UFC on Fox 28 has the makings of a sold card.
The UFC returns to FOX this weekend with a card filled with Top 10 Fighters and Headlined by a heavy hitting Featherweight matchup. After two unbelievable fun cards back to back the UFC heads to Orlando, Florida and makes its return to FOX. The main card is filled with 4 fun matchups that are headlined by two hard-hitting Featherweights in Josh Emmett (13-1 #4 Ranked Featherweight) and Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens (26-14 #7 Ranked Featherweight). That is a do not blink matchup because it could end at any moment. We also have what is essentially a number one contender at 115lbs as Jessica “Bate Estaca” Andrade (17-6 #2 Ranked Women’s Strawweight) and Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (10-1 #5 Ranked Women’s Strawweight) face off. This card has 12 fights on it and should be another really fun night for the number 1 MMA promotion in the world.
We kick off the UFC Fight Pass Prelims with a Bantamweight matchup as Albert “The Warrior” Morales (7-3-1) welcomes the undefeated Manny “The Bermudez Triangle” Bermudez (10-0) to the UFC. Albert Morales has gone 1-3-1 in his 5 UFC appearances since joining the promotion in late 2016. He has dropped 2 straight decisions, and might be in a spot where it is must win. Morales has struggled finding a footing in the UFC and has spent a lot of time heading to the judges in his fights. Morales needs to get back to the basics that got him into the UFC in the first place. He had been able to finish a lot of fights prior to entering the UFC but has not scored a finish win since Jun of 2016 in his last fight before joining. If he wants to take this one home he is going to have to use his experience in the UFC to get him over the hill. For 23-year-old Manny Bermudez he makes his way to the UFC as an undefeated prospect. Bermudez has been a submission machine in the regional circuit, with 7 of his career victories coming via submission. His ground skills have been really on display with 1st round submissions in for of his last 5 fights. He needs to fight those first-time UFC jitters, but if he can get this fight to the mat he certainly has a shot to walk away with a debut victory. Prediction: Manny Bermudez via Submission.
We drop down a weight class to Flyweight as Eric “Showtime” Shelton (11-4) takes on Alex Perez (19-4). After coming off The Ultimate Fighter Season 24 Eric Shelton has dropped his 2 UFC appearances. He was able to right the ship however in November of 2017 earning his first UFC victory via decision over Jenel “The Demolition Man” Lausa (7-4). The former Caged Aggression Flyweight Champion has seemingly gotten his feet under him in the UFC. If he can now harness what he had in that Lausa fight he most certainly has the opportunity to stay in the Flyweight Division. Shelton has 5 career submission victories and he will most certainly look to get this fight to the ground and take this fight over early. Alex Perez earned his UFC contract with a 1st round submission win in Week 5 of The Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series. He then made his UFC debut in December of 2017 and earned a submission victory there as well. Perez is only 25 years old and has been very impressive so far. He will need to make sure he takes advantage of any openings that may arise if this fight goes to the ground. Perez has a chance to take home a 7th submission win. Predictions: Alex Perez via Decision.
Two UFC veterans face off next at Bantamweight as Rani Yahya (24-9 1NC) takes on Russell Doane (15-7). Rani Yahya enters the cage after another submission win, which has been his calling card during his entire 15 plus year MMA career. Yahya has 18 career submission wins, and his game plan is very obvious. He will look to come in and get this fight to the mat as quickly as possible and get the submission win. He is such a talented grappler that even though his opponents know his plan he still is able to go out and get the win. Russell Doane snapped a 4 fight losing streak back in June of 2017 with a 1st round knockout win. Some of those losses were on short notice fights where he stepped up and gambled but came up short. Doane will need to be wary of the ground game of Yahya if he wants to get his UFC record to 500. The glaring stat here is Doane’s 4 losses via submission, against a guy like Yahya this could be a big disadvantage. Doane will need to keep this fight standing to make sure he gets a second straight win. Prediction: Rani Yahya via Submission.
We close out the UFC Fight Pass Prelims with “Smile’N” Sam Alvey (31-10) welcoming Marcin Prachnio (13-2)to the UFC at Light Heavyweight). Since his run on The Ultimate Fighter Season 16 Sam Alvey has stayed on the UFC roster and scored some pretty nice victories. His longest run of success came with a 4 fight win streak that ran from July of 2016 to January of 2017. Alvey is one of the most active fighters in the UFC, and after just over 4 months off, he should be rested and recharged heading into this matchup. Alvey’s game is pretty obvious with his 18 career knockout victories. If Alvey can let his hands go, he may spoil the debut of Prachnio. Marcin Prachnio enters the UFC on an 8 fight win streak. Prachnio has 2 straight 1st round knockout wins in One Championship as he heads over to make his UFC debut. Prachnio has 10 career knockouts, and he will most certainly look to unleash some big shots early on Alvey. Prachnio will have to deal with a strong veteran who will be in there looking to throw hands with him. Prediction: Marcin Prachnio via TKO.
