UFC on ESPN+ 24: Blaydes vs. dos Santos Preview

Going head-to-head with Bellator this weekend, UFC will travel to Raleigh, North Carolina, USA for a card on ESPN+. Headlining the show will be heavyweights Junior dos Santos and Curtis Blaydes. Both high ranked, the winner of this fight could move themself ahead in the line to challenge for Stipe Miocic’s UFC Heavyweight Championship.

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Prelims

Bout 1: Nate Landwehr (13-2) vs. Herbert Burns (9-2) (Featherweight)

Kicking off the preliminary card on ESPN+ at 5PM EST will be a featherweight battle between Nate Landwehr and Herbert Burns. The matchup is a double debut, with Burns getting a contract from Dana White’s Contender Series back in August. Burns had a 5-2 record in ONE FC and a 2-0 run in Titan FC prior ot the signing. Landwehr is on a seven-fight winning streak, with most of those wins from Russian MMA promotion M-1 Challenge.

Bout 2: Brett Johns (15-2) vs. Tony Gravely (19-5) (Bantamweight)

Another debuting Contender Series fighter is on this card in Tony Gravely, being put up against Brett Johns. Gravely stopped Ray Rodriguez in the third round on the show to earn his UFC contract and extend his winning streak to seven. Johns could be fighting for his future in the UFC on Saturday, as he is currently on a two-fight losing streak, his only two losses as a pro. He made his UFC debut in 2016, picking up three wins before losing to Aljamain Sterling and Pedro Munhoz.

Bout 3: Sara McMann (11-5) vs. Lina Lansberg (10-4) (Bantamweight)

Making her return after maternity leave, Sara McMann will challenge Lina Lansberg on the prelims. McMann’s last fight was in early 2018, losing to Marion Renau via triangle choke. After a late 2018 loss to Yana Kunitskaya, Lansberg has bounced back by getting scorecard wins over Tonya Evinger and Macy Chiasson. It’s safe to say that McMann will have a challenge in her comeback bout.

Bout 4: Montel Jackson (8-1) vs. Felipe Corales (9-1) (Bantamweight)

The next preliminary fight will see two more bantamweights compete. Montel Jackson and Felipe Corales, who are both coming off of wins in their short UFC careers thus far will be put against each other. Despite having similar records, Vegas heavily favours Jackson as a -600 favourite. Jackson was picked up via the Contender Series, going 2-1 since then. Corales is 1-1 in the UFC, recently going the distance for a unanimous decision win against Domingo Pilarte.

Bout 5: Justine Kish (6-2) vs. Lucie Pudilova (8-5) (Flyweight)

Justine Kish and Lucie Pudilova will both attempt to break their losing streaks on Saturday, but only one will prevail. Kish hasn’t been super active, with her last two fights taking place over the last two years, being losses to Felice Herrig and Ji Yeon Kim. Pudilova has been more active, with her last three fights, all losses, within the last year and a half. Most recently, Pudilova was stopped in the second round via rear naked choke against Antonina Shevchenko.

Bout 6: Arnold Allen (15-1) vs. Nik Lentz (30-10-2) (Featherweight)

The seemingly unstoppable Arnold Allen will be put against the much more experienced Nik Lentz in what should be an interesting matchup on Saturday. Allen has been undefeated since 2014, currently with six wins in his UFC run. His most recent win was easily his biggest challenge, being a decision win over Gilbert Melendez. Lentz is coming off of a loss to Charles Oliveira, however, there’s no doubt his advantage in this fight is having more octagon time, over doubling the number of professional fights that Allen has.

Bout 7: Bevon Lewis (6-2) vs. Dequan Townsend (21-9) (Middleweight)

The preliminary part of the card will be headlined be Bevon Lewis and Dequan Townsend. Lewis was signed to the UFC through the Contender Series but has yet to get a win in the octagon, falling to Uriah Hall and Darren Stewart before. Townsend made his UFC debut in 2019, having an unsuccessful outing against Dalcha Lungiambula.

Bout 8: Jamahal Hill (6-0) vs. Darko Stosic (13-3) (Light Heavyweight)

The main card will kick off with the sole undefeated fighter on the card, Jamahal Hill, fighting Darko Stosic. Hill impressed UFC brass in the fifth episode of the 2019 Contender Series season, stopping Alexander Poppeck in the second round with elbows. This fight will be his debut on the big stage. Stosic has something to prove as well, currently chasing the feeling he had when he had his one and only UFC win, back in July of 2018. He has since failed to prevail over Devin Clark and Kennedy Nzechukwu.

