grappler. He has an awkward striking style, remaining upright, fighting behind his jab, and throwing kicks at range before closing the distance. De Ridder is powerful in the clinch and constantly looks for body lock and trip takedowns, often from the opening bell. He has strong top control, continually attacking and improving in top position, and fluidly moving from one position to another. He holds black belts in Judo and BJJ, utilizing ground and pound to wear down his opponent and create submission openings, typically pursuing chokes. De Ridder pushes a consistent pace throughout, but has found nine of his thirteen submissions in the first round, and is most dangerous early on.

Brendan Allen blasts Marvin Vettori with a right hand. Credit: MMA Mania.

Allen has won three of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over #14 ranked Middleweight Marvin Vettori (19-9-1), Chris Curtis (32-12-0), and Paul Craig (17-10-1). He’s an excellent grappler with a lethal submission game and solid power in his hands. He’s always dangerous, whether on top or on his back, constantly pursuing submissions and looking to finish the fight. Training at Kill Cliff FC, he’ll throw heavy ground and pound in top position, remaining active while looking for submission openings. He has solid striking to complement his grappling, possessing decent power in his hands and kicks, and utilizing a boxing style when on his feet. He consistently maintains a high pace, has solid cardiovascular endurance, and can comfortably go five rounds. Allen has secured eleven of his fourteen submissions via rear-naked choke and is deadly if he can find his opponent’s neck.

Best Bets

Manon Fiorot by Decision: This is a high-stakes matchup of two talented Flyweights. This is a massive opportunity for either fighter to put themselves at the front of the line for a title shot. Fiorot, who had her 12-fight win streak snapped earlier this year by current champion Valentina Shevchenko, could easily earn another title shot with an impressive win in this bout. Jasudavicius is currently on a five-fight win streak and quickly growing her resume of victories, and has an opportunity to score the biggest win of her career and solidify herself as a title challenger. While Jasudavicius is coming off a very impressive victory over Jéssica Andrade, she has not faced an opponent nearly as well-rounded as Fiorot, or at least, not one with her level of takedown defense. Fiorot, while often considered a striking specialist, has shown outstanding anti-wrestling skills in her UFC tenure, most recently denying seven of Shevchenko’s nine takedown attempts on her in their title fight. Jasudavicius is a competent striker, albeit somewhat limited in her skills, primarily relying on her boxing and durability when on her feet. I anticipate Fiorot overwhelming her on the feet, forcing Jasudavicius to fight at range and not allowing her to close the distance and exchange in the pocket. I expect Fiorot to deny Jasudavicius’ takedown attempts, keep her on the outside of the cage, and light her up on the feet en route to a hard-fought decision victory on Saturday.

Mike Malott Moneyline: An excellent matchup of two exciting Welterweights, this fight is sure to deliver. Although both are always in fun fights, their styles differ considerably. Holland is a very unorthodox fighter, using lengthy, powerful striking and possessing a dangerous submission game. Malott is much more typical, with excellent boxing and power in his hands, along with technical wrestling and BJJ skills. Holland can be a very tough fighter to predict, due to his seemingly carefree approach to MMA as a whole, and you never know exactly what version of him you’ll see inside the Octagon. Unlike Holland, Malott is very consistent in his performances and strategies, and seems to have only improved since his upset loss to Neil Magny. I expect Malott to push a heavy pace from the opening bell, forcing Holland into a dogfight on the feet before pursuing takedowns. I anticipate Malott getting the better of Holland on the feet, fighting him inside the pocket, and using his boxing to wear down Holland and create openings for grappling exchanges. Once Malott can get a hold of Holland, I expect him to bring the fight to the mat and keep it there, controlling Holland and landing ground and pound while hunting for submissions. When the smoke clears, regardless of how the fight ends, I believe Malott will have his hand raised as the victor.

De Ridder vs. Allen to Not Go the Distance: This fight is a great matchup of two high-level Middleweights. While Allen has been towards the top of the division for a few years now, de Ridder has quickly blazed his way to the top with a string of impressive victories. Both have shown they have the ability to go five rounds, but they’ve also both shown incredible finishing abilities. In a combined fifty-five fights, they have produced thirty-seven finishes, with 22 of those finishes coming in the first round. Of those finishes, they have combined for 27 submissions and ten knockouts. Both fighters can finish a fight from anywhere and are willing to take risks to achieve that. This is also an enormous fight for either man; for de Ridder, this is an opportunity to add another UFC veteran’s name to his resume and possibly put him into title contention. For Allen, a victory here would put him directly into the top five and solidify him as one of the best in the division, as well as a win or two away from the title. Neither of these fighters is known for taking their time or fighting cautiously, and I don’t foresee either of them giving the other much respect when they enter the Octagon. I expect some wild exchanges on the feet early on, before one of these talented grapplers inevitably pursues a takedown. I anticipate the grappling exchanges to be close and competitive, but also where I expect this fight to end. Regardless of who walks away with a victory, I do not expect this fight to go to a decision.

UFC Fight Night: Oliveira vs. Gamrot Preview

Charles Oliveira finishes Beneil Dariush with hellacious ground and pound. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

The UFC heads to the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with a top-notch Fight Night card. With a Brazilian fighter featured in every fight on the card, it has been packed full of local talent, exciting matchups, and world-class fighters all looking to earn a post-fight bonus this Saturday. In the co-main event, we’ll see former Flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo go toe-to-toe with red-hot knockout artist Montel Jackson. In the main event, two top-ten Lightweights collide when legendary submission artist Charles Oliveira takes on a dangerous wrestler in Mateusz Gamrot. First, we’ll take a look at the featured preliminary bout, then the fights on the main card.

Featured Prelim

Lucas Almeida vs. Michael Aswell

Lucas Almeida cracks Michael Trizano with a stiff right hook. Credit: Ag. Fight.

Featherweight Bout

Lucas Almeida: 15-4-0, 9 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Michael Aswell: 10-3-0, 5 KO/TKO 0 Sub.

Almeida has won two of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Michael Trizano (11-3-0) and Timmy Cuamba (9-3-0). A wild finisher who always hunts for a knockout, he throws everything in combination and with considerable power. He does a great job mixing kicks into his punch combinations and will constantly attack his opponent’s legs. Almeida is always willing to eat one to land one, regularly blitzing into the pocket to exchange. He has not landed a takedown in his promotional tenure, but he will land brutal ground and pound if he finds himself in top position. Training at MMA Sorocaba, he tends to load up, often throwing lunging hooks and straights with maximum power. Almeida’s striking gets wilder as the fight goes on, constantly taking risks and attempting flashy attacks.

Michael Aswell charges at Bolaji Oki with a lunging right hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Aswell has won three of his last five bouts and is looking for his first UFC victory. He’s a gritty scrapper who’s always willing to come forward and exchange. He fights behind his jab and throws everything in combination, favoring volume to power and regularly stringing together four or five punches at a time. Aswell has solid footwork and is in perpetual motion, rarely spending much time at range before entering the pocket to let his hands go. He tends to headhunt, rarely throwing many kicks, but does a good job changing his angles when coming forward and varying the punches he throws. Training at 4oz. Fight Club, he won’t usually pursue grappling exchanges but has exhibited solid takedown defense and great getups, rarely spending much time on his back. Aswell always throws with impressive output, averaging 110 significant strikes landed between his appearances in the UFC and Contender Series.

Main Card

Ricardo Ramos vs. Kaan Ofli

Ricardo Ramos looks to secure a choke after taking Josh Culibao’s back. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Featherweight Bout

Ricardo Ramos: 17-7-0, 4 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Kaan Ofli:12-4-1, 2 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Ramos has won three of his last five outings and holds UFC victories over #9 ranked Bantamweight Aiemann Zahabi (13-2-0),  Bill Algeo (18-9-0), and Josh Culibao (11-4-1). He is a well-rounded, wild fighter, preferring spinning and jumping attacks to orthodox striking. He favors power over volume, not always unleashing much in terms of output, but throwing every shot with knockout intentions. Ramos will come out guns blazing and has eight of his 11 finishes in round one, making him most dangerous early on. He averages nearly three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and has excellent wrestling, especially in the clinch. Training with Team Alpha Male, he takes the back quickly and constantly pursues chokes, even in standing positions. Ramos is always dangerous and can produce a highlight-reel win at any time, as shown in his two victories via spinning back elbow in the UFC.

Kaan Offli postures up and rains down heavy ground and pound onto Nathan Fletcher. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Ofli has won three of his last five fights and is looking for his first UFC victory. He’s a powerful grappler with excellent top control and solid power in his hands. He varies his attacks well on the feet, throwing to the head and body while constantly mixing leg kicks into combinations. Ofli is dangerous inside the pocket, regularly unloading vicious knees and elbows. He uses his striking to set up his grappling, often striking into the clinch or a takedown shot. Training at Australian Top Team, he’s capable of powerful slams, has heavy top pressure, and is always working on top, looking to posture up or secure submissions. Ofli is dangerous on top and off his back, capable of finding submissions from anywhere, especially chokes.

Jhonata Diniz vs. Mário Pinto

Jhonata Diniz lands a vicious right hand on Alvin Hines. Credit: Ag. Fight.

Heavyweight Bout

Jhonata Diniz: 9-1-0, 7 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Mário Pinto: 10-0-0, 6 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Diniz has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Alvin Hines (7-1-0), Austen Lane (13-7-0), and Karl Williams (10-4-0). He’s a former professional kickboxer with a record of 22-7 and fifteen knockout wins. He throws everything with power and can produce a knockout at any moment with a single clean shot. Diniz is constantly coming forward and cuts off the cage well before entering into the pocket to unload heavy shots. He remains technical throughout and varies his shots well, attacking the head, body, and legs with equal tenacity. Training with the Santa Fe Team, he regularly throws bombs but won’t telegraph them and does an excellent job of mixing kicks into his combinations. Diniz has six first-round knockouts but has shown he’s capable of pushing a heavy pace, landing 112 significant strikes in his last outing. 

Mário Pinto loads up a final shot after flooring Austen Lane with a right hand. Credit: FightTV.

Pinto is undefeated and has a UFC victory over Austen Lane (13-7-0). He’s an accurate, powerful striker capable of producing a finish at any time. He has excellent distance management and often looks to counterstrike, not offering much in terms of offense before suddenly unloading heavy shots. Pinto remains accurate throughout and is quick for a Heavyweight, never telegraphing his attacks and slowly wearing down his opponent with precise, singular shots. Training at FightZone London, he won’t usually pursue takedowns but is a solid grappler, possessing solid reversals and devastating ground and pound. He remains technical throughout, never getting wild or desperate, and always fighting behind his jab. Pinto can produce quick finishes and has five first-round knockouts, but he has solid cardio and can carry his power comfortably across three rounds.

Vicente Luque vs. Joel Álvarez

Vicente Luque chokes Themba Gorimbo unconscious with a tight anaconda choke. Credit: Ag. Fight.

Welterweight Bout

Vicente Luque: 23-11-1, 11 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Joel Álvarez: 22-3-0, 5 KO/TKO, 17 Sub.

Luque has won two of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #1 ranked Welterweight Belal Muhammad (24-4-0), Themba Gorimbo (14-5-0), and Randy Brown (20-6-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper with educated hands and lethal chokes. He fights behind his jab and throws everything with purpose, never telegraphing shots or wasting energy. Training at Kill Cliff FC, Luque has excellent low kicks and regularly adds them to the end of punch combinations. He has solid technical and counterstriking abilities but loves to brawl and is always willing to eat a shot to land one. He holds black belts in BJJ and Luta Livre and can find chokes with impressive speed when the fight hits the mat. Luque won’t typically pursue many takedowns, often finding chokes defensively or scoring knockdowns to reach top position.

Joel Álvarez lands a stunning flying knee on the chin of Drakkar Klose. Credit: MMA Mania.

Álvarez has won four of his last five fights, holding UFC victories over Elves Brener (16-6-0), Drakkar Klose (16-3-1), and Thiago Moisés (19-9-0). A well-rounded, lengthy fighter, he’s dangerous anywhere the fight goes. He throws everything with knockout intentions and can do damage at range or in the pocket, landing heavy kicks from distance and brutal knees on the inside. Training at Centro Deportivo Tibet, Álvarez has an excellent variety of attacks and will constantly add kicks to the end of his combinations. Despite his exceptional submission game, he rarely pursues takedowns and has not landed one in his promotional tenure. Instead, he tends to find his submissions via reversals or openings off his back. He has secured fifteen of his seventeen submissions via choke, and he can find submissions with blinding speed if he gets to his opponent’s neck.

#6 Deiveson Figueiredo vs. #15 Montel Jackson

Deiveson Figureiredo secures a tight rear naked choke on Cody Garbrandt. Credit: Sports Illustrated.

Bantamweight Bout

Deiveson Figueiredo: 24-5-1, 9 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Montel Jackson: 15-2-0, 8 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Figueiredo has won three of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #2 ranked Flyweight Brandon Moreno (23-8-2), #7 ranked Bantamweight Marlon Vera (23-10-1), and #8 ranked Bantamweight Rob Font (22-9-0). He has devastating power in his hands, constantly unloading brutal combinations onto his opponents. He used this power to tear through the Flyweight division, holding the most knockdowns in Flyweight history with 11, and is tied for the most finishes at Flyweight, with 7. Training with Team Figueiredo, he is comfortable anywhere the fight goes, has a solid guard on the bottom, and is highly dangerous in top position. He moves impressively fast on the mat, regularly securing submissions with incredible speed. He quickly closes the distance on the feet and can land serious damage without much space, especially with his hands. Figueiredo constantly pursues a finish but has solid cardio and can comfortably go 25 minutes if needed.

Montel Jackson unloads heavy ground and pound onto Rani Yahya. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Jackson is on a six-fight win streak with UFC victories coming over Da’Mon Blackshear (17-7-1), Julio Arce (19-6-0), and Daniel Marcos (17-1-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter with one-punch knockout power and excellent wrestling skills. He won’t telegraph punches, throwing every shot with impressive speed and power while remaining technical and picking his shots. Jackson will regularly blitz forward to unload a quick combination of straights and hooks before returning to range unscathed. He’s landing, on average, over three takedowns per fifteen minutes in the UFC and will constantly look to posture up and land damage when in top position. He’s highly elusive and defensively sound, rarely absorbing much damage and typically staying out of the pocket where he can use his length. Jackson has outlanded all of his eleven UFC opponents and has scored at least one knockdown in seven of his last eight fights.

#4 Charles Oliveira vs. #8 Mateusz Gamrot

Charles Oliveira tags Michael Chandler with a powerful left hook. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Lightweight Bout

Charles Oliveira: 35-11-0, 10 KO/TKO, 21 Sub.

Mateusz Gamrot: 25-3-0, 8 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Oliveira has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #5 ranked Lightweight Justin Gaethje (26-5-0), #9 ranked Lightweight Beneil Dariush (23-6-1), and #12 ranked Lightweight Michael Chandler (23-10-0). He’s an exceptionally well-rounded fighter with bricks for hands and deadly submissions. He utilizes technical, crisp Muay Thai on the feet to piece up and damage his opponents. He has solid wrestling skills, outstanding BJJ, and is one of the most prolific submission artists in UFC history. Oliveira is averaging over two takedowns landed and nearly three submissions attempted per fifteen minutes, and is exceptionally dangerous on the mat. Training at Chute Boxe, he has proven his ability to stay calm in deep waters, regularly getting hurt in his fights, only to come back and find a way to win. Oliveira holds various UFC records, including the most finishes (20), submission wins (16), and post-fight bonuses (20).

Mateusz Gamrot lands a stinging right hand on Dan Hooker. Credit: MMA Mania.

Gamrot has won three of his last five fights, holding UFC victories over #2 ranked Lightweight Arman Tsarukyan (22-3-0), #11 ranked Lightweight Rafael Fiziev (13-4-0), and Rafael Dos Anjos (32-17-0). He is an exceptionally well-rounded fighter who is dangerous anywhere the fight goes. He’s in perpetual motion, staying technical and picking his shots before safely returning to range. Gamrot favors power to volume, throwing every shot with knockout intentions. He is a tenacious wrestler, refusing to give up on takedowns and never staying still on the ground, whether on top or bottom. Training at American Top Team, he’s landing, on average, over five takedowns per fifteen minutes and has successfully defended 90% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC. A former KSW champion, Gamrot has excellent cardio and durability with plenty of five-round experience, and can comfortably push a consistent pace across fifteen minutes.

Best Bets

Ricardo Ramos Moneyline: This is an exciting matchup of two talented Bantamweights. Although both are dangerous, they have very different styles. Ramos is unorthodox in nearly every aspect of fighting, boasting a wild striking style marked by flashy attacks and a dangerous BJJ game. Ofli is a much more technical, wrestling-based fighter who employs tight boxing and constant forward pressure to secure victories. Although Ofli is two years Ramos’s senior, Ramos is the more experienced of the two, with this bout being his fourteenth UFC appearance and only Ofli’s third. Ramos also has more variety in his routes to victory, capable of finding finishes nearly anywhere inside the octagon, whereas Ofli will virtually always look to use his wrestling to defeat his opponent. Ramos has a significant reach advantage of six inches over Ofli, which will make it much harder for Ofli to close the distance to exchange in the pocket or pursue takedowns. I expect Ramos to deny the early grappling attempts of Ofli, force him to the outside of the cage, and wear him down with a constant onslaught of offense. I foresee Ramos constantly damaging Ofli from range, keeping him on the end of his punches and kicks, and controlling the distance en route to a solid victory on Saturday.

Jhonata Diniz Moneyline: An excellent matchup of two powerful Heavyweight strikers, there’s sure to be fireworks in this one. In a division starved for exciting stars, this could prove a critical matchup for both of these fighters. Diniz is a talented kickboxer with big-time power in his hands and kicks and an impressive chin. Pinto is a very measured, accurate striker, utilizing his power and counterstriking to batter his opponents. Although somewhat similar in style, Diniz is the more complete and well-rounded fighter. Pinto has solid leg kicks but mostly favors his hands, not offering much in terms of volume. In contrast, Diniz is fully capable and comfortable fighting at range, turning the match into a high-paced kickboxing bout rather than a slugfest in the pocket. Pinto also tends to allow his opponent to determine the pace of the fight, and hasn’t faced a fighter who can turn up the heat like Diniz. I expect Diniz to come out guns blazing, constantly coming forward and unloading heavy combinations as he forces Pinto onto his back foot. I anticipate Diniz forcing Pinto to engage him at a distance, moving in and out of the pocket, and using his kicking game to hinder the movement and counterstriking of Pinto. I’m confident that when the dust settles in this fight, Diniz will have his hand raised as the victor.

Charles Oliveira Moneyline: This is an outstanding matchup of two high-level Lightweights with significant implications for the division. Both are dangerous anywhere and have faced the best of the best in the Lightweight division. Oliveira is an outstanding submission artist with dangerous punching power, while Gamrot is an efficient wrestler who always pushes a high pace. Neither of these fighters needs much of an introduction, and both have been at the top of the weight class for a few years now. While both are incredibly talented, the public perception of Oliveira has definitely shifted a bit since his devastating loss to Ilia Topuria, which may explain the Pick ‘Em odds in this matchup. In my opinion, Charles hasn't slowed down or fallen off; he simply lost to the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC, regardless of how bad that loss may have been. Not to say Gamrot isn’t elite competition, but this is undoubtedly a step down for Oliveira compared to Topuria. I believe Oliveira has a speed and power advantage over Gamrot, and given Oliveira’s incredible skills off his back, the wrestling threat of Gamrot is significantly lessened compared to many of his matchups. I expect Oliveira to push a heavy pace early on and take control of the fight, dictating where the fight takes place and not allowing Gamrot to gain forward momentum to pursue takedowns. When he forces Gamrot to the outside of the cage, I expect Oliveira to unleash his hands and kicks, constantly lighting Gamrot up and forcing him to panic wrestle. As the fight goes on, I anticipate Oliveira pursuing his own grappling offense and putting Gamrot on his back, a spot he rarely finds himself in, and landing solid damage while pursuing submissions from top position. Gamrot is very tough and has an excellent chin, so a finish may be hard to come by for Oliveira, but I’m confident that he will put himself back in the win column this weekend in Rio de Janeiro.

UFC Fight Night: Ulberg vs. Reyes Preview

Dominick Reyes blasts Anthony Smith with a powerful knee. Credit: MMA Mania.

The UFC heads to the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, with an outstanding Fight Night card. This card has been absolutely stacked with established veterans, rising stars, and plenty of local talent, with an Aussie or Kiwi in nearly every fight on the card. In the co-main event, we’ll see Australian grappling ace Jimmy Crute take on the heavy-handed scrapper Ivan Erslan. In the main event, red-hot and quickly-rising striker Carlos Ulberg goes toe-to-toe with the dangerous and revitalized Dominick Reyes. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Tom Nolan vs. Charlie Campbell

Tom Nolan fires a kick to the head of Alex Reyes. Credit: Yahoo Sports.

Lightweight Bout

Tom Nolan: 9-1-0, 5 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Charlie Campbell: 9-2-0, 6 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Nolan has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Viacheslav Borshchev (8-6-1), Victor Martinez (13-6-0), and Alex Reyes (13-5-0). He’s a relentless scrapper who’s dangerous at all times, with powerful striking and a great submission game. He’s always moving and feinting and has excellent distance management, regularly exiting the pocket to fire heavy kicks from range. Nolan has very fluid striking, constantly varying his strikes and stringing them together in different combinations, remaining unpredictable at all times. Training at the Team Compton Training Centre, he’s just as comfortable on the mat and will often pursue takedowns early on, willing to work and chain shots together to bring the fight to the floor. He’ll look for chokes immediately from top position and has heavy ground and pound. Nolan has solid cardio and maintains a consistent pace throughout, but has secured four of his five knockouts in the first round and is especially dangerous early on.

