The UFC returns to FOX this Saturday from Glendale, California with a huge Top 10 Lightweight battle between two heavy hitters. Following a wild UFC 223 and all the events surrounding it the UFC looks to calm the seas a little bit this Saturday in Glendale. They have a packed card with some really fun fights on it. We look to the top of the card and easily the most intriguing matchup as Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier (22-5 1NC #5 Ranked Lightweight) is taking on Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (18-1 #6 Ranked Lightweight). That one is going to be an absolute war in the cage between two guys who leave it all on the line. FOX is in desperate need for a good number as far as the ratings go, and that main event could be the one that does it. We also get the return of “The Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit (30-11 #12 Ranked Welterweight) taking on replacement opponent Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira (17-4-1) in the Co-Main event. Also, the return of undefeated striker Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya (12-0) looks to improve his UFC record to 2-0 against Marvin “The Italian Dream” Vettori (12-3-1). The fight that kicks off the main card features Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (14-6 #7 Ranked Women’s Strawweight) and Cortney “Cast Iron” Casey (7-5 #10 Ranked Women’s Strawweight). This is a really fun main card and there are a ton of prelims that we can jump right in to.
We start the UFC Fight Pass prelims at 135lbs as “Cool Hand” Luke Sanders (11-2) steps back into the cage to take on Patrick Williams (8-5). Sanders is on a 2 fight losing skid following his 1st round submission win in his UFC debut. He gave away the fight against Iuri “Marajo” Alcantara (35-9 1NC) for his first career loss, and then was knocked out in the second round of his last appearance. Sanders is a skilled wrestler who needs to get back to the basics of dominating grappling and using it to get his ground and pound game going. Sanders could be in serious danger of seeing his time in the UFC cut short with a loss here. Patrick Williams is 1-2 in the UFC and coming off a tough TKO loss at the hands of Tom “Fire Kid” Duquesnoy (15-2 1NC) in April of 2017. He now returns looking to get his record in the UFC back to 500. Williams will need to be on point with his takedown defense in this one to keep himself in the fight. If he can keep this fight standing he should have a real shot at taking home the victory. Prediction: Luke Sanders via Decision.
We stay at 135lbs as Matthew Lopez (10-2) and Alejandro “Turbo” Perez (20-6-1) look to put on a show. Matthew Lopez had a 2 fight win streak snapped via knockout at the hands of perennial contender Raphael Assuncao (26-5 #3 Ranked Bantamweight) back in November. Lopez is a very talented fighter and will need to be on his game in this one. With 4 wins via knockouts and 4 submissions, he has shown he can finish on the feet and on the mat. He will need to get the job done in this one, or another prelim matchup will be in his future. Alejandro Perez is 5-1-1 in the UFC and has not lost since 2015. The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 1 winner has shown that he has no problem throwing punches in bunches on the feet. He also can grind out victories, having gone to decision in his last 2. He can really make a statement with a win here over a guy who has fought a title contender. This one should be a fun fast paced showdown that could see a performance bonus. Prediction: Alejandro Perez via Decision.
A Heavyweight showdown is up next as Arjan Singh Bhullar (7-0) takes on Adam “Siwy” Wieczorek (9-1). Arjan Bhullar Singh is an accomplished wrestler on an International level. The 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medalist made a very successful UFC debut in a decision victory back in September. His grappling and clinch work is what gave him that victory, and you have to imagine the strategy will be the same against the hard-hitting Wieczorek. He has a chance to start his UFC career off 2-0, and in a division that needs contenders a quick move up the rankings can come very fast if he keeps winning. Adam Wieczorek was disappointed in his UFC debut victory back in November in front of his home countrymen. Wieczorek is a skilled grappler with 5 career submission victories but also has knockout power. In the UFC Heavyweights are at a real premium, and if he can grab a victory here over a guy of Singh’s pedigree it could go a long way for his UFC future. Prediction: Arjan Singh Bhullar via Decision.
