*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.

Noche UFC: Lopes vs. Silva Preview