Charlie Campbell tags Alex Reyes with a stiff jab. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Campbell has won four of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over Alex Reyes (13-4-0) and Trevor Peek (9-3-0). He’s a heavy-handed striker, constantly moving and looking to land power shots. He won’t force anything or overextend on his strikes, throwing every shot with power but remaining technical and composed. Campbell fights behind his jab, typically opening combinations with it before unloading heavy overhands and hooks. He tends to headhunt but has powerful leg kicks and will constantly fire kicks from range. Training at Serra-Longo MMA, he possesses power in both hands, often switches stances, and can produce flash knockouts at any time. Six of Campbell’s last seven fights have all ended via knockout, and he rarely sees the judges’ scorecards.

Justin Tafa vs. Louie Sutherland

Justin Tafa stuns Austin Lane with a heavy overhand left. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Heavyweight Bout

Justin Tafa: 7-5-0, 7 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Louie Sutherland: 10-3-0, 8 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Tafa has won two of his last five outings with one no-contest and has UFC victories over Parker Porter (14-9-0), Harry Hunsucker (7-6-0), and Austen Lane (13-7-0). With a style reminiscent of his inspiration, Mark Hunt, he loves to brawl and has one-shot knockout power. He has an excellent chin and throws nothing but bombs, often opening combinations with leg kicks before unloading overhands. Training at NTG Fight, Tafa is a patient striker who looks for openings but is willing to take a shot to land one. He has never been taken down in the UFC or attempted a takedown, always preferring to keep the fight standing. He has finished all his wins, and when he’s gotten out of the first round in the UFC, he’s averaging about 60 significant strikes landed per fight. Tafa rarely sees a second round and always leaves everything inside the octagon, with seven of his ten UFC bouts not leaving round one. 

Louie Sutherland lands a vicious knee on Abraham Bably. Credit: Bloody Elbow.

Sutherland has won four of his last five fights and is making his UFC debut. He’s a versatile fighter with powerful, technical striking and solid wrestling skills. He’s patient on his feet but highly explosive, remaining composed and fighting behind his jab before blitzing forward to unload heavy shots. Sutherland does an excellent job of mixing up his targets, constantly firing leg kicks from range or adding knees to the body after punch combinations. Training with Team Titan, he has a great takedown game and heavy top control, often posturing up immediately in top position to unload vicious ground and pound. He pushes a consistent space across fifteen and has solid cardio for a Heavyweight, constantly moving and feinting throughout the fight and remaining technical. Sutherland can produce finishes without much volume and has secured seven of his eight knockouts in the first round.

Jake Matthews vs. Neil Magny

Jake Matthews locks in a rear naked choke on Chidi Njokuani. Credit: Yahoo Sports.

Welterweight Bout

Jake Matthews: 22-7-0, 5 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Neil Magny: 30-14-0, 9 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Matthews has won three of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Chidi Njokuani (25-11-0), Li Jingliang (19-9-0), and Francisco Prado (12-4-0). A member of the UFC since 2014, he initially established himself as a grappler, possessing a black belt in BJJ and averaging over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes. Lately, though, he’s shown a considerable uptick in aggression on the feet, being more than willing to brawl in the pocket. Training at Nexus, Matthews uses technical kickboxing and stays behind his jab, often trying to draw his opponent in so he can counterstrike. He varies his attacks well, has a solid chin, and throws everything with power without loading up. He has power in both hands, superb accuracy, and doesn’t often overreach; typically, he remains patient and picks his shots. When Matthews does take it to the mat, he has great takedowns, excellent top control, and throws heavy ground and pound.

Neil Magny unloads brutal ground and pound onto Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Magny has won two of his last five outings, with UFC victories coming over #12 ranked Welterweight Geoff Neal (16-7-0), #13 ranked Welterweight Daniel Rodriguez (20-5-0), and Mike Malott (12-2-1). He’s been in the UFC since 2013 and has faced a who’s who of the Welterweight division in his tenure. He’s a tall, lengthy fighter and uses it well, staying at distance on his feet and picking his opponents apart with his punches. Magny’s best weapon is his cardio; he consistently maintains a high pace, constantly pressing his opponents and wearing them down over the course of the fight. Training at Pound 4 Pound Muay Thai, he can do impressive damage without much space, regularly landing brutal knees and punches inside the clinch. Averaging over two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes, he’s a tenacious grappler and is willing to work and chain attempts together to bring the fight to the mat. Magny is one of the most experienced fighters in the UFC, holding company records for the most Welterweight fight time (7:06:27), the most Welterweight bouts (35), and the most significant strikes landed in the Welterweight division (1,470).

Jack Jenkins vs. Ramon Taveras

Jack Jenkins fires a heavy kick to the leg of Don Shainis. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Featherweight Bout

Jack Jenkins: 13-4-0, 6 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Ramon Taveras: 10-3-0, 5 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Jenkins has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Jamall Emmers (21-8-0), Herbert Burns (11-6-0), and Don Shainis (15-8-0). He’s a talented striker with solid power in his hands and devastating leg kicks. He’s highly accurate and throws everything with power and purpose, but won’t get sloppy or telegraph attacks. Jenkins will end nearly every punch combo with a heavy kick, typically to the legs or the body, and will constantly look to slow down or immobilize his opponent with his kicking game. Training at Absolute MMA, he has excellent boxing skills and an outstanding lead hand, regularly doubling up shots with it and unleashing powerful lead hooks. He’s a solid grappler with decent takedowns and is capable of surviving off his back. Jenkins has broken an opponent’s fibula three times via leg kicks in his career and is always looking for a highlight victory.

Ramon Taveras clips Davey Grant with a stiff right hook. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Taveras has won three of his last five bouts, holding a UFC victory over Serhiy Sidey (12-2-0). He’s a slick boxer with heavy hands and excellent counterstriking. He has great head movement and distance management, always looking to slip a punch and find the perfect counter shot to finish the fight. Taveras won’t telegraph his attacks, constantly switching stances before dipping his head to unload heavy overhands or lunging straight punches. Training at Bulldog Boxing, he will occasionally pursue grappling exchanges but has excellent takedown defense and is most comfortable on his feet. He has solid cardio and remains in perpetual motion, with his output slowing slightly as the fight progresses, but he maintains his punching power throughout. Taveras always leaves everything inside the cage in his constant pursuit of a finish, and has only seen the judges’ scorecards three times in his career.

Jimmy Crute vs. Ivan Erslan

Jimmy Crute secures a nasty armbar on Marcin Prachnio. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Light Heavyweight Bout

Jimmy Crute: 13-4-2, 5 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Ivan Erslan: 14-5-0, 10 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Crute has won one of his last five outings with two draws and has UFC victories over Paul Craig (17-10-1), Modestas Bukauskas (19-6-0), and Michal Oleksiejczuk (21-9-0). He has heavy hands and kicks, throws every shot with power, and is always dangerous. He does an excellent job of managing distance, regularly picking his opponent apart at range with a variety of attacks. Crute pushes a heavy pace and always pursues a finish, only seeing the judges’ scorecards twice so far in his 11 UFC bouts. He is an excellent grappler, holding a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and will often attempt and secure takedowns early in the fight. Training at Greco and Stewie’s House, Crute is averaging over four takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and is a tenacious wrestler, often chaining takedowns together to get the fight to the mat. He has excellent top control and dangerous armlocks, with two victories via kimura and one via armbar in his promotional tenure.

Ivan Erslan lands a stinging right hand on Navajo Stirling. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Erslan has won two of his last five fights and is looking for his first UFC victory. He’s a powerful striker with a solid takedown game and dangerous finishing abilities. He throws every punch with knockout intentions, typically blitzing towards his opponent to unleash a flurry of wild hooks and overhands. Erslan has decent head movement but is extremely explosive and willing to brawl, regularly hanging in the pocket to exchange punches. Training at American Top Team, he’s a skilled wrestler with solid timing on his takedowns, as well as heavy pressure from top position. If the fight does hit the mat, he will constantly look to posture up and rain down vicious ground and pound shots until he secures a finish. Erslan has earned all of his finish victories in the first round, with six of those wins coming in less than two minutes.

#3 Carlos Ulberg vs. #7 Dominick Reyes

Carlos Ulberg fires a kick to the head of Jan Błachowicz. Credit: The West Australian.

Light Heavyweight Bout

Carlos Ulberg: 13-1-0, 8 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Dominick Reyes: 15-4-0, 10 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Ulberg is on an eight-fight win streak and has UFC victories over #5 ranked Light Heavyweight Jan Błachowicz (29-11-1), #9 ranked Light Heavyweight Volkan Oezdemir (20-8-0), and #14 ranked Light Heavyweight Alonzo Menifield (17-5-1). He’s an accurate, technical striker with excellent power and speed. He remains patient and technical throughout, floating on the outside while looking for openings and throwing everything straight and tight. Training at City Kickboxing, Ulberg will often lure his opponent in with a slower pace before exploding forward with huge, heavy shots. He fights behind his jab, has excellent distance management, and is in perpetual motion. He won’t usually initiate grappling exchanges, but is capable on the mat and has solid defensive grappling. Ulberg always pushes a solid pace throughout the fight and has outlanded all of his UFC opponents.

Dominick Reyes tags Nikita Krylov with a straight right hand. Credit: MMA Mania.

Reyes has won three of his last five bouts, with UFC victories coming over #7 ranked Middleweight Jared Cannonier (18-9-0), #9 ranked Light Heavyweight Volkan Oezdemir (20-8-0), and #13 ranked Light Heavyweight Nikita Krylov (30-11-0). He is a lengthy striker who pursues a knockout from the opening bell, with all but one of his finishes coming in the first round. Training at Joe Stevenson’s Cobra Kai, he often opens up with a barrage of heavy kicks, both high and low, and can land damage at range and in the pocket. Reyes tends to secure early finishes but has shown he has the cardio to remain dangerous across five rounds. He has excellent takedown defense, having defended 82% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC, and he won’t accept bottom position on the mat. He’s a solid wrestler but won’t typically pursue grappling exchanges, usually looking to stay on his feet where he’s most dangerous. Reyes can find a finish without much volume, holding six finish victories in the promotion in which he landed 20 or fewer significant strikes.

Best Bets

Louie Sutherland Moneyline: A matchup of two dangerous heavyweights, we’re sure to see some fireworks in this one. Although both have serious punching power, they have very different styles. Tafa is a classic Heavyweight brawler, constantly exchanging in the pocket and looking to score devastating early knockouts. Sutherland is a more technical striker, utilizing numerous kicks and fighting behind his jab before unloading powerful combinations. Tafa is seemingly only comfortable in all-out wars, as he has struggled when facing higher-level strikers who aren’t just looking to throw down on the inside. While Sutherland is certainly comfortable and capable of fighting in a phone booth, he generally has a more methodical approach and won’t come out guns blazing. Sutherland will typically start the fight patiently, remaining composed and setting up his shots before letting his hands go. Sutherland also has the wider arsenal of attacks; Tafa throws very few kicks and needs to close the distance to do damage, whereas Sutherland has an impressive kicking game for a Heavyweight and is completely willing to fight at range and kickbox. I expect Sutherland to utilize his height and reach advantage, keeping Tafa on the end of his punches and kicks and forcing him to take risks. As the fight goes on, I expect Sutherland to control the pace, forcing Tafa to fight more technically as he wears him down with heavy shots. Regardless of how this fight ends, I’m confident that Sutherland will have his hand raised on Saturday night.

Jake Matthews by Decision: This is an intriguing matchup of two well-rounded Welterweights. Both are dangerous and comfortable anywhere the fight goes, and have multiple paths to victory in any given fight. Both of these fighters are also coming off important and impressive victories, and are looking to stay in the win column. While Magny is one of the most accomplished Welterweights of all time, we haven’t seen much evolution in his strategy in recent years. He’s almost always going to look to clinch up early, wear his opponent down along the fence, and bring them to the mat where he can do serious damage. Matthews, on the other hand, spent his early career mostly utilizing his grappling skills, but in the last few years has significantly improved his striking and is now very comfortable keeping the fight standing. Matthews is still just as dangerous on the ground, but is an overall more dangerous fighter than he was earlier in his UFC tenure. Not that Magny is incapable of being unpredictable, but Matthews is definitely the harder, more puzzling fighter to prepare for and fight inside the cage. I expect Matthews to fight off early clinch attempts and takedowns from Magny, keeping the fight upright and getting the better of Magny in the striking exchanges. As the fight progresses, I expect Magny to slow down and Matthews to mix up his offense more, landing takedowns of his own as he further controls and damages Magny. Overall, I believe Magny’s skills match up a bit too well for a quick finish victory for Matthews, but I do expect him to earn a solid decision victory.

Ulberg vs. Reyes to Not Go the Distance: This is an outstanding clash of two high-level Light Heavyweights that I’ve been looking forward to. Although only separated by a year in age, these two have had very different paths in their MMA careers. Reyes, who made his UFC debut in 2017, has already realized a title shot (which he arguably won against an all-time great), fallen from the top, and revived his career with his current three-fight knockout streak. Ulberg, who debuted in 2021, stumbled out of the block in his first UFC fight and suffered a brutal upset loss, but has been undefeated since and has been adding bigger and bigger names to his resume with each victory. The timing is seemingly perfect for both men right now; both are in their prime, coming off big wins, and have an opportunity to score a win over another significant name in the division. While I wouldn’t expect this fight to be a wild, all-out brawl from the opening bell, I do expect both of these men to be in search of a finish. With Procházka still ranked ahead of both of them, and a possible Pereira and Ankalaev trilogy depending on the outcome of their upcoming bout, both of these fighters could need a landmark finish win to truly earn a shot at the title. Ulberg is coming off two straight decision wins, neither of which was unimpressive but not incredible enough to justify an immediate title shot, and would be undeniable with a big-time knockout or submission. Reyes has earned three straight KO wins, but none of them have come over big-name fighters, and a finish win here would solidify the fact that he deserves to be at the top of the division, competing for gold. No matter who emerges as the victor on Saturday, I expect this to be a closely contested scrap that ends before the final bell.

Noche UFC: Lopes vs. Silva Preview

Diego Lopes fires a vicious knee to the chin of Dan Ige. Credit: MMA Junkie.

The UFC heads to the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, with an outstanding card for this year’s Noche UFC. Throughout, this card has been packed full of exciting prospects, rising stars, and title contenders all looking to earn a victory on the biggest stage in mixed martial arts. In the co-main event, we’ll see divisional stalwart Rob Font square off with red-hot prospect David Martínez. In the main event, we’ll see a collision of two top-ten Featherweights when recent title challenger Diego Lopes takes on the surging power-puncher Jean Silva. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Santiago Luna vs. Quang Le

Santiago Luna holds top position on Luis Aguillón. Credit: UWC MMA.

Bantamweight Bout

Santiago Luna: 6-0-0, 2 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Quang Le: 9-2-0, 2 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Luna is undefeated and making his UFC debut. He’s a dangerous brawler with big-time power in his hands and outstanding wrestling. A former four-time national wrestling champion in Mexico, he will often shoot early and transitions very quickly on the mat, often reaching full mount with blinding speed. Luna will constantly look to posture up and land ground and pound in top position, and has excellent chokes if he secures his opponent’s back. He fights behind his jab when he’s standing, constantly looking to close the distance and unload power shots inside the pocket. He pushes a heavy pace at all times and has solid cardio, carrying his power throughout the fight and always pursuing a finish. Luna is comfortable anywhere the fight goes and is always willing to eat a shot to land one, remaining dangerous at all times. 

Quang Le forces Gaston Bolaños to submit with a rear naked choke. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Le has won three of his last five fights, holding a UFC victory over Gaston Bolaños (8-5-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper with technical striking and a dangerous submission game. He’ll constantly throw kicks with his lead leg, especially to the head, mixing them into punch combinations without telegraphing them. Le is accurate on his feet, fighting behind his jab and throwing his shots tight and straight, never loading up or getting wild. His striking sets up his grappling, often engaging on the feet for extended periods before suddenly shooting takedowns. Training at The Academy MN, he transitions very quickly on the mat, typically looking to take his opponent’s back, and often chains together submission attempts. Le is unpredictable, able to produce flash-knockouts or grapple for a complete three rounds, and is comfortable anywhere the fight goes.

Alexander Hernandez vs. Diego Ferreira

Alexander Hernandez blasts Chase Hooper with a heavy right hand. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Middleweight Bout

Alexander Hernandez: 17-8-0, 7 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Diego Ferreira: 19-6-0, 5 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Hernandez has won three of his last five bouts and has wins over #9 ranked Lightweight Beneil Dariush (23-6-1), Chase Hooper (16-4-1), and Jim Miller (37-17-0). He is a technical striker who’s constantly coming forward and pushing a consistent pace across 15 minutes. He’s very light on his feet and has excellent footwork, never remaining in one spot for long. Hernandez has a solid kicking game and varies his shots well, attacking the head and body evenly. He’s dangerous in the clinch and can do severe damage without much space, especially with his knees, elbows, and straight punches. Training at Mile High Militia, he’s averaging over one takedown landed per 15 minutes and has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but seems to be more comfortable on the feet as of late. Hernandez has secured five of his seven knockouts in the first round and is at his most dangerous early on.

Diego Ferreira comes forward to engage with Michael Johnson. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Ferreira has won two of his last five outings, with UFC victories coming over Michael Johnson (23-19-0), Mateusz Rębecki (20-3-0), and Jared Gordon (21-7-0). Training at Fortis MMA, he utilizes a brawling style, constantly throwing heavy straight punches, looping hooks, and always coming forward. He has excellent BJJ and is at his best on the mat, but he is more than willing to stand and exchange on his feet. An accomplished grappler, Ferreira is a former medalist in both the Pan-American and Nogi World Jiu-Jitsu Championships. His grappling sets up his striking, constantly keeping his opponents concerned about takedowns while piecing them up. He’ll often blitz forward to unload wild combos, throwing every shot with knockout intentions. Five of Ferreira’s seven submissions are via choke, and he’s highly effective if he can get ahold of his opponent’s neck.

Kelvin Gastelum vs. Dustin Stoltzfus

Kelvin Gastelum unloads an overhand right on Chris Curtis. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Middleweight Bout

Kelvin Gastelum: 20-10-0, 6 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Dustin Stoltzfus: 16-7-0, 3 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Gastelum has won two of his last five fights and has victories over Daniel Rodriguez (20-5-0), Chris Curtis (32-12-0), and Jacaré Souza (26-10-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter who’s highly durable and comfortable wherever the fight goes. He’s constantly moving and feinting on his feet, looking for openings to enter the pocket and land heavy punches. Gastelum is willing to eat a shot to land one and has solid power, throwing every shot in combination and with purpose. Training at Fight Ready, he’s averaging just over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes, has a black belt in BJJ, and is an excellent wrestler. He has heavy ground and pound and dangerous chokes, with three of his six submission victories coming via rear naked choke. Gastelum has earned eight bonuses in his over ten-year promotional tenure and is never in a boring fight, win or lose.

Dustin Stoltzfus secures a powerful double leg takedown on Dwight Grant. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Stoltzfus has won two of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over Dwight Grant (11-6-0), Punahele Soriano (11-4-0), and Marc-André Barriault (17-10-0). He’s a solid wrestler with impressive power who’s always willing to engage in the pocket. He won’t rush on the feet, favoring power to volume and throwing kicks from range before letting his hands go. Stoltzfus has good distance management and is always coming forward, often using his striking to close the distance and pursue takedowns. He’s averaging over two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and has the strength to pull off brutal slams. Training at Xtreme Couture, he advances quickly in top position and has solid pressure, rarely letting his opponent out from under him. Stoltzfus has heavy ground and pound and a slick submission game, holding a victory via twister on his record.

Rafa García vs. Jared Gordon

A bloodied Rafa García unloads ground and pound onto Maheshate. Credit: MMA Mania.

Lightweight Bout

Rafa García: 17-4-0, 1 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Jared Gordon: 21-7-0, 8 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

García has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Maheshate (10-5-0), Clay Guida (38-22-0), and Vinc Pichel (14-5-0). He’s a well-rounded, gritty fighter that’s comfortable anywhere the fight goes. Often at a reach disadvantage, he’s constantly looking to close distance, regularly coming forward with heavy hooks and overhands. García has solid cardio, pushing a consistent pace throughout, and is always willing to exchange inside the pocket. Training at Bloodline Combat, he’s landing, on average, over three takedowns per fifteen minutes and has excellent timing, never telegraphing his shots. He’s a grinder in top position, looking to constantly advance and land ground and pound to wear down his opponents. García is always dangerous, especially early on, with five of his eight submissions coming in the first round.

Jared Gordon cracks Thiago Moisés with a vicious right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Gordon has won two of his last five fights, with one no contest, and holds UFC victories over Thiago Moisés (19-9-0), Mark O. Madsen (12-2-0), and Leonardo Santos (18-7-1). Gordon is a talented grappler with an excellent chin and heavy hands. He’ll constantly look to close the distance before dipping his head to unload overhands and uppercuts. He has solid distance management and is defensively sound, having outlanded eleven of his sixteen UFC opponents. If ithe fight goes to the mat, Gordon prefers ground and pound to chasing a submission, maintaining heavy top control while landing devastating shots. He’s landing, on average, nearly two takedowns per fifteen minutes and has excellent timing, able to land takedowns in open space or along the fence. Training at Kill Cliff FC, Gordon pushes a heavy pace throughout the fight, always relentless in his search for a takedown while constantly engaging in brawls inside the pocket.