We kick off the FOX prelims with a veteran matchup at 170lbs as Ben “Killa B” Saunders (21-8-2) takes on Alan “Brahma” Jouban (15-6). Ben Saunders has returned to the UFC in January of last year and won a hard-fought decision over Court “The Crusher” McGee (19-6-1), He then returned in May and suffered a TKO loss. He has been out of action since but returns Saturday night looking to get back on track. Saunders has been around the UFC since his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter Season 6 in 2007, and despite an extended stint in Bellator Saunders has always been around the UFC. This is his third time around, and a win would go a long way to securing his spot on the UFC’s roster. Saunders is 34 years old, and there is certainly wear and tear that has to be worried about, but he still can do some serious damage. Alan Jouban is in a spot he has never found himself before losing 2 straight heading into Saturday night. Jouban will look to rebound back to the form that got him 3 straight victories in 2016. Jouban is going to look to finish it on the feet and add to the 10 career knockout wins. Both of these guys are in their mid-30’s and it is one of those fights that seems like it is must win for both competitors. Prediction: Alan Jouban via TKO.
We head over to Women’s Strawweight as Maryna “Iron Lady” Moroz (8-2 #14 Ranked Women’s Strawweight) takes on Angela “Overkill” Hill (7-4). Maryna Moroz is coming off a tough decision loss to former champion Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza (14-4 #6 Ranked Women’s Strawweight). Moroz is an accomplished grappler, who will be looking to get this fight to the mat to neutralize the striking of Hill. Moroz has seen the judges in her last 4 fights, and that is a real possibility in this matchup as well. Moroz also could look to finish the fight on the mat and add to her 5 career submission wins. For Angela Hill, her return to the UFC has not been as successful as the former Invicta FC Strawweight Champion had hoped. She has gone 1-2 in the UFC but has had some super entertaining fights. Her matchup with Jessica “Bate Estaca” Andrade (17-6 #2 Ranked Women’s Strawweight) was one of the best fights in 2017. Hill has been on opposite ends of decisions in her past two fights, but she will need to utilize her takedown defense in this one. Hill’s striking is very good, and if she can get to that early she has a chance to take down a ranked opponent which would be huge for her going forward. Prediction: Maryna Moroz via Decision.
We jump up to Women’s Bantamweight as former title challenger Sara McMann (11-4 #7 Ranked Women’s Bantamweight) takes on Marion “The Belizean bruiser” Reneau (8-3-1 #8 Ranked Women’s Bantamweight). Sara McMann had a 3 fight win streak snapped in September of 2017 when she lost via submission to Ketlen “Fenomeno” Vieira (9-0 #5 Ranked Women’s Bantamweight). The Olympic silver medalist McMann has been on a nice run that included two straight arm triangle finishes, that is what made the submission loss via arm triangle so surprising. McMann is still one of the best grapplers in the women’s ranks, and if she can get her wrestling involved early, and she could find herself back in the win column rather quickly. At 40 years old Marion Reneau is obviously on the tail end of her fighting career. That, however, has not stopped her from knocking out 2 of her last 3 opponents. If Reneau can get her striking going early in this matchup she will walk out with a knockout victory. She has to avoid the takedown from McMann if she wants to walk away with another win, and get one step closer to a UFC title shot. Prediction: Sara McMann via Submission.
We close out the FOX Prelims with a bantamweight matchup between Renan “The Baron” Barao (36-5 1NC) and Brian “Boom” Kelleher (18-8). Former Bantamweight Champion Renan Barao has looked nothing like the man who once went undefeated for 9 years. He has dropped 4 of his last 6 and has not looked super impressive. Barao was once one of the most feared fighters in the UFC and was constantly in the Pound for Pound conversation. Barao is only 31 years old, and most certainly can still have something left to offer, but he just hasn’t been able to get on the ride path since he lost his belt in 2014. Barao appears to gas out quickly in his fights, and the later the fight goes the more trouble he finds himself in. Barao is going to need to be on his game against the hungry Kelleher. Brian Kelleher has gone 2-1 since joining the UFC in 2017 with a first-round submission win and a 3rd round TKO. His only loss was an early 1st round submission loss. He quickly returned to the UFC where he took home a win in his last fight. Kelleher is a talented grappler, but his power is most certainly not to be slept on. Kelleher has an opportunity to put a real stamp on his emergence in the UFC with a victory over a former champion. Prediction: Brian Kelleher via TKO.
Two powerful Welterweights kick off the main card on FOX as Mike “Platinum” Perry (11-2) takes on Max “Pain” Griffin (13-4). Mike Perry was on the wrong end of a decision back in December of 2017 in a loss to Santiago “Gente Boa” Ponzinibbio (27-3 #10 Ranked Welterweight). Perry had a 2 fight win streak snapped, and this has been a pattern in his UFC career. Perry will knockout 2 opponents and then drop a decision. Perry is a hard-hitting striker, who can finish an opponent at any time. If the pattern holds, Perry will be walking away with his 12th career knockout victory. Max Griffin is coming off a decision loss to Elizeu “Capoeira” Zaleski Dos Santos (18-5) back in October. That was, however, a fight where Griffin was badly hurt but managed to stay in the fight and showed a ton of heart. Griffin has serious power as well, with his last 3 wins coming via TKO. He will need to avoid the big shots from Perry to make sure he has a chance to finish this fight. This is a fight that has Performance of the Night Bonus written all over it. There is also a serious chance that we see the Fight of the Night in this spot. Prediction: Mike Perry via TKO.
