*Israel Adesanya stuns Marvin Vettori with a stiff uppercut. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

The UFC heads to the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, with an exciting Fight Night card. From top to bottom, the card has been filled with fantastic matchups and exciting scrappers looking to put on a show this Saturday. In the co-main bout, two top-five women’s Flyweights will rematch when former champion Alexa Grasso takes on the streaking Maycee Barber. In the main event, we’ll see top-tier kickboxer Israel Adesanya collide with red-hot power puncher Joe Pyfer. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Terrance McKinney vs. Kyle Nelson

*Terrance McKinney viciously chokes out Viacheslav Borshchev with a tight guillotine. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Lightweight Bout

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

Kyle Nelson: 17-6-1, 6 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

McKinney has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #15 ranked Lightweight Farés Ziam (18-4-0), 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 25 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).

*Kyle Nelson rains down heavy ground and pound onto Matt Frevola. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Nelson has won four of his last five bouts, holding 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.

Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Yousri Belgaroui

*Mansur Abdul-Malik lands a crushing blow on Duško Todorović. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Middleweight Bout

Mansur Abdul-Malik: 9-0-1, 7 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Yousri Belgaroui: 9-3-0, 7 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Abdul-Malik is undefeated and holds UFC victories over Duško Todorović (13-6-0), Nick Klein (6-3-0), and Antonio Trocoli (12-7-0). He’s a powerful, explosive fighter with heavy hands and excellent wrestling. He throws every shot with power, fighting in a low, squatted stance and prepared to blitz forward with huge, lunging strikes at any moment. Abdul-Malik is dangerous early on but can be a slow starter, often opening up more as the fight continues. Training at MMA Masters, he has great takedowns, usually securing them quickly before unloading a barrage of vicious, thudding ground and pound onto his opponent. He’s very aggressive in top position, immediately pursuing a finish, and has solid chokes to back up his ground and pound. Abdul-Malik has never gone to a decision in his professional career and can produce a highlight-reel knockout at any time.

*Yousri Belgaroui lands a stinging right hand on the jaw of Azamat Bekoev. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Belgaroui has won four of his last five outings, with a UFC victory coming over Azamat Bekoev (20-4-0). A former Glory kickboxer, he’s a lengthy, precise striker who’s dangerous at all times. He’s highly accurate and varies his targets well, regularly attacking the head, legs, and body with a variety of punches and kicks, along with particularly devastating knees. Training at Teixeira MMA, Belgaroui has a sharp jab and fights behind it, remaining technical throughout and using his length to batter his opponent with constant straight punches. He has solid takedown defense and excellent ground and pound if the fight hits the mat, often landing vicious elbows as he defends takedowns. He has outstanding footwork and distance management, regularly slipping shots, cutting the angle, and returning fire. Belgaroui has secured two consecutive third round knockouts and can maintain a solid pace across three rounds, averaging about 96 significant strikes landed in his last two appearances.

Julian Erosa vs. Lerryan Douglas

*Julian Erosa stuns Melquizael Costa with a flying knee. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Featherweight Bout

Julian Erosa: 31-13-0, 12 KO/TKO, 14 Sub.

Lerryan Douglas: 13-5-0, 7 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Erosa has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Christian Rodriguez (12-4-0), Charles Jourdain (17-8-1), and Nate Landwehr (18-7-0). He utilizes an awkward style on the feet, staying upright with his hands down and throwing lots of looping hooks from strange angles. He seems to always be moving forward, whether to initiate a grappling exchange or land strikes, and has the cardio to do so easily over three rounds. Erosa is willing to get into brawls on the feet, gladly hanging in the pocket and exchanging combinations. Training at Xtreme Couture, he averages nearly two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and is a slick submission artist with outstanding chokes, having earned 11 of his 14 submission wins via choke. He has proven to be a bit of a slow starter, but he heats up as the fight goes on. Erosa has secured over half of his finishes after the first round and is always dangerous.

*Lerryan Douglas blasts Cam Teague with a powerful left hook. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Douglas is on a five-fight win streak and making his UFC debut. He’s a heavy-handed striker with a solid grappling background. He remains patient and technical throughout, favoring power to volume as he waits for openings to land power shots. Douglas is very explosive and can go from 0 to 100 very quickly, often starting fights slowly and firing kicks from range before blitzing forward and unloading devastating combinations. He won’t typically pursue grappling exchanges, but has a black belt in BJJ and is a former freestyle wrestling national champion in Brazil, so he’s more than competent on the mat. Training at Bloodline Combat, he does a great job of varying his targets, constantly damaging his opponent’s legs, body, and head with a variety of kicks and punches. Douglas has not been to a decision in his last seven fights and is always pursuing a finish.