Bout 9: Hannah Cifers (10-3) vs. Angela Hill (10-7) (Strawweight)

Angela Hill was a busy fighter in 2019. After a run of taking four fights in seven months, Hill took an understandable break for the final quarter of 2019. She returns to the octagon on Saturday, fighting Hannah Cifers. Cifers is riding a two-fight winning streak, last winning over Jodie Esquibel at UFC 241.

Bout 10: Jordan Espinosa (14-6) vs. Alex Perez (22-5) (Flyweight)

In late 2018, Alex Perez tasted defeat in the UFC for the first time, taking many unanswered shots by Joseph Benavidez before the referee fully stepped in. That didn’t stop his momentum however, as he bounced back by beating Mark De La Rosa. Riding that momentum, Perez will fight Jordan Espinosa high up on this card. Espinosa sees himself in Perez’s position, attempting to come off his first loss in the UFC, which was also a first-round stoppage. On Saturday, another fighter will likely see their second loss in the big leagues.

Bout 11: Rafael dos Anjos (29-12) vs. Michael Chiesa (15-4) (Welterweight)

Michael Chiesa has been undefeated since making the switch from lightweight to welterweight back in 2018. He has defeated Carlos Condit and Diego Sanchez, and now eyes to beat Rafael dos Anjos in the co-main event slot of this card. “RDA” has lost quite a bit recently, however it’s worth noting his losses have come to notable names in the division. He lost an interim Welterweight Championship fight to Colby Covington in 2018 at UFC 225. He then lost to current champion Kamaru Usman, going to decision. He has most recently lost to Leon Edwards, defeating Kevin Lee before then. While Chiesa is being pitted against someone who has lost more than they have won recently, dos Anjos is the biggest welterweight challenge he has gotten so far.

Bout 12: Curtis Blaydes (12-2) vs. Junior dos Santos (21-6) (Heavyweight)

Main eventing in Raleigh will be Curtis Blaydes and Junior dos Santos. The battle is one between one of the division’s rising stars and a more experienced veteran. Of course the star is Blaydes, with the more experienced being Santos. Blaydes holds an impressive 12-2 record, with the two defeats coming via fights against Francis Ngannou. He is on a two-fight winning streak, going through Justin Willis and Shamil Abdurakhimov.

Santos’ last win gives him a way to relate to Blaydes, as he lost to Ngannou back in June. He failed to fight Alexander Volkov in November, falling victim to a bacterial infection. Santos is most known for his 2011 UFC Heavyweight Championship run, which saw him dethrone Cain Velasquez. After a defence against Frank Mir, Santos lost the belt in a rematch against Velasquez. Both Blaydes and Santos are highly ranked in the division, and a win could put them in closer reach to Stipe Miocic’s Heavyweight belt. With that being said, there are a lot of bidders for that title shot at the moment.

UFC will take next weekend off, returning on the 8th with UFC 247 in Houston, Texas, USA. Headlining that card will be Jon Jones putting his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship on the line against undefeated Dominick Reyes.

UFC on ESPN+ 18: Hermansson vs. Cannonier

On September 28, UFC travelled to Denmark for a collection of fights. Headlining the card was Jack Hermansson and Jared Cannonier, two very high ranked middleweights. The show also featured two fighters from Denmark.

Bout 1: Nohelin Hernandez (10-3) vs. Jack Shore (11-0) (Bantamweight)

The preliminary card started with bantamweights. The crowd was pretty filled up before the first fight even started. Nohelin “Suave” Hernandez and Jack Shore kicked off the night. Shore had clean striking early on, landing good jabs. Shore got a takedown via body lock halfway through the round. He took the back of Hernandez and tried for a rear naked choke but ran out of time.

Shore landed another takedown in the first half of the second round. They got back up halfway through the round, with Hernandez pinning Shore against the cage. Shore got another takedown before the round concluded.

Shore tried for another takedown in the very first seconds of the final round. Yet again he took the back of Hernandez. He slipped in a rear naked choke which made Hernandez tap out. Jack Shore kicked off the show by moving his professional MMA record to 12 wins.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Hernandez	9	9
Shore	10	10

Bout 2: Lando Vannata (10-3-2) vs. Marc Diakiese (13-3) (Lightweight)

The second preliminary fight was Lando Vannata and Marc Diakiese. From the very start, both fighters had very fast paced striking. Vannata slipped early in the fight, but the fight didn’t go to the ground. Diakiese was targeting the legs of Vannata with kicks. One of the leg kicks was a little off target, hitting Vannata in the groin.

