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- Jul 8, 2021
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Edson Barboza vs Josh Emmett - Wow, Edson Barboza emerges from the ashes and blazes a trail up the rankings once again! As one of the elder statesmen at featherweight (and a legend), Barboza deserves to get the chance to fight higher, and Josh Emmett being a year older than Edson makes him a tantalising option... May the best (and toughest) veteran win!
Sodiq Yusuff vs Lerone Murphy - Super Sodiq took a tough loss tonight after a scintillating start against Edson Barboza - but the old warrior spirit shone through, and Yusuff has to absorb it. Give him Lerone Murphy next, Murphy is undefeated but doesn't really have the hype behind him. Murphy and Sodiq are both technically proficient and promising younger guys (although Lerone is 32...), and the winner would really benefit here.
Viviane Araujo vs Lauren Murphy – Araujo beat the #9 and will rightfully eye a fight further up the rankings even though in real terms she just snapped a losing skid! Lauren Murphy at 40 years old is a good choice for Vivi to shoot for, and that’s going to be a big, physical challenge for Araujo – but also a good opportunity to string together a couple of wins over veteran opposition.
Jennifer Maia vs Tracy Cortez – Jennifer Maia is certainly game and has fought down the rankings in 3 straight fights before losing tonight. I expect more of the same, with Maia a solid test for any surging flyweight prospect, which is Tracy Cortez in a nutshell: She’s 5-0 in the UFC and 11-1 overall, but hasn’t faced anyone at Maia’s level yet – but there’s every indication she’s good enough.
Jonathan Martinez vs Dominick Cruz – Cruz being ranked #9 and commentating tonight was kinda jarring, particularly when he was criticising Yanez for not coming in prepared for those leg kicks. All right, Dominick, put your money where your mouth is: face ‘The Dragon’ and show us how it’s done!
Adrian Yanez vs Kyler Phillips – Kyler Phillips looks all the world like a guy who’s about to get his ranking, while Yanez has lost 2 straight and is probably the guy to gun for once his knee heals up. It was a rough one for Yanez tonight who showed great toughness, but little ability to deal with Martinez’s brutal kicks.
Michel Pereira vs Michal Oleksiejczuk – Want a warrior that will trade with Michel? Enter Michal. Marc-Andre is a good test too, but this is a straight up fire fight between two of the most experienced fighters climbing the 185 ladder. Michel looked HUGE in his 185 debut. He’s going to take some stopping with that power, athleticism, and experience – but you can beat Oleks won’t be intimidated one bit.
Andre Petroski vs Julian Marquez – Rough one for Petroski, who stepped in on short notice and got destroyed. Marquez is coming off a couple of tough losses himself, both TKO, so I think both these guys will be happy to avoid out-and-out cannons and face people a little more willing to trade across all levels. Should be a fun affair with stepping either fighter down too far.
Christian Rodriguez vs William Gomis – I think it’s time for CRod to move up to featherweight, that’s his third weight miss if you include DWCS. This kid is calm, talented young fighter with a ton of upside, and he’s only 5 pounds off the featherweight weight limit anyway. Let’s see how he adapts, but that doesn’t mean giving him a gimme: William Gomis is 3-0 in the UFC, another calm and talented fighter, but by no means too much for CRod. This would be an interesting one IMO.
Cameron Saaiman vs Ricky Turcios – Cameron Saaiman was by no means overmatched tonight, but he wasn’t quite at CRod’s level, getting countered by a crisper striker. Ricky Turcios has some chaotic moments in his fights, which is something Saaiman seems to thrive in, so I think this is a great stylistic fight for both. They’re both just a little bit rough-around-the-edges right now, but with potential to deliver something exciting…
Darren Elkins vs Chepe Mariscal – Elkins seems to want to fight on, so let’s get him in there with one of the young lions: Chepe Mariscal isn’t exactly a blue-chip prospect, but he’s tough, he’s game, and he’s 2-0 in the UFC. Beating Elkins would still be a feather in the cap, and a step up from Trevor Peek and Jack Jenkins.