The return of former UFC Middleweight Title Challenger Yushin “Thunder” Okami (34-11) comes in the next prelim versus Dhiego Lima (14-6). Yushin Okami got back into the UFC as a short notice replacement back in September of 2017. He was quickly submitted by Ovince Saint Preux (22-11 #8 Ranked Lightweight) via Von Flue choke. Okami is a very experienced fighter who has competed with some of the best the MMA world has to offer. When it comes to elite opponents however he always seems to fall short. With a full training camp, the 36-year-old Japanese Middleweight will be looking to get back in the win column in the UFC for the first time since 2013. Okami has power in his hands with 12 knockouts in his career, but he will certainly have his hands full with Dhiego Lima in this one. Dhiego Lima is coming off a second runner-up finish on a season of the Ultimate Fighter. What has to be the most disappointing is his opponent Jesse “JT Money” Taylor (32-15) was then popped for a USADA violation just months after winning the show and the large UFC contract. Dhiego Lima, however, is a very good fighter who showed on that show he still has a place in the UFC. He is however 1-4 in the UFC outside of the fights on The Ultimate Fighter. Lima is a solid grappler and he will need to use that against a guy like Okami. This should be a fun fight between guys in two very different stages of their career. Prediction: Dhiego Lima via Decision.
We head to the Women’s 125lb division as Shana “Danger” Dobson 93-1 #15 Ranked Women’s Flyweight) is set to take on the debuting Lauren “Princess Tiger” Mueller (4-0). Shana Dobson made her UFC debut back in December of 2017 and scored a second-round TKO victory over fellow Ultimate Fighter 26 castmate Ariel Beck (4-5). Dobson has some solid power and her only career loss came at the hands of Nicco Montano (5-2 Women’s Flyweight Champion). Dobson will have the UFC experience edge, and if she can use that to her advantage she may walk away with a victory. Lauren Mueller entered the UFC through the Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series. She appeared on the last installment of the show last summer and earned a contract via a dominating unanimous decision. Mueller uses her grappling to get the fight to the mat and that is where she can dominate. If she can get Dobson down early we could see a really fun impressive debut at 125lbs. Prediction: Lauren Mueller via Decision.
We close out the UFC Fight Pass prelims with a matchup at 155lbs as Gilbert “Durinho” Burns (12-2) takes on the debuting Dan Moret (13-3). Gilbert Burns has gone 5-2 in the UFC since joining in 2014. Burns can get it done on the feet and the mat, and has 7 career submissions. Burns is an interesting prospect considering he started 3-0 in the UFC and has gone 2-2 in his last 4. If he can string together another win here and start a streak he could have a chance to move up the ladder. The problem is he is going to need to continue to impress because the 155lb division is stacked. Stepping in on 2-week notice Dan Moret will make his UFC debut in this matchup. Moret shines on the ground with 8 career submission victories. The question becomes is the moment too big for him. The UFC debut jitters are a real thing for many fighters, and on two weeks’ notice, it could certainly get to him. That also could work to his advantage with only having 2 weeks to prepare and think about the debut he may not have the time to put all the pressure on himself in this situation. This one should be an intriguing matchup to close out the Fight Pass portion of the card. Prediction: Gilbert Burns via TKO.
We kick off the FOX prelims with a Top 15 Middleweight matchup as Krzysztof Jotko (19-3 #13 Ranked Middleweight) will be taking on Brad Tavares (16-5 #15 Ranked Middleweight). Krzysztof Jotko is on the first two-fight losing streak of his career. He was cruising in his last appearance before suffering a stunning comeback knockout loss. Jotko is very good grappler who uses the clinch and takedowns to tire his opponents out. He keeps the pressure on them and uses that to wear them down. Jotko is poised for a possible Top 10 opponent if he can get back in the win column. Brad Tavares has taken down 3 straight decision wins and will be looking to do it again on Saturday night. A win over another Top 15 opponent surely would mean that the 30-year-old Hawaiian would get a Top 10 opponent. Tavares goes to the judges a majority of the time and will be looking to keep Jotko off of him especially on the mat. This should be a fun one to kick off the FOX festivities. Prediction: Brad Tavares via Decision.