Vannata tried for the first takedown in the second round, although Diakiese was able to keep it in stand-up. Vanatta started to bleed around the nose quite a bit in this round.

Diakiese got his first takedown of the fight in the final round. Vannata threw elbows from bottom position. With a minute left in the round, Diakiese tried to take Vannata’s back. They stood up, although Diakiese threw Vannata back down a few times.

The fight went the distance, with Lando Vannata convincing all three judges that he won the contest (30-27, 30-27 & 30-26).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Vannata	9	9	9	27
Diakiese	10	10	10	30

Bout 3: Lina Lansberg (9-4) (#12) vs. Macy Chiasson (6-0) (#11) (Bantamweight)

Ranked bantamweights Lina Lansberg and Macy Chiasson competed in the next fight. Since Lansberg is Swedish, she got a warm reaction from the crowd. Chiasson had Lansberg up against the cage in a standing clinch in the first minute. Chiasson kept pinned to Lansberg until the round concluded.

Lansberg took control at the start of the second round, scoring a takedown. They got up into a standing clinch where Lansberg was still in control. Chiasson also had some moments in the clinch where she was in control.

Chiasson was given quite the cornering before the final round. Right off the bat in the first round, Chiasson put Lansberg against the cage again. Lansberg got a takedown from the clinch. When Chiasson got back up she was hit with a knee to the head still in the clinch. They fight concluded in the the standing clinch.

Looking to the judges to find the winner, Lina Lansberg picked up her 10th victory as a pro (29-27, 29-27 & 29-28). Lansberg was the biggest underdog on the show.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Lansberg	9	10	10	29
Chiasson	10	9	9	28

Bout 4: Giga Chikadze (7-2) vs. Brandon Davis (10-7) (Featherweight)

The fourth fight of the evening was Georgian fighter Giga Chikadze face Brandon Davis. Chikadze had some crisp striking early on, but it was stopped when Davis scored a takedown. Chikadze was able to flip the position around with two minutes left in the round. He let off some strikes from top position. They returned to stand-up with 30 seconds left. Davis got a double-leg takedown before the round concluded.

Chikadze started the second round with more good striking. Davis was denied of a single-leg takedown. Davis got a takedown in the final minute of the round, after being dominated in stand-up. They stood up for the final seconds of the round.

Davis was the more active fighter in the final round, constantly advancing and throwing strikes. While Chikadze woke up in the second half of the round, Davis closed it out with a takedown. When consulting the judges, the first two went for a different fighter, with the third scoring a draw, making the fight a draw (29-28, 29-28 & 29-29).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Chikadze	9	10	9	28
Davis	10	9	10	29

Bout 5: Ismail Naurdiev (18-3) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (24-7-1) (Welterweight)

The next preliminary fight was between Ismail Naurdiev and Siyar Bahadurzada. The second minute of the fight saw a break as Naurdiev was poked in the eye. Naurdiev wsa getting off more and better shots in the first round. Bahadurzada clearly got hurt by a strike with a minute left.

Bahadurzada had some decent striking as the second round started. Naurdiev scored a takedown halfway through the second round. He stayed in top position on the ground until the round concluded.

Naurdiev got another takedown halfway through the final round. He got on the back of Bahadurzada, who got up but was slammed back down. The fight ended on the ground with Naurdiev in top position. As expected, Ismail Naurdiev got the win with three approving scorecards (30-26, 30-25 & 30-25).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Naurdiev	10	10	10	30
Bahadurzada	9	9	9	27

Bout 6: Makhmud Muradov (22-6) vs. Alessio Di Chirico (12-3) (Middleweight)

Makhmud Muradov and Alessio Di Chirico fought in the middleweight division in the next fight. Muradov had the better start in the round, landing singular jabs and hooks. Di Chirico woke up with two minutes left in the round, starting to approach with more strikes. Di Chirico got a cut on his hairline in the final minute of the round. Muradov tried for a takedown in the last 10 seconds of the round.

The second round had some pretty close stand-up, with both of them having their moments. Muradov seemed to be the smoother fighter when it came to movement.

