*Anthony Hernandez viciously submits Roman Dolidze with a rear naked choke. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

The UFC heads to the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, with a phenomenal Fight Night card. Throughout, the entire card is filled with outstanding matchups, exciting prospects, and established veterans all looking to earn a highlight-reel victory this Saturday. In the co-main event, we’ll see a collision of two dangerous Welterweights when divisional stalwart Geoff Neal faces off with the red-hot Uroš Medić. In the main event, two top-five Middleweights will square off when former champion Sean Strickland takes on a streaking Anthony Hernandez. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Zachary Reese vs Michel Pereira

*Zachary Reese catches Jose Daniel Medina with a well-placed head kick. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Middleweight Bout

Zachary Reese: 10-2-0, 5 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Michel Pereira: 31-14-0, 11 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Reese has won three of his last five fights with one no contest and has UFC victories over Jackson McVey (6-2-0), Duško Todorović (13-6-0), and Julian Marquez (9-6-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter with impressive power and excellent submissions. He uses a very upright stance and comes out guns blazing, blasting his opponent with heavy kicks before blitzing into the pocket with punches. Reese looks to overwhelm his opponent early, using both power and volume to back his opponent up. He has excellent clinch takedowns and can quickly find submissions on top and off his back. Training at Bangtao Muay Thai, he has excellent top control, heavy ground and pound, and won’t accept position on the ground. Ten of Reese’s thirteen professional bouts have not left the first round, and he’s always pursuing a finish.

*Michel Pereira blasts Santiago Ponzinibbio with a vicious knee to the body. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Pereira has won two of his last five bouts, with UFC wins over Santiago Ponzinibbio (31-9-0), Khaos Williams (15-5-0), and Michael Oleksiejczuk (22-9-0). One of the most unique fighters in the UFC, he’s known for his wild antics within the cage. Training at Overcome Academy, he’s always willing to get wild, throwing open-hand slaps, jumping knees and kicks, and even attempting backflips. Pereira’s unorthodox style makes him both elusive and impossible to predict. He has refined his style in recent fights, adopting a more measured and accurate approach, fighting much more efficiently with improved cardiovascular endurance. He’s averaging over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes, has heavy ground and pound, and a dangerous submission game, particularly chokes. Pereira always pushes a heavy pace and constantly pursues a finish wherever the fight lands.

Jacobe Smith vs. Josiah Harrell

*Jacobe Smith fires a stiff right hand at Preston Parsons. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Welterweight Bout

Jacobe Smith: 11-0-0, 8 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Josiah Harrell: 11-0-0, 6 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Smith is undefeated and holds UFC victories over Niko Price (16-10-0) and Preston Parsons (11-6-0). He’s an explosive pressure fighter with excellent wrestling who’s always searching for a finish. He pushes a heavy pace from the opening bell, immediately coming forward to fire heavy hooks, overhands, and damaging leg kicks. Smith has excellent takedowns, regularly performing impressive slams, and has landed nine takedowns in his three fights under the Zuffa umbrella. Training at Fortis MMA, he will throw vicious ground and pound from top position, especially elbows, and is very fluid on top, often finding a dominant position with blinding speed. He’s very active in top position, constantly looking to improve or do damage, never allowing his opponent to rest or recover. Smith is at his most dangerous early on, with his pace often slowing as the fight continues, but he carries his power at all times and can produce a finish from anywhere.

*Josiah Harrell rains down ground and pound onto Mike Roberts. Credit: The Sun.*

Harrell is undefeated and making his UFC debut. He’s a power-punching wrestler who’s comfortable in deep waters. He’s constantly looking to close the distance so he can let his hands go inside the pocket, regularly switching stances and varying his entries into striking range. Harrell throws everything with power, often dipping his head before unloading powerful overhands and uppercuts. Training at Grove City BJJ, he’s a well-rounded grappler who’s as sound defensively as he is offensively, with both excellent takedowns and takedown defense. He’s very active in top position, always throwing ground and pound and looking for submissions, and is willing to take risks, including attempting standing chokes or flying armbars. Harrell has excellent cardio, shown an impressive ability to recover, and seems never truly out of a fight.