TJ Brown vs Doo Ho Choi – I wasn’t sure if TJ would retire when he took the gloves off, but if he fights on, he’s got a lot to prove after comments about needing to beat Elkins to keep his career progressing. Well, he didn’t beat Elkins, and he made a lot of problems for himself by engaging in the grappling and going for low percentage choke attempts. Another fighter who can’t seem to get going is the injury-riddled Doo Ho Choi, who even upon his return threw away a win over Kyle Nelson after having a point taken away. Two struggling veterans: match them up!
Tainara Lisboa vs Darya Zheleznyakova – This was the fight that was originally booked before the Russian pulled out ahead of her UFC debut, so I just think try to book it one more time because the winner probably comes out with a decent amount of momentum. Lisboa is 2-0 in the UFC already, has shown decent grappling, but Darya’s only pro defeat so far came against Melissa Dixon – who looked very impressive earlier in the night!
Ravena Oliveira vs Nora Cornolle – I suspect Ravena would much prefer a striker next, and talented kickboxer Nora Cornolle ticks that box. Cornolle’s last opponent, Joselyne Edwards, wanted no part of Nora on the feet – Ravena is probably a little more willing to entertain a striking battle, which is what both fighters appear to need at this point.
Terrance McKinney vs Rafa Garcia – There’s a level that McKinney just doesn’t need to compete at any longer, because he’s going to crush these kids coming in without the requisite amount of experience. He needs fighters with a little seasoning and a lot of toughness who have a solid shot at making it out of R1, because that’s the question mark over McKinney: can he win against better opponents when the fights go a little longer? Garcia, who has been to a few decisions himself, is a tough dude who fights well and has a positive UFC record. Looks like the perfect level and a very intriguing clash.
Brendon Marotte vs Landon Quinones – There’s not a lot to say after a 20 second TKO defeat in your UFC debut against a killer, so let’s just move on, give him another dude who had a monstrous assignment in his UFC debut (against Nasrat Haqparast, no less) and see who shows up ready to kill.
Melissa Dixon vs Montserrat Rendon – Reminder: Rendon debuted with a win over Tamires Vidal, dropping the first round, then coming back with takedowns and a well-rounded game to win 29-28 overall. Sound familiar?! Dixon looked great tonight, well-rounded, good athlete, did damage… a perfect start, and a good test up for her next without going overboard in terms of experience.
Irina Alekseeva vs Tamires Vidal – Speaking of Vidal, I’d like to see a bit of classic Russian vs Brazilian action in the bantamweight division between two fighters now 1-1 in the UFC, but with both capable of finishing fights in brutal fashion. May the best killer win, as this probably doesn’t go the distance.
Chris Gutierrez vs Umar Nurmagomedov – Gutierrez defending his #15 ranking tonight, while Umar recently missed out on a fight with Cory Sandhagen, easily the biggest of his career. These things happen, and Umar now needs to earn his first win over a ranked opponent: step forward Chris Gutierrez. Some see Umar as a future UFC Bantamweight Champion, but he whiffed on the biggest fight of his career and in real terms, his best win is Raoni Barcelos. Time for him to walk the walk.
Alateng Heili vs Raoni Barcelos – Alateng Heili stepped up against the #15, and just wasn’t equipped to compete at that level. Raoni Barcelos is a guy that is usually competitive at that sort of level, but just hasn’t been able to put the wins together. Either Heili takes advantage of Raoni’s current slump against high level opposition, or Raoni underlines the reason he keeps getting such tough fights. To me, it seems like a no-lose situation. Somebody bounces back big.
Emily Ducote vs Ariane Carnelossi – So get this: both fighters are 2-2 in the UFC, and both lost to Godinez and Hill. You don’t usually get résumés quite so well-aligned, so I’m really hoping they spot that and pit these against each other. Both are capable finishers, too, and with Ariane looking to bounce back from a loss to Loopy, she might just be out to make a statement.