#9 Rob Font vs. David Martínez

Rob Font batters Cody Garbrandt with a stiff right hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Bantamweight Bout

Rob Font: 22-8-0, 9 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

David Martínez: 12-1-0, 10 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.
Font has won three of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #14 ranked Bantamweight Kyler Phillips (12-4-0), Adrian Yañez (17-6-0), and Ricky Simón (22-6-0). He is a hands-first fighter, preferring to do damage with his crisp boxing skills. Training at Tristar Gym, he always fights behind his jab, has excellent footwork, and does a great job cutting off the cage. Font throws everything in combination and has fantastic output, averaging 79 significant strikes landed in his last five wins. He has excellent hand speed and solid power, tending to heat up and increase his pace as the fight continues. He’s willing to grapple and averages just under one takedown landed per fifteen minutes, but is at his best when he’s holding the center of the cage and dictating the pace of the fight. Font never gets too wild or telegraphs his shots, constantly moving and looking for different angles to attack.

David Martínez unloads brutal ground and pound onto Saimon Oliveira. Credit: Bloody Elbow.

Martínez is on an eight-fight win streak, holding a UFC victory over Saimon Oliveira (18-6-0). He is a lifelong karate practitioner and utilizes it well, constantly unloading powerful kicks while remaining elusive. He’s in perpetual movement, typically floating along the outside while looking to counterstrike and catch his opponent when they enter the pocket. Martínez favors power to volume, often blitzing forward to unload bombs and kicks, but he remains technical throughout and won’t get sloppy. Training at Bonebreakers MMA, he’s exceptionally quick on his feet and with his hands and varies his attacks well, constantly blasting his opponents with leg kicks when at range. He’s unlikely to initiate grappling exchanges but has shown solid takedown defense and ability in the clinch. Martínez has an impressive arsenal of flashy kicks and will regularly throw them while constantly pursuing a knockout.

#2 Diego Lopes vs. #10 Jean Silva

Diego Lopes fires a kick to the head of Brian Ortega. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Featherweight Bout

Diego Lopes: 26-7-0, 10 KO/TKO, 12 Sub.

Jean Silva: 16-2-0, 12 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Lopes has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #7 ranked Featherweight Brian Ortega (16-5-0), #14 ranked Featherweight Dan Ige (19-10-0), and Sodiq Yusuff (13-5-0). An experienced grappler with impressive striking, he throws every shot with knockout intentions and constantly seeks a finish. He has one-shot KO power on the feet and has excellent accuracy and timing with his hands. Lopes has fast, powerful kicks and tends to get wild with his striking. Training at Lobo Gym MMA, he has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is dangerous anywhere the fight goes. He has a vicious submission game on top and bottom, constantly transitioning and looking for openings. Lopes has excellent ground and pound, constantly posturing up to do damage and create openings to find submissions.

Jean Silva stuns Melsik Baghdasaryan with a powerful left hook. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Silva is on a thirteen-fight win streak and has UFC victories over Bryce Mitchell (18-4-0), Charles Jourdain (16-8-1), and Drew Dober (27-15-0). He’s a flashy striker with power in both hands who constantly hunts for a knockout. He starts slow, looking for openings and throwing heavy, single shots while controlling the center of the octagon. Silva can get wild on the feet, fighting with his hands low, talking trash, and attempting spinning and jumping attacks. Training with Fighting Nerds, he heats up as the fight continues, gradually increasing his forward pressure and output. Although he won’t typically pursue takedowns, Silva is a solid grappler and has a dangerous submission game, especially his chokes. Silva has finished nine of his thirteen consecutive victories in the first round and is dangerous anytime, anywhere.

Best Bets

Santiago Luna Moneyline: A matchup of two well-rounded fighters, this is a great fight to kick off the main card with. Although both are comfortable wherever the fight goes, they do have individual preferences, with Le favoring his striking and Luna his grappling. Although Le is likely the more technical striker of the two, Luna has a definite power advantage, as well as the height and reach. Luna also has an impressive grappling pedigree, which I expect to be the difference maker in this fight. Le has struggled when put on his back foot, and with the constant forward pressure and takedown threat of Luna, I anticipate him mostly being on the outside of the cage, where he's not particularly effective. I expect Luna to push a heavy pace from the opening bell, blitzing Le with quick combos and power shots before pursuing takedowns. I anticipate Luna getting the fight to the mat sooner rather than later and for him to control Le en route to his first UFC victory.

Jared Gordon Moneyline: This is an exciting matchup of two excellent grapplers. Both are most comfortable on the mat and have similar styles of grappling, looking to land multiple takedowns and wear out their opponent while landing ground and pound from top position. Although they share similarities in their grappling, Gordon is the much more competent and comfortable striker, and the more willing of the two to keep a fight standing. García is usually at a height disadvantage, as he is in this fight, and will constantly look for opportunities to bring the fight to the floor. While I do anticipate grappling exchanges in this fight, often when two grapplers are matched up, they end up fighting it out on their feet, and I expect Gordon to be leading the dance if they stay standing. I also believe that Gordon is the better all-around grappler than García, and I expect García to struggle to successfully land takedowns. I expect Gordon to fight efficiently and methodically, piecing García up on the feet and forcing him to get desperate with his takedown attempts. As the fight goes on, I anticipate Gordon wearing down the cardio of García and getting the better of the grappling exchanges, likely battering García from top position. García has proven exceptionally durable in his UFC tenure and is tough to finish, but regardless of how the fight ends, I believe Gordon will get his hand raised as the victor on Saturday.

Lopes vs. Silva Over 2.5 Rounds: This is an outstanding fight of two top-level Featherweights that could have big implications on the title picture in the 145-pound division. Both are dangerous anywhere and at all times with their own respective highlight reels. Despite the incredible finishing ability of both of these men, I wouldn’t expect this fight to be a wild brawl, at least not from the start. For Lopes, this is an opportunity to bounce back and put himself directly back into the title conversation after his loss to Alexander Volkanovski for the vacated belt. For Silva, this is easily the biggest name he has ever fought and the most important fight of his career, with a win here likely propelling him into the top five and possibly even a title shot. Although I would never expect either of these fighters to point-fight or not go for the finish, I do anticipate both of them having a more measured approach, at least early on in the fight. I expect a bit of a feeling-out process, with both men testing each other’s power and finding their range, likely with some grappling exchanges mixed in. As the fight continues, I expect both fighters to open up and take more risks in pursuit of a finish victory. Still, considering the durability and skills of both of these men, I would be very surprised to see this fight end quickly. Regardless of who is the winner when the dust clears, I’m confident that this fight will last at least two and a half rounds.

UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs. Borralho Preview

Nassourdine Imavov cracks Brendan Allen with a straight left hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

The UFC returns to the Accor Arena in Paris, France, with an outstanding Fight Night card. The entire card has been loaded with exciting matchups, debuting prospects, and rising contenders, all looking to earn a post-fight bonus this Saturday. In the co-main event, we’ll see a dangerous marauder in Benoît Saint Denis take on a red-hot, quickly-rising striker, Mauricio Ruffy. In the main event, two top-ten Middleweights collide for a chance to enter the title picture when the #2 ranked Nassourdine Imavov faces off against the #7 ranked Caio Borralho. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

William Gomis vs. Robert Ruchała

William Gomis lands a looping right hook on Jarno Errens. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Featherweight Bout

William Gomis: 14-3-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Robert Ruchała: 11-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Gomis has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Joanderson Brito (17-5-1), Francis Marshall (8-3-0), and Yanis Ghemmouri (12-3-0). He’s a patient, technical striker with a diverse kicking game. He won’t overwhelm his opponent with movement or volume, favoring his impressive accuracy and power to do damage. Training at the MMA Factory, he’ll often end combinations with kicks and does an excellent job of moving in and out of the pocket without eating shots. He’s a solid wrestler, has fantastic takedown timing, and is very strong in the clinch. He’s patient in top position and won’t put himself in dangerous spots, always remaining heavy on top and making his opponents work to get up. Gomis is defensively sound everywhere, having defended 60% of significant strikes and 73% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC.

Robert Ruchała flashes a smile for the camera as he pins his opponent to the fence. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Ruchała has won four of his last five bouts and is making his UFC debut. He’s an unorthodox scrapper with a dangerous arsenal of kicks and excellent wrestling. He favors his kicks to his punches when he’s standing, varying his shots well and constantly throwing kicks to the legs, body, and head. Ruchała improves as the fight goes on, letting his hands go more often and constantly coming forward. Training at Grappling Krakow, He’s a tenacious grappler, willing to work or string multiple attempts together to secure a takedown, and has excellent top control when he gets the fight to the mat. He’s always working in top position, constantly looking to improve, posture up, or secure a submission. Ruchała has excellent cardio, having fought in multiple five-round title fights in KSW, and is dangerous at all times.

Axel Sola vs. Rhys McKee

Axel Sola fires a stiff jab at Lucas Caio. Credit: Ares FC.

Welterweight Bout

Axel Sola: 10-0-1, 5 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Rhys McKee: 14-6-1, 11 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Sola has won four of his last five outings with one draw and is making his UFC debut. He’s an efficient, highly technical striker who’s comfortable anywhere the fight goes. Although he’s only been a professional since 2021, he had an extensive amateur MMA career with a record of 19-4. Sola always fights behind his jab and will look to wear down his opponent with footwork and straight punches before turning up the heat and going for a finish. Training with the Boxing Squad, he’s a solid grappler with great scrambles and reversals, and will constantly look to posture up and land ground and pound from top position. He has outstanding striking in the clinch, especially with his elbows and knees, and will regularly keep his opponent against the cage and batter them with strikes. Sola has excellent cardio and gets increasingly dangerous as the fight continues, with five of his six finishes coming after the first round.

Rhys McKee cracks Daniel Frunza with an uppercut. Credit: The Irish Sun.

McKee has won three of his last five fights, holding a UFC victory over Daniel Frunza (9-3-0). He’s a patient striker who always remains technical and pushes a consistent pace. He’s constantly throwing his jab, gauging distance, and looking to set up combinations. McKee varies his shots and angles, attacking the head and body evenly. Training at Fight Academy Ireland, he favors volume to power but won’t often throw long combinations, typically throwing a few straight shots before returning to range. He does most of his damage with his hands but does an excellent job mixing in kicks, never telegraphing anything. McKee is always looking to methodically and efficiently break down his opponents while absorbing as little damage as possible.

Bolaji Oki vs. Mason Jones

Bolaji Oki lands a powerful left hand on the chin of Timmy Cuamba. Credit: DH.

Lightweight Bout

Bolaji Oki: 10-2-0, 5 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Mason Jones: 16-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Oki has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Timmy Cuamba (9-3-0) and Michael Aswell Jr. (10-3-0). Oki is a powerful, technical striker who’s constantly coming forward to do damage. He has excellent distance management and is dangerous anywhere, capable of landing heavy shots at range or inside the pocket. He fights behind his jab and tends to counterstrike, looking to draw reactions out of his opponents so he can land slip and return fire. Training with Valon Team, his pace increases as the fight continues, and he’ll constantly look to blitz forward and unload powerful hooks and straights. Oki has heavy kicks and power in both hands, remains technical throughout, and won’t load up or telegraph his attacks. He has found four of his six finishes in the first round but carries his power throughout the fight and is always dangerous.

Mason Jones lands a cracking left hook on Jeremy Stephens. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Jones has won four of his last five outings, with a UFC victory coming over Jeremy Stephens (29-22-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper who’s willing to engage the fight anywhere. He holds black belts in Judo and BJJ, but is comfortable fighting on his feet, primarily utilizing his stand-up abilities to secure his recent victories. Jones holds the center of the cage well and is constantly pressing forward while unloading crisp combinations. He will regularly throw kicks from range and at the end of punch combinations, occasionally mixing in some flashy spinning kicks. Training at Pedro Bessa BJJ, he’s on his second tenure with the promotion, and is averaging over four takedowns landed per fifteen minutes within the UFC. Jones has finished three of his five consecutive victories via knockout, and heats up as the fight continues.

Modestas Bukauskas vs. Paul Craig

Modestas Bukaukas fires a powerful knee at Marcin Prachnio. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Light Heavyweight Bout

Modestas Bukauskas: 18-6-0, 10 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Paul Craig: 17-9-1, 4 KO/TKO, 13 Sub.

Bukauskas has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Tyson Pedro (10-5-0), Ion Cutelaba (19-11-1), and Marcin Prachnio (17-9-0). He is a technical kickboxer, always in perpetual motion, constantly feinting and making great use of his footwork. He has a solid arsenal of kicks and will often do most of his damage from range, only entering the pocket to unload combinations. Bukauskas throws everything with power but is an accurate striker, never wasting energy or point-fighting. He’s at his best coming forward, controlling the distance and speed of the fight. Training at Gintas Combat, he favors a slower-paced, technical kickboxing match and rarely pursues takedowns or looks to grapple. Bukauskas tends to favor power to volume and can do significant damage without much output, having been outstruck in nearly all of his wins in the promotion.

Paul Craig locks in a vicious triangle choke on Jamahal Hill. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Craig has won one of his last five bouts with one no contest, holding UFC victories over Light Heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev (21-1-1), #6 ranked Light Heavyweight Jamahal Hill (12-4-0), and #13 ranked Light Heavyweight Nikita Krylov (30-11-0). He’s one of the most accomplished grapplers in the UFC, holding the record for submission wins via triangle, with four, and has earned the third most Performance of the Night bonuses ever, with 8. He’s a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and is comfortable anywhere on the ground, whether on his back or in top position. Training at Higher Level Martial Arts, Craig is highly experienced and always remains calm and technical on the ground, never rushing or putting himself in dangerous spots. On the feet, he tends to throw kicks at range and looks to close the distance and get the fight to the mat. He finds submissions quickly on top and bottom and is very tough to get away from on the ground. Craig is highly durable and can find submissions even in the deepest waters.

#13 Benoît Saint Denis vs. #15 Mauricio Ruffy

Benoît Saint Denis unloads brutal ground and pound strikes onto Thiago Moisés. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Lightweight Bout

Benoît Saint Denis: 14-3-0, 4 KO/TKO, 10 Sub.

Mauricio Ruffy: 12-1-0, 11 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Saint Denis has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Ismael Bonfim (20-5-0), Thiago Moisés (19-9-0), and Matt Frevola (11-5-1). A well-rounded scrapper, he’s constantly pressing forward with heavy kicks and throwing bombs. He throws everything with fight-ending intentions and is always in pursuit of a finish. Saint Denis is an excellent grappler, holding a black belt in Judo, a brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and a great variety of submission wins on his record. Training at CYFIT, he typically secures takedowns quickly and has heavy top control, always choosing position over submission and rarely putting himself in risky spots. A decorated veteran and former Special Forces paratrooper, he’s incredibly tough and capable of enduring impressive damage. Saint Denis always pushes a heavy pace and has only left the second round once in his UFC tenure.

Mauricio Ruffy blasts James Llontop with a powerful left hook. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Ruffy is on a seven-fight win streak, with UFC victories coming over Jamie Mullarkey (17-8-0), James Llontop (14-5-0), and King Green (32-17-1). A lethal, elusive striker, he’s always dangerous and constantly hunting a knockout. He’s highly accurate and favors power to volume, often throwing single shots with knockout intentions. Ruffy has fantastic distance control and head movement, typically staying at range and picking his opponents apart with brutal leg kicks. Training with the Fighting Nerds, he throws everything with impressive speed and is unpredictable, regularly attempting unorthodox strikes without telegraphing them. He varies his shots well and will constantly look to draw in his opponents so he can land counterstrikes. Although 81% of Ruffy’s knockouts have come in the first round, he has solid cardio and can carry his power comfortably across 15 minutes.

#2 Nassourdine Imavov vs. #7 Caio Borralho

Nassourdine Imavov stuns Israel Adesanya with a lunging right hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Middleweight Bout

Nassourdine Imavov: 16-4-0, 7 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Caio Borralho: 17-1-0, 5 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Imavov has won four of his last five outings with one no-contest and has UFC victories over #5 ranked Middleweight Israel Adesanya (24-5-0), #9 ranked Middleweight Brendan Allen (25-7-0), and #11 ranked Middleweight Jared Cannonier (18-9-0). He utilizes a fluid kickboxing style, fighting behind his jab and throwing every shot with devastating power. He’s constantly coming forward and has excellent distance management, and although he favors power to volume, he won’t telegraph shots or get wild. Imavov is a solid grappler and has excellent takedown defense, and averages just under one takedown landed per fifteen minutes. Training at the MMA Factory, he advances position very quickly on the mat, constantly raining down ground and pound and wearing down his opponent. He won’t force submissions, typically focusing on landing damage, but will pursue chokes if the opportunity is presented. Imavov has excellent technical skills but can get emotional in the cage and be drawn into a brawl.

Caio Borralho drops Jared Cannonier after landing a straight left hand. Credit: Boxing News.

Borralho is on a sixteen-fight unbeaten streak and has UFC wins over #11 ranked Middleweight Jared Cannonier (18-9-0), Michal Oleksiejczuk (21-9-0), and Abus Magomedov (28-6-1). He is a well-rounded fighter with technical striking and a slick submission game. He’s in perpetual motion on his feet and is highly elusive, having outlanded six of his seven UFC opponents. Training with the Fighting Nerds, Borralho looks to land kicks at range before entering the pocket to land powerful hooks. On the mat, he has excellent top pressure, great sweeps, and constantly pursues a finish. He’s averaging over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes and is very explosive, often landing takedowns in open space. Borralho has excellent cardio and pushes a heavy pace throughout the fight, making him dangerous at all times.

Best Bets

Axel Sola Moneyline: This is a matchup of two excellent Welterweight strikers that I’ve been looking forward to. Although both tend to keep the fight standing, their styles are very different. Sola is a very technical, efficient striker, always fighting behind his jab and remaining elusive while picking his opponents apart. McKee, while technically skilled, is a much more chaotic fighter, willing to be drawn into a brawl and constantly advancing to inflict damage. Although impressively durable, McKee is extremely hittable, absorbing, on average, about 84 significant strikes per fight in the UFC. This works in favor of Sola, who’s already a highly accurate striker and very intelligent about picking his shots. Sola is also the quicker and more technical striker of the two, which should make up for his four-inch reach disadvantage. I expect Sola to control the center of the octagon from the opening bell, setting the pace early on while wearing down McKee with sharp shots from range. As the fight continues, I expect McKee to slow and Sola to open up, letting his hands and kicks go and battering McKee while forcing him to the outside of the cage. Ultimately, I expect a controlling, impressive victory for Sola on Saturday.

Mauricio Ruffy Moneyline: This is a fascinating matchup of two exciting Lightweights, both of whom could soon be contending for titles. Saint Denis is a well-rounded fighter, comfortable and dangerous anywhere the fight goes, possessing solid power and excellent submission skills. Ruffy is more of a pure striker, using excellent head movement and distance management along with his devastating punching power to secure victories. Although Saint Denis has more paths to victory, I believe Ruffy’s advantage in the striking will be the deciding factor. Saint Denis is obviously dangerous on the mat, but he tends to favor his striking and is easily drawn into wild brawls and exchanges in the pocket. Against a striker with the accuracy and power of Ruffy, you cannot take the risk of walking through punches to land damage of your own. Ruffy has also shown outstanding takedown defense in the UFC, having successfully defended all takedowns attempted on him so far. I expect this fight to get off to a quick start, with both men meeting in the middle of the octagon and letting their hands go. I believe Ruffy will get the better of these exchanges and force Saint Denis to panic-grapple, wearing down his cardio while denying takedown attempts. As Saint Denis slows and starts throwing caution to the wind, I anticipate Ruffy lighting him up on the feet and earning a massive victory to climb further up the Lightweight ladder.

Imavov vs. Borralho Over 4.5 Rounds: An important matchup of two top-ten Middleweights, the outcome could have big implications on the title picture. Both are well-rounded and dangerous anywhere, and both fighters are coming off the biggest wins of their respective careers. A win for either man could very easily propel them to a title shot, so I don’t imagine either one is planning to come in guns blazing. Not that I’d expect a fight between two exciting fighters to be boring, but I do anticipate both of them to have a more measured, precise approach in this fight. Both also have proven to have the cardio to comfortably go five rounds, and don’t need to go wild for an early finish with concerns of waning stamina. I expect plenty of close, heated exchanges on the feet, and, as the fight continues, for both men to pursue takedowns and their own grappling offense. These fighters match up extremely well in terms of technical skill, so while its tough to predict a finish or a victor, I am confident that this fight lasts at least four and a half rounds.

UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang Preview

Zhang Mingyang lands a brutal elbow to the head of Anthony Smith. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

The UFC heads to Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, China, with an outstanding Fight Night card. Throughout, it has been packed full of exciting matchups and rising talent looking to establish themselves in the premier MMA promotion. In the co-main event, we’ll see a matchup of two top-tier grapplers when former Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling takes on perennial Featherweight contender Brian Ortega. In the main event, two powerful Light Heavyweight scrappers go toe-to-toe when dangerous knockout artist Johnny Walker faces off against heavy-handed brawler Zhang Mingyang. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Taiyilake Nueraji vs. Kiefer Crosbie

Welterweight Bout

Taiyilake Nueraji: 11-1-0, 10 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Kiefer Crosbie: 10-5-0, 5 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Nueraji is on a five-fight win streak and making his UFC debut. He’s a vicious, aggressive striker who’s always pushing the pace. He comes out guns blazing, constantly looking to close the distance and brawl in the pocket from the opening bell. Nueraji has an impressive arsenal of flashy, creative moves, including a variety of jumping and spinning attacks. He regularly switches stances and is almost purely an offensive fighter, always willing to eat a shot to land one, and rarely bringing his hands up. Training at Enbo Fight Club, he throws with both power and volume, regularly extending long combinations and unloading six or seven hooks consecutively. Nueraji has produced five knockouts in less than two minutes and is very dangerous early on.

Kiefer Crosbie fires a front kick to the body of Kevin Jousset. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Crosbie has won two of his last five fights and is looking for his first UFC victory. He’s a heavy-handed scrapper who’s constantly looking to throw down in the pocket. He’s always coming forward, regularly blitzing into range to unload heavy, looping hooks and overhands. Crosbie rarely takes a backwards step, always staying in his opponent’s face and pushing the action. Training at SBG Ireland, he has a brown belt in BJJ and won’t typically pursue grappling scenarios, but will throw heavy ground and pound if he ends up in top position. He can do severe damage without much space, especially inside the clinch with his elbows and knees. Crosbie leaves everything inside the cage and rarely sees the judges’ scorecards, with his last six fights all ending inside the distance.

Sumudaerji vs. Kevin Borjas

Sumudaerji tags Mitcho Raposo with a jab. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Flyweight Bout

Sumudaerji: 17-7-0, 13 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Kevin Borjas: 10-3-0, 8 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Sumudaerji has won three of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Malcolm Gordon (14-8-0), Andre Soukhamthath (14-10-0), and Mitch Raposo (9-3-0). He’s a dangerous scrapper with a lethal arsenal of kicks. He’s highly accurate and throws every shot with knockout intentions, typically favoring power to volume. He remains technical throughout, constantly firing his jab before unloading heavy kicks. Sumudaerji has excellent distance management but isn’t the most mobile striker, often standing still in front of his opponents while looking to counter-strike. Training at Enbo Fight Club, he’s unlikely to initiate grappling exchanges but has solid defensive wrestling and has successfully defended 67% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC. Sumudaerji always comes out guns blazing, with eleven of his thirteen knockouts coming in round one.

Kevin Borjas lands a vicious right hand on Ronaldo Rodríguez. Credit: Ag. Fight.

Borjas has won three of his last five outings, holding a UFC victory over Ronaldo Rodríguez (17-3-0). He’s a technical, powerful striker who’s always looking to let his hands go. He fights behind his jab, constantly pumping it out to set up his best shot, a straight right. Borjas has excellent footwork and distance management, rarely throwing kicks but always keeping his opponent on the end of his punches. He’s accurate and throws every shot with power and purpose, varying his attacks well and regularly ending combinations with body shots. Training at Pitbull Martial Arts, he hasn’t landed a takedown in the UFC but has shown solid reversals and get-ups when it goes to the mat. Borjas has secured half of his victories via first-round knockout, but he has solid cardio and remains dangerous at all times.

#3 Sergei Pavlovich vs. #6 Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Sergei Pavlovich charges forward at Tai Tuivasa while throwing a left hook. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Heavyweight Bout

Sergei Pavlovich: 19-3-0, 15 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta: 14-1-0, 6 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Pavlovich has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #4 ranked Heavyweight Curtis Blaydes (19-5-0), #9 ranked Heavyweight Derrick Lewis (29-12-0), and #10 ranked Heavyweight Tai Tuivasa (15-8-0). One of the most destructive punchers in the sport, he comes out guns blazing, always on the hunt for a knockout from the second the fight begins. He fights behind his jab and always throws in combination, constantly coming forward and forcing his opponent to the outside. Pavlovich rarely throws kicks, instead looking to close the distance and let his hands go inside the pocket. Training at American Top Team, he doesn’t need much space to do significant damage and throws everything with bad intentions. He has one-shot knockout power, with all fifteen of his knockouts coming in round one. Eight of Pavlovich’s last ten fights haven’t left the first round, and he pushes a heavy pace at all times.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta unloads brutal ground and pound strikes onto Robelis Despaigne. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Acosta is on a five-fight winning streak, with UFC victories coming over #8 ranked Heavyweight Serghei Spivac (17-6-0), Ryan Spann (23-11-0), and Andrei Arlovski (34-24-0). He is a powerful striker with big-time power and a dangerous right hand. He throws everything with power, regularly coming forward to unload wide hooks and devastating overhands. Training at UKF Gym, Acosta is most at home in a brawl, working inside the pocket and firing knees and elbows in the clinch. He tends to favor power to volume, unloading single shots with knockout intentions. While he won’t usually initiate grappling exchanges, he has demonstrated a solid ability to return to his feet. Acosta is defensively sound and won’t usually absorb much damage, having outlanded seven of his last eight opponents.

#5 Brian Ortega vs. #7 Aljamain Sterling

Brian Ortega attempts to submit Alexander Volkanovski with a tight guillotine choke. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Featherweight Bout

Brian Ortega: 16-4-0, 3 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Aljamain Sterling: 24-5-0, 3 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Ortega has won two of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #3 ranked Featherweight Yair Rodríguez (21-5-0), #11 ranked Lightweight Renato Moicano (20-7-1), and Chan Sung Jung (17-8-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter with technical striking and a slick submission game. He has solid power and speed in his hands, throwing everything tight and straight and never telegraphing his shots. He has a granite chin and excellent cardio, never backing down or slowing his pace. Ortega advances lightning-fast on the ground, often chaining submissions together and easily transitioning between them. Training at Huntington Beach UTC, he has flashy attacks to back up his technical skill, often attempting flying knees and spinning attacks. He varies his shots well, attacking the head and body evenly and regularly landing brutal leg kicks. All of Ortega’s submissions have come via choke, and he possesses one of the best triangle chokes in MMA. 

Aljamain Sterling rains down heavy shots onto Petr Yan. Credit: Fight Sports.

Sterling has won three of his last five outings, holding UFC victories over #3 ranked Bantamweight Petr Yan (19-5-0),  #4 ranked Bantamweight Cory Sandhagen (18-5-0), and #11 ranked Bantamweight Henry Cejudo (16-5-0). He’s an excellent grappler, possessing fantastic wrestling and a lethal submission game. He has smothering top control, regularly posturing up to do damage while looking for submission openings. Sterling has solid kickboxing to back up his grappling, with impressive speed in both his hands and kicks. He has the cardio to push a furious pace for all 25 minutes, whether on the feet or the ground. Training with the Serra-Longo Fight Team, he’s landing, on average, about five takedowns per fight in his last five appearances. Seven of Sterling’s eight submissions have come via some choke, so he’s extremely dangerous if he can find his opponent’s neck.

#13 Johnny Walker vs. #14 Zhang Mingyang

Johnny Walker throws a powerful kick to the head of Anthony Smith. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Light Heavyweight Bout

Johnny Walker: 21-9-0, 16 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Zhang Mingyang: 19-6-0, 13 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Walker has won two of his last five fights with one No Contest and has wins over #4 ranked Light Heavyweight Khalil Rountree Jr. (15-6-0), Anthony Smith (38-22-0), and Ryan Spann (23-11-0). He is a lengthy, unorthodox striker with an outstanding kicking game. He’s in perpetual motion and will often float along the outside, looking to control the pace and distance. Although not as wild as when he first entered the UFC, he still possesses an arsenal of flashy attacks and can produce a highlight-reel knockout at any time. He’s a massive 6’6”, typically possessing a height and reach advantage, and uses it well, constantly battering his opponents with strikes from range. Training at SBG Ireland, Walker won’t typically take it to the mat but will land devastating ground and pound if he finds himself in top position. In his thirty professional fights, Walker has only gone the distance four times, and he always leaves everything inside the cage.

Zhang Mingyang fires an overhand right at Ozzy Diaz. Credit: Yahoo Sports.

Zhang is on an eleven-fight win streak and has UFC victories over Anthony Smith (38-22-0), Brendson Ribeiro (17-8-0), and Ozzy Diaz (10-3-0). He is a prolific finisher with dangerous power in his hands. He always comes out guns blazing, constantly coming forward and looking to close the distance to unload bombs inside the pocket. Zhang is always seeking a knockout and willing to brawl, but remains technical throughout the fight, keeping his shots tight and straight without telegraphing them. He’s strong in the clinch and has solid takedowns, working quickly in top position and regularly looking to posture up to land brutal ground and pound. Training at Xtreme Couture, he has excellent chokes and will pursue them even when standing, and he has secured five of his six submissions via rear-naked choke. Zhang has produced all of his finish victories in the first round and has only been to a decision once in his career.

Best Bets

Kevin Borjas Moneyline: This is an outstanding matchup of two exciting Flyweight strikers. Both are highly dangerous on their feet and willing to step into the pocket and exchange. Although both are willing to get into a brawl, Sumudaerji tends to be the more hittable of the two. Shown in both his fights with Charles Johnson and Matt Schnell, he can often get too wild and get caught or put himself in bad positions. I believe Borjas is the more composed, technical fighter of the two, even if it does break down into a brawl. I also think Borjas is the more powerful and dangerous in the pocket, where I anticipate much of this fight playing out. I expect Borjas to control the center of the octagon while constantly damaging Sumudaerji to the head and body with quick combinations. I believe that as the fight continues, Sumudaerji will fade and Borjas will fully take over, controlling the pace and distance en route to an impressive victory.

Pavlovich vs. Cortes-Acosta to Not Go the Distance: Another matchup of dangerous strikers, I’m looking forward to this one. Both of these fighters are heavy-handed scrappers who can produce highlight-reel knockouts at any time. In their combined 37 fights, 62% of those bouts have ended via knockout regardless of the victor, with all of those finishes coming before the third round. Although both have recently fought to decisions, this is a much more favorable matchup for both men to let their hands go, compared to their recent opponents. Both have recently fought against more technical, slower-paced fighters, where they had fewer opportunities to take risks. It’s unlikely either man will pursue takedowns in this fight, and both prefer to fight inside the pocket rather than engage in a rangy kickboxing match. A landmark victory in this matchup would also likely place either fighter into the title conversation. I expect both fighters to meet in the middle of the octagon and let their hands go, with both throwing caution to the wind from the opening bell. With both of these powerful Heavyweights throwing bombs, it won’t take long for someone to find a finish and earn a huge win.

Zhang Mingyang by KO/TKO: Like the majority of this main card and my last two picks, this is another matchup of powerful strikers. Walker is an unorthodox, unpredictable scrapper who will regularly attempt flashy attacks in pursuit of a knockout. Mingyang is much more orthodox, favoring his hands and devastating punching power to secure finishes. Although Walker has a significant experience advantage, he has shown in the last few years that he doesn’t have the most durable chin. He’s suffered brutal knockout losses in back-to-back fights now and seems to have become a much more timid fighter since training at SBG Ireland. Walker is too willing to get backed up and fight off the back foot, and you cannot afford to allow a striker with Mingyang’s power to come forward constantly. I expect Mingyang to blitz Walker from the opening bell, walking him down while unloading heavy combinations. I anticipate Mingyang staying on the gas at all times, forcing Walker to engage in the pocket until finally landing the shot that puts Walker out.

UFC 319 Preview

Dricus Du Plessis throws a heavy head kick at Israel Adesanya. Credit: MMA Fighting.

The UFC heads to the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, with a spectacular pay-per-view card. From top to bottom, this card is full of exciting matchups and top-level fighters all in pursuit of a highlight victory this Saturday night. In the co-main event, we’ll see the quickly-rising Lerone Murphy square off with a dangerous UFC debutant in Aaron Pico. In the main event, undefeated marauder Khamzat Chimaev receives his long-awaited shot at Middleweight gold against the dominant champion, Dricus Du Plessis. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

#11 Tim Elliott vs. #15 Kai Asakura

Tim Elliott viciously submits Sumudaerji with an arm triangle choke. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Flyweight Bout

Tim Elliott: 21-13-1, 3 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Kai Asakura: 21-5-0, 13 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Elliott has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #12 ranked Flyweight Tagir Ulanbekov (17-2-0), Sumudaerji (17-7-0), and Victor Altamirano (12-5-0). He is a veteran grappler with outstanding wrestling and unorthodox striking. He has a very awkward style on his feet, remaining in perpetual motion and attacking from odd angles. Elliott is landing, on average, nearly four takedowns per fifteen minutes and will often shoot very early on. He has excellent timing, typically securing his shots quickly and often in open space where he can control and keep his opponent on the mat. He has outstanding scrambles and heavy top control, maintaining his position while constantly looking to posture up and do damage. Elliott holds various UFC Flyweight records, including the most takedowns landed (59), the most total strikes landed (1786), and the most unanimous decision victories (7).

Kai Asakura fires a head kick at Alexandre Pantoja. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Asakura has won three of his last five bouts and is looking for his first UFC victory. A former Rizin Bantamweight champion, he’s a powerful, well-rounded scrapper who pushes a heavy pace throughout. He has serious power in his hands and particularly dangerous knees, constantly varying his attacks between the head and body. Asakura often looks to counterstrike, using his distance management and head movement to catch his opponents with heavy shots as they enter the pocket. He throws everything with power and in combination, but remains elusive and technical, never telegraphing his attacks. Training at Japan Top Team, he has excellent takedown defense and scrambles, often finding himself in top position following grappling exchanges. Asakura is at his best when he’s controlling the pace and the center of the cage, but he is willing to brawl and has a solid chin.

#9 Jared Cannonier vs. Michael Page

Jared Cannonier blasts Gregory Rodrigues with a powerful right hand. Credit: MMA Mania.

Middleweight Bout

Jared Cannonier: 18-8-0, 11 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Michael Page: 23-3-0, 13 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Cannonier has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #2 ranked Middleweight Sean Strickland (29-7-0), #13 ranked Middleweight Marvin Vettori (19-9-1), and Gregory Rodrigues (17-6-0). He has fought at Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight in his promotional tenure and carries that Heavyweight power at 185 pounds. He throws everything with fight-ending intentions, constantly pressing forward and looking for openings to land the knockout blow. Cannonier has excellent footwork and regularly switches stances, typically opening up his combinations with his jab. Training at the MMA LAB, Cannonier is fantastic at moving in and out of the pocket and usually won’t stay at range for long, often throwing damaging leg kicks when outside of the pocket. What he lacks in volume, he makes up for in power, and his pace increases as the fight continues. Cannonier is one of just two fighters in UFC history to possess knockout victories in three different weight classes and is always dangerous.

Michael Page unloads an elbow onto Shara Magomedov. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Page has won three of his last five fights, holding UFC victories over Kevin Holland (26-13-0) and Shara Magomedov (16-1-0). Arguably the biggest star in Bellator history, he held a record of 17-2 in the promotion in his decade-long tenure. One of the most dangerous kickboxers in the sport, he has a fantastic arsenal of flashy kicks and flashier celebrations. Training at London Shootfighters, Page is in perpetual motion, keeping his hands down and his stance wide, looking for openings to land devastating kicks or combinations. He never telegraphs his attacks, constantly changes his target, and has fantastic distance management. He won’t typically pursue grappling exchanges, but has solid takedown defense and submissions. With 13 finishes in the first round, Page can produce a highlight-reel knockout at any time.

#11 Geoff Neal vs. #12 Carlos Prates

Geoff Neal tags Santiago Ponzinibbio with a left hand as he charges into the pocket. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Welterweight Bout

Geoff Neal: 16-6-0, 10 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Carlos Prates: 21-7-0, 16 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.
Neal has won three of his last five bouts and holds wins over #1 ranked Welterweight Belal Muhammad (24-4-0), Rafael Dos Anjos (32-17-0), and Vicente Luque (23-11-1). He has serious power in his hands and throws everything in combination, always fighting behind his jab. Although he’s always aggressive, he remains technical throughout, keeping his punches tight and straight and his guard high. Neal has excellent head movement and is defensively sound, having successfully defended 57% of significant strikes attempted on him in the UFC. Training at Fortis MMA, he does a great job of varying his shots and attacking from different angles, but will regularly look to set up his left hand. He holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has decent wrestling with outstanding takedown defense. Neal has great cardio and is dangerous at all times, pushing a consistent pace and carrying his power throughout the fight.

Carlos Prates unloads ground and pound shots onto Ian Machado Garry. Credit: Yahoo Sports.

Prates has won four of his last five outings, with UFC victories coming over Trevin Giles (16-7-0), Neil Magny (30-14-0), and Li Jingliang (19-9-0). He’s a destructive, technical striker with serious power in his hands. He favors power to volume, throwing every shot with fight-ending intentions, and can produce a flash knockout at any time. Prates varies his shots well, attacking the head and body with equal tenacity, and will constantly look to land knees to the body. Training with Fighting Nerds, he has excellent distance management and is always coming forward while remaining technical and composed, never telegraphing his attacks. He’s unlikely to take the fight to the mat but has solid takedown defense, capable of defending shots both in open space and against the cage. Prates won ten of his last eleven fights via knockout and always leaves everything inside the octagon.

#6 Lerone Murphy vs. Aaron Pico

Lerone Murphy lands a cracking left hand on Josh Emmett. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Featherweight Bout

Lerone Murphy: 16-0-1, 7 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Aaron Pico: 13-4-0, 9 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Murphy is undefeated and has UFC victories over #8 ranked Featherweight Josh Emmett (19-5-0), #14 ranked Featherweight Dan Ige (19-10-0), and Edson Barboza (24-12-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper who’s dangerous everywhere and has solid power in his hands. He’s in perpetual motion, regularly feinting and staying at range before blitzing in with looping hooks and overhands. Murphy is patient on the feet, constantly looking for openings before firing combinations with no tell or load-up. He is averaging over one takedown landed and nearly one submission attempted per fifteen minutes. Training at Manchester Top Team, he’s strong in the clinch, never accepts position on the mat, and has excellent scrambles. Murphy pushes a heavy pace at all times, averaging 102 significant strikes landed in his last five appearances.

Aaron Pico digs a brutal shot to the body of Adli Edwards. Credit: Bellator MMA.

Pico has won four of his last five fights and is making his UFC debut. Arriving in the UFC after spending his whole 17-fight career in Bellator, he’s a dangerous wrestler with serious punching power. He pushes a heavy pace from the opening bell, always coming forward and forcing his opponent to the outside, where he can control the center. Pico has one-shot knockout power, throwing everything with impressive speed while favoring power to volume. Training at Jackson-Wink Training Center, he will pursue takedowns early, typically securing them quickly, but is willing to work along the fence and chain together attempts to bring the fight to the mat. He has excellent top pressure and heavy ground and pound, constantly looking to posture up and do damage from top position. Pico has secured seven of his eleven finishes in the first round and is highly dangerous early on.

(C) Dricus Du Plessis vs. #3 Khamzat Chimaev

Dricus Du Plessis postures up to unload brutal ground and pound shots onto Robert Whittaker. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Middleweight Title Bout

Dricus Du Plessis: 23-2-0, 9 KO/TKO, 11 Sub.

Khamzat Chimaev: 14-0-0, 6 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Du Plessis is on an eleven-fight win streak and has UFC victories over #2 ranked Middleweight Sean Strickland (29-7-0), #4 ranked Middleweight Israel Adesanya (24-5-0), and #8 ranked Middleweight Robert Whittaker (27-9-0). He’s a marauding scrapper who’s always coming forward looking to do damage. He has one-shot knockout power and can produce a finish at any time, with many of his knockouts seemingly coming from nowhere. Training at CIT Performance Institute, Du Plessis has power in both hands and will regularly blitz forward to unload heavy combinations. He throws everything with power but puts out impressive volume as well, landing, on average, about 101 significant strikes in his last five outings. He frequently mixes grappling into his attacks, averaging over two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes. Du Plessis is as dangerous on the mat as on his feet, possessing vicious ground and pound and outstanding chokes.

Khamzat Chimaev looks to secure a rear naked choke on Kevin Holland. Credit: Yahoo Sports.

Chimaev is undefeated and has UFC victories over #5 ranked Welterweight Kamaru Usman (21-4-0), #8 ranked Middleweight Robert Whittaker (27-9-0), and #10 ranked Welterweight Gilbert Burns (22-9-0). He is a prolific finisher with dominant grappling and serious power. He’s dangerous on his feet but will often shoot early, typically taking his opponent down quickly with a blast double leg. Training at Allstars Training Center, Chimaev is a powerful wrestler, using devastating ground and pound and heavy top pressure to punish his opponent on the mat. He’s a lengthy fighter and makes excellent use of it, often landing power shots at range and using his striking to set up his wrestling attack. He’s never been taken down in the UFC and averages over four takedowns landed per fifteen minutes, almost always dictating where the fight occurs. Nine of Chimaev’s twelve finishes have come in the first round, and he’s at his best early on, remaining dangerous but slowing as the fight continues.

