UFC Vegas 54
Event Preview

Ok, we are back in the Apex with an unusually small 11 fight card! There are not many ranked fighters, but there are some good fighters and solid prospects from top to bottom.

I have a good feeling this is going to be one of those sleeper cards. There will be some fun scraps, and breakout performances!

And the main event is a high stakes fight for the light heavyweight division. Jan has a tough fight in his first fight since losing his title. Rakic is 9 years younger, and he is a tough style matchup for Jan. He will be tough to hit, and Rakic will threaten the takedown all fight.

Here are some of the fights I am most looking forward to.

Nick Maximov vs Andre Petroski
Middleweight – 185 pounds

The third fight in the UFC for the Nick Diaz Academy product, and DWCS alum, Nick Maximov.

There are a bunch of fighters we have come across over the years that have been affiliated with the Diaz brothers. But none have really walked and talked like Nate and Nick quite like Nick Maximov does. However, he does not fight exactly like a Diaz..

He fights kind of like a fighter you’d think a Diaz brother typically hates! Nick Maximov has attempted 31 takedowns in his 2 UFC fights! 31!! He is the ultimate spam wrestler. He definitely has some similarities to the Diaz brothers, he has that Diaz brother pace and grappling. But do not expect to see Nick overwhelm anyone with boxing volume.

And Nick has an interesting fight here. Andre Petroski is a tough guy with a wrestling background. This fight could ultimately could down to the war of attrition. The line has this as an easy one for Nick, but I am not so sure..

Tatsuro Taira vs Carlos Candelario
Flyweight – 125 pounds

Alright! Let’s try this again..

I am really interested in getting a look at Tatsuro Taira in the UFC. This kid might be the real deal. He is only 22 years old, and already has a record of 10-0 as a pro and 9-0 as an amateur. And he has stopped his opponents in all but 2 of his pro wins, and he has been fighting real guys over in Japan! He has a bunch of subs on his record, but his striking looks really clean. And powerful. Super interesting to see a kid this young in the UFC.

Flyweight might be the most underrated division in the UFC. There are is a bunch of really good young talent coming up, and Tatsuro Taira will be looking to join that group!

He will have a favourable matchup in Carlos Candelario. Carlos is a solid fighter, he will come forward and bring the fight to Taira. But all indications are that he is not the same level of fighter or athlete.

Jan Błachowicz vs Aleksandar Rakić
Light Heavyweight – 205 pounds

Alright we have a good one for our main event.

Jan became the unlikely champ at 205 after starting his UFC career 2-4! He then went on a 7-1 run before getting a crack at the vacant LHW belt against Dominick Reyes. He won that fight via 2nd round KO, he then defended the belt against one of the P4P best in the world, Israel Adesanya. After beating one of the sports biggest stars, it felt like we were heading into the Polish Power era! Jan wasn’t really on our radars to be the next king at 205, but he was looking like we going to be tough to beat! Until he ran into the seemingly immortal Glover Teixeria. The just recently turned 42 year old Glover was getting his last crack at UFC gold! Jan was a pretty sizeable favourite going into the fight against Glover, but Glover executed a masterful game plan and was able to take Jan down before submitting him in the 2nd.

Jan will have a tough fight in Aleksandar Rakić. Rakic’s only loss in the UFC was a controversial loss to Volkan Oezdemir. Rakic has the momentum of a young fighter still finding his ceiling. And he is a tough style matchup for Jan. Jan and his Polish power will always be a threat, but Rakic is very hard to hit. He is not one to take risk, and he will happily grapple Jan if that what he believes his easy path of victory to be, which I believe it is.

We could have a new 205 contender emerge, or the fan favourite and former champ will make his case for another crack at the prestigious Light Heavyweight belt!

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UFC 274
Event Preview

Alright – after a string of less than stellar Fight Nights in the Apex, we are back on PPV. And back in a arena full of fans. And more importantly, we have a card full of fights amongst the best in the world.

There has been a lot of talk on the internets recently about the quality of these recent fight nights. And if it is fair to criticize them before they happened, or should we even care if the fights are fun.

But I absolutely think the quality of fighters is worth considering. I am a big advocate for a very simple idea. And it might sound obvious, but bears repeating. The best fighters make for the best fights. There is something different about MMA when you’re watching the very best compete. Maybe it’s the stakes, but I think it is more than that. Fighters who are more athletic, and have a higher level of skill, usually are in better fights. Bad fighters get tired, they do not have the skills or experience to finish their opponents. Don’t get me wrong, any fight happening in a cage can be fun.

But my point is, there is very good reason to be excited when a card features fights amongst the best in the world. It isn’t just the stakes, the fights themselves are usually more fun.

And 274 is full of really good fighters. The last few PPV cards have been fantastic top to bottom. And this one is no different. I do not know what to think about the main events yet. And there are some fun fights on the prelims as well.

Should be fun!
Here are some of my favourite fights on the card,

Kleydson Rodrigues vs C.J. Vergara
Flyweight – 125 pounds

Flyweight might be the most underrated division in the sport. Remember that thing I said about good fighters making for good fights? Well that seems to be the case for almost all UFC flyweight fights. They are fast, highly skilled. Love me some flyweights. And this fight is the first of many on 274!