Ashley Yoder – CUT! 5 losses from her last 6, a negative overall record of 8-9, and she’s no spring chicken either. She’s not a bad fighter, but she got sliced up pretty bad tonight, and I really don’t see her value to the UFC at this stage.
Sodiq Yusuff vs Lerone Murphy - Super Sodiq took a tough loss tonight after a scintillating start against Edson Barboza - but the old warrior spirit shone through, and Yusuff has to absorb it. Give him Lerone Murphy next, Murphy is undefeated but doesn't really have the hype behind him. Murphy and Sodiq are both technically proficient and promising younger guys (although Lerone is 32...), and the winner would really benefit here.
Viviane Araujo vs Lauren Murphy – Araujo beat the #9 and will rightfully eye a fight further up the rankings even though in real terms she just snapped a losing skid! Lauren Murphy at 40 years old is a good choice for Vivi to shoot for, and that’s going to be a big, physical challenge for Araujo – but also a good opportunity to string together a couple of wins over veteran opposition.
Jennifer Maia vs Tracy Cortez – Jennifer Maia is certainly game and has fought down the rankings in 3 straight fights before losing tonight. I expect more of the same, with Maia a solid test for any surging flyweight prospect, which is Tracy Cortez in a nutshell: She’s 5-0 in the UFC and 11-1 overall, but hasn’t faced anyone at Maia’s level yet – but there’s every indication she’s good enough.
Jonathan Martinez vs Dominick Cruz – Cruz being ranked #9 and commentating tonight was kinda jarring, particularly when he was criticising Yanez for not coming in prepared for those leg kicks. All right, Dominick, put your money where your mouth is: face ‘The Dragon’ and show us how it’s done!
Adrian Yanez vs Kyler Phillips – Kyler Phillips looks all the world like a guy who’s about to get his ranking, while Yanez has lost 2 straight and is probably the guy to gun for once his knee heals up. It was a rough one for Yanez tonight who showed great toughness, but little ability to deal with Martinez’s brutal kicks.
Michel Pereira vs Michal Oleksiejczuk – Want a warrior that will trade with Michel? Enter Michal. Marc-Andre is a good test too, but this is a straight up fire fight between two of the most experienced fighters climbing the 185 ladder. Michel looked HUGE in his 185 debut. He’s going to take some stopping with that power, athleticism, and experience – but you can beat Oleks won’t be intimidated one bit.
Andre Petroski vs Julian Marquez – Rough one for Petroski, who stepped in on short notice and got destroyed. Marquez is coming off a couple of tough losses himself, both TKO, so I think both these guys will be happy to avoid out-and-out cannons and face people a little more willing to trade across all levels. Should be a fun affair with stepping either fighter down too far.
Christian Rodriguez vs William Gomis – I think it’s time for CRod to move up to featherweight, that’s his third weight miss if you include DWCS. This kid is calm, talented young fighter with a ton of upside, and he’s only 5 pounds off the featherweight weight limit anyway. Let’s see how he adapts, but that doesn’t mean giving him a gimme: William Gomis is 3-0 in the UFC, another calm and talented fighter, but by no means too much for CRod. This would be an interesting one IMO.
Cameron Saaiman vs Ricky Turcios – Cameron Saaiman was by no means overmatched tonight, but he wasn’t quite at CRod’s level, getting countered by a crisper striker. Ricky Turcios has some chaotic moments in his fights, which is something Saaiman seems to thrive in, so I think this is a great stylistic fight for both. They’re both just a little bit rough-around-the-edges right now, but with potential to deliver something exciting…
Darren Elkins vs Chepe Mariscal – Elkins seems to want to fight on, so let’s get him in there with one of the young lions: Chepe Mariscal isn’t exactly a blue-chip prospect, but he’s tough, he’s game, and he’s 2-0 in the UFC. Beating Elkins would still be a feather in the cap, and a step up from Trevor Peek and Jack Jenkins.
