This weekend sees the UFC go back to the Las Vegas APEX for its newest Battle Night time tournament. Whilst the ultimate two occasions have been missing reasonably, this one seems to be superb.
UFC Battle Night time: Rob Font vs. Marlon Vera options various exciting-sounding fights and whilst now not many are more likely to have an effect on the name footage of the promotion’s divisions, they must be watchable.
So with various the wildest combatants at the roster in motion, this Battle Night time must be one to stay an in depth eye on, as we might be in for some nice scraps.
Listed here are 5 causes to look at UFC Battle Night time: Rob Font vs. Marlon Vera.
#5. Grant Dawson is likely one of the UFC’s maximum underrated combatants
Grant Dawson is likely one of the promotion’s maximum underrated combatants
The UFC’s Battle Night time playing cards have a tendency to be stuffed with combatants who lack title worth for probably the most section, and which means lots of the promotion’s extra underrated combatants have a tendency to fly underneath the radar at those occasions reasonably.
A kind of underrated combatants – light-weight Grant Dawson – is in motion this weekend, going through off with the at all times competitive Jared Gordon in what must be one among this tournament’s maximum watchable bouts.
Dawson has been with the UFC for simply over 3 years now after incomes his shot on Dana White’s Contender Collection. Extremely, ‘KGD’ continues to be unbeaten within the octagon at 5-0-1. He’s a type of combatants who doesn’t appear to be a famous person, but if he fights, he’s indisputably efficient.
Now not best is he unhealthy along with his submissions – as his rear bare choke wins over Mike Trizano and Darrick Minner confirmed – however he additionally hits very challenging, as we noticed when he knocked out skilled grappler Leonardo Santos with only one 2nd final of their battle.
Dawson’s most up-to-date bout was once a reasonably disappointing one, as he got here clear of his battle with Ricky Glenn with a arguable draw, regardless of reputedly successful the primary two rounds handily ahead of fading overdue.
That suggests he’s more likely to come into this bout with Gordon fired up. Given the all-action taste of ‘Flash’, now not best may those two lightweights produce fireworks, however Dawson is more likely to have an edge. Total, that is indisputably probably the most higher fights in this card, and optimistically with a win, ‘KGD’ will open some extra eyes to his abilities.
#4. Darren Elkins is just about at all times keen on wild fights
Darren Elkins hardly ever fails to ship wild motion within the octagon
Few combatants have controlled to live to tell the tale within the UFC for greater than a decade. Featherweight contender Darren Elkins has now not best been with the promotion since 2010, however he additionally stays probably the most hard-nosed, difficult veterans at the roster.
‘The Harm’ necessarily lives as much as his nickname reputedly each and every time he steps into the octagon. Win, lose or draw, Elkins at all times turns out to come back clear of a battle coated in blood. Whilst his loss of herbal athleticism has avoided him from in point of fact difficult for UFC gold, he’s nonetheless picked up superb wins through the years over the likes of Mirsad Bektic, Michael Johnson and Diego Brandao.
Elkins’ ultimate battle noticed him knocked out by way of fellow veteran Cub Swanson. Previous to that, he’d pulled off two instantly wins, each by means of stoppage.
This weekend’s battle additionally seems to be favorable for him, as opponent Tristan Connelly has best fought as soon as since 2019 – struggling a choice loss to prospect Pat Sabatini ultimate April, and he’s been at the shelf ever since.
Then again, Connelly is a succesful fighter, as his win over Michel Pereira confirmed. Extra to the purpose, he’s a hard-nosed brawler who’s more likely to get into the face of ‘The Harm’, who naturally gained’t backpedal in flip.
That suggests we must get an indicator Elkins brawl from this battle, and win, lose or draw, ‘The Harm’ is extremely more likely to produce the products throughout the octagon as soon as once more, making this a battle to stay an in depth eye on.
#3. Andrei Arlovski is a real UFC legend and so it’s at all times price observing him
Andrei Arlovski is in some way nonetheless competing on the most sensible on the age of 44
It’s extremely not likely that UFC fanatics might be handled to an excessive amount of wild motion when Andrei Arlovski faces off with Jake Collier in a heavyweight bout this weekend, however in actual fact that any likelihood to look at ‘The Pitbull’ in motion is price taking.