Michael Chiesa vs. Niko Price

*Michael Chiesa secures the back of Max Griffin and pursues a choke. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Welterweight Bout

Michael Chiesa: 19-7-0, 0 KO/TKO, 12 Sub.

Niko Price: 16-10-0, 10 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Chiesa has won three of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #12 ranked Lightweight Beneil Dariush (23-7-1), Neil Magny (31-15-0), and Jim Miller (38-19-0). He’s a dangerous grappler with excellent wrestling and submissions. Averaging over three takedowns landed and one submission attempted per fifteen minutes, he’s most comfortable on the mat and won’t waste much time before taking it there. Chiesa is in perpetual motion on his feet, throwing lots of single shots and using his striking to set up his grappling, often striking into the clinch. He’s active on top, constantly looking to advance position and set up submissions. Training at Sikjitsu, he has excellent scrambles, smothering top pressure, and great transitions, regularly putting himself in advantageous positions out of grappling exchanges. Ten of Chiesa’s twelve submission wins have come via rear naked choke, and he’s incredibly dangerous if he can reach his opponent’s back.

*Niko Price fires a kick to the head of Alex Morono. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

Price has won one of his last five outings, holding UFC victories over Randy Brown (20-7-0), Alex Morono (24-13-0), and Tim Means (34-17-1). He is a gritty scrapper who’s always willing to exchange in the pocket and is comfortable anywhere the fight goes. He’s constantly looking to close the distance, regularly blitzing into the pocket with wide hooks and looping shots. Price fights behind his jab and uses his striking to set up his grappling, often punching into the clinch then pursuing takedowns. Training at Fight Me Combat Sports, he has heavy top control and is highly active on the mat, never accepting a position. He’s very tough to control and has a dangerous guard, constantly throwing up submissions off his back to escape danger. Price has only seen the judge’s scorecards six times in his career and always pushes a heavy pace.

#4 Alexa Grasso vs. #5 Maycee Barber

*Alexa Grasso submits Valentina Shevchenko with a tight rear naked choke. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Women’s Flyweight Bout

Alexa Grasso: 16-5-1, 4 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Maycee Barber: 15-2-0, 6 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Grasso has won two of her last five fights with one draw and holds UFC victories over Flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko (26-4-1), Viviane Araújo (13-7-0), and her current opponent, Maycee Barber. She is an excellent technical boxer who throws everything purposefully and in combination. She’s aggressive but not wild, staying technical and using timing and accuracy to damage her opponents. Grasso has a solid chin and is dangerous inside the pocket, but is also defensively sound, having successfully defended 58% of significant strikes attempted on her in the UFC. She holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is always dangerous on the ground. She’s constantly working in top position, looking to posture up and land ground and pound while threatening submissions. Grasso is a volume striker with excellent cardio, pushing a heavy pace throughout and landing, on average, 71 significant strikes per fight in her last five wins.

*Maycee Barber fires a knee to the head of Katlyn Cerminara. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Barber is on a seven-fight win streak, with UFC victories coming over #5 ranked Strawweight Gillian Robertson (17-8-0), #9 ranked Flyweight Miranda Maverick (17-6-0), and #10 ranked Strawweight Amanda Ribas (12-7-0). Training at Fort Collins Martial Arts, Barber is an aggressive striker with solid power in both hands. She’s constantly switching stances and throwing looping shots, preferring power to volume. Barber will regularly look to close distance and enter the pocket, often dipping her head and blitzing forward while unloading hooks and overhands. She can do solid damage without much space, possessing excellent clinch striking, particularly her elbows and hands. She’s landing, on average, over one takedown per fifteen minutes and is willing to work along the fence to bring the fight to the mat. Barber will increase her brawling tendencies as the fight continues, choosing aggression over technicality and hunting for knockouts.

#4 Israel Adesanya vs. #14 Joe Pyfer

*Israel Adesanya lands a powerful kick to the body of Jared Cannonier. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Middleweight Bout

Israel Adesanya: 24-5-0, 16 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Joe Pyfer: 15-3-0, 9 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Adesanya has won two of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over UFC Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereira (12-2-0), #9 ranked Middleweight Robert Whittaker (27-8-0), and #10 ranked Middleweight Jared Cannonier (18-9-0). He is one of the best technical strikers in MMA and a former professional kickboxer with a record of 75-5 with 29 wins by knockout. Throwing with both power and volume, he’s landed, on average, about 87 significant strikes in his last five fights. Adesanya is highly elusive, rarely taking substantial damage, and constantly moving, keeping his head off the centerline. Training at City Kickboxing, he has excellent footwork and is comfortable at range and inside the pocket, able to land damage from anywhere. He has a tremendous variety of kicks and does a great job of varying his attacks, always remaining unpredictable. Twelve of Adesanya’s last thirteen fights were for gold, making him not only prepared for five rounds but highly comfortable in the spotlight.