CJ Verga is really good. And really fun to watch. He has a fan friendly style and some really clean standup. CJ entered the UFC with 5 straight finishes, and went 3 rounds with a really solid fighter in Ode Osborne. CJ actually outstruck Ode, but many fighters will lose to Ode Osborne over the course of his career, no shame in that.

CJ will have another tough test in the newcomer, Kleydson ‘KD’ Rodrigues. KD is only 26 years old and has won his last 6 fights. His last fight was a decision win on DWCS, and it was his first fight in two years! And he looked absolutely fantastic against a really good pro, who was supposed to be a tough style matchup. KD can grapple and strike, but IMO the most interesting thing about KD is his athleticism and physicality. Fighters who look to have that extra step are always worth taking note of. I think KD might be one of those fighters.

This is an awesome fight. And I think might be one of those fights we look back on later as a matchup not appreciated enough at the time.

Tracy Cortez vs Melissa Gatto
Flyweight – 125 pounds

More prospects! And more flyweights, but the women this time.

The UFC’s women’s flyweight division is starting to fill out. There are some potential contenders beginning to emerge and these two will both be looking to establish themselves as one of those conteders.

Tracy Cortez isn’t just the lucky lady that gets to brush Brian Ortega’s hair, she is also a top flyweight prospect. She is 9-1 in MMA and 3-0 in the UFC, and one of the most relentless grapplers in the division. Averaging 3 takedowns a fight in the UFC. She is solid! Looking forward to seeing her fight.

Tracy will be fighting the undefeated Brazilian, Melissa Gatto. Gatto debuted in the UFC in August of last year after 3 years away. Her last fight before the UFC was a 1st round submission win over UFC vet, Karol Rosa. Karol Rosa is 5-1 in the UFC as a bantamweight! And Gatto taped her out when she was only 22 years old! Gatto looks like she might be a real threat. Gatto is strong and well rounded, and has the skills to be dangerous anywhere the fight goes. She has stopped both of her wins in the UFC and will have a great test in Tracy Cortez.

Brandon Royval vs Matt Schnell
Flyweight – 125 pounds

Yay flyweights! And I absolutely love this one. This is going to be a scrap. A scrap between two really solid fighters.

Brandon Royval has become a fan favourite after some wild fights against the flyweight divisions best. His win over Kai Kara-France is an all timer, and the fight with Moreno was shaping up to be fun until he injured his shoulder.

Royval feels like a throwback fighter. Or maybe he is the third Diaz brother. Either way, he is must watch tv. He is sneaky dangerous on the feet, and he will be throwing up subs and woking constantly while grappling.

Matt Schnell has a checkered UFC record, but he is good. He is one of those underappreciated fighters that makes some of these UFC divisions so tough. Schnell doesn’t have the name recognition or reputation as some of Royvals previous opponents, but he will be a tough fight regardless. Which is a potential no-win situation for a guy like Royval. Royval is building a bit of a name for himself, but he could be a .500 UFC fighter if he drops this one.

I just love this fight so much. High stakes, should be fun stylistically. Can’t wait.

Donald Cerrone vs Joe Lauzon
Lightweight – 155 pounds

Ok, talk about a throwback. This one is a throwback. This feels like a fight that could have happened on Spike! Or in the WEC!

Two of the most exciting and most beloved fighters in UFC history compete in the twilight of their careers as the PPV opener. And much of the theme of this ‘if you do not know, now you do know’ has been about the best fighters in the world. Well, neither of these guys are close to that anymore. But they have both earned their place on the biggest stage. They and 1st and 3rd in all time performance bonuses! I dont think its a stretch to say they are both future hall of famers.

I am not sure what to expect from either of them, but I am going to appreciate being able to watch them both fight one more time! Who knows how many either of them have left.

I can not imagine this fight being boring. I think it is actually physically impossible for either of them to be in a boring fight.

Michael Chandler vs Tony Ferguson
Lightweight – 155 pounds

Oh boy. This fight gives me all sorts of feels.

The ‘just bleed’ bro in me is excited for the violence. Part of me is sad we didn’t get this fight 3 years ago, seeing Tony as such a bigger underdog bums me out. Part of me is worried for Tony, he has not looked anything like himself since that fight against Gaethje. And Tony has some miles on him. We may have seen the best of Tony Ferguson, we’ll get another look Saturday.

Michael Chandler has had a rollercoaster start to his UFC career. He was a few well placed punches away from becoming the champ! And he had one of the best fights of all time against Justin Gaethje. Michael Chandler promised excitement coming to the UFC. And he has delivered.

Michael Chandler has lost to both the guys in the main event, and some may see that as a bad thing. He had his chance and he couldn’t get it done! But if I were to guess, I don’t think this is how Chandler would see it. He would know what we learned watching those two fights, Michael Chandler can beat both those guys. He maybe didn’t get it done the first time, but he proved he can be dangerous to both of them. Would either of them be excited to fight Chandler again? Well maybe Justin would, that guys is a sicko. But, point being – Michael Chandler is a threat to every 155er in the world. Will be interesting to see what he has for Tony on Saturday.

Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza
Strawweight – 115 pounds
Championship Fight

Rose returns for her 2nd title defence in her 2nd title reign..for the 2nd time…

Rose is one of the most exciting and likeable fighters in the UFC, and she has been responsible for some of the most memorable moments in UFC history. Rose is a truly elite tactician. She is like some sort of brilliant assassin. You never know what Rose will have in store.

You what was one of my favourite Rose performances? The first Andrade fight. Yea yea, I know. She got slammed on her head and lost the belt. But some may forget, she looked like she was on a different level up until that point. Her striking was on point, and she was using this really weird back crawl thing to avoid Andrade’s grappling. That ultimately was her undoing. But is was a good example of Rose’s creativity, even if the ultimate outcome was not ideal.

This will be a rematch of the first title fight in the divisions history! Carla and Rose were finalists for TUF 20 which crowned the first UFC Strawweight champion. Rose was earmarked at the time as the favourite to win the tournament, so Carla was able to spoil that party winning via RNC in the 3rd round.

This matchup is a classic clash of styles. Rose the striker vs Carla the wrestler.

Carla doesn’t have the biggest name, but there is a history between these two. And from a purely sporting standpoint, this fight is fantastic and really interesting. Can not wait.

Charles Oliveira vs Justin Gaethje
Lightweight – 155 pounds
Championship Fight

Holy moly this is a fight. This is one of those perfect storm fights. A fight that checks all the boxes for what a fan could want in a great fight.

It has high stakes, the Lightweight belt is arguably the most prestigious belt in the sport at the moment. The stylistic matchup is fascinating, will Charles Oliveira be able to take the wrestler down and work his subs? Who has the advantage on the feet? Conventional wisdom would assume Justin is the one who will want to keep this standing, but Charlie Olives has been looking so sharp and dangerous on the feet during this title reign. He KO’d Chandler to win the vacant title! KO’ing Chandler is not something Justin was able to do..

And – both of these guys are always in exciting fights. It is hard to imagine a scenario where this fight doesn’t deliver.

Charles Oliveira has really cemented himself as the rightful lightweight king. It can be a little awkward for the division and for the sport when you have the reigning champion retire and vacate the belt. There is almost an asterisk on their claim as the best in the world. A big dark cloud can hang over the division. But ‘Charlie Olives’ has really done his part to help us forget about Khabib. He has looked fantastic on this run, and when you consider his style, you can’t help but wonder if this Charles Oliveira would have been the guy to take Khabib’s 0..

Charles never had the chance to face Khabib, but it is interesting to compare how Charles does against common opponents. Justin Gaethje was Khabibs last fight, and it was one of Khabibs best performances. Will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

if you do not know, now you do know

UFC Vegas 53
Event Preview

Alright, another top heavy Apex card. Anyone else getting sick of these? Thankfully we have a banging PPV next week!

Rob Font vs Marlon Vera is a fantastic fight. 135 is truly absurd. And these two are right near the top of the division, with no room for error if they want their chance at the title. And the style matchup will make for an awesome fight.

The rest of the card is lacking intrigue. But lets take a look at the fights I am most looking forward to.

Tatsuro Taira vs Carlos Candelario
Flyweight – 125 pounds

Ok, one of the best fights on this card is the first fight!

I am really interested in getting a look at Tatsuro Taira in the UFC. This kid might be the real deal. He is only 22 years old, and already has a record of 10-0 as a pro and 9-0 as an amateur. And he has stopped his opponents in all but 2 of his pro wins, and he has been fighting real guys over in Japan! He has a bunch of subs on his record, but his striking looks really clean. And powerful. Super interesting to see a kid this young in the UFC.

Flyweight might be the most underrated division in the UFC. There are is a bunch of really good young talent coming up, and Tatsuro Taira will be looking to join that group!

He will have a favourable matchup in Carlos Candelario. Carlos is a solid fighter, he will come forward and bring the fight to Taira. But all indications are that he is not the same level of fighter or athlete.

Jared Gordon vs Grant Dawson
Lightweight – 155 pounds

Interesting matchup here.

28 year old Grant Dawson still has that prospect label. He is 17-1-1 in MMA, 5-0-1 in the UFC. But he hasn’t been able to really take that next step up in UFC competition. His last time out against Ricky Glenn was a fairly memorable and notable performance. It is not often you see a fighter clearly win the first two rounds, and then lose the 3rd 10-8 because they have nothing left.

And that fight against Ricky Glenn is a good representation of why he has had issues getting over that hump. He had an extremely one dimensional attack, and wasn’t able to go the full 15 minutes. You are not going to stand against the average UFC calibre lightweight fighting like that. And you definitely are not going to beat anyone in the top 15.

Dawsons opponent is another solid UFC fighter, Jared Gordon. But if Dawson is going to take that next step he needs to start now. We need to see some progression in his game if he wants to remain a viable prospect in one of the most competitive divisions in the sport.

