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UFC 299 is within the rear view and UFC 300 is only some weeks away. For now, we now have ourselves a breather because the octagon returns to the APEX for a run-of-the-mill Struggle Night time card.
Don’t blame UFC Vegas 88’s heavyweight headliners Tai Tuivasa and Marcin Tybura for the shortage of buzz round this card. They’re unlikely to wish 5 rounds to ship the products, so the evening ought to finish with a highlight-reel end on the very least.
Tuivasa is freshly motivated to cease the second three-fight shedding streak of his UFC profession, whereas Tybura is not any stranger to taking part in the spoiler. If Tuivasa isn’t cautious, this might be the final time we have a look at him as a darkish horse contender.
Exterior of the primary occasion, we now have a smorgasbord of names on the primary card, with The Final Fighter 29 winner Bryan Battle stepping right into a co-main occasion spot in opposition to Ange Loosa, gentle heavyweight lifer Ovince Saint Preux taking up Kennedy Nzechukwu, Christian Rodriguez transferring as much as featherweight to face devoted finisher Isaac Dulgarian, a rematch between bantamweights Pannie Kianzad and Macy Chiasson, and an unpredictable middleweight contest between Gerald Meerschaert and Bryan Barberena.
There may not be so much on the road Saturday relating to the rankings, however there’s nonetheless loads of leisure available.
What: UFC Vegas 88
The place: UFC APEX in Las Vegas
When: Saturday, March 16. The seven-fight preliminary card begins at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+, adopted by a six-fight fundamental card at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
(Numbers in parentheses point out standing within the MMA Fighting Global Rankings)
Tai Tuivasa (8) vs. Marcin Tybura (9)
It’s not fairly time to desert all of your Tai Tuivasa inventory.
True, the hard-hitting Australian’s days of flirting with title competition are in all probability over, however turning into the following Derrick Lewis continues to be a more-than-attainable aim. And nothing can be extra Lewis-like than randomly smashing Marcin Tybura in a principally meaningless fundamental occasion.
Tybura has been a mainstay within the heavyweight rankings and for good cause. He’s versatile, he fights good, and he is aware of easy methods to grind out a choice. That final talent is unlikely to matter within the slightest in opposition to Tuivasa, who goes to the scorecards about as usually as he passes on an opportunity to do a shoey. Tybura is in hassle then as he doesn’t have the ability to place Tuivasa down nor the submission expertise to threaten him on the bottom (Tybura has by no means compelled a faucet from any of his UFC opponents).
That’s to not say that Tybura’s wrestling can’t neutralize Tuivasa, however like Lewis, he has made good use of his athleticism to blow up out of some doubtlessly furry conditions on the bottom. I doubt Tybura retains Tuivasa down and meaning I like Tuivasa’s possibilities to land a knockout punch inside the first two rounds.
Decide: Tuivasa
Bryan Battle vs. Ange Loosa
As peculiar as it’s to see these comparatively unknown names within the penultimate place on the cardboard, the inserting isn’t with out benefit.
Bryan Battle is trending within the path of being a trusted motion fighter, with 4 of his first 5 UFC wins coming by means of knockout or submission. When Battle received the TUF 29 middleweight match, he obtained a good bit of hype and has regarded worthy of it since dropping right down to 170 kilos. Battle continues to be working to seek out consistency, however he has pure ending instincts that may’t be taught.
On the opposite aspect this matchup, Ange Loosa is creating a repute as a fighter that may drown you with the sheer quantity of methods he throws on the market. Loosa is gentle on his ft with quick palms and although there isn’t at all times a ton of pop behind these punches, he strings collectively combos fantastically. A pointy Loosa might put Battle on his bottom early.
That is Battle’s struggle to lose so he can’t anticipate Loosa to come back to him. Loosa’s finest probability at victory is placing the stress on Battle early and by no means letting him get out of the beginning gates. Thankfully for Battle, he usually doesn’t take lengthy to lock in, so I see him taking the benefit in Spherical 1 and never relinquishing it. Then in Spherical 2, he makes key changes, foils Loosa’s makes an attempt to vary the tempo along with his wrestling, and finds a fight-ending submission.
Decide: Battle
Ovince Saint Preux vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
Ovince Saint Preux has been a tried-and-true warrior for the UFC, however he’s distinctly within the twilight of his profession. He’s a month away from his forty first birthday and the hours he’s spent within the octagon and within the fitness center have taken their toll on him as evidenced by an elevated frequency in knockout losses. Being matched up in opposition to Kennedy Nzechukwu isn’t more likely to reverse this development.