Best Bets

Michael Page Moneyline: An outstanding matchup of two dangerous scrappers, I’m excited for this one. Although both are strikers, their styles differ massively; Cannonier is a power puncher, constantly looking to close the distance and let his hands go inside the pocket. Page is much more movement-based, looking to evade his opponent and land damage from range while looking for openings to land damaging kicks and flashy attacks. Page is also the taller, lengthier fighter, with a four-inch height advantage and a one-and-a-half-inch reach advantage. Cannonier historically has struggled against big, technical kickboxers, suffering tough losses against the likes of Israel Adesanya, Caio Borralho, and Nassourdine Imavov. With Page’s perpetual movement and outstanding distance management, Cannonier will struggle to get into the pocket to find Page’s chin. Page also has a definite speed advantage, especially with Cannonier’s tendency to load up before firing power shots. I expect Page to float along the outside of the octagon, peppering Cannonier with kicks and punches and avoiding the pocket. I anticipate Page wearing out Cannonier with his elusiveness, constantly making Cannonier miss his heavy punches and forcing him to pursue him. Ultimately, I expect Page to control the pace and the distance en route to a victory on Saturday.

Neal vs. Prates to Not Go the Distance: This is an excellent bout between two heavy-hitting Welterweights. Both of these fighters are always pushing the action, and I expect plenty of fireworks when the bell rings. Neal employs a boxing-style approach, favoring his hands and power to get the job done. Prates is more of a Muay Thai striker, making use of all of his limbs and constantly attacking. Regardless of their differences, both are true scrappers and are always willing to throw down inside the pocket. In a combined fifty professional fights, they have produced 30 finishes with 26 knockouts, rarely seeing the judges’ scorecards. I expect them to meet in the middle from the opening bell, exchanging heavy blows and throwing caution to the wind. Given both of these fighters’ finishing ways and tendency to never back down, I’d be shocked to see this matchup go all three rounds.

Du Plessis vs. Chimaev Over 2.5 Rounds: Many fans have been waiting to see this matchup for a long time, and it’s finally arrived. Both of these fighters are undefeated in the UFC, with their own dominant runs up to this bout. Both are extremely well-rounded and dangerous anywhere the fight goes, and will put it all on the line for gold. Du Plessis is looking to defend his title for a third time, while this will be Chimaev’s first title shot. This is a tough matchup for both men, as neither seems to have faced a fighter of the caliber of the other. Du Plessis has never faced someone with the power or wrestling pedigree of Chimaev, while Chimaev has never faced someone with the scrambling or striking skills of Du Plessis. Given both men’s abilities inside the cage as well as their durability, I’d be surprised to see this bout end quickly. While I don’t expect any kind of feeling-out process or a slow start, I do anticipate them cancelling each other out and remaining highly competitive early on. I’m unsure of how this fight will end, but I’m confident that it will last at least two and a half rounds.

UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Hernandez Preview

Anthony Hernandez tags Brendan Allen with a long left hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

The UFC heads to its base of operations at the APEX Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, with an exciting Fight Night card. Throughout, this card has been packed with excellent matchups, rising prospects, and wily veterans all looking to rise up the ladder of their respective divisions. In the co-main event, we'll see two top-tier flyweights collide inside the octagon when Steve Erceg goes toe-to-toe with Ode' Osbourne. In the main event, marauding scrapper Roman Dolidze will face off against red-hot submission ace Anthony Hernandez in an important Middleweight matchup. Let's take a look at the fights on the main card.

Eryk Anders vs. Christian Leroy Duncan

Eryk Anders unloads brutal ground and pound onto Chris Weidman. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Middleweight Bout

Eryk Anders: 17-8-0, 10 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Christian Leroy Duncan: 11-2-0, 8 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Anders has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Gerald Meerschaert (37-19-0), Kyle Daukaus (15-4-0), and Chris Weidman (16-8-0). He’s a powerful, heavy-handed striker who throws everything with bad intentions. He’s constantly looking to land power shots, regularly dipping his head before unloading hooks and overhands. Anders rarely throws kicks, preferring to close distance, get into the pocket, and let his hands fly. Training at Spartan MMA, he averages nearly two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and often shoots early on. If he takes the fight to the mat, he’s tough to shake off, has heavy ground and pound, and will constantly look to posture up and do damage. Seven of Anders’ eleven finish victories came in the first round, and he’s most dangerous early on.

Christian Leroy Duncan fires a head kick at Andrey Pulyaev. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Duncan has won three of his last five bouts, with UFC victories coming over Andrey Pulyaev (10-3-0), Claudio Ribeiro (11-5-0), and Duško Todorović (12-6-0). He’s a flashy striker with power in both hands and an impressive arsenal of attacks. He’s highly unpredictable, constantly moving and switching stances while attempting spinning and jumping attacks. Duncan is highly accurate and efficient, throwing every shot purposefully without ever loading up or overextending. He’s excellent at controlling the center, constantly pressuring his opponent while fighting behind his jab. Training at Range MMA Academy, he’s willing to grapple and will occasionally shoot takedowns, advancing very quickly and raining down ground and pound when in top position. Duncan has excellent cardio and carries his power across all three rounds, capable of creating a highlight-reel finish at any moment.

Miles Johns vs. Jean Matsumoto

Miles Johns lands a cracking left hook on Anderson Dos Santos. Credit: Doc’s Sports.

Bantamweight Bout

Miles Johns: 15-3-0, 4 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Jean Matsumoto: 16-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Johns has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Vince Morales (16-10-0), Cody Gibson (22-11-0), and Douglas Silva de Andrade (29-6-0). He has serious power in both hands, technical boxing, and excellent footwork. He does a great job varying his shots, attacking the head and body as well as supplying a steady dose of leg kicks. Johns fights patiently, constantly moving and feinting to draw reactions before throwing precise and powerful combinations. He’s proven a capable grappler, averaging about one takedown landed per fifteen minutes while defending 81% of those attempted on him. When on top, he’ll look to posture and land brutal ground and pound, not typically pursuing submissions. Training at Marathon MMA, Johns has shown that he can find a finish at any time, with all his stoppage victories coming in round two or later.

Jean Matsumoto throws a left hand at Brad Katona. Credit: MMA Mania.

Matsumoto has won four of his last five fights, holding UFC victories over Brad Katona (16-5-0) and Dan Argueta (9-3-0). He’s a dangerous, well-rounded fighter with impressive power in his hands and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He throws everything with power and in combination, but won’t get sloppy, always keeping his shots straight and tight. Training at Inside Muay Thai, Matsumoto regularly switches stances on the feet and has excellent kicks, constantly mixing them into punch combinations. He’s averaging nearly three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes in the UFC and can find submissions with incredible speed, especially chokes. Although he’s a technical striker, he’s willing to throw down in the pocket, regularly standing directly in front of his opponent and unloading hooks and straights. He has excellent cardio and pushes a consistent pace throughout, having already gone five rounds three times in his pre-UFC career.

Andre Fili vs. Christian Rodriguez

Andre Fili lands a cracking right hook on the chin of Nathaniel Wood. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Featherweight Bout

Andre Fili: 24-12-0, 10 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Christian Rodriguez: 12-3-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Fili has won two of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Charles Jourdain (15-7-1), Bill Algeo (18-7-0), and Cub Swanson (30-14-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper who will engage in the fight wherever it goes and always leaves everything inside the cage. He’s always coming forward on his feet, constantly switching stances and fighting patiently behind his jab. Fili throws in combination, throwing every shot with accuracy and purpose, and possesses devastating kicks, especially to the head. Training at Team Alpha Male, he’s averaging just over two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes in his promotional tenure and is excellent in top position. He never telegraphs his shots and does a great job attacking at different angles, regularly landing damage at range and inside the pocket. Fili has solid cardio and won’t get sloppy, pushing a consistent pace throughout the fight.

Christian Rodriguez tags Austin Bashi with a jab. Credit: Ag. Fight.

Rodriguez has won three of his last five outings, with UFC victories coming over Raúl Rosas Jr. (11-1-0), Isaac Dulgarian (7-1-0), and Austin Bashi (14-1-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper with excellent counterstriking and a slick submission game. He’s constantly pressuring forward, looking to draw punches out of his opponent to land counterstrikes. Rodriguez will regularly look to close the distance, often entering the pocket while throwing step-in elbows and knees. He’s averaging nearly two takedowns landed and over one submission attempted per fifteen minutes and is a solid grappler. Training at Roufusport, he has excellent transitions and reversals on the ground, constantly placing himself in an advantageous position. Rodriguez has consistently been matched up with other top prospects, with four of his promotional victories coming over previously undefeated fighters.

#8 Iasmin Lucindo vs. #12 Angela Hill

Iasmin Lucindo fires a kick at the head of Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Women’s Strawweight Bout

Iasmin Lucindo: 17-6-0, 8 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Angela Hill: 18-14-0, 5 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Lucindo has won four of her last five outings and has UFC victories over Marina Rodriguez (17-6-2), Polyana Viana (13-8-0), and Karolina Kowalkiewicz (16-9-0). She’s an aggressive striker, always coming forward and pursuing a knockout. She’s very dangerous on the inside and is willing to eat one to land one, often tending to headhunt. Lucindo throws everything in combination and with vicious power, dealing out most of her damage with her punches. She’s landing, on average, over two takedowns per fifteen minutes and has landed multiple takedowns in all her UFC wins. Training at Academia Fight House, she’s solid offensively from top position, possessing heavy ground and pound and a sneaky submission game. Lucindo turned professional in MMA at 14, making her impressively experienced for a 23-year-old.

Angela Hill viciously submits Luana Pinheiro with a guillotine choke. Credit: Ag. Fight.

Hill has won three of her last five fights, holding UFC victories over #11 ranked Strawweight Loopy Godínez (13-5-0), #15 ranked Strawweight Denise Gomes (11-3-0), and Ariane Carnelosi (15-3-0). She is one of the most experienced and active veterans on the roster, and there’s nearly no spot in a fight she hasn’t been in. A former kickboxer with a professional record of 16-0, she’s an excellent technical striker with a gritty Muay Thai style. Hill pushes a heavy pace and always brings the fight, landing, on average, about 74 significant strikes in her last five fights. Training at Alliance MMA, she’s exceptionally durable, always willing to eat a shot to land one, and constantly pressuring forward. She’s willing to grapple, possessing solid wrestling both offensively and defensively. Hill has never been knocked out in her career and tends to heat up as the fight continues.

#10 Steve Erceg vs. Ode’ Osbourne

Steve Erceg lands a cracking left hook on Alexandre Pantoja. Credit: Bleacher Report.

Flyweight Bout

Steve Erceg: 12-4-0, 2 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Ode’ Osbourne: 13-8-0, 6 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Erceg has won two of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Matt Schnell (17-9-0), David Dvorak (20-6-0), and Alessandro Costa (14-4-0). He’s extremely well-rounded, possessing technical striking and a dangerous submission game. He’s constantly pressing forward, keeping his head off the centerline, and always remaining technical, never telegraphing his shots. Erceg has excellent counterstriking and hides his kicks well, regularly landing brutal leg kicks. Training at Wilkes Martial Arts, he’s averaging just under one takedown landed per fifteen minutes and can find submissions with incredible speed. With all six of his submission wins coming via choke, he can end the fight quickly if he gets to his opponent’s neck. Erceg has solid cardio and pushes a consistent pace throughout, never getting sloppy or putting himself in bad spots.

Ode’ Osbourne fires a lunging left hand at Asu Almabayev. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Osbourne has won two of his last five outings, with UFC victories coming over CJ Vergara (12-7-1), Charles Johnson (17-7-0), and Luis Gurule (10-1-0). He’s a speedy striker with a diverse attack and a wrestling background. He fights behind his jab, throwing everything in combination and never loading up on shots, firing every punch with impressive speed. Osbourne has heavy kicks and does an excellent job mixing them into combinations, regularly throwing them to the legs and body. Although he doesn’t move his feet much, he’s constantly feinting and moving his head while looking for openings to land shots. Training at Syndicate MMA, he’s averaging over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes and is strong in the clinch, with solid knees and trips. Eight of Osbourne’s ten finishes have come in the first round, and he’s at his most dangerous early on in the fight.

#9 Roman Dolidze vs. #10 Anthony Hernandez

Roman Dolidze lands a stinging jab on Marvin Vettori. Credit: MMA Mania.

Middleweight Bout

Roman Dolidze: 15-3-0, 8 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Anthony Hernandez: 14-2-0, 3 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Dolidze has won three of his last five outings and has wins over #13 ranked Middleweight Marvin Vettori (19-9-1), Jack Hermansson (24-9-0), and Kevin Holland (28-14-0). He is an accomplished grappler outside of MMA with a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Sambo. Averaging over one takedown landed and nearly one submission attempted per fifteen minutes, he is most at home on the mat. Dolidze is excellent in the clinch and very hard to shake off, possessing devastating striking in close, particularly with his knees. Training at Xtreme Couture, he won’t put out too much ground and pound, choosing to focus on advancing position. He has solid power in his hands and prefers to counter-strike when on the feet, not utilizing much footwork but always moving his head. Dolidze gets his best work done without much space, regularly throwing power shots in the pocket while exiting the clinch.

Anthony Hernandez dominantly controls Michel Pereira from top position. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Hernandez is on a seven-fight win streak, holding UFC victories over #11 ranked Middleweight Brendan Allen (25-7-0), #15 ranked Middleweight Roman Kopylov (14-4-0), and Michel Pereira (31-13-0). He’s a relentless grappler who’s always working for a finish and gets better as the fight goes on. He throws in combination on the feet and will use his striking to get into the pocket to either pursue a takedown or damage his opponent in the clinch. Hernandez is highly durable, able to take a beating and still push a consistent pace, and often finds submissions out of seemingly nowhere. Training with the MMAGold Fight Team, he’s very fluid on the ground and consistently finds a way to get to a safe position, always choosing position over submission. He has smothering clinch and top control, great takedowns, and extremely dangerous chokes, especially his guillotine. Five of Hernandez’s eight career submission wins are via guillotine, and he often pursues his own modified version of the choke.

Best Bets

Johns vs. Matsumoto to Go the Distance: An outstanding matchup of two exciting fighters, this one is sure to deliver. Both are well-rounded scrapper with similar skills on the ground and on their feet, and are also relatively close in height and reach. Considering this, the matchup is very close in terms of ability and experience. They’re both also very durable, with Matsumoto having no finish losses and Johns having just two in his career, with the last coming in 2022. I expect these fighters to cancel each other out in a lot of ways; I don’t expect either to have a significant grappling or power advantage, so I anticipate a lot of close exchanges on the feet and the ground. I also expect both fighters to maintain a solid pace throughout, but to remain technical, keeping the fight entertaining but not making it into a wild brawl. Ultimately, while I believe this will be a very competitive fight between two rising talents, I also expect this to last all three rounds.

Christian Rodriguez by Decision: This is a fascinating matchup of a quickly-rising prospect and an established veteran. Fili has been in the UFC since 2013 and boasts a litany of impressive wins and notable opponents on his resume. Rodriguez, in just three years in the UFC, has received some of the toughest matchmaking I’ve seen a prospect receive while winning consistently. In eight UFC appearances, Rodriguez has been matched up with four undefeated opponents, all of whom were other hyped prospects, and defeated all of them. Rodriguez has continued to prove himself and his abilities inside the octagon, constantly finding victory despite being the underdog. Unlike many of those matchups, Rodriguez is the betting favorite in this fight, and rightfully so. Rodriguez is the more well-rounded of the two; Fili has grappling skills, but is definitely more comfortable on his feet or in a brawl. Rodriguez is comfortable anywhere and willing to mix it up, regularly engaging on the feet before shooting for takedowns or clinching up. Given his advantage on the mat, I expect Rodriguez to pursue multiple takedowns while wearing down Fili and pushing a heavy pace. I believe Rodriguez will be able to keep Fili on the outside when striking and control him from the top position on the ground. When it's all said and done, I expect Rodriguez to get his hand raised as the victor.

Anthony Hernandez Moneyline: A fascinating matchup of two exciting Middleweight contenders, I’ve been looking forward to this one. Although they don’t have identical styles, they do have some similarities in their approach, as both are outstanding grapplers who are willing to let their hands go on their feet. Dolidze’s style is closer to that of a wrestler, constantly looking to outpace and control his opponent from top position and win at any cost, not necessarily hunting for a finish or a highlight. Hernandez has a bit more depth to his method, utilizing excellent wrestling but also his lethal submission game, rarely looking to simply control his opponent and always pursuing a finish. Dolidze, while durable, tends to be very hittable, having absorbed over 100 significant strikes three times in his last five fights. Ultimately, I believe the urgency and the pace of Hernandez will be the difference-maker. I expect Hernandez to push a heavy, grueling pace from the opening bell, constantly coming forward to unload combinations and shoot takedowns. As the fight goes on, I expect Dolidze to slow and his takedown defense to falter, allowing Hernandez to take top position and do further damage. Dolidze is a very tough out, and while I’m uncertain of how this fight will end, I’m confident that Hernandez will earn his eighth straight victory.

UFC Fight Night: Taira vs. Park Preview

Tatsuro Taira lands a powerful left hand on Brandon Royval. Credit: MMA Fighting.

This Saturday, the UFC returns to its headquarters at the APEX Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, with an excellent Fight Night card. The card has been packed full of fascinating matchups, established veterans, and rising stars all looking to make their name on the biggest stage in MMA. In the co-main event, we’ll see a collision of two quickly-rising Lightweights when the dangerous brawler Mateusz Rębecki takes on Scottish scrapper Chris Duncan. In the main event, two rising Flyweight stars will go toe-to-toe when submission artist Tatsuro Taira squares off with the heavy-handed Hyun Sung Park. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Danny Silva vs. Kevin Vallejos

Danny Silva stuns Lucas Almeida with a stiff right hand. Credit: Cageside Press.

Featherweight Bout

Danny Silva: 10-1-0, 5 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Kevin Vallejos: 15-1-0, 11 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Silva has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Josh Culibao (11-4-1) and Lucas Almeida (15-4-0). He’s a durable scrapper with impressive power and outstanding wrestling. He’s constantly coming forward, pressuring his opponent, and controlling the center of the octagon. Silva prefers power to volume, not putting out much at range before exploding into the pocket to unload heavy combinations. Training at Bloodline Combat, he’s landing, on average, over two takedowns per fifteen minutes and is a tenacious wrestler, often chaining takedowns together along the fence. His striking sets up his grappling, regularly punching into the clinch before taking the fight to the mat. Silva has excellent cardio, maintaining his pace and power throughout, and has secured four of his five knockouts after round one.

Kevin Vallejos lands a powerful body shot on Cam Teague. Credit: MMA Mania.

Vallejos has won four of his last five bouts, holding a UFC victory over Seung Woo Choi (11-8-0). He’s an outstanding striker with excellent punching power and counterstriking. He throws every shot with knockout intentions, regularly adding low kicks to the end of punch combinations. Vallejos has terrific footwork and distance management, regularly looking to slip punches and return fire. Training at Brothers of Life MMA, he remains technical throughout and won’t telegraph shots, entering the pocket at different angles and opening combinations with different punches. He won’t typically pursue takedowns, but is a solid grappler with heavy top control and ground and pound. Vallejos pushes a heavy pace and rarely sees the judges’ scorecards, with eight of his thirteen finish victories coming in the first round.

Neil Magny vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos

Neil Magny fires a head kick at Daniel Rodriguez. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Welterweight Bout

Neil Magny: 29-14-0, 8 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos: 25-9-1, 15 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Magny has won two of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #10 ranked Welterweight Geoff Neal (16-6-0), #13 ranked Welterweight Daniel Rodriguez (20-5-0), and Mike Malott (12-2-1). He’s been in the UFC since 2013 and has faced a who’s who of the Welterweight division in his tenure. He’s a tall, lengthy fighter and uses it well, staying at distance on his feet and picking his opponents apart with his punches. Magny’s best weapon is his cardio; he always pushes a heavy pace, constantly touching up his opponents and wearing them down over the course of the fight. Training at Pound 4 Pound Muay Thai, he can do impressive damage without much space, regularly landing brutal knees and punches inside the clinch. Averaging over two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes, he’s a tenacious grappler and is willing to work and chain attempts together to bring the fight to the mat. Magny is one of the most experienced fighters in the UFC, holding company records for the most Welterweight fight time (6:56:48), Welterweight bouts (34), and the most significant strikes landed in the Welterweight division (1428).

Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos unloads ground and pound onto Zach Scroggins. Credit: RBJ.

Zaleski dos Santos has won two of his last five fights with one draw and has UFC victories over #2 ranked Middleweight Sean Strickland (29-7-0), #13 ranked Lightweight Benoit Saint Denis (14-3-0), and Abubakar Nurmagomedov (17-4-1). A well-rounded scrapper, he has significant power in his strikes and can produce flashy finishes. A lifetime Capoeira practitioner, he has a fantastic kicking game, regularly mixing them in at the end of combinations without telegraphing. Zaleski dos Santos can do damage from range or inside the pocket, regularly blasting kicks from distance before blitzing in to unload hooks and overhands. Training at CM System, he’s strong in the clinch and very tough to control. He’s defended 68% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC and will often attempt chokes when sprawling. Zaleski dos Santos has picked up nine of his fifteen knockouts in round one, but carries his power throughout and is always dangerous.