Andre Fili vs Joanderson Brito
Featherweight – 145 pounds

I am a fan of Andre Fili. He has been in the UFC since 2013! And he has fought some of the best at 145. He has a fan friendly fight style and a well rounded skill set. But he has not been able to string together a consistent run of wins in the UFC. 145 is an absolute shark tank, so there is no shame in being a .500 fighter in that division. If anything, fighters who can stick around as long as Fili have good reason to be proud of their longevity.

Fili will be looking to get back into the win column against a relative UFC newcomer in Joanderson Brito.

Brito first made an appearance on DWCS, winning via technical decision, but dropped his UFC debut to Bill Algeo. Brito will most likely want to take this to the ground and keep Fili guessing.

Fili is clearly UFC caliber, it is not clear Brito is. Should be interesting.

Rob Font vs Marlon Vera
Bantamweight – 135 pounds

Alright now this is a fight. Two of the best in the division. And a clash of styles that should make for a really fun fight.

For a long time it felt like Rob Font was one of the most underrated fighters in the sport. But this is now Rob’s third straight main event! It has been great to see Rob get that spotlight over the last year. It is well deserved. Font has some solid wrestling, and really clean boxing. He is a danger to any 135er in the world.

Marlon Vera has been around for awhile and was always a fan favourite, but it was when he TKO’d Suga Sean that his career really took off. Vera has some really fun striking and a solid ground game. He made a big statement in his last fight with a front kick KO of one of MMAs GOATs, Frankie Edgar.

Both of these guys suffered their most recent loss to another MMA GOAT, and potentially the number 1 contender at 135, Jose Aldo. Both these guys have a fan friendly style. And neither can afford to lose if they are going to fight for a title anytime soon.

This is a must win fight between two really good and exciting fighters. Which is the perfect recipe for an awesome fight. Can’t wait.

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UFC Vegas 52
Event Preview

You know what – this is a good card. I know people have been crapping on it. But this card has some solid fighters, and fun fights. With an added convenience – all the best fights are on the main card. You’d think that’d be a common occurrence. But it isn’t. The UFC will often put fun prospects and big names on the prelims on purpose for various reasons, but there often seems to be no rhyme or reason for their card construction. It is frustrating.

But this is a rare event where all the best fights are packaged nice and clean on the main card! Love it. Let’s dive in.

Landon Vannata vs Charles Jourdain
Featherweight – 145 pounds

The 145 pound division is an absolute shark tank and every guy needs to scratch and claw their way to make any progress. The perfect example of how competitive this division is – neither of these guys have won or lost consecutive fights in the UFC since 2016. And they both have draws during that span! Crazy.

I expect this to be an extremely competitive fight. Both showing a well rounded game with fun striking on display. Really curious to see who can establish their first win streak in years.

Sumudaerji vs Manel Kape
Flyweight – 125 pounds

Nothing better than a fun flyweight scrap.

Manel Kape was one of the better flyweights outside the UFC, spending years in RIZIN over in Japan. Fans were excited when he made the switch to the UFC, but he dropped his first two fights. But Pantoja and Nicolau are both top 10 flyweights, and Kape represented well in both fights. He has since rattled off two straight 1st round KO’s and is living up to the hype hardcores had for him when he first joined the UFC.

Manel Kape and his fan friendly fight style will have a willing dance partner in the Chinese striker, Sumudaerji. Sumudaerji has a fun and quick “in-and-out” style of striking. And he is a giant at 125.

Should be fun.

Maycee Barber vs Montana De La Rosa
Flyweight – 125 pounds

Mayce Barber started her career with a lot of hype. She had aspirations of becoming the youngest champion in UFC history, and after she started her UFC career with 3 straight finishes it looked like she might have a chance! But unfortunately she ran into a force known as Roxanne Modafferi and she suffered her first career loss. She has since traded a win and a loss, but that win was in her last fight against Miranda Maverick and it was one of the more controversial decisions in recent memory. And that is saying something..

Maycee will have a tough style matchup in the UFC vet Montana De La Rosa. De La Rosa debuted in the UFC when she was a part of the TUF season that introduced the division. She’s amassed a respectable record of 5-2-1 in the UFC and she has been fighting the best in her division for the majority of her pro career.

Will be interesting to see how the once bright prospect responds to her recent struggles against a tougher and experienced fighter.

Clay Guida vs Claudio Puelles
Lightweight – 155 pounds

I really like this fight. It is good match making. And an interesting stylistic clash.

Clay Guida is a man, he’s 40 – and he is one of the last fighters from our childhood! And he’s gotta be one of the last guys who fought on Spike, right? It feels like Clay has been around forever, he almost has 60 fights!!

Clay Guida was always a respectable top tier fighter, but a couple years ago it kind of felt like Guida was over the hill and his best years were behind him. But he had a resurgence in 2021! He went 2-1, but that 1 loss was via split to the Olympian Mark Madsen! And he won via RNC in his last time out against Leonardo Santos, another prospect..

Claudio Puelles was 7 years old when Clay was losing his pro debut. Puelles will turn 26 two days before his fight with Guida and will be making his 6th UFC appearance, winning his last 4.