Speaking of heavy hitters up next we get Ovince Saint Preux (22-10 #5 Ranked Light Heavyweight) taking on Ilir “The Sledgehammer” Latifi (14-5 1NC #8 Ranked Light Heavyweight). Ovince Saint Preux has rebounded nicely from a 3 fight losing streak with a 3 fight winning streak. OSP has finished all 3 opponents including a scary head kick knockout of Corey “Overtime” Anderson (10-4 #8 Ranked Light Heavyweight). OSP is a former interim title challenger with real power, who is on the verge of potentially another title shot. OSP’s striking and grappling have been very impressive as of late including back to back Von Flue chokes. He has completed 3 of the very rare chokes in his UFC career, and you have to wonder if he finds himself in that positon again if he can once again pull off the rare feet. This is a big spot for OSP, and a win would almost guarantee a top 5 matchup next. Ilir Latifi rebounded from a rough knockout, by taking a grind it out style decision win over rising contender Tyson Pedro (7-1 #12 Ranked Light Heavyweight). The 34-year-old Sweden native has a chance to make a serious move towards the top of a wide open 205lb division with a win over OSP. Latifi needs to avoid the big shots that come from OSP, and potentially even take this fight to the mat and try and control the position. This is another really fun contest that could be over in just a matter of seconds. Prediction: Ovince Saint Preux via TKO.
We head to the Co-Main event as Jessica “Bate Estaca” Andrade (17-6 #2 Ranked Women’s Strawweight) and Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (10-1 #5 Ranked Women’s Strawweight) battle to potentially be the next number 1 contender at 115lbs. Jessica Andrade rebounded nicely from a loss in her bid for the title by winning a dominant decision over Claudia “Claudinha” Gadelha (15-3 #3 Ranked Women’s Strawweight). Andrade is one of the toughest contenders in the 115lb division. She has an iron chin and comes forward throwing absolute hammers the entire fight. She will be looking to come at Torres early and often in this one, and get herself back in line for a title shot. Tecia Torres only has one professional loss, and that came against current champion “Thug” Rose Namajunas (8-3 Women’s Strawweight Champion). Torres consistently outworks her opponents and has an extremely high motor. She only has 1 career finish, but constantly puts herself in position to win. Torres will need to avoid the big shots of Andrade, but is Torres can move in and out of the pocket, she has a serious chance at continuing her outpointing ways and moving that much closer to her first shot at UFC gold. Prediction: Tecia Torres via Decision.
Two very hard-hitting Featherweights enter the cage in the Main Event as Josh Emmett (13-1 #4 Ranked Featherweight) and Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens (26-14 #7 Ranked Featherweight) close the show. Josh Emmett started out at 155lbs in the UFC and went 2-1. He then chose to drop down to 145 and despite missing weight in his last fight, he has scored two straight victories. His last was a resounding knockout finish of longtime UFC veteran Ricardo “The Bully” Lamas (18-6 #6 Ranked Featherweight). This vaulted Emmett into the Top 5 of his new division, and puts him that much closer to a shot at the title. Emmett has some serious power in his hands, but his durability is what got him here. Emmett will need to stay out of range of Stephens and must be willing to trade if he expects to do damage. A win here for Emmett assures him a shot at a top contender at 145lbs. Jeremy Stephens has been around the block and then some in the UFC. Since joining the UFC in 2007 Stephens has been up against some of the best of the best the UFC has to offer. His power has stayed throughout his time in the UFC. Stephens most recently knocked out Dooho “The Korean Superboy” Choi (14-2 #13 Ranked Featherweight) just over a month ago. Stephens has won 2 straight and is poised to make a run towards the top of the absolutely stacked Featherweight division. Stephens will absolutely be looking to add to his 18 career knockouts, but his striking has evolved a lot lately. His use of the lower leg kick has really emerged as a powerful tool in his game. He will undoubtedly be looking to use that in this fight and limit the movement of Emmett early. This is going to be a super fun fight to close the night out. Prediction: Jeremy Stephens via TKO.
The UFC has had back to back weeks of really entertaining cards, and this most certainly has a chance to be just as entertaining as the previous two cards. Hopefully, the UFC gets a big viewership on this FOX card, as now we are fully removed from Football season. The fact that outside of the NBA and NHL Saturday night is wide open. They are doing something interesting running the prelims on FOX as well, which does not happen often, but it could be a ratings strategy to carry the casual fan who just ran across the prelims on FOX into the main card. The UFC has been on quite a run of weeks with cards, and this one will continue that on and hopefully give next weekend’s UFC 222 a nice lead-in of its own.