As the final round was nearing it’s finish, Di Chirico had Muradov standing against the cage. Muradov dropped his mouthpiece when blocking a strike. Di Chirico was applying good pressure to Muradov and landing hard shots. The fight ended as they were standing and throwing strikes. While Di Chirico had a good closing round, it was Makhmud Muradov who walked away with the win (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Muradov	10	10	9	29
Di Chirico	9	9	10	28

Bout 7: John Phillips (21-9 1 NC) vs. Alen Amedovski (8-1) (Middleweight)

Before the main card started, we had a middleweight war between John Phillips and Alen Amedovski. Both fighters were swinging hard right off the bat. You could tell someone was going to fall any second. Amedovski got dropped by a punch and got up, but was dropped yet again seconds later, with the referee stepping in moments later. John Phillips wasn’t kind to those who blinked during his fight, winning in the first minute of the bout.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Phillips
Amedovski

Bout 8: Alex Oliveria (19-7-1 2 NC) vs. Nicolas Dalby (17-3-1 1 NC) (Welterweight)

Starting off the main card was welterweights Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira and Nicolas Dalby. While Oliveira is often a fan favourite, Denmark’s Dalby had an overwhelming amount of support. After a standing clinch which changed control many times, Oliveria got a takedown in the fifth minute of the fight. Dalby reversed the takedown in the final second of the round.

A pause came early in the second round as Oliveira was poked in the eye. When they resumed, Dalby was charging forward with strikes. After clinching for a few seconds, Dalby landed a takedown. Dalby mostly landed strikes on the ground. They got up with over a minute left in the second round. Oliveira was getting hit with more punches, clinching against the cage in an attempt to stop it. Oliveira got a judo throw takedown, but Dalby was able to flip it over and take top position. The referee intervened as Oliveira did an upkick, resuming the fight on the feet although it could be argued that Dalby had the better position.

Oliveira seemed very tired in-between rounds. Oliveira got a takedown in the second minute of the final round. After a few minutes on the ground the referee stood them up. They went back to the ground where Oliveira tried for a triangle. Dalby escaped the triangle and took top position. Dalby tried for a choke and landed strikes as the fight came to a close. The crowd was appreciative as the fight ended. When turning to the scorecards it was Nicolas Dalby who got the win (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28). The crowd let out an impressive roar when he won.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Oliveria	10	9	9	28
Dalby	9	10	10	29

Bout 9: Ovince Saint Preux (23-13) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (14-2 1 NC) (Light Heavyweight)

The second main card fight saw UFC veteran Ovince Saint Preux face Michal Oleksiejczuk. From the very start it was Oleksiejczuk who was the faster fighter. He was picking apart Saint Preux even dropping him with a left straight at one point. Saint Preux was fighting like a gassed third round fighter except he was in the first round. Oleksiejczuk was much slower as the round was closing out.

In-between rounds the corner of OSP did one of the many memorable corners of this show. Saint Preux got a takedown halfway through the round. On the groun, Saint Preux went for a von fluke choke to win the fight. After a lackluster first round, Ovince Saint Preux earned yet another win with his famous von fluke choke.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Saint Preux	9
Oleksiejczuk	10

Bout 10: Khalil Rountree (9-3 1 NC) vs. Ion Cutelaba (14-4 1 NC) (Light Heavyweight)

Staying in the light heavyweight division, the next fight was between Khalil Rountree and Ion Cutelaba. During the introductions, Cutelaba tried to get in Rountree’s face but didn’t phase him. Early on both fighters cracked each other with a good shot. Cutelaba got a takedown in the second minute of the fight. He landed some hard elbows from top position. Cutelaba kept Rountree on the ground and threw elbows until the referee stepped in. Ion Cutelaba backed up his fight week antics with a dominant performance which only lasted one round.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Rountree
Cutelaba

Bout 11: Gilbert Burns (16-3) vs. Gunnar Nelson (17-4-1) (Welterweight)

The next contest was between Gilbert Burns and Gunnar Nelson. The commentary was billing this as a real grappling showdown. Nelson tried to catch a leg kick and turn it into a takedown in the first minute but was denied. Burns landed some good leg kicks early on. Each fighter seemed very wary of the other’s stand-up power. Burns put Nelson into a clinch up against the cage, although it was Nelson who got a trip takedown. Nelson didn’t do much work from top position before the round ended.

Nelson had a better second round, putting Burns against the cage and having sharp striking. Nelson tried for a takedown with a minute left but was countered by a hip toss from Burns. They ended up in stand-up, where Burns landed a knee and then was taken down. Burns tried for a choke before the round concluded.

The final round included a lot of Nelson pinning Burns against the cage. Burns landed a takedown in the final minute of the round, taking the back of Nelson but only for a second. The fight went all three rounds with Gilbert Burns getting the unanimous decision win (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28).