Claudio is a strong athletic fighter with a dangerous submission game, but not great wrestling. Whereas Clay is known for his wrestling, but not so good defending submissions. And on the feet, Clay will be looking to land volume the whole fight. And Claudio will be looking for power strikes.

Lots to like in this fight. I can’t wait to see how it plays out. Big test for the prospect, Claudio Puelles.

Amanda Lemos vs Jessica Andrade
Strawweight – 115 pounds

An important fight at 115 between two of the most feared fighters in all of women’s MMA.

Jessica Andrade has been a staple of the very top of both the 115 and 125 pound divisions and is one of the best female fighters in the world. She is ultra aggressive, and powerful. With a really well rounded skill set. She is a major threat to get that Strawweight title back.

Amanda Lemos is 11-1-1 and undefeated at 115 with 3 of her 5 UFC wins coming via finish. She also scored a knockdown in each of her 2 decision wins in the UFC. She carries some serious power for the weight class.

This is a fun stylistic fight. And an important fight for the strawweight division.

if you do not know, now you do know

UFC Vegas 51
Event Preview

Ok my dozens of readers, I can’t lie to you, this card is not good. Sometimes cards don’t have big names. But the card will still have some solid prospects, and potentially exciting fights. And while this card does have some of that to some extent, it is a shallow card.

This card however is interesting from one perspective – it is an example of what the new UFC looks like.
Back in the day, even the big PPVs, were big because of one fight, the main event. And sometimes the co-main. 3 title fights was unheard of until UFC 205! So sometimes I think we may take these stacked PPVs for granted nowadays. They are usually stacked top to bottom! It is crazy.

But the other side of those stacked PPVs, are fight nights like this. And to be fair, this card had some fights fall through. So it wouldn’t have been so bad if the card stayed together. But it didn’t.

Point is, the UFC doesn’t need to sell anything to anyone. They are in the APEX, so no tickets to sell. The ratings for a random fight night in 2022 will have absolutely zero influence on their next rights deal years from now. And, it will still pull decent numbers. Because there are a bunch of sickos just like me who will watch every fight. And there are a bunch of other sickos who are always watching ESPN. ESPN is an enormous platform, a few more “hardcore” names on a card barely matters.

The main event is really what sways the ratings. And we do have a good main for this card. It is a big fight at 170, and it kind of feels like the the winner is the Official Dark Horse at welterweight. They have met before, and Vicente won via KO in the 1st round. Will be interesting to see what differences there are this time around nearly 7 years later.

Also, do yourself a favour and catch the Bellator card this Friday.
AJ McKee is without question the best MMA fighter competing this weekend. He might not only be the best 145er in the world, he very well might be the #1 P4P. He is a star in the making. Don’t sleep on him.

Jordan Leavitt vs Trey Ogden
Lightweight – 155 pounds

A matchup of grappling specialists! Combined, 70% of their wins have come via submission, and only 1 via TKO (This was that nasty smash Leavitt had against Matt Wiman, kind of grapply..)

Jordan Leavitt is an interesting character. He was a DWCS contestant and he stood out right away. He mentioned how he was going to school to become a lawyer! And that MMA is something he is passionate about. Which is not common back story for most cage fighters. And his fight style was also interesting. He has a really funky style of striking, but his game is to spam the takedown and get the fight on the ground any way he can.

Trey Ogden is making his UFC debut, and he has found his success in a similar fashion to his opponents, with his grappling. 11 of his 15 wins have come via submission. While he will probably be the one who is more willing to stand and trade, I am assuming he is also going to be happy to look for the submission.

This is a fun style matchup, and I am pretty interested in seeing where Jordan Leavitt’s career goes.

Chris Barnett vs Martin Buday
Heavyweight – 265 pounds

The fighter formally known as Beatboy, Chris “Huggybear” Barnett returns for his 3rd UFC appearance coming off a wheel kick KO at MSG! Huggybear has been a hardcore fan favourite for a long time. He is a true MMA vet and has made his way all over the world in MMA and kickboxing. He has a fan friendly style, and is one of the nicest guys in the sport. Chris Barnett is an easy guy to root for. And it is nice to see him making a name for himself in the UFC. Long overdue.

Beaboy/Huggybear will be taking on a fighter making his UFC debut! Martin Buday earned this opportunity in the UFC with an impressive win on DWCS. Buday looks like he might be a serious prospect at heavyweight. He is a big dude and knows how to use that size to win his fights. He also carriers a serious chin, he might be tough to take out for most heavyweights.

Interesting clash of careers here. And this will also be a rare case where both fighters need to cut weight to make the limit at 265. Barnett used to fight at superheavyweight! Coming in around 330!

Couple of big boys.

Miguel Baeza vs Andre Fialho
Welterweight – 170 pounds

Well this one feels like a do or die for someone who was previously seen as a top prospect at 170. Miguel Baeza had a big fight against Santiago Ponzinibbio after starting his UFC career 3-0 with 3 finishes. And after the 1st round, it was looking like Baeza was on his way to true contender status. But from that point on, he has struggled. He ended up losing a decision to Santiago Ponzinibbio, and then getting KO’d by Khaos Williams in his next fight in the 3rd round.