Everyone knows that “OSP” has the abilities to compete and he at all times reveals up in form. It’s been a wrestle for him to seek out that further gear lately, which is one cause why the outcomes haven’t been there. That’s in distinction to Nzechukwu, who normally takes a spherical to correctly get going. When he does, it’s usually lights out for the opposition.
That leaves the door open for Saint Preux to shock Nzechukwu in Spherical 1, so the veteran pulling off an upset end would solely be a minor one in my eyes regardless of the percentages saying in any other case (Nzechukwu is at present the largest favourite on the cardboard at -550 based on DraftKings). This one possible goes previous the primary 5 minutes although and that’s excellent news for Nzechukwu, who scores a KO in Spherical 2.
Decide: Nzechukwu
Christian Rodriguez vs. Isaac Dulgarian
It’s nice to see Christian Rodriguez transferring as much as featherweight as his previous two trip-ups on the scale have confirmed he’s not able to persistently make the 135-pound restrict but. He might be an element at bantamweight sooner or later, however for now eliminating the issues of a tough lower is what’s finest for him.
With Isaac Dulgarian, we don’t know what we now have with him but as he’s hardly ever been within the cage for greater than two minutes. His recreation plan is so simple as it will get: Come ahead, deal with, and punch, punch, punch, and punch some extra. Can’t complain because it has labored to the tune of a 6-0 document, all by first-round knockout or submission.
In these cases, I’ve to lean in direction of the fighter who has proven they’ll go the space, and that’s Rodriguez. By all means, if you happen to’re choosing Dulgarian to proceed his scorching streak and rating one other quick end, I don’t blame you. However Rodriguez has proven some critical grit and maturity past his years that has me liking his possibilities to outlast Dulgarian and take this one on the scorecards.
Decide: Rodriguez
Pannie Kianzad vs. Macy Chiasson
When Pannie Kianzad and Macy Chiasson met within the finals of The Final Fighter 28, Kianzad had the repute of the veteran able to take that subsequent step into the UFC, whereas Chiasson had come out of nowhere to emerge as an intriguing prospect after working by the primary two rounds of that season’s match (together with a first-round end of future PFL champion Larissa Pacheco).
Chiasson continued her scorching streak within the finals, submitting the extra skilled Kianzad to win a contract, however that end result didn’t dictate their futures. Kianzad has change into one of many hardest outs at 135 kilos, whereas Chiasson has struggled with inconsistency and inactivity. It is a crossroads struggle for these two ladies, who might nonetheless contend for a title in MMA’s thinnest division.
After they first fought, Kianzad appeared underprepared for Chiasson’s physicality. I doubt she makes the identical mistake twice. It’s additionally truthful to imagine that Chiasson’s weight-cutting points have affected her performances and Saturday marks her first time getting into the cage as a bantamweight in three years. All of that provides as much as Kianzad hanging her technique to a choice win and incomes a measure of revenge.
Decide: Kianzad
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Bryan Barberena
Let’s simply be straight right here: I’ve no clue what to make of Bryan Barberena at middleweight.
When he fought Makhmud Muradov in London final summer season, I assumed his transfer as much as 185 kilos was only a case of Barberena making life simpler by not having to fret about touring and slicing weight. For now, he’s sticking round at a heavier weight class, and he’s been given an opponent whose fashion is about as removed from Muradov’s as you will get.
Gerald Meerschaert is a healthy-sized middleweight and that might be Barberena’s downfall on this matchup. As soon as Meerschaert takes Barberena down, it should take a ton of effort from “Bam Bam” to face up not to mention defend in opposition to submissions. Then again, Barberena can finish this struggle on the ft with one good flurry.
Once more, I’m puzzled as to what Barberena’s long run plan is right here (assuming there’s one) and so they’ve given him a winnable struggle, however he’s too weak on the bottom for me to select. Meerschaert will get the tap-out and strikes one step nearer to 30 profession submission wins.
Decide: Meerschaert
Mike Davis def. Natan Levy
Josiane Nunes def. Chelsea Chandler
Ode Osbourne def. Jafel Filho
Joshua Culibao def. Danny Silva
Cory McKenna def. Jaqueline Amorim
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