*Joe Pyfer blasts Kelvin Gastelum with a brutal ground and pound shot. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Pyfer has won four of his last five outings, holding UFC victories over Kelvin Gastelum (21-10-0), Marc-André Barriault (17-11-0), and Gerald Meerschaert (37-21-0). He is an explosive striker with one-punch knockout power and a black belt in BJJ. He favors power to volume, often firing single punches, typically looping hooks and overhands. Training at Marquez MMA, Pyfer has solid footwork and distance management, doing a good job of pressuring his opponent, holding the center, and moving in and out of the pocket without taking big shots. He’s willing to grapple and will shoot for takedowns early, remaining as aggressive on the mat as he is on his feet with constant ground and pound and submission attempts. He’s always looking to set up his right hand and will stay patient on his feet, hunting for openings to land his power shots. Pyfer has only seen the judges’ scorecards three times in his career and rarely takes much damage, absorbing, on average, about 28 significant strikes per fight in the UFC.

Best Bets

Yousri Belgaroui Moneyline: This is an exciting matchup of two fighters still early in their UFC careers. These fighters have very different styles: Abdul-Malik has a wrestling background and an aggressive striking approach, while Belgaroui is a very refined, technical striker with constantly improving grappling skills. Although Abdul-Malik likely has a grappling advantage, I expect most of this fight to play out on the feet, where Belgaroui has the edge. Abdul-Malik very much favors his power and forward pressure to do damage, constantly lunging forward and throwing huge shots, and I think that plays perfectly into Belgaroui's style. Belgaroui fights behind his jab and is comfortable on his back foot or the outside of the cage, and I expect Abdul-Malik to constantly run into the long jab and straight punches of Belgaroui as he attempts to crash into the pocket. Belgaroui also has a cardio advantage, with a full kickboxing career under his belt and two consecutive third-round finishes, whereas Abdul-Malik has left the second round just once in his professional career. I expect Belgaroui to piece Abdul-Malik up, denying his takedown attempts and wearing him out with constant offense en route to an impressive victory.

Lerryan Douglas by KO/TKO: This is a matchup of a dangerous UFC debutant and an established veteran that I’ve been looking forward to. Although Douglas is definitely the more striking-focused of these two fighters, he has the skills to match Erosa’s dangerous submission game on the mat, as well as the takedown defense to keep the fight standing. Douglas has a definite power and speed advantage, and Erosa is a particularly chinny fighter, with 8 of his 13 professional losses coming via knockout. I expect Douglas to pressure Erosa from the start, not necessarily breaking him down with volume but landing heavy kicks from range and big punches when they meet inside the pocket. As the fight continues, I believe Erosa will grow desperate to bring it to the ground, and Douglas will take control, dictating the pace and controlling the center while denying takedowns. The more Erosa is forced to stand and engage with Douglas, the more damage he’ll take, and I expect Douglas to increase his pace and output as he gets more comfortable. Once Douglas fully lets his hands go, I don’t believe it will take long for him to find the shot that puts Erosa out and earns him a knockout victory in his UFC debut.

Adesanya vs. Pyfer to Not Go the Distance: A matchup between a former champion and a rising contender, this is a massive fight for both of these men. Pyfer is ranked for the first time and facing what is by far the biggest name of his career, and will be looking for a big finish to push himself up the Middleweight rankings. Adesanya is on the worst skid of his career, having dropped three straight, and is in desperate need of a landmark victory to show he’s still got it. While I wouldn’t say both of these fighters will fight with reckless abandon, they will definitely both be pursuing a highlight reel win, and with the finishing abilities of both of these strikers, I would be surprised if one of them doesn’t find it. Neither of these fighters has seen many decisions lately, either, with four of Adesanya’s last five ending inside the distance and three of Pyfer’s last five. I expect this fight to get going quickly, with both fighters pushing the action and throwing with knockout intentions. As the fight continues and both men continue to pursue a finish, I’m confident one of them will land the shot they're looking for and end this fight within five rounds.

UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Pyfer Preview