#10 Karol Rosa vs. #12 Nora Cornolle

Karol Rosa lands a stinging jab on Bethe Correia. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Women’s Bantamweight Bout

Karol Rosa: 18-7-0, 4 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Nora Cornolle: 9-2-0, 6 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Rosa has won two of her last five bouts and has UFC victories over #9 ranked Bantamweight Yana Santos (16-8-0), #14 ranked Bantamweight Joselyn Edwards (15-6-0), and Pannie Kianzad (17-9-0). A technical striker, she’s constantly coming forward, looking to batter and overwhelm her opponents. She will regularly fire vicious leg kicks and holds the UFC record for most leg kicks landed in a single bout (95). Rosa has solid cardio, maintaining her power and pace throughout without getting sloppy or telegraphing her attacks. Training with the GAEA Project, she’s willing to grapple, landing, on average, about one takedown per fifteen minutes, and has excellent striking inside the clinch, particularly with her elbows. Rosa won’t utilize much footwork but is always in front of her opponent, pressuring and forcing them to the outside while unloading kicks, hooks, and overhands. Rosa tends to heat up and take more risks as the fight goes on, and has secured five of her six finishes after round one.

Nora Cornolle blasts Melissa Mullins with a brutal head kick. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Cornolle has won four of her last five outings, with UFC victories coming over #14 ranked Bantamweight Joselyn Edwards (15-6-0), Melissa Mullins (7-2-0), and Hailey Cowan (7-4-0). She’s a Muay Thai striker and former professional kickboxer with a record of 32-4-1. She’s in perpetual motion, constantly circling while looking for openings to land shots. Cornolle fights behind her jab, remaining technical while regularly unloading heavy straights and adding head kicks to the end of punch combinations. Training at US Metro Bizot, she typically doesn’t initiate grappling scenarios, but she has demonstrated solid skills off her back and has good chokes. She has excellent clinch striking, particularly with her knees, constantly pummeling her opponent with shots to the midsection. Cornolle has outlanded her opponent in all of her UFC victories and is in constant pursuit of a knockout.

Elves Brener vs. Esteban Ribovics

Elves Brener stuns Guram Kutateladze with a lunging jab. Credit: Ag. Fight.

Lightweight Bout

Elves Brener: 16-5-0, 3 KO/TKO, 11 Sub.

Esteban Ribovics: 14-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Brener has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Zubaira Tukhugov (20-6-1), Guram Kutateladze (13-5-0), and Kaynan Kruschewsky (15-3-0). He’s a heavy-handed striker with a slick submission game who always pursues a finish. He throws everything with power and is willing to get wild, regularly throwing jumping knees and kicks. Brener has solid cardio, pushing a consistent pace throughout, and has proven exceptionally durable and capable of surviving in deep waters. He’s averaging over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes, is very strong in the clinch, and can find submissions quickly on the mat. Training at Chute Boxe, he varies his shots well, attacking the head, legs, and body, regularly changing stances to set up his kicks. Brener has one-shot knockout power and is at his most dangerous early on, with nine of his fourteen finishes coming in round one.

Esteban Ribovics lands a cracking right hook on Daniel Zellhuber. Credit: Yahoo Sports.

Ribovics has won three of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over Terrance McKinney (17-7-0), Kamuela Kirk (12-7-0), and Daniel Zellhuber (15-3-0). He’s a heavy-handed scrapper, coming out guns blazing and pushing a heavy pace from bell to bell. He’s constantly looking to close the distance and unload inside the pocket with brutal hooks. Ribovics tends to brawl more as the fight continues, often starting rounds fighting technically and taking more risks as they go on. Training at Kill Cliff FC, he has solid defensive grappling abilities and has proven capable of surviving in deep waters on the mat. Although he won’t typically initiate grappling scenarios, he has heavy ground and pound and submission skills, particularly shoulder locks. Ribovics is always dangerous, especially early on, with five of his seven knockouts coming in the first round.

Mateusz Rębecki vs. Chris Duncan

Mateusz Rębecki lands a stinging left hand on Loik Rabzhabov. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Lightweight Bout

Mateusz Rębecki: 20-2-0, 9 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Chris Duncan: 13-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Rębecki has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Myktybek Orolbai (14-2-1), Roosevelt Roberts (12-6-0), and Loik Radzhabov (18-6-1). He’s an excellent, technical striker with fantastic grappling to back it up. He throws with both power and volume, outlanding his opponent in all of his UFC victories. Rębecki has great head movement, always keeping his head off the centerline and often slipping shots after landing his own. He’s averaging nearly four takedowns landed and one submission attempted per fifteen minutes, showcasing his outstanding grappling skills. Training at American Top Team, he lands takedowns quickly and efficiently, has smothering top control, and fantastic joint lock submissions. Rębecki always leaves everything inside the octagon and is a prolific finisher, having only seen the judges’ scorecards four times in his career.

Chris Duncan submits Bolaji Oki with a guillotine choke. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Duncan has won four of his last five fights, with UFC victories coming over Yanal Ashmouz (8-2-0), Bolaji Oki (10-2-0), and Omar Morales (11-4-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter with a solid wrestling game and dangerous power in his hands. He’s constantly pressing forward, remaining patient, and looking for openings before unloading overhands and hooks. Duncan is highly durable and always dangerous, capable of surviving in deep waters and finding a finish anywhere, at any time. Training at American Top Team, he’s averaging over four takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and has heavy top and clinch control. He’s always dangerous on the ground, especially in top position, but has outstanding submissions and can find them off his back. Duncan has great cardio and maintains his power and pace throughout the fight, with half of his finish victories coming after round one.

#6 Tatsuro Taira vs. Hyun Sung Park

Tatsuro Taira secures a double leg takedown on Édgar Cháirez. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Flyweight Bout

Tatsuro Taira: 16-1-0, 5 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Hyun Sung Park: 10-0-0, 4 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Taira has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #8 ranked Flyweight Alex Perez (25-9-0), Édgar Cháirez (12-6-0), and CJ Vergara (12-7-1). A dangerous grappler with impressive power, he’s constantly looking to take the fight to the mat and secure a finish. He’s averaging nearly three takedowns landed and over one submission attempted per fifteen minutes, and is very efficient on the ground. Taira has fantastic scrambles and reversals, seemingly always coming out the victor in grappling exchanges. Training at The Blackbelt Japan, he’s highly accurate on the feet, having landed 60% of the significant strikes he’s attempted, always remaining technical. He’ll usually prefer submissions to ground and pound, but will unload on his opponent if given the chance. Taira has been awarded four post-fight bonuses in his seven UFC appearances and is always pursuing a highlight victory.

Hyun Sung Park fires a straight left hand at Carlos Hernandez. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Park is undefeated, with UFC victories coming over Carlos Hernandez (10-5-0) and Shannon Ross (13-9-0). He’s dangerous anywhere the fight goes, with serious power in his hands and outstanding grappling. He controls the center of the octagon well, forcing his opponent to the outside while constantly coming forward to throw bombs. Park throws everything with power and varies his shots well, attacking the head, body, and legs with equal tenacity. Training with Team MMA Story, he’s averaging nearly two takedowns landed and three submissions attempted per fifteen minutes. He transitions quickly on the mat and is always working from top position, hunting for a submission or looking to posture up and do damage. Park is dangerous anywhere, but particularly if he takes his opponent’s back, with all of his submission victories coming via rear naked choke.

Best Bets

Karol Rosa Moneyline: This is an excellent matchup of an established contender and a rising prospect. This will be the eleventh UFC appearance for Karol Rosa, a well-rounded scrapper with technical striking and high-level grappling. This is Cornolle’s fifth UFC fight, and she is a former professional kickboxer with a developing submission game. Rosa has exclusively received ranked matchups in her last five fights, proving not just her skills but her durability, having taken part in one of the wildest wars women’s Bantamweight has ever seen with Irene Aldana. In her last five outings, Rosa has landed, on average, about 95 significant strikes and is always pushing a heavy pace. Beyond her striking abilities, Rosa has a black belt in BJJ and is an outstanding grappler. Cornolle has been taken down and given up more than four minutes of control time in three of her four UFC appearances, and has not faced a grappler of the caliber of Rosa. I believe Rosa will match Cornolle’s aggression on the feet, slowing her down with constant leg kicks and controlling her in the clinch. I expect Rosa to secure multiple takedowns as the fight goes on, doing damage from top position and wearing Cornolle down en route to a hard-fought victory.

Rębecki vs. Duncan to Not Go the Distance: An outstanding matchup of two top-tier finishers, I’m looking forward to this one. In a combined 37 professional fights, they have produced 26 finish victories, with sixteen knockouts and ten submissions. Neither man sees the judges’ scorecards very often, with three of Duncan’s five UFC appearances not going the distance, and four of Rębecki’s six UFC fights ending before the final bell. Although both are well-rounded, they tend to favor opposite things; Rębecki prefers to stay on his feet, supplementing his dangerous striking with his excellent grappling skills. Duncan is an outstanding submission artist and will regularly pursue takedowns, but has serious power in his hands as well. Regardless of their differences, they both always come forward and engage in the fight wherever it ends up, in constant pursuit of a finish. I expect these fighters to get off to a quick start, meeting in the middle of the octagon to exchange blows in the pocket. As the fight continues, I expect plenty of close exchanges on the feet with takedowns and grappling mixed in from both sides. Regardless of who emerges as the victor, I do not anticipate this fight lasting all three rounds.

Tatsuro Taira Moneyline: This is a fascinating matchup made on just five days’ notice. Taira was initially scheduled to face Amir Albazi, who had to pull out due to injury, leading to Park stepping in. Similar to the Rębecki vs. Duncan matchup, both are well-rounded scrapper but favor opposite styles, with Taira favoring grappling, and Park, striking. Although Park is five years Taira’s senior, Taira is by far the more experienced fighter. This fight will be Taira’s eighth UFC appearance and third consecutive Fight Night main event. For Park, this is his third UFC fight and first appearance on a main card, let alone in a main event. Beyond experience, Taira is the more complete fighter in my opinion. Park, while powerful and very skilled, tends to be very offensive-minded, regularly eating punches or getting taken down while pursuing a finish. Taira is highly technical at all times, constantly looking for openings to land punches or bring the fight to the mat, and I expect him to find those openings against Park. I anticipate Park coming out guns blazing, pushing a heavy pace from the start, while Taira weathers the storm and slows down the pace. I expect Taira to wear Park down with efficient striking, consistent takedowns, and heavy top control. Ultimately, while I’m not sure how this fight ends, I’m confident that Taira will have his hand raised when it’s all said and done.

UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. de Ridder Preview

Robert Whittaker fires a jab at Kelvin Gastelum. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

The UFC returns to the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi with an outstanding Fight Night card. From start to finish, this card has been packed full of exciting matchups and top-level fighters all looking for a highlight-reel victory. In the co-main event, we’ll see two outstanding strikers face off inside the Octagon when former champion Petr Yan takes on the quickly rising Marcus McGhee. In the main event, perennial Middleweight contender Robert Whittaker will take on Dutch grappling ace Reinier de Ridder. First, we’ll take a look at select preliminary bouts, then break down the full main card.

Prelims

Muslim Salikhov vs. Carlos Leal

Muslim Salikhov blasts Song Kenan with a vicious spinning wheel kick. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Welterweight Bout

Muslim Salikhov: 21-5-0, 14 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Carlos Leal: 22-6-0, 11 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Salikhov has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Francisco Trinaldo (28-9-0), Song Kenan (22-9-0), and Santiago Ponzinibbio (31-9-0). He holds the rank of Master of Sport in Wushu Sanda and a pro kickboxing record of 185-13 with 76 wins by knockout. He’s an incredibly dangerous striker, possessing solid power and excellent technical skills. Salikhov has an impressive arsenal of kicks, particularly his array of spinning attacks that he loves to throw. Training at the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School, he’s also very defensively sound, having defended 62% of significant strikes attempted on him in his promotional tenure. He is willing to grapple and averages just over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes, and will rain down devastating ground and pound when in top position. Salikhov is highly experienced and very tough to put away, always coming forward and looking to do damage throughout the fight.

Carlos Leal cracks Alex Morono with a powerful right hand. Credit: Ag. Fight.

Leal has won three of his last five bouts, with a UFC victory coming over Alex Morono (24-12-0). He is a dangerous striker with heavy power, excellent output, and solid wrestling. He throws everything with power and in combination, but won’t get sloppy, keeping his punches tight and straight. Leal is highly accurate, especially inside the pocket, and does a great job of varying his shots, damaging the head, legs, and body evenly. He’s a great counterstriker and has excellent head movement, but also has a very solid chin, always willing to eat a shot to land one. Training at Thai Brasil, he’s a well-rounded grappler with an excellent sprawl and great wrestling, able to land takedowns in open space. Leal has secured his last five victories via knockout and is always in pursuit of a finish. 

Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov

Bryce Mitchell unloads a ground and pound elbow onto Edson Barboza. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Featherweight Bout

Bryce Mitchell: 17-4-0, 1 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Said Nurmagomedov: 18-4-0, 4 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Mitchell has won two of his last five outings and has wins over #14 ranked Featherweight Dan Ige (19-10-0), Edson Barboza (24-12-0), and Andre Fili (24-12-0). He is a high-level grappler with dangerous submissions, landing, on average, over three takedowns per fifteen minutes in the UFC. He has a wrestling background and holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, typically getting the fight to the mat quickly. Mitchell has excellent top control on the ground and always pursues a finish, whether via ground and pound or a submission. Training at Barata MMA, he’s most dangerous early on, with eight of his nine submission victories coming in round one. On the feet, he’s in perpetual motion, cuts off the cage well, and has decent power in his hands. Mitchell has one of the three wins in UFC history via twister submission and can produce submissions from anywhere and any position.

Said Nurmagomedov submits Muin Gafurov with a power guillotine choke. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Nurmagomedov has won three of his last five fights, holding UFC victories over Douglas Silva de Andrade (29-6-0), Cody Stamann (21-8-1), and Muin Gafurov (20-6-0). Don’t let the last name fool you; he’s a kick-first striker who loves to throw wild, spinning attacks. He prefers power to volume and can produce a flash knockout at any time. Although Nurmagomedov throws some unorthodox attacks, he always remains composed, keeps his guard high, and maintains excellent footwork. Training at Fight Club Akhmat, he’s averaging over one takedown landed and one submission attempted per fifteen minutes, utilizing his flashy striking to set up his grappling. Unsurprisingly, he has a wrestling base and is highly dangerous with both his ground and pound and submission game. Nurmagomedov has secured nine of his ten finish victories in the first round and is very dangerous early on.

Main Card

#10 Nikita Krylov vs. #13 Bogdan Guskov

Nikita Krylov controls Volkan Oezdemir from top position. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Light Heavyweight Bout

Nikita Krylov: 30-10-0, 12 KO/TKO, 16 Sub.

Bogdan Guskov: 17-3-0, 14 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Krylov has won three of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #9 ranked Light Heavyweight Volkan Oezdemir (20-8-0), #12 ranked Light Heavyweight Johnny Walker (21-9-0), and Ryan Spann (23-11-0). He holds the rank of Master of Sport in Kyokushin Karate, Hand-to-Hand Combat, and Submission Fighting. He’s always willing to eat a shot to land one, regularly brawling and getting into exchanges in the pocket. Krylov has a solid arsenal of kicks in his repertoire, but he often favors his hands, regularly unleashing powerful combinations. Training with Raty Team, he always pushes a heavy pace, throwing with power and volume, and has outlanded his last eight opponents. He’s averaging over two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes, has smothering top control, and is always working for a finish. Krylov rarely sees the judges’ scorecards, securing 28 of his 30 victories via finish, with 23 of those victories coming in round one.

Bogdan Guskov stuns Ryan Spann with a potent right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Guskov has won four of his last five outings, with UFC victories coming over Zac Pauga (7-4-0), Billy Elekana (7-2-0), and Ryan Spann (23-11-0). He’s a heavy-handed striker who comes out guns blazing. He applies heavy forward pressure and always looks for a knockout, throwing every shot with fight-ending intentions. Training at GOR MMA, Guskov will throw the occasional kick but does most of his damage in the pocket, unloading heavy combinations. He has power in both hands but is seemingly always looking to set up his right, constantly firing devastating overhands. He has 12 finishes in the first round and has only gone to a single decision, as well as only seeing the third round once in his career. Guskov tends to headhunt and is willing to eat a shot to land one, but he has good head movement and moves in and out of the pocket very efficiently.

#9 Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa

Asu Almabayev looks to lock in a rear naked choke on Jose Johnson. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Flyweight Bout

Asu Almabayev: 21-3-0, 3 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Jose Ochoa: 8-1-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Almabayev has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Matheus Nicolau (19-6-1), Jose Johnson (16-10-0), and Ode’ Osbourne (13-8-0). He’s exceptionally well-rounded, with a dominant wrestling style and flashy striking abilities. He’ll constantly throw spinning attacks on the feet and can land damage at range or in the pocket. Almabayev has landed 18 takedowns in just five UFC fights and has excellent chain wrestling, able to find takedowns from anywhere. Training at DAR Pro Team, he’s an efficient grappler, never wasting energy or telegraphing his shots or transitions. He has smothering top control, rarely allowing his opponent to throw up any offense or escape as he pursues a finish. The majority of Almabayev’s finishes have come after round one, and he tends to heat up as the fight continues.

Jose Ochoa finishes Cody Durden with ground and pound shots. Credit: Ag. Fight.

Ochoa has won four of his last five bouts, holding a UFC victory over Cody Durden (17-8-1). He’s a powerful, shifty striker with an excellent arsenal of attacks and chokes. He comes out guns blazing, typically firing numerous kicks from range before blitzing into the pocket to let his hands go. Ochoa has excellent distance management and head movement, regularly looking to slip and counter his opponent’s punches. He does a great job of varying his shots, attacking the head and body with equal tenacity. Training at Chute Boxe, he won’t typically pursue grappling exchanges but has excellent takedown defense and lethal submissions, often pursuing chokes while standing. Ochoa has only gone to a decision once, finishing all of his victories in the first or second round.

Shara Magomedov vs. Marc-André Barriault

Shara Magomedov lands a powerful left hook on Armen Petrosyan. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Middleweight Bout

Shara Magomedov: 15-1-0, 12 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Marc-André Barriault: 17-9-0, 11 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Magomedov has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Bruno Silva (23-13-0), Antonio Trocoli (12-5-0), and Michal Oleksiejczuk (20-9-0). He’s a devastating, diverse striker with a fantastic arsenal of kicks. He’s constantly moving and switching stances, never remaining in one spot for long, and moving in and out of the pocket efficiently. Magomedov is excellent at range, peppering his opponent with lead leg attacks before blitzing in to throw bombs. Training at GOR MMA, he rarely initiates grappling exchanges, often accepting position on his back and throwing strikes. He regularly looks to land spinning attacks, particularly elbows and backfists. Magomedov has scored three finishes in less than a minute and always comes out guns blazing.

Marc-André Barriault finishes Bruno Silva with brutal ground and pound strikes. Credit: Coast Reporter.

Barriault has won two of his last five fights, with UFC victories coming over Julian Marquez (9-6-0), Jordan Wright (13-5-0), and Eryk Anders (17-8-0). He’s a brawler, preferring to hang in the pocket and get the job done with his hands. He has solid power, throws in combination, and regularly mixes in damaging leg kicks in his constant pursuit of a finish. When the fight hits the ground, Barriault has shown decent top control and heavy ground and pound, constantly looking to posture up and rain down shots. He has solid defensive wrestling, having defended 67% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC. Training at Kill Cliff FC, he can push a heavy pace, averaging about 70 significant strikes landed in his last five victories. Barriault is always dangerous, but has secured seven of his eleven knockouts in round one and is at his best early on.

#3 Petr Yan vs. #12 Marcus McGhee

Petr Yan unloads a powerful uppercut on Deiveson Figueiredo. Credit: MMA Mania.

Bantamweight Bout

Petr Yan: 18-5-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Marcus McGhee: 10-1-0, 8 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Yan has won two of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #4 ranked Bantamweight Cory Sandhagen (18-5-0), #5 ranked Bantamweight Song Yadong (22-8-1), and #6 ranked Bantamweight Deiveson Figueiredo (24-5-1). He’s a well-rounded fighter, comfortable wherever the fight goes, possessing excellent striking and wrestling. He’s highly technical and precise on his feet, doing a great job of mixing kicks into combinations and never telegraphing his shots. Training at BK Arkhangel Mikhail, Yan never slows down, always pursuing a finish and throwing with maximum power and speed. He can push a crazy pace for 25 minutes and has fantastic cardio, landing, on average, about 123 significant strikes in his last five wins. He has excellent takedowns and top control, constantly throwing brutal ground and pound. Yan has faced nothing but the best in his UFC tenure and has gone toe-to-toe with five former or current champions.

Marcus McGhee blasts Jonathan Martinez with a left hand. Credit: MMA Mania.

McGhee is on a six-fight win streak, holding UFC victories over Jonathan Martinez (19-6-0), Gaston Bolaños (8-5-0), and Journey Newson (10-5-0). He’s a dangerous striker with big-time power and solid grappling. He’s highly explosive but remains technical throughout, throwing his shots straight and tight without telegraphing. McGhee has great footwork and head movement, constantly coming forward and pressuring his opponent. Training at the MMA LAB, his striking sets up his grappling, and he has excellent takedown timing and defense, having defended all takedowns attempted on him in the UFC. In top position, he’s capable of producing quick submissions but also has heavy ground and pound. Six of McGhee’s nine finishes came after the first round, and he tends to heat up as the fight continues.

#5 Robert Whittaker vs. #13 Reinier de Ridder

Robert Whittaker uncorks a stiff left hand on Ikram Aliskerov. Credit: MMA Mania.

