*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: Dolidze vs. Hernandez Preview