Miguel Baeza is a big and strong welterweight. He has clean technical striking and some solid grappling. He looks to have all the tools of a contender, but he is potentially looking at a 3 fight losing streak.

His opponent, Andre Fialho has a decent track record and experience, fighting on some of the biggest shows outside the UFC. And he is mostly known for his boxing, which could pose a difficult challenge for Baeza, who has been prone to getting hit.

Big stakes here. Fialho will want to prove he belongs in the UFC after losing his debut, and Baeza can not afford another loss. Should be fun.

Caio Borralho vs Gadzhi Omargadzhiev
Middleweight – 185 pounds

A matchup between DWCS prospects…as the 2nd to last fight (it is not a “co-main”).

Both of these guys are interesting. Caio won two fights on DWCS in less than a month. He has an interesting look and vibe to him, and he has a fun well rounded fight style. Some people are getting ready to hop on the hype train..

His opponent is named – Gadzhi Omargadzhiev. You can probably guess how he fights based on his name and how he looks. And while we don’t want to encourage stereotyping, you would be correct to make that guess. He is 13-0 and it looks like he also has some skills on the feet. I am interested to see how he does in the UFC.

Interesting clash of DWCS prospects here.

Vicente Luque vs Belal Muhammad
Welterweight – 170 pounds

This is a big fight at 170. And it is an interesting clash of style. It is also a rematch of a fight in 2016, a fight Vincente Luque won via 1st round TKO.

This very well could crown the dark horse at 170 pounds. Colby is stuck at number 2, Leon is getting ready to fight Usman. Khamzat is making his climb. All the while, you have Luque on a 4 fight win streak, and Belal is on a 7 fight unbeaten streak! Both of these guys are in line for a really big fight if they win this fight.

Vicente is a killer. He’s got really clean and powerful boxing and will throw some nasty leg kicks. Vicente also has the grappling to submit the best grapplers in the division. Vicente is one of those fighters that has really earned his place, he started his pro career 4-3-1! And has still lost a bunch since then. But he has grinded, and kept at it. And now he is one of the most dangerous fighters in the division. He has stopped all 4 fights on his current run, and has finished 19 of his 21 wins. Win lose or draw, Vicente Luque comes to fight. He deserves to be a bigger star than he is. I think his Diaz, or Masvidal style moment is coming someday soon.

Belal Muhammad has quietly amassed a very respectable 11-3 record in the UFC, and has gone unbeaten in his last 7. Belal is one of the most likeable guys in the sport, outside the cage. He is by no means a boring fighter, he can strike and throw down. But he will also take a grapple heavy approach if that is his best path to victory. Belal’s record is kind of the inverse of his opponents, winning 15 of his 20 wins via decision. But this doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a worse fighter, decisions are often a reflection of a high fight IQ.

The realty is, fair or not fair, the winner of this fight will need to do something a little extra to stand out in the crowded UFC welterweight division.

An important fight that should be fun, despite the quality of the card, this is a solid main. Looking forward to it

if you do not know, now you do know

UFC 273
Event Preview

This is a big one! The UFC returns to Jacksonville for a big PPV. 2 title fights, and the potential emergence of a superstar with abilities we have not seen before.

There has been an interesting theme developing for UFC 273 – the betting lines for the 3 big fights are becoming insane. All 3 are rightful favourites, but they have all been blown up to such an extreme degree! There are big potential fall outs when that that happens. You’ll have a lot of bettors who have thrown these guys into chalk parlays, and then a bunch who have thrown fliers on the dogs. These lines put a whole new context on these fights. New expectations get set with these lines. Very interesting..

UFC 273 also features some other notable prospects and some really fun fights!

Lets dive in!

Julio Arce vs Daniel Santos
Bantamweight – 135 pounds

This is a fun fight to kick off the card.

I really like Julio Arce at 135. This dude has some high level skills. He is one of those guys that has had some tough luck to start his UFC career. He has 2 split decision losses against 2 really solid guys, and he ran into one of the fastest rising prospects in the UFC in his last fight against Song Yadong.

But despite how highly skilled he may be, Julio Arce needs to execute and get a win. Especially fighting a UFC newcomer in Daniel Willycat Santos.

It is tough to find tape on Willycat, but he looks to be an aggressive finisher. Will be interesting to see how he looks against a legit UFC caliber opponent.

Mickey Gall vs Mike Malott
Welterweight – 170 pounds

This is a fun one. Mike Malott could be someone to watch.

Mike Malott has a weird record. He first debuted as a pro in 2011, as a featherweight! And was off and on up until 2017. Right around this time, he became the striking coach at Team Alpha male and was training to enter ADCC grappling tournaments as a black belt!

But in 2020, the 29 year old decided to take these skills and put them back on display in the cage. And he earned this UFC debut with a 39 second first round submission win on DWCS.

Malott has some high level well rounded skills, and is a very athletic fighter. If he is able to tie it all together and stay the course, he could make some waves at 170.

