*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.

UFC Fight Night: Ulberg vs. Reyes Preview