Two former Flyweight Title Challengers meet up in our next prelim bout as Wilson Reis (22-8 #6 Ranked Flyweight) and John “Chicano” Moraga (18-6 #10 Ranked Flyweight) enter the cage. Wilson Reis’s stock has surely fallen following his attempt at the Flyweight title. He was dispatched in that matchup via armbar, and in his return bout was knocked out in just the 2nd round. Reis is a Jiu-Jitsu specialist who really has 1 game plan and that is to take the fight to the mat and go for the submission. 10 of his 22 wins are via submission, and the rest go to the judges. Reis needs to show that he has evolved as a fighter and added some semblance of a stand-up game or else he could find himself out of the Top 10 in short order. John Moraga scored a stunning 1 minute 38-second knockout victory in his last appearance in October. It was his 2nd straight win and propelled him into the Top 10 a spot he hasn’t been in a long time. These two wins couldn’t have come at a more crucial time for the 34-year-old. He had suffered 3 straight losses and most likely was on the verge of needing to find a new promotion to compete in. Now, however, Moraga is firmly in the mix at 125lbs and if he can secure another victory Saturday we could be talking a potential Top 5 spot in his future. Prediction: John Moraga via TKO.
Up next we get a Welterweight matchup between Muslim “King of Kung Fu” Salikhov (12-2) taking on the final debuting fighter on the card Ricky Rainey (13-4). Muslim Salikhov suffered a disappointing debut in the UFC with a 2nd round submission loss back in November. He looks to right the ship however in welcoming another new fighter to the UFC’s roster. Salikhov had finished 10 straight opponents on an 11 fight win streak before the loss in November. He is an extremely dangerous striker who throws a lot of kicks. He will look to establish the striking game early to try not to fall into a situation like the one that cost him his first UFC defeat. Ricky Rainey enters the Octagon as a late injury replacement. He is riding a 2 fight win streak under the Bellator promotion. Rainey has faced multiple UFC veterans in the past and will need to take those experiences with him as he enters the UFC for the first time. The 34-year-old has 7 knockouts on his record, so there is certainly power there. This should be a really fun striking contest and expect some serious fireworks. Prediction: Muslim Salikhov via TKO.
We close out the main card with a Middleweight showdown between Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch (21-11) and Antonio “Cara de Sapato” Carlos Junior (10-2 1NC). Tim Boetsch recovered from a tough submission loss to rebound with a knockout victory over former Welterweight Champion Johny “Bigg Rigg” Hendricks (18-8). Boetsch overpowered the much smaller Hendricks and finished with a head kick followed up by a swarm of punches. At 37 Boetsch is certainly no spring chicken, but he can still compete with the best of them. He will need to keep this one on the feet, however, to ensure he has a chance to take home the win. For Antonio Carlos Junior his time in the UFC has been highlighted with submission victories. The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 winner has used his superior Jiu-Jitsu skills to build up a 4 fight win streak. 3 of those 4 wins have come via rear naked choke, and when he gets in a position to finish a fight he most certainly does. He will be looking to close the distance and get this fight to the ground as soon as possible. A 5th win in a row would have to mean a Ranking next to his name and an even higher level opponent next. Prediction: Antonio Carlos Junior via Submission.
It is now time for the main card and we get kicked off with Michelle “The Karate Hottie” Waterson (14-6 #7 Ranked Women’s Strawweight) and Cortney “Cast Iron” Casey (7-5 #5 Ranked Women’s Strawweight). Michelle Waterson has not fared well in her last two UFC outings dropping both by submission and decision. The former Invicta FC Atomweight Champ however still is a very talented fighter who has the ability to get the finish no matter where the fight goes. Waterson is only 32 years old and her years of experience go a long way. 9 submission victories to her name as well are something she can really build on if she wants to get back to contending at 115lbs. Cortney Casey was on the losing end of a close split decision at UFC 218. Casey showed some serious heart in that matchup trading punches and kicks for three hard rounds with Felice “Lil Bulldog” Herrig (14-7 #8 Ranked Women’s Strawweight). Casey is a good grappler, who can throw absolute haymakers on the feet. She will bring in a 4-inch height and reach advantage into the cage and that could be key if she wants to box up Waterson. Prediction: Cortney Casey via Decision.