Mikey Gall is best known for his win over pro wrestling star CM Punk. Mikey Gall has stuck around for a few years after that fight, trading wins and losses. But he has yet to truly prove he is a UFC caliber fighter. The wins he does have in the UFC are all against guys who have since been released by the promotion. And I believe he is in tough here against Malott.

Ian Garry vs Darian Weeks
Welterweight – 170 pounds

Ian ”The Future” Garry! The next Irish MMA phenom, or so he says.

Ian Garry is ’24 years of age’, 8-0 in his pro MMA career, and is the former Cage Warriors Welterweight champ. And he is 1-0 in the UFC, winning his debut at MSG via 1st round KO.

Garry has generated some solid buzz for himself. He talks well, he is good looking, and he exudes the confidence of a championship fighter. But does he have the skills and the will to actually make that climb? It is a tall task. But Ian does have a lot of physical gifts, he is a long welterweight and has some knockout power.

Ian is the sizeable betting favourite against Darian Weeks. Weeks is 5-1 in his pro MMA career, and 15-4 as an amateur! He also has some pro boxing experience on his record.

Weeks made his UFC debut on short notice against Bryan Barberena, and he showed well! He took the second round on all judges scorecards, and it was a tough fight against a legit UFC vet. Barberena is far tougher than anyone Ian Garry has fought, and Weeks did it on short notice.

Darien Weeks is being over looked here, he isnt just a can for Ian Garry. He is a tough style matchup for Ian. He is without a doubt the toughest test of Ian Garys career. We got a fight with this one.

Mackenzie Dern vs Tecia Torres
Strawweight – 115 pounds

This fight is a great example why 115 is the best division in womens MMA. Both these fighters are really good. And both have had issues breaking into the top of the division.

Tecia Torres has been around since the beginning of the strawweight division as a competitor on TUF 20, the season that introduced the weight class in the UFC. She has traded wins and losses over her UFC career, but she has only lost to the very best in the division and she has never been finished. Tecia Torres has quick striking, good pressure and is not easy to keep on the ground. Tecia is a tough out for anyone in the division.

Her opponent, Mackenzie Dern debuted in the UFC in 2018 to much fanfare as she was one of the best BJJ players in the world, previously winning the ADCC world championships and was ranked #1 ranked the world.

She has since gone 6-2 in the UFC and will be looking to establish herself as true top 5 fighter in the UFC.

This is a big fight for 115. Tecia has won 3 straight and will be hungry for her first 4 fight UFC win streak, and Dern will want to get back into the win column to begin her own win streak and get closer to the title.

Gilbert Burns vs Khamzat Chimaev
Welterweight – 170 pounds

Oh boy. This is the unofficial main event. This feels like a big fight. A really big fight. I have wrote an entire piece on Khamzat and the this fight, Id strongly recommend heading over to “The Degenerate Marks Remarks” and check it out.

There is a lot to digest here with this fight.

Gilbert Burns is #2 at welterweight, and is one of the best P4P fighters in the world. He has, one would assume, the perfect style to matchup against the heavy wrestling style Khamzat brings. And he has only lost the champ at this weight! But it is Khamzat that is the 6-1 favourite!

The hype and intrigue surrounding Khamzat is hard to describe and summarize. He really does have the championship aura to him already. But is almost more than that? It is the unknown of how good he may truly be. What if he runs through Gilbert? Are we really just going to assume he is going to then do the same against the #1 P4P fighter in the world!? But what evidence would we have that would say otherwise?! And then do we turn our sights on to 185!? Where is Khamzats ceiling!?

We will find out a lot about Borz on Saturday, but I suspect we will learn what many already, including myself, believe to be true. Khamzat Chimaev is here to take over. So get ready..

Aljamain Sterling vs Petr Yan
Bantamweight – 135 pounds
Championship Fight

The rematch! We get to run back one if the most controversial title fights in UFC history as Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling are set to meet in a rematch of their contest from a little over a year ago.

Aljo has not fought since, and Petr Yan got a win over Cory Sandhagen to win the interim title in one of the best fights of 2021.

Aljo’s inactivity, and the way the momentum began to shift in Yans favour in their last contest is really playing into the lines with this one.

But regardless of what the betting lines are saying, this is a supremely interesting fight. This MMA at its absolute best. The two best in the world imposing their will

Alexander Volkanovski vs Chan Sung Jung
Featherweight – 145 pounds
Championship Fight

Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski returns for his 3rd title defence against the fan favourite, Korean Zombie.

Alex won the title in a tightly contested bout with Max Holloway. And his first defence came against the same person and the fight was won in the same fashion, a very close decision win.

And after 10 rounds between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, it was Alex who left as the champion – but fans were not convinced. Many, including myself, felt the best in the world was still Max Holloway. So Alex was technically the “undisputed” champ, but fans were not ready to give him that same recognition. It was still very much disputed.

However, that tone has now shifted after Alex successfully defended his title in an all time classic against Brian Ortega. Regardless of how we feel about the decision between Max and Alex, there is absolutely no doubt who the undisputed Featherweight Champion is.

Alexander ”The Great” Volkanovski’s title reign is officially underway, and he is quickly establishing himself as one of the very best fighters in the world.