#7 Serghei Spivac vs. #9 Ante Delija

*Serghei Spivac submits Marcin Tybura with a slick armbar. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Heavyweight Bout

Serghei Spivac: 17-6-0, 7 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

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

Spivac has won two of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #10 ranked Heavyweight Marcin Tybura (27-10-0), #11 ranked Heavyweight Derrick Lewis (29-13-0), and Tai Tuivasa (15-9-0). He’s a powerful wrestler with brutal ground and pound and excellent top control. He’ll usually shoot in early, more often than not earning the takedown, having landed at least three takedowns in nearly all his UFC wins. Spivac rarely leaves fights up to the judges, with 11 first-round finishes in his career and 10 of his 14 bouts in the promotion not going the distance. Training with the Polar Bear Team, he has a diverse submission game, but will look to land ground and pound before chasing a submission. He’s always looking to land damage on the ground but won’t force anything, being more than willing to hold half guard and work from there. While Spivac usually won’t spend much time on the feet, he has heavy hands and will throw right overhands until closing the distance and pursuing takedowns.

*Ante Delija unloads shots onto Waldo Cortes-Acosta. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Delija has won three 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 six of his last seven outings ended in round one.

#14 Dan Ige vs. Melquizael Costa

*Dan Ige tags Diego Lopes with stunning right hand. Credit: The Mirror.*

Featherweight Bout

Dan Ige: 19-10-0, 7 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Melquizael Costa: 25-7-0, 8 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.

Ige has won two of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Edson Barboza (24-14-0), Andre Fili (25-12-0), and Sean Woodson (13-2-1). He is a brawler with serious power in the pocket and excellent technical boxing skills. He has great footwork, regularly switching stances and varying his entries into the pocket. Ige has a solid kicking game to back up his boxing, with particularly damaging leg kicks. Training at Xtreme Couture, he has one-shot knockout power and favors power to volume, often firing heavy overhands or looping hooks before returning to range. 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 never been finished and will always come forward to engage and do damage.

*Melquizael Costa fires a powerful kick to the head of Julian Erosa. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Costa is on a five-fight win streak, holding UFC victories coming over Morgan Charrière (21-12-1), Julian Erosa (31-13-0), Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (39-12-0). 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 ten of his sixteen finish victories coming in round one.

#12 Geoff Neal vs. Uroš Medić

*Geoff Neal lands a powerful left hand on Vicente Luque. Credit: Cageside Press.*

Welterweight Bout

Geoff Neal: 16-7-0, 10 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Uroš Medić: 12-3-0, 10 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Neal has won two of his last five outings and holds wins over #4 ranked Welterweight Belal Muhammad (24-5-0), Rafael Dos Anjos (32-17-0), and Vicente Luque (23-12-1). He has serious power in his hands and throws everything in combination, always fighting behind his jab. He’s an aggressive striker but has excellent technical skills, always keeping his hands high and his shots straight. Neal has excellent head movement and footwork, always remaining quick and elusive throughout the fight. Training at Fortis MMA, he does a great job of varying his shots and attacking from different angles, but is especially dangerous with his left hand. He holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is a solid wrestler 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.

*Uroš Medić drops Muslim Salikhov with a thunderous left hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Medić has won three of his last five fights, with UFC victories coming over Muslim Salikhov (22-6-0), 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 eleven of his fifteen professional fights ending in the first round.

#3 Sean Strickland vs. #4 Anthony Hernandez

*Anthony Hernandez lands a powerful slam takedown on Michel Pereira. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Middleweight Bout

Sean Strickland: 29-7-0, 11 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Anthony Hernandez: 15-2-0, 3 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.