TJ Brown vs Doo Ho Choi – I wasn’t sure if TJ would retire when he took the gloves off, but if he fights on, he’s got a lot to prove after comments about needing to beat Elkins to keep his career progressing. Well, he didn’t beat Elkins, and he made a lot of problems for himself by engaging in the grappling and going for low percentage choke attempts. Another fighter who can’t seem to get going is the injury-riddled Doo Ho Choi, who even upon his return threw away a win over Kyle Nelson after having a point taken away. Two struggling veterans: match them up!
Tainara Lisboa vs Darya Zheleznyakova – This was the fight that was originally booked before the Russian pulled out ahead of her UFC debut, so I just think try to book it one more time because the winner probably comes out with a decent amount of momentum. Lisboa is 2-0 in the UFC already, has shown decent grappling, but Darya’s only pro defeat so far came against Melissa Dixon – who looked very impressive earlier in the night!
Ravena Oliveira vs Nora Cornolle – I suspect Ravena would much prefer a striker next, and talented kickboxer Nora Cornolle ticks that box. Cornolle’s last opponent, Joselyne Edwards, wanted no part of Nora on the feet – Ravena is probably a little more willing to entertain a striking battle, which is what both fighters appear to need at this point.
Terrance McKinney vs Rafa Garcia – There’s a level that McKinney just doesn’t need to compete at any longer, because he’s going to crush these kids coming in without the requisite amount of experience. He needs fighters with a little seasoning and a lot of toughness who have a solid shot at making it out of R1, because that’s the question mark over McKinney: can he win against better opponents when the fights go a little longer? Garcia, who has been to a few decisions himself, is a tough dude who fights well and has a positive UFC record. Looks like the perfect level and a very intriguing clash.
Brendon Marotte vs Landon Quinones – There’s not a lot to say after a 20 second TKO defeat in your UFC debut against a killer, so let’s just move on, give him another dude who had a monstrous assignment in his UFC debut (against Nasrat Haqparast, no less) and see who shows up ready to kill.
Melissa Dixon vs Montserrat Rendon – Reminder: Rendon debuted with a win over Tamires Vidal, dropping the first round, then coming back with takedowns and a well-rounded game to win 29-28 overall. Sound familiar?! Dixon looked great tonight, well-rounded, good athlete, did damage… a perfect start, and a good test up for her next without going overboard in terms of experience.
Irina Alekseeva vs Tamires Vidal – Speaking of Vidal, I’d like to see a bit of classic Russian vs Brazilian action in the bantamweight division between two fighters now 1-1 in the UFC, but with both capable of finishing fights in brutal fashion. May the best killer win, as this probably doesn’t go the distance.
Chris Gutierrez vs Umar Nurmagomedov – Gutierrez defending his #15 ranking tonight, while Umar recently missed out on a fight with Cory Sandhagen, easily the biggest of his career. These things happen, and Umar now needs to earn his first win over a ranked opponent: step forward Chris Gutierrez. Some see Umar as a future UFC Bantamweight Champion, but he whiffed on the biggest fight of his career and in real terms, his best win is Raoni Barcelos. Time for him to walk the walk.
Alateng Heili vs Raoni Barcelos – Alateng Heili stepped up against the #15, and just wasn’t equipped to compete at that level. Raoni Barcelos is a guy that is usually competitive at that sort of level, but just hasn’t been able to put the wins together. Either Heili takes advantage of Raoni’s current slump against high level opposition, or Raoni underlines the reason he keeps getting such tough fights. To me, it seems like a no-lose situation. Somebody bounces back big.
Emily Ducote vs Ariane Carnelossi – So get this: both fighters are 2-2 in the UFC, and both lost to Godinez and Hill. You don’t usually get résumés quite so well-aligned, so I’m really hoping they spot that and pit these against each other. Both are capable finishers, too, and with Ariane looking to bounce back from a loss to Loopy, she might just be out to make a statement.
Ashley Yoder – CUT! 5 losses from her last 6, a negative overall record of 8-9, and she’s no spring chicken either. She’s not a bad fighter, but she got sliced up pretty bad tonight, and I really don’t see her value to the UFC at this stage.