Middleweight Bout

Robert Whittaker: 27-8-0, 11 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Reinier de Ridder: 20-2-0, 5 KO/TKO, 13 Sub.

Whittaker has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #7 ranked Middleweight Jared Cannonier (18-8-0), #11 ranked Middleweight Paulo Costa (15-4-0), and #12 ranked Middleweight Marvin Vettori (19-9-1). He is an excellent, technical striker in perpetual motion, constantly bouncing and throwing everything in combination. Utilizing his karate background, he executes fantastic lead leg attacks and throws all his shots with precision and accuracy. Training at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu SG, Whittaker varies his shots well, attacking the head and body evenly and never overextending or getting sloppy. He’s elusive, never staying in one spot for long, and always keeps his head off the centerline. He does an excellent job mixing kicks into combinations, making them extremely hard to predict or see before they land. Whittaker has great cardiovascular endurance and remains composed throughout, easily able to maintain a heavy pace for 25 minutes.

Reinier de Ridder stuns Bo Nickal with a right hook. Credit: Yahoo Sports.

De Ridder has won four of his last five fights, with UFC victories over Gerald Meerschaert (37-19-0), Kevin Holland (28-14-0), and Bo Nickal (7-1-0). He’s a former ONE Championship Middleweight and Light Heavyweight champion and is an outstanding, dangerous grappler. He has an awkward striking style, remaining upright, fighting behind his jab, and throwing kicks at range before closing the distance. De Ridder is powerful in the clinch and constantly looks for body lock and trip takedowns, often from the opening bell. He has strong top control and continually attacks and improves in top position, fluidly moving from one position to another. He holds black belts in Judo and BJJ, utilizing ground and pound to wear down his opponent and create submission openings, typically pursuing chokes. De Ridder pushes a consistent pace throughout, but has found nine of his thirteen submissions in the first round and is most dangerous early on.

Best Bets

Guskov vs. Krylov Under 1.5 Rounds: This is an excellent matchup of two heavy-handed strikers. Both men are prolific finishers, having produced a combined 45 finishes in 60 fights. Neither man sees the judges’ scorecards often; nine of Guskov’s last ten outings didn’t reach the third round, and four of Krylov’s previous five fights ended in the first round. A victory would also be massively significant for either man, especially via a finish. Krylov has not won a fight since 2023, most recently being knocked out by Dominick Reyes, and needs a highlight reel win to regain momentum. For Guskov, this would easily be his highest-profile victory and a chance to enter the top ten at Light Heavyweight. I expect both men to be hunting for an early finish and to meet in the middle of the octagon to let their hands go. Regardless of who earns a victory in this matchup, I don’t expect it to last longer than one and a half rounds.

Shara Magomedov by KO/TKO: Another matchup of two dangerous scrappers, I’m looking forward to this one. Although both are strikers, they have very different styles. Barriault is more suited to a true brawl, constantly coming forward to unload heavy combinations and exchanging inside the pocket. Magomedov is a much more polished striker, remaining technical throughout and utilizing his distance management and arsenal of kicks to secure victory. Although he’s more comfortable fighting in a phone booth, Barriault has proven susceptible to knockouts, suffering two first-round KO losses in his last three appearances. With the footwork and movement of Magomedov, it’s unlikely Barriault will have his usual opportunities to blitz into the pocket and throw bombs, which he often relies on to get the job done. I expect Magomedov to maintain distance, constantly darting in and out of the pocket and keeping Barriault on the end of his punches. I anticipate Barriault struggling to maintain forward momentum while Magomedov picks him apart from range, until he finds a shot to put Barriault away and earns another knockout victory.

Robert Whittaker Moneyline: This is a fascinating matchup of two vastly different fighters. Whittaker is well-rounded but most comfortable on his feet, possessing excellent technical striking and power. De Ridder is more of a grappler, possessing awkward but powerful striking abilities, along with outstanding wrestling and submission skills. Both men have something to prove in this fight; Whittaker, coming off a brutal submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev, looks to show that he still belongs at the top of the division. De Ridder, on the other hand, is receiving his first big-name matchup in the UFC and has a chance to insert himself into the title conversation. Despite the loss to Chimaev, Whittaker has consistently demonstrated solid defensive grappling skills throughout his career, successfully defending 81% of the takedowns attempted against him during his UFC tenure. De Ridder has struggled in the past when unable to secure takedowns, particularly in his second fight with Anatoly Malykhin. After numerous rejected takedowns, de Ridder ultimately gassed himself out and was finished in the third round. I believe Whittaker can produce a similar result. If Whittaker can turn this into a striking battle, he has a clear advantage on his feet. I expect Whittaker to deny de Ridder’s takedowns early while controlling the pace and forcing de Ridder to the outside. As de Ridder’s pace slows, I anticipate Whittaker’s aggression to increase, turning up the heat on the feet and forcing de Ridder to strike with him. Ultimately, I expect Whittaker to keep the fight standing and earn a hard-fought victory on Saturday.

UFC 318 Preview

Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier face off inside the octagon during their second fight. Credit: MMA Fighting.

The UFC heads to the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, with an outstanding pay-per-view card. The entire card is full of top-level talent and outstanding matchups that are all sure to deliver this Saturday. In the co-main event, we’ll see two outstanding Middleweight strikers collide when Paulo Costa takes on Roman Kopylov. In the main event, we’ll witness the culmination of the incredible career of Dustin Poirier, finally receiving his rubber match with fellow legend, Max Holloway. We’ll take a look at a select few preliminary bouts, then preview the full main card.

Prelims

#10 Marvin Vettori vs. #11 Brendan Allen

Marvin Vettori cracks Paulo Costa with a stiff left hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Middleweight Bout

Marvin Vettori: 19-8-1, 2 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Brendan Allen: 24-7-0, 5 KO/TKO, 14 Sub.

Vettori has won two of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #8 ranked Middleweight Roman Dolidze (15-3-0), #13 ranked Middleweight Paulo Costa (14-4-0), and Jack Hermansson (24-9-0). He’s a hard-nosed scrapper who’s willing to engage in the fight anywhere. He has an outstanding chin and is willing to eat one to land one, regularly blitzing into the pocket to unload heavy combinations. Vettori has exceptional cardio, having gone five rounds six times in his UFC tenure, and pushes a consistent pace throughout. Training at American Top Team, he varies his attacks well, attacking the head, legs, and body with equal tenacity. He’s a solid grappler, averaging over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes and heavy top control. Vettori has gone the distance in all but two of his UFC appearances and always leaves everything inside the cage, landing, on average, 119 significant strikes in his last five outings.

Brendan Allen unloads a Superman punch on André Muniz. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Allen has won three of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over Chris Curtis (32-12-0), Paul Craig (17-9-1), and Andre Muniz (24-7-0). He’s an excellent grappler with a lethal submission game and solid power in his hands. He’s always dangerous, whether on top or his back, constantly pursuing submissions and looking to finish the fight. Training at Kill Cliff FC, he’ll throw heavy ground and pound in top position, remaining active while looking for submission openings. He has solid striking to complement his grappling, possessing decent power in his hands and kicks and utilizing a boxing style when on his feet. He consistently maintains a high pace, has solid cardiovascular endurance, and can comfortably go five rounds. Allen has secured eleven of his fourteen submissions via rear-naked choke and is deadly if he can find his opponent’s neck.

#12 Kyler Phillips vs. Vinícius Oliveira

Kyler Phillips fires a head kick at Raulian Paiva. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Bantamweight Bout

Kyler Phillips: 12-3-0, 5 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Vinícius Oliveira: 22-3-0, 16 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Phillips has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #5 ranked Bantamweight Song Yadong (22-8-1), Pedro Munhoz (20-10-0), and Raoni Barcelos (20-5-0). He’s an exceptionally fluid striker with an impressive grappling background. He has excellent footwork and is highly elusive, constantly entering and exiting the pocket without absorbing significant damage. Training at the MMA LAB, Phillips throws everything in combination, regularly mixing in kicks while continually changing levels and attacking at different angles. Averaging over two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes in the UFC, he’s an accomplished grappler, holding a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and California state championships in wrestling and Judo. He’s impressively explosive and quick, able to throw heavy or commit to strikes without telegraphing. Phillips has excellent cardio and pushes a heavy pace throughout, landing, on average, about 76 significant strikes in his last five fights.

Vinícius Oliveira lands a vicious flying knee on Bernardo Sopaj. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Oliveira is on a five-fight win streak, with UFC victories coming over Ricky Simón (22-6-0), Said Nurmagomedov (18-4-0), and Bernardo Sopaj (12-3-0). He’s a vicious, elusive striker with serious power in his hands and an unpredictable arsenal of attacks. He utilizes a very unorthodox stance and movement style, keeping his hands down and relying on his head movement and footwork to avoid damage. Oliveira typically remains at range, keeping his head off the centerline before entering the pocket to unload wild, looping hooks. He never telegraphs his next move, sometimes picking his shots and staying at range, and other times extending long punch combinations punctuated with heavy kicks. Training with Sombra Team MMA, he won’t typically initiate grappling exchanges but has shown outstanding takedown defense in the UFC and will not accept a position on his back. Thirteen of his sixteen knockouts have come in the first round, and he’s most dangerous early on, carrying his power throughout but often reducing his pace and footwork as the fight continues. 

Main Card

Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber

Michael Johnson blasts Alan Patrick with a brutal left hand. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Lightweight Bout

Michael Johnson: 24-19-0, 10 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Daniel Zellhuber: 15-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Johnson has won two of his last five fights and holds UFC victories over #6 ranked Lightweight Dustin Poirier (30-9-0), Edson Barboza (24-12-0), and Tony Ferguson (26-11-0). He has been in the promotion since 2010 and is an alumnus of the 12th season of The Ultimate Fighter, with a background in collegiate wrestling. He’s fought a who’s who of the Lightweight division and is known for his solid wrestling skills and devastating punching power. Training at Kill Cliff FC, Johnson has blazing-fast hands and loves to get into the pocket and unload vicious, extended combinations. He has power in both hands and is always dangerous, with his best weapon being his straight punches. He has quality grappling skills, typically using them when he’s losing on the feet, but can land brutal ground and pound if he secures top position. Johnson has scored the second-most knockdowns in UFC Lightweight history (11) and is always in pursuit of a knockout.

Daniel Zellhuber fires a kick at the head of Esteban Ribovics. Credit: MMA Mania.

Zellhuber has won three of his last five bouts, with UFC victories coming over Lando Vannata (12-7-2), Francisco Prado (12-3-0), and Christos Giagos (20-12-0). He’s a lengthy striker with excellent boxing, speed, and power. He fights behind his jab, remaining patient and looking for openings to land damaging shots. Zellhuber has solid cardio and will remain technical throughout, pushing a consistent pace and often improving as the fight continues. Training at Xtreme Couture, he has excellent distance management and footwork, typically controlling the center of the cage for most of the fight. He won’t often initiate grappling exchanges, but he has a solid submission game, holding a black belt in BJJ, and has defended 94% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC. Zellhuber is tied for the longest reach among active Lightweights and uses it well, constantly doing damage from range with long punches and kicks.

#11 Dan Ige vs. Patrício Pitbull

Dan Ige stuns Sean Woodson with a cracking left hand. Credit: MMA Mania.

Featherweight Bout

Dan Ige: 19-9-0, 7 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Patrício Pitbull: 36-8-0, 13 KO/TKO, 11 Sub.

Ige has won two of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Edson Barboza (24-12-0), Andre Fili (24-12-0), and Sean Woodson (13-2-1). He is a brawler with serious power inside the pocket and excellent technical boxing. He has great footwork and constantly varies his attacks, going to the head and body evenly. While Ige primarily uses his hands to land damage, he also possesses powerful kicks, often throwing them naked or at the end of combinations. Training at Xtreme Couture, he throws every shot with power and deadly intent, possessing one-shot knockout ability in both hands. He has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is willing to grapple, landing at least one takedown in more than half of his UFC victories. Ige has also demonstrated excellent defensive grappling skills and is consistently active on the ground, never staying in one spot for long.

Patrício Pitbull tags Yair Rodríguez with a right hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Pitbull has won three of his last five fights and is looking to score his first UFC victory. He’s a former Bellator Lightweight and Featherweight champion and is the Bellator record holder for the most fights, wins, title fights, wins in title fights, and finishes. Often considered the greatest Bellator fighter of all time, he’s a powerful, technical fighter with outstanding distance management and counterstriking skills. Pitbull does an excellent job of holding the center of the cage and forcing his opponent to the outside, not utilizing much elusive movement but always pressing forward. Training at Pitbull Brothers, he throws everything with power but won’t get sloppy or telegraph his strikes, often blitzing forward with looping hooks before quickly returning to range. Pitbull has fought for championships in fifteen of his last twenty fights and is comfortable anywhere the fight ends up.

#13 Kevin Holland vs. Daniel Rodriguez

Kevin Holland secures an anaconda choke on Vicente Luque. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Welterweight Bout

Kevin Holland: 28-13-0, 13 KO/TKO, 10 Sub.

Daniel Rodriguez: 19-5-0, 9 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Holland has won three of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #8 ranked Welterweight Joaquin Buckley (21-7-0), #9 ranked Middleweight Anthony Hernandez (14-2-0), and Vicente Luque (23-11-1). A wild scrapper who’s comfortable anywhere the fight goes, he’s always dangerous and can finish the fight anywhere. He’s an aggressive striker, throwing everything in combination with knockout intentions, and is always willing to brawl. Holland is lengthy and capable of fighting in the pocket or at range, but typically looks to crash into the pocket and unload combinations. Training at Travis Lutter BJJ, he’s a solid grappler, holding a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and landing, on average, about one takedown per fifteen minutes. He has solid top control and excellent submissions, particularly chokes, with seven of his nine submission victories coming via choke. Holland is one of the most active fighters in MMA, having fought 26 times in the UFC since 2018, earning ten post-fight bonuses during his tenure with the promotion.

Daniel Rodriguez clips Mike Perry with a powerful right hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Rodriguez has won two of his last five outings, holding UFC victories over Santiago Ponzinibbio (31-9-0), Tim Means (33-17-1), and Li Jingliang (19-9-0). He’s a technical Muay Thai striker who favors kicks over punches. He remains composed throughout the fight, fighting behind his jab and constantly pursuing a finish without getting sloppy. Training at 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, Rodriguez has excellent movement and footwork, constantly attacking from different angles with a variety of strikes. He has solid kicks, regularly adding leg kicks to the end of punch combinations. He’s proven highly durable, constantly surviving in deep waters and finding his way back into fights. Rodriguez is unlikely to initiate grappling exchanges but has solid takedown defense and does an excellent job of getting back to his feet, where he’s most comfortable.

#13 Paulo Costa vs. #14 Roman Kopylov

Paulo Costa unloads a heavy right hand on Luke Rockhold. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Middleweight Bout

Paulo Costa: 14-4-0, 11 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Roman Kopylov: 14-3-0, 12 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Costa has won one of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Yoel Romero (16-7-0), Uriah Hall (18-11-0), and Luke Rockhold (16-6-0). He has outstanding punching power and pushes a heavy pace. Although he entered the UFC as a knockout artist, he can also punch with volume, landing, on average, about 95 significant strikes in his last five appearances. Costa has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and solid grappling skills, but rarely goes to the ground and hasn’t attempted a submission in the UFC. Training with Team Borracha, he is at his best when pressuring forward, throwing bombs and powerful kicks, especially to the body. He is more than willing to eat a shot to land one, absorbing an almost equal amount of significant strikes as he lands per minute. Costa slows as the fight continues, but will get more aggressive, throwing caution to the wind and taking more risks.

Roman Kopylov cracks Cesar Almeida with a vicious left hand. Credit: SportsBoom.

Kopylov has won four of his last five bouts, with UFC victories coming over Chris Curtis (32-12-0), Claudio Ribeiro (11-5-0), and César Almeida (7-1-0). He’s a sniper on his feet, using precision and power to dismantle his opponents. He won’t utilize much footwork but is constantly feinting and drawing reactions out of his opponents, opening up opportunities to land strikes. Kopylov does an excellent job of varying his shots, attacking the head and body evenly, and often mixing kicks into punch combinations. He never telegraphs shots or loads up, but throws everything with devastating power and can produce flash knockouts anytime. Training with Raty Team, he’s unlikely to initiate grappling exchanges, but he has fantastic takedown defense and has defended 87% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC. Kopylov is exceptionally explosive, often touching his opponent with single shots before unleashing huge combinations.

#5 Max Holloway vs. #6 Dustin Poirier

Max Holloway rocks Justin Gaethje with a stiff right hand. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Lightweight Bout

Max Holloway: 26-8-0, 12 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Dustin Poirier: 30-9-0, 16 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Holloway has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #3 ranked Featherweight Yair Rodríguez (21-5-0), #4 ranked Lightweight Justin Gaethje (26-5-0), and #4 ranked Featherweight Arnold Allen (20-3-0). One of the most respected fighters in the sport, he’s a fantastic striker capable of outputting astronomical volume. He pushes a heavy pace and remains technical throughout, fighting behind his jab and never wasting energy. Holloway has excellent distance management and footwork, remaining in perpetual motion and landing damage without receiving much in return. Training at Gracie Technics, he has a solid submission game and has defended 83% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC, but he rarely goes to the ground. He’ll constantly look to counterstrike, slipping his opponent’s attacks before landing his own. Holloway has earned 13 post-fight bonuses in his UFC tenure and holds various records, including but not limited to: most significant strikes landed all-time (3457), most significant strikes landed in a single bout (445), and the second-most total fight time (8:02:43). 

Dustin Poirier lands a perfect right hook to knock out Benoît Saint Denis. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Poirier has won three of his last five fights, holding UFC victories over #4 ranked Lightweight Justin Gaethje (26-5-0), #7 ranked Lightweight Dan Hooker (24-12-0), and his current opponent, Max Holloway. He’s been in the UFC for over a decade and has established himself as one of the most exciting scrappers of all time. He pushes a heavy pace, is always willing to eat one to land one, and throws everything with purpose. Poirier has exceptional technical skills but is willing to exchange in the pocket and brawl, regularly throwing caution to the wind. He has excellent wrestling and a black belt in BJJ, complementing his striking abilities, and is landing, on average, over one takedown per fifteen minutes. Training at American Top Team, he’s highly durable and has excellent cardio, making him dangerous at all times. Poirier is one of the most accomplished Lightweights of all time, holding wins over five former UFC champions, has landed the third most significant strikes in Lightweight history (1268), and is tied for the most Lightweight knockout victories (9).

Best Bets

Johnson vs. Zellhuber to Not Go the Distance: This is an excellent matchup of an established veteran and a rising prospect. Although both are strikers, they have very different styles. Johnson favors his hands, constantly looking to close the distance and throw power punches. Zellhuber is a more technical and measured fighter, typically looking to utilize his length and kicks while fighting at range. Despite their differing styles, both will regularly get dragged into brawls, and both have impressive knockout power. Johnson and Zellhuber have also been exchanging barbs online and in press conferences for a few weeks, making both more likely to be hunting for a knockout. I expect this fight to get off to a quick start, with both men coming forward and letting their hands go. Each of these fighters is dangerous in their own right, and I believe either could secure a finish victory. Regardless of who emerges as the victor, I don’t expect this fight to go three complete rounds.

Dan Ige Moneyline: An intriguing matchup of two well-rounded scrappers, I’m looking forward to this one. Ige is a sharp, technical striker, usually favoring his hands, and will often mix in takedowns and submission attempts. Pitbull is an excellent kickboxer on his feet, with heavy punches and quick kicks, and has world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on the mat. Both are experienced fighters with a solid resume of wins, but Pitbull has had the lengthier career, with 11 more years as a professional and 16 more fights, many of which were for titles. Pitbull has been in plenty of wars and wild five-round scraps, and although experience is valuable, he has a lot of miles on him. I believe this showed in his fight with Yair Rodriguez; while he still seemed to possess solid power, he looked slow and outmatched by the younger, quicker fighter. I expect a similar outcome here: Ige can match Pitbull’s power, and is the bigger, faster, younger man. I anticipate Pitbull to be more aggressive than in his last outing, but I expect Ige to outland him while controlling the pace and distance. While I’m not sure how long this fight will last or if the judges will be involved, I’m confident Ige will walk away with a victory on Saturday.

Dustin Poirier Moneyline: Six years removed from their second meeting, we receive the third fight between two of the UFC’s most legendary fighters. Poirier has been the victor of their last two bouts, defeating Holloway by submission in 2012 and by unanimous decision in 2019, earning an interim Lightweight title. This fight has significant meaning to both men. For Holloway, it’s not only a chance to avenge losses to an old rival, but also an opportunity to show the fans he’s still got it following a brutal defeat at the hands of Ilia Topuria. Poirier has already confirmed this will be his final fight, and a final victory over Holloway would be the perfect capstone to an outstanding career. Both fighters have spoken recently on their plans for an all-out war, and I’d be shocked if it was anything short of that. Although both men have changed and evolved since their last fight, I foresee a similar outcome. I expect this fight to get to a quick but technical start, with numerous close exchanges in the opening rounds. As the fight progresses, I believe both men will take more risks, staying in the pocket and unloading combinations. While the pace continues to increase, I anticipate Poirier slowly taking over, getting the better of the exchanges, controlling the center, and landing the bigger shots. Knowing this is his final bout, I believe Poirier will leave everything he has left in the Octagon and earn a hard-fought victory, one last time.

UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Teixeira Preview

Derrick Lewis lands a vicious flying knee on the chin of Marcos Rogerio de Lima. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

This Saturday, the UFC heads to the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, with an exciting Fight Night card. Throughout the card, there’s plenty of top-level talent and intriguing matchups that are sure to deliver highlights. In the co-main event, legendary Welterweight striker Stephen Thompson will face off with the quickly rising submission artist, Gabriel Bonfim. In the main event, we’ll see UFC knockout king Derrick Lewis take on the heavy-handed prospect Tallison Teixeira. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Junior Tafa vs. Tuco Tokkos

Junior Tafa blasts Parker Porter with a brutal knee to the head. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Light Heavyweight Bout

Junior Tafa: 6-3-0, 6 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Tuco Tokkos: 10-5-0, 6 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Tafa has won two of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Sean Sharaf (4-1-0) and Parker Porter (14-9-0). He’s a heavy-handed brawler who’s always in pursuit of a finish. A former professional kickboxer, he held a record of 23-5 with 19 wins by knockout and competed in the premier kickboxing promotion, Glory. Tafa is constantly looking to close the distance and throw bombs, and can cause severe damage with minimal space. He will regularly look to land shots down the middle, particularly straight punches and uppercuts. He has not attempted a takedown in the UFC and won’t typically initiate grappling exchanges, but has successfully defended 77% of takedowns attempted on him in his promotional tenure. Tafa has only left the second round once in his career, always pushing a heavy pace from the opening bell.

Tuco Tokkos exchanges blows with Navajo Stirling. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Tokkos has won three of his last five bouts and is looking for his first UFC victory. He’s a well-rounded scrapper who’s always willing to throw down in the pocket. He has heavy hands and is in perpetual motion, never staying in one spot long before blitzing in to throw wide, looping hooks. Tokkos is a solid grappler, possessing a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, powerful takedowns and slams, and heavy top pressure. Training at Kill Cliff FC, he’s comfortable on his feet but will occasionally pursue early takedowns, typically inside the clinch. He favors power to volume and is a great counter striker, regularly catching opponents with punches as he exits the pocket. Tokkos won’t push a heavy pace but is at his most dangerous early on, with six of his eight finishes coming in round one.

Vitor Petrino vs. Austen Lane

Vitor Petrino fires a kick to the body of Tyson Pedro. Credit: Ag. Fight.

Heavyweight Bout

Vitor Petrino: 11-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Austen Lane: 13-6-0, 11 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Petrino has won three of his last five outings, with UFC victories over Tyson Pedro (10-5-0), Marcin Prachnio (17-8-0), and Modestas Bukauskas (18-6-0). He’s an explosive fighter with devastating power and solid grappling. He’s constantly coming forward, typically headhunting and throwing single shots, with enough power in both hands to produce a one-shot KO. Training at CM System, Petrino is at his most dangerous early on, regularly unloading overhands and hooks, favoring power over technique. He is averaging over three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and can be a bit of a panic wrestler, resorting to grappling when he’s getting the worst of the striking exchanges. He has heavy top control and brutal ground and pound, averaging about one submission attempted per fifteen minutes. Petrino has surprisingly decent cardio and can push a consistent pace throughout the fight.

Austen Lane stuns Robelis Despaigne with a powerful left hand. Credit: MMA Mania.

Lane has won one of his last five fights with one No Contest and has a UFC victory over Robelis Despaigne (5-2-0). He is a lengthy striker who often opens up with a barrage of kicks before blitzing in to unleash combinations. He’s very explosive, throws everything in combination, and spends much of his time in the cage brawling inside the pocket. Training at Bulldog Boxing, Lane has solid power in his hands and decent cardio, carrying his punching capacity across 15 minutes. He is a former NFL player and has finished nearly all of his wins, leaving the first round just six times in his professional career. While he won’t typically engage in grappling exchanges, he will throw heavy ground-and-pound if he finds himself in top position. Lane has shown an ability to survive off his back and will pursue submissions if given the opportunity.

Nate Landwehr vs. Morgan Charrière

Nate Landwehr lands a brutal ground and pound elbow on David Onama. Credit: MMA Mania.

Featherweight Bout

Nate Landwehr: 18-6-0, 9 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Morgan Charrière: 20-11-1, 12 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Landwehr has won three of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over David Onama (14-2-0), Ludovit Klein (23-5-1), and Darren Elkins (29-12-0). He’s a true scrapper who always comes forward and engages in the fight wherever it goes. He’s always willing to eat a shot to land one, regularly walking through punches to close the distance. Landwehr fights behind his jab, constantly looking for opportunities to crash into the pocket and land combinations. He is willing to mix it up, averaging about one takedown landed and one submission attempted per fifteen minutes. He pushes a heavy pace and is at his best in a dogfight, controlling the center and forcing his opponent to the outside. Landwehr has earned three performance bonuses in his last five UFC appearances and always leaves everything inside the cage.

Morgan Charrière lands a vicious kick to the body of Manolo Zecchini. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Charrière has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Manolo Zecchini (11-4-0) and Gabriel Miranda (17-8-0). A solid scrapper willing to engage the fight anywhere, he’s always dangerous. Training with Team Chapa Quente, he’s a technical striker with substantial power in his hands and brutal leg kicks. Charrière has excellent footwork and is very defensively sound, taking minimal damage and always keeping his head off the centerline. He remains calm and technical throughout and won’t get pulled into dogfights, typically forcing his opponents to the outside and picking them apart. On the ground, he has great top control and heavy ground and pound, particularly elbows. Charrière has gone five rounds multiple times in his career and possesses great cardio, often increasing his pace as the fight progresses.

#14 Calvin Kattar vs. Steve Garcia

Calvin Kattar cracks Giga Chikadze with a left hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Featherweight Bout

Calvin Kattar: 23-9-0, 11 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Steve Garcia: 17-5-0, 14 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Kattar has won one of his last five fights, with UFC victories coming over #12 ranked Featherweight Dan Ige (19-9-0),#15 ranked Featherweight Giga Chikadze (15-5-0), and Andre Fili (24-12-0). He is a technical, patient boxer who fights behind his jab before unleashing brutal combinations with his hands. He pushes an intense pace, landing over 100 significant strikes in four of his last seven UFC fights. Training with the New England Cartel, Kattar often looks to to lull his opponent in, remaining patient and reserved before exploding and unloading big combinations. While he won’t typically initiate grappling exchanges, he has solid wrestling skills and has defended 77% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC. When he finds himself in top position, he has heavy ground and pound and top control. Kattar has proven to be one of the toughest fighters in the UFC, regularly surviving in deep waters, and has a excellent chin.

Steve Garcia stuns Chase Hooper with a powerful left hand. Credit: MMA Mania.

Garcia is on a five-fight win streak and has UFC victories over Chase Hooper (16-3-1), Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (39-12-0), and Melquizael Costa (24-7-0). He’s a heavy-handed striker who’s constantly coming forward and pursuing a knockout. He’s lengthy for the division and uses it well, throwing everything in combination and regularly mixing kicks into his combos. Garcia varies his shots well, attacking the head and body evenly, and constantly looks to enter the pocket and let his hands go. Training at Jackson-Wink MMA, he’s landing, on average, over one takedown per fifteen minutes in the UFC and has heavy ground and pound. He throws everything with power but has impressive speed and technicality, never loading up or telegraphing his shots. Nine of Garcia’s last ten fights did not see a third round, and he’s always pushing the pace.

#12 Stephen Thompson vs. Gabriel Bonfim

Stephen Thompson blasts Kevin Holland with a right hand. Credit: MMA Mania.

Welterweight Bout

Stephen Thompson: 17-8-1, 8 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Gabriel Bonfim: 17-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 13 Sub.

Thompson has won one of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over #11 ranked Welterweight Geoff Neal (16-6-0), #14 ranked Welterweight Kevin Holland (28-13-0), and Vicente Luque (23-11-1). He’s a karate-style fighter who provides his opponents with a steady dose of lead leg attacks and straight punches. He has excellent footwork and distance management, constantly moving and changing stances while keeping his head off the centerline. Training with Team Upstate Karate, Thompson is highly accurate and never telegraphs strikes, throwing swift kicks and frequently attacking from different angles. Although he has an excellent arsenal of kicks, he possesses equal power and speed in his hands, often blitzing forward to unload combinations. He’s most comfortable in a technical striking match, but he’s willing to get dirty and exchange in the pocket. Thompson has been awarded eight post-fight bonuses in his UFC tenure and is rarely in a boring fight.

Gabriel Bonfim secures a takedown on Khaos Williams. Credit: Ag. Fight.

Bonfim has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Khaos Williams (15-5-0),  Mounir Lazzez (11-3-0), and Trevin Giles (16-7-0). He always comes out guns blazing, throwing bombs, and looking for an early finish. Fighting behind his jab, he employs crisp boxing and consistently throws in combination, possessing excellent speed and power in his hands. Bonfim loves to engage in the pocket and tends to headhunt, but won’t get sloppy; he always keeps his guard high and his punches tight and straight. He has a deadly submission game, can find chokes from seemingly anywhere, and has fantastic takedowns. Training at Cerrado MMA, he advances with lightning speed on the ground and always pursues a finish. Bonfim has secured all of his submission victories via choke and can finish the fight quickly if he gets a hold of his opponent’s neck.

#9 Derrick Lewis vs. #13 Tallison Teixeira

Derrick Lewis unleashes a leaping head kick onto Rodrigo Nascimento. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Heavyweight Bout

Derrick Lewis: 28-12-0, 23 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Tallison Teixiera: 8-0-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Lewis has won two of his last five fights, with UFC victories coming over #2 ranked Heavyweight Alexander Volkov (38-11-0), #4 ranked Heavyweight Curtis Blaydes (19-5-0), and #7 ranked Heavyweight Marcin Tybura (27-9-0). Famous for his kill-or-be-killed approach, he is arguably the most powerful puncher in the Heavyweight division. Training at Silverback Fight Club, he has a unique, patient style that often shifts from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye. Along with his punching power, Lewis has a surprising arsenal of flashy attacks, particularly jumping kicks and flying knees. He doesn’t often initiate grappling exchanges and is well known for his non-technical wrestling style of “just getting up,” but he can do serious damage if he gets on top of someone. He’s incredibly resilient and is never truly out of a fight, especially since he only needs to land one clean shot to find a finish. Lewis is the record holder for UFC knockouts with 15 and looks to add to that number every time he fights. 

Tallison Teixeira unloads ground and pound shots onto Justin Tafa. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Teixeira is undefeated and has a UFC victory over Justin Tafa (7-5-0). He’s a massive, lengthy striker with serious, one-shot knockout power in his hands. Standing at 6’7”, he uses his length well, often firing kicks and long straights from range before entering the pocket to blast his opponent with hooks and uppercuts. Teixeira fights behind his jab and regularly mixes kicks into combinations, but tends to headhunt, constantly pursuing a knockout. He holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but won’t typically initiate grappling exchanges; instead, he often remains on his feet, taking advantage of his significant height and reach. Training with Team Lucas Mineiro, he has a great chin and is willing to brawl on the inside, but he’s also extremely dangerous from range. Teixeira has not seen a second round in his brief professional career and has scored three knockouts in 40 seconds or less.

Best Bets

Petrino vs. Lane Under 1.5 Rounds: A matchup of two heavy-handed finishers, there’s sure to be fireworks in this fight. Although both are mostly known as knockout artists, they don’t have identical styles. Petrino tends to mix it up more, using both his powerful striking and solid grappling to find a finish. Lane is more of a classical striker, utilizing his punching power and size to put his opponents away. Both have finished the majority of their victories and are coming off knockout losses, so they’ll be looking for a highlight victory to get back into the win column. They have both proven susceptible to finish losses, as both of them have been knocked out or submitted in all of their combined losses. Considering these factors, I’d expect both men to come out guns blazing from the opening bell, hunting for a finish by any means necessary. While I’m not confident in how this fight will end, I do believe it will not last longer than one and a half rounds.

Steve Garcia Moneyline: This is an exciting matchup of high-level strikers that I’ve been looking forward to. Garcia is on a five-fight knockout streak and is looking for a knockout from the opening bell. Kattar has lost four straight, but possesses excellent technical boxing skills and a solid chin. Beyond his recent losses, Kattar has been in plenty of all-out wars during his UFC tenure, including his fight with Holloway, where he absorbed the most total and significant strikes ever in a single bout. While I wouldn't say his chin is gone, being in that many brutal fights takes a toll on a fighter over time. Kattar is also at home in a more technical, volume-based striking match, whereas Garcia prefers power to volume and throws every punch with knockout intentions. I believe Garcia has both the speed and power advantage, as well as height and reach. I expect him to force Kattar to the outside of the cage, keeping him on the end of his punches and constantly pressing forward. Ultimately, I expect Garcia to overwhelm Kattar with pressure and power en route to a victory on Saturday.

Lewis vs. Teixeira Under 1.5 Rounds: We’ll see two Heavyweight knockout artists go toe-to-toe in this main event bout. Lewis is one of the most prolific power punchers in MMA and rarely sees the judges’ scorecards. Teixeira has finished every fight of his professional career, and is yet to leave the first round. When you have two Heavyweights with the power these two fighters have, the fight isn’t likely to last long. Given the enormous height and reach of Teixeira, I expect Lewis to be coming forward as much as possible, constantly pushing the action. Likewise, Teixeira is always looking to come forward and force his opponent to the outside, so I anticipate plenty of close exchanges. Both of these fighters are capable of ending a fight with a single punch, and if they’re going to meet in the middle, someone is going to land that punch. Regardless of who emerges as the victor, I am confident this fight will not go longer than one and a half rounds.

The Best UFC Fighters to Never Win a Title

In the over 20-year history of the UFC, we’ve seen plenty of legendary fighters and champions come and go. Although earning a championship is the ultimate goal for all fighters, only a few ever reach the pinnacle. There have been hundreds of fighters in the UFC who never reached the top, but some are more notable than others. Today, we’ll take a look at the greatest fighters who never won a UFC title.

Joseph Benavidez

Joseph Benavidez applies a brutal guillotine to Dustin Ortiz. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Benavidez was a perennial title contender, fighting for gold on five separate occasions between the UFC and WEC. He consistently faced the best the division had to offer, going toe-to-toe for gold with champions such as Dominick Cruz, Demetrious Johnson, and Deiveson Figueiredo. He would first fight for UFC gold when he took on Demetrious Johnson for the inaugural Flyweight title, ultimately losing a competitive split decision. Following this loss, he’d win nine of his next ten fights, earning his way back to a title fight with Deiveson Figueiredo. Benavidez suffered another loss, this time via second-round knockout, but Figueiredo missed weight, necessitating a rematch for the still-vacant belt. He’d unfortunately be defeated by Figueiredo again, via first-round submission.

Joseph Benavidez blasts Henry Cejudo with a right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.

In his extensive UFC tenure, he competed in the most fights in UFC Flyweight history (19) while also scoring the most knockouts in Flyweight history (5). He is also tied with fellow Flyweight great Tim Elliot for the most decision wins in the 125-pound division (7). Although he never earned a title, he scored multiple impressive victories against notable fighters, including Henry Cejudo, Ian McCall, and Eddie Wineland. Often considered a pioneering figure in the Flyweight division, he is tied with Demetrious Johnson for the second-most wins in the division all-time (13). Benavidez retired from MMA in 2021 and is currently expecting a child with his wife, UFC commentator Meghan Olivi.

Urijah Faber

Urijah Faber fires up inside the Octagon. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

In his 46-fight professional career, Faber contended for a UFC title four times. He would receive his first title shot in just his second bout in the promotion, taking on career-long rival Dominick Cruz for Bantamweight gold. Following this loss, he would shortly receive another shot, now for the interim Bantamweight title, against the then-undefeated Renan Barao, losing a unanimous decision. Following this, he would break off four consecutive wins and earn a shot at Barao again, this time for the undisputed title, but would again lose, this time via 1st-round TKO. He would receive his final shot at UFC gold two years later, once again against Dominick Cruz for the Bantamweight strap, and lose a unanimous decision.

Urijah Faber blasts Brian Bowles with a right hand. Credit: MMA Mania.

Unlike some men on this list, Faber did find championship success outside of the UFC, with a long stint as the WEC Bantamweight Champion as well as the King of the Cage Bantamweight Champion. He has a solid record of wins, including victories over Raphael Assuncao, Scott Jorgensen, Brad Pickett, and Takeya Mizugaki. Between the WEC and UFC, he was awarded 12 post-fight bonuses and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2017. “The California Kid” founded Team Alpha Male in 2004 and has established it as one of the most successful and respected MMA teams in the United States.

Demian Maia

Demian Maia submits Rick Story with a vicious neck crank. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Arguably one of the most successful specialists in modern MMA, Demian Maia fought twice for UFC titles, once for the Middleweight belt and once for the Welterweight belt. His first shot at UFC gold would be in the 185-pound division against Middleweight GOAT, Anderson Silva. He would be defeated via unanimous decision, ultimately moving down to Welterweight five fights later. From 2014 to 2017, Maia rattled off seven consecutive wins and earned a title shot against Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, once again losing via unanimous decision.

Demian Maia attempts a rear naked choke from the back of Lyman Good. Credit: MMA Fighting.

In his 14-year tenure in the UFC, he assembled an impressive list of wins, with victories coming over Carlos Condit, Jorge Masvidal, Gunnar Nelson, Jon Fitch, Neil Magny, and more. He’s found throughout the UFC’s all-time records list, holding the most rear-naked choke wins (9), the second most top position time (2:01:15), and the third most control time (2:35:20). Maia is an accomplished competitive grappler as well, holding a fifth-degree Black belt in BJJ. He has competed in and won various grappling championships, including the ADCC, the IBJJF Pan American and World Championships, and the CBJJ Brazilian Championships. Maia retired from MMA in 2021 but remains an active grappler and has recently joined the commentary team for UFC Fight Pass Brazil. 

Alexander Gustafsson

Alexander Gustafsson squares up with Jon Jones. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Gustafsson fought for gold three times in his thirteen-year UFC tenure, challenging two of the greatest Light Heavyweights of all time, Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier. He received his first title shot against Jones in 2013 in what would become a legendary bout. It was voted the 2013 Fight of the Year by numerous publications, including ESPN, Sherdog, and the UFC, and was recently inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame's Fight Wing. Although it was a unanimous decision loss for Gustafsson, many fans argue to this day that Gustafsson was the rightful victor. He would get another shot at gold in 2015, this time against Daniel Cormier. In yet another closely contested scrap, he would lose a split decision, with one judge scoring the fight for Gustafsson.

Alexander Gustafsson rocks Glover Teixeira with a powerful right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.

He would receive his final title shot and a rematch with Jones in 2018, ultimately being knocked out in the third round. Despite losses to Jones and Cormier, he earned victories over significant Light Heavyweights such as Shogun Hua, Glover Teixeira, and Jan Błachowicz. Gustafsson briefly retired in 2019 but returned to action in 2020 and is currently a free agent. He is a co-owner of Allstars Training Center, his gym, as well as the Swedish MMA promotion AK Fighting Championship.

Kenny Florian

Kenny Florian batters a bloodied Clay Guida. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Despite having the shortest career on this list, Florian contended for gold three times in the UFC, in two different weight classes. In his six years in the UFC, he fought 17 times and is one of two fighters to compete in four different UFC weight classes. He would receive his first UFC title shot in just his eighth professional fight, losing a unanimous decision to Sean Sherk for the vacant Lightweight title. He would then embark on a six-fight win streak from 2007 to 2008, remaining highly active and earning another title fight, this time against BJ Penn. He would suffer another defeat, with Penn securing a rear-naked choke in the fourth round. Florian proceeded to win three of his next four before his final title fight, facing off with José Aldo for the Featherweight title. He would once again lose via unanimous decision, and ultimately chose to retire following this bout.

Kenny Florian fires a head kick at Gray Maynard. Credit: The Boston Globe.

 Regardless of championship success, he went toe-to-toe with plenty of high-level competition and earned victories over fighters such as Joe Lauzon, Clay Guida, and Takanori Gomi. Florian is also an accomplished grappler, possessing a fifth-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is in the Grapplers Quest Hall of Fame and is a former Grapplers Quest Superfight champion, as well as a Naga Advanced Gi Open and Middleweight champion. Florian continues to teach BJJ and is a member of the PFL commentary team.

Honorable Mention: Donald Cerrone

Donald Cerrone fires a clean head kick at Alexander Hernandez. Credit: ESPN.

One of the longest tenured and beloved fighters in UFC history, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Cerrone on this list. Although he only fought for UFC gold once, he challenged for a title three times in the WEC and consistently faced high-level talent throughout his extensive career. Riding an eight-fight win streak, Cerrone received his lone UFC title shot in 2015, facing Rafael Dos Anjos for the Lightweight strap. Unfortunately, he was quickly dispatched via a first-round knockout.

Donald Cerrone submits Edson Barboza with a rear naked choke. Credit: Zuffa LLC.

Despite never winning a belt, Cerrone remains one of the most accomplished fighters of all time and is deeply ingrained in the promotion’s history. He holds the UFC record for the most wins (23), most knockdowns (20), most head kick knockouts (6), the third most UFC bouts (38), and the third most finishes (16). He’s also received the most combined UFC/WEC post-fight bonuses, earning a combined 23 bonuses under the Zuffa umbrella. He’s faced a who’s who of the UFC Lightweight division, owning victories over Eddie Alvarez, Edson Barboza, Charles Oliveira, and Benson Henderson.