Alex and his go forward style will have a very fun style matchup against the fan favourite and action fighter, Chan Sung Jung, aka The Korean Zombie. The Korean Zombie earned his nickname being an absolute wild man. But to be an effective ”wild man” in the UFC, you need to also be a talented fighter. Which The Korean Zombie absolutely is. He has a really well rounded game, and despite what the betting lines may tell you, he will be a danger on the feet. And he can threaten you with submissions.

Volk is obviously the rightful favourite here. And it is unlikely that Zombie can win a decision. But he will he a threat the whole fight to pull out a finish.

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UFC Columbus
Event Preview

We got more fight nights hitting the road! And it is going to to be tough to top the last event, but we still have a lot of good fights and some serious talent on this card.

The show is headlined by heavyweights, but the card is built on the back of the flyweight divisions. Male and female! And this card is built weird. I alomst like the prelims better than the main card.

Lest dive in!

Matheus Nicolau vs David Dvorak
Flyweight – 125 pounds

Why does the UFC do this. These are two of the highest ranked fighters on this card and they are buried on the prelims. I understand neither of these guys have huge names. But you can’t help but wonder if it would maybe help if they were featured higher up the card!!

Flyweights are always some of the funnest fights on the card, and that is especially true when they are two of the best, which these two are. They are both well rounded with an ability to grapple and have some clean striking. Should be a good one.

Jennifer Maia vs Manon Fiorot
Flyweight – 125 pounds

Manon Fiorot is one of the few legitimate potential title challengers at women’s flyweight. She won her last bout, but she didn’t impress in the way many of her backers expected her to. She will get another chance to make her case for a future title shot against someone who has been in there with the champ in Jennifer Maia.

Manon is a really strong and athletic fighter, which is what is needed to truly challenge Valentina. But she also has an extensive martial arts background, and her strength and athleticism makes her dangerous on the ground. She is one of the few true prospects at this weight class, look forward to seeing how she looks.

Chris Gutierrez vs Batgerel Danaa
Bantamweight – 135 pounds

I absolutely love this fight. Two legit prospects in the sports best division. Chris Gutierrez has quietly established a respectable record of 5-1-1 in the UFC, winning his last 2 in a row. He will try and pick his shots from the outside and has some solid grappling.

Danaa, has been deading people in his last few contests. He will be coming into this contest winning his last 3 fights via 1st round TKO. He has some lighting quick, and powerful striking. He may be someone to keep an eye on.

Big test for both these guys. Should be fun.

Askar Askarov vs Kai Kara-France
Flyweight – 125 pounds

God the UFC drives me crazy! Why is this not the co-main. Why is this not the main event!? This is a legitimate title eliminator!

Kai is 6-2 in the UFC, but one loss came to Brandon Moreno via decision, and his other loss was that crazy fight against Royval where he almost won via TKO! Hard to hold that against him. If there was ever a darkhorse that existed – it is Kai at 125. He has looked so good in his last few outings. The betting lines are really loving Askar and his wrestling, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kai catch his chin.

You can probably guess what kind of fighter Askar Askarov based purely on his name. And you’d be right if you were to make that assumption. But that isn’t meant to take away anything from his ability or his danger to his opponents. It is reasonable to assume once Figgy and Moreno are done fighting for the 7th time, he could be the betting favourite against either of them. Askar is going to be a hard puzzle for anyone in this division to solve.

This is the best fight on the card. I am so annoyed it’s not one of the top two fights.

Matt Brown vs Bryan Barberena
Welterweight – 170 pounds

Do you like violence? Of course you do!

And that is why you, and every other cage fighting fan loves Matt Brown. And – he is making his return to his hometown. Reasonable to assume someone is going to get hurt reeaalll bad..

Curtis Blaydes vs Chris Daukaus
Heavyweight – 265 pounds

This is a fight between two really talented heavyweights, trying to stay relevant in the reinvigorated heavyweight division.

All of a sudden the UFC heavyweight division is full of talent again. And neither of these guys can afford to fall further down the rankings. They need to pull some wins together.

Blaydes has kind of always been earmarked for the top of the division. A big young athletic wrestler who has tough style to beat. But – he fights at heavyweight, where anyone can find a chin and knock you out. And that has been the story of Curtis Blaydes career thus far. Every time it feels like he has some momentum, and is getting close to that title shot, he gets KOd. Now, he only has 3 losses, and he is only 31 years old. He has plenty of time to figure it out. But those KOs to Francis’ and Derrick Lewis have taken him off path. Hopefully for him they are learning experiences and we can see him get to that title.

Chris Daukaus started his UFC career guns blazing. Starting out with 4 straight KO wins. But once he fought his first “test” in Derrick Lewis he suffered the same fate many have before him, including his opponent Saturday, and was KOd.

I like Chris Daukaus, he has some quick hands and there is reason to believe he has some solid grappling (his brother has some slick subs but Chris has no subs on his record). But despite my hypothetical assumption that he can grapple, without a doubt, he will want to stay off his back and try and find Blaydes chin.

Important fight here at heavyweight.

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