Two up and coming prospects have the next spot on the main card as Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya (12-0) takes on Marvin “The Italian Dream” Vettori (12-3-1). Israel Adesanya made his UFC debut just 2 months ago in Australia at UFC 221 where he dazzled with a 2nd round TKO. The 28-year-old has an array of striking that is very impressive. His knees and kicks are very fast and when he has the right distance he can end a fight in the blink of an eye. He has 12 wins all via TKO of KO which is impressive unto itself. He most certainly could be the future at 185lbs of the UFC with his striking ability. His takedown defense was also spot on in his debut. With another impressive victory, we could be talking a Top 10-15 opponent very soon. Marvin Vettori is no slouch, however. He may have drawn in his last fight, but if you watch what he did at UFC 219 you know that fight was one he really controlled. Vettori is only 24 years old and has a lot of growing to do in his MMA career. He does have 8 submission victories, and he will need that grappling game to try and get this fight to the mat where he can take over with his Jiu-Jitsu. Prediction: Israel Adesanya via TKO.
We head to the Co-main event where“The Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit (30-11 #12 Ranked Welterweight) taking on injury replacement opponent Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira (17-4-1). Carlos Condit returned from a lengthy hiatus in December of 2017 and dropped a tough 3 round decision to Neil Magny (20-7 #9 Ranked Welterweight). Condit looked rusty in that matchup, but also seemed just a tad slower, it will be interesting to see how he come out for this matchup. He is the former Interim Welterweight Champion who came so very close to dethroning arguably the best champion of all time Georges “Rush” St. Pierre (26-2) at UFC 154. Condit also came up just shy of the title in a split decision loss to “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler at UFC 195. Condit is a talented striker with a lot of mileage on him. You have to wonder if he is still fully committed to MMA. Taking a fight within a normal time frame of an active fighter shows that Condit might be back in that mindset that made him one of the most dangerous 170lbs fighters in the world for a long period of time. Alex Oliveira has done nothing but impress as of late even in his most recent defeat. Oliveira dropped that fight of the year candidate against Yancy Medeiros (15-5 1NC) in December but returns now looking to get back in the win column. He is stepping in for the briefly retired the unretired Matt ‘The Immortal” Brown (23-16) who tore his ACL during his training camp. He is a powerful striker who has some serious knockout power. He is going to need to neutralize the striking and movement of Condit if he wants to add this legend to his list of defeated opponents. Prediction: Carlos Condit via Decision.
Finally, the main event is here and we get a good one between Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier (22-5 1NC #5 Ranked Lightweight) and Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (18-1 #6 Ranked Lightweight). Dustin Poirier has won 5 of his last 6 fights and had a no contest mixed in there. He is stepping into the absolute prime of his career and finally looking towards a title shot at 155lbs. The hard-hitting Louisiana native was unbelievably impressive in his 3rd round submission victory over former 155lb champ Anthony “Showtime” Pettis (20-7 #12 Ranked Lightweight). He now has a chance to defeat yet another Top 10 opponent and cement himself as a real deal contender at Lightweight. Justin Gaethje, on the other hand, is coming off his first career loss. The former World Series of Fighting Lightweight Champion had been undefeated for his entire 6-year career until he ran into former UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez (29-5 1NC #3 Ranked Lightweight) in December of 2017. Gaethje has one speed and it is moving forward and throwing with bad intentions. He peppers in hard leg kicks to match his heavy fists. 15 of his 18 career wins have come via knockout and you can guarantee he will be searching for one to get back into the win column. Prediction: Justin Gaethje via TKO.
The UFC being back on free TV is always a good thing, and despite not being viewed by a lot of people most of the FOX cards have delivered. The card is pretty great as well with the matchups that we have. A former Champion and tons of former title challengers up and down the card. As the UFC moves away from the craziness of UFC 223 this card will fully put that in the rearview mirror. The lightweights at the top of the card will certainly help that, and we could see a fight of the year candidate in that one.