K, so it’s true that Arlovski hasn’t been generating wildly entertaining fights these days. His placing taste – which stays remarkably fleet-footed making an allowance for his age – is anathema to the type of plodding fighters he’s been matched with lately, however the Belarusian merely doesn’t take too many dangers at the moment so as to offer protection to his chin.
Then again, it’s nonetheless price noting that ‘The Pitbull’ is a real residing legend of MMA and of the UFC, and for him to nonetheless be competing within the heavyweight department greater than 15 years after he held the heavyweight name is in reality outstanding.
The times of Arlovski contending for the name are lengthy long gone now, in fact, however on the age of 43 he nonetheless seems to be in exceptional form. This weekend’s bout with Collier will mark the thirty eighth time he’s stepped into the octagon and might be his 56th skilled battle total.
Extra to the purpose, if he can beat ‘The Prototype’, which he’s preferred to do, he’ll equivalent the document for probably the most wins in UFC historical past – 23 – these days held by way of Donald Cerrone and Jim Miller. That reality by myself makes his bout this weekend a must-see one.
#2. Andre Fili most often delivers loopy ranges of motion within the octagon
Andre Fili is likely one of the most enjoyable combatants to look at ihe featherweight department
There are a selection of combatants these days competing within the UFC who appear to ensure loopy motion each and every time they step into the octagon, and Andre Fili is surely one among them. Certain, ‘Sensitive’ is not thought to be a prospect, neither is he a name contender, but it surely’s nonetheless challenging to forget about him when he’s in motion.
Apparently, the principle reason Fili’s by no means fairly ascended to the highest of the featherweight department is identical reason he’s so thrilling to look at. The Staff Alpha Male fighter is competitive to a fault, and frequently places himself in harms’ means so as to assault his opponent.
Getting into this weekend’s bout with Joanderson Brito, Fili has now not formally gained a battle since his resolution win over Charles Jourdain in 2020. He was once with ease beating Daniel Pineda in his ultimate shuttle to the octagon, just for the battle to be declared a No Contest when Pineda suffered an unintended eye poke.
Then again, this bout turns out like a winnable one for ‘Sensitive’, as Brito doesn’t have any place close to the similar enjoy as him throughout the octagon. Similar to Fili, he’s wildly competitive and will also be anticipated to carry the battle to his opponent.
Both means, this one must be a surefire contender for this weekend’s ‘Battle of the Night time’ award, and so it’s indisputably a reason why to take a look at the development.
#1. Marlon Vera has quietly transform probably the most UFC’s maximum entertaining combatants to look at
Can Marlon Vera produce any other spotlight reel end on this weekend’s headliner?
Probably the most intriguing bout on faucet at this weekend’s tournament is indisputably the headline battle between bantamweights Rob Font and Marlon Vera. Whilst Font is these days the upper ranked of the 2, it’s arguably ‘Chito’ who makes this one a must-see conflict.
Again when he debuted within the UFC in 2014 following a stint at the first season of TUF: Latin The usa, few fanatics anticipated the local of Ecuador to supply the rest particular. Now not best has Vera transform probably the most unhealthy bantamweights at the roster, he’s transform probably the most thrilling, too.
Actually each and every time ‘Chito’ steps into the octagon, he’s having a look to complete off his opponent in violent type. Whilst he’s dropped choices to the likes of Jose Aldo and Track Yadong, when he wins, it has a tendency to come back ahead of the general buzzer.
In truth, Vera has best long gone the gap in victory on two events since beginning his profession with the UFC. His different ten sufferers have been all stopped in nasty type, together with former light-weight champion Frankie Edgar, who was once viciously knocked out by way of a entrance kick ultimate November.
Whether or not ‘Chito’ can defeat Font continues to be noticed, however he’ll virtually no doubt give it his all. If he can beat the Boston local, it’s not likely that it’ll are available in a five-round resolution. This battle, due to this fact, is person who fanatics must now not take their eyes off.
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