Strickland has won three of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #2 ranked Middleweight Nassourdine Imavov (17-4-0), #5 ranked Middleweight Brendan Allen (26-7-0), and #6 ranked Middleweight Israel Adesanya (24-5-0). He’s an excellent striker who’s always coming forward and pressuring his opponent. He has a very upright stance and is always backing his opponent up, constantly looking to close the distance and let his hands go. Strickland sets up everything with his jab and varies his attacks well, constantly firing shots to both the head and body, especially front kicks. He typically won’t pursue takedowns, but is a solid wrestler and has successfully defended 76% of the takedowns attempted against him in the UFC. He has outstanding cardio and strikes with an impressive amount of volume, landing, on average, about 140 significant strikes in his last five outings. Training at Xtreme Couture, Strickland has fought for gold three times in his last four fights and has consistently fought the best competition the Middleweight division has to offer.

*Sean Strickland lands a cracking right hook to the head of Abus Magomedov. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Hernandez is on a eight-fight win streak, holding UFC victories over #5 ranked Middleweight Brendan Allen (25-7-0), #11 ranked Middleweight Roman Dolidze (15-4-0), and Roman Kopylov (14-5-0). He’s a relentless scrapper who’s always working for a finish and wearing down his opponent. He pushes a heavy pace from the opening bell, immediately coming forward and pressing the action. Hernandez does a great job mixing kicks into his combinations and will often extend his punch combos, firing five or six shots before returning to range. He is highly durable, always willing to eat a shot to land one, and often walks through offense to close the distance and do damage of his own. Training with the MMAGold Fight Team, he has outstanding takedowns, smothering top control, and dangerous chokes, especially his guillotine. Hernandez heats up as the fight continues, increasing his pace and output and never allowing his opponent to rest.

Best Bets

Smith vs Harrel Over 1.5 Rounds: This is an excellent matchup of two upcoming prospects. Both of these fighters are well-rounded and dangerous everywhere, and both rarely see the judges’ scorecards. Although both fighters are always working for a finish, I believe the evenness of this matchup will make a quick finish much less likely for either. Smith has proven extremely powerful but seems to throw everything with max power, slowing as the fight continues. Harrell often does his best work in the later rounds, regularly surviving early onslaughts to turn the tide. I expect this fight to get off to a quick start but slow down significantly as both men pursue their own grappling offense, especially as Smith's power-punching threat decreases over time. Either of these excellent up-and-comers could walk away with a victory, but I’m confident it will last at least a round and a half.

Geoff Neal Moneyline: Another exciting matchup, this is between two dangerous strikers. Although Medić is on a solid run of two consecutive first-round knockout victories, this is a significant step up in competition for him. Conversely, Neal has been on a bit of a skid lately, losing three of his last four outings, but has faced top-tier competition in all of those four fights. I believe Neal's experience will be the difference-maker, and he also has an advantage in technical boxing skills. Medić has been finished three times in his UFC tenure largely due to him getting wild and brawling, and while he’s a solid kickboxer, he doesn’t have nearly as educated hands as Neal. I expect Medić to come out guns blazing, but will struggle to hurt Neal, and likely find himself on the back foot and the receiving end of Neal’s offense. As the fight continues, I believe Neal will take over entirely, controlling the center of the octagon and battering Medić en route to a bounce-back win.

Anthony Hernandez Moneyline: This is a huge matchup of two top-ranked Middleweights. Although neither fighter has a similar style, both use pressure and look to outpace their opponents, and I believe Hernandez can beat Strickland at his own game. Since his triumphant title victory over Israel Adesanya, Strickland has largely put on slow, less-than-entertaining fights where, although he lands plenty of shots, he isn’t exactly in hot pursuit of a finish. Hernandez, on the other hand, always puts on a blistering pace, forcing his opponent to be working at all times while mixing in constant takedowns. I believe Hernandez's constant output will force Strickland to fight moving backwards, where he’s least comfortable, and make him abandon his usually safe fighting style. As the fight continues, I expect Hernandez to capitalize on Strickland’s mistakes, landing takedowns and lighting him up on his feet. Ultimately, I believe Hernandez will take control from the opening bell and earn his most impressive win to date.

UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Hernandez Preview