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Burns	10	10	10	30
Nelson	9	9	9	27

Bout 12: Danilo Belluardo (12-4) vs. Mark O. Madsen (8-0) (Lightweight)

The co-main event of the show saw Denmark’s Mark O. Madsen face Danilo Belluardo. Madsen got a takedown in the first minute of the fight. He landed tons of strikes while in top position. He kept going with elbows until the referee stopped the bout. In his UFC debut, Mark O. Madsen did more than enough to prove why he should be in the promotion.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Total
Belluardo
Madsen

Bout 13: Jared Cannonier (12-4) (#9) vs. Jack Hermansson (20-4) (#5) (Middleweight)

Finally the main event of the evening was between two ranked middleweights in Jared Cannonier and Jack Hermansson. Worth mentioning that in Cannonier’s corner was Benson Henderson, who fought on a Bellator card the day before. Hermansson went for leg kicks right off the bat. He tried for a takedown which Cannonier defended. Upon second attempt, Hermansson got a suplex, taking the back of Cannonier. Cannonier escaped the position in a short amount of time. Cannonier started to open up his striking more in the second half of the round.

Early in the second round Cannonier hurt Hermansson with a punch. He was quick to start with the ground and pound, throwing punches until the referee stepped in. Jared Cannonier’s sudden yet dangerous win over Jack Hermansson left the crowd stunned as the show ended.

My Scorecard:

Fighter	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Total
Cannonier	10
Hermansson	9

UFC on ESPN+ 18: Hermansson vs. Cannonier Full Preview

This upcoming weekend is a busy one for combat sports. With two Bellator shows, a UFC Fight Night and a boxing prize fight, there will be an event on at almost every time of the day. Following Bellator’s Friday event, UFC will hold “UFC on ESPN+ 18” will take place live from Copenhagen, Denmark on Saturday morning. Headlining the show will be middleweights Jack “The Joker” Hermansson and Jared Cannonier. Both ranked middleweights are up-and-coming within the division, with this fight being a test for them. Before the main event however, there is 12 other fights, with the card kicking off at 11AM EST on ESPN+ (on UFC Fight Pass for Canadian viewers).

Bout 1: Nohelin Hernandez (10-3) vs. Jack Shore (11-0) (Bantamweight)

The first bout of the evening is the debut of a prospect from the British scene in Jack Shore against Nohelin Hernandez. Shore comes into the UFC with an 11-0 record, picking up a large amount of those wins within the Cage Warriors promotion in the UK. The Wales fighter will face Hernandez, who lost his UFC debut against Marlon Vera in July.

Bout 2: Marc Diakiese (13-3) vs. Lando Vannata (10-3-2) (Lightweight)

While Marc Diakiese and Lando Vannata have settled into their positions in the UFC, their records don’t reflect that. Vannata holds a 2-3-2 record since joining the promotion, with Diakiese sporting a 3-4 record. Both fighters are coming off a victory. Whoever wins this fight will be starting their first winning streak in a couple or more years.

Bout 3: Macy Chiasson (5-0) vs. Lina Lansberg (9-4) (Bantamweight)

Macy Chiasson has had a short professional MMA career, but she has been flawless throughout. After winning Season 28 of The Ultimate Fighter, Chiasson has went on to get finishing victories over Gina Mazany and Sarah Moras, making her record 5-0. She will go up against Lina Lansberg, who has taken turns with wins and losses since her UFC debut. The Swede took Tonya Evinger to a decision three months back, getting a victory unanimously. In a tough fight for both fighters, Lansberg will aim to break the undefeated record of Chiasson.

Bout 4: Giga Chikadze (7-2) vs. Brandon Davis (10-7) (Featherweight)

Giga Chikadze will be making his UFC debut on Saturday, attempting to continue a current two-fight winning streak when he faces Brandon Davis. Just a month after his loss to Kyung Ho Kang, Davis will be attempting to rebound with this fight.

Bout 5: Siyar Bahadurzada (24-7-1) vs. Ismail Naurdiev (18-3) (Welterweight)

Continuing on the preliminary card, welterweights veteran UFC fighter Siyar Bahadurzada will fight Ismail Naurdiev. Naurdiev has fought twice before in the UFC, picking up a win against Michel Prazeres and most recently a loss against Chance Rencountre. His opponent this time around, Bahadurzada, is a veteran of the highest promotion. Although he has been with the UFC since 2012, he only holds a record of 4-3. Bahadurzada most recently fought at the end of 2018, taking a decision loss to Curtis Millender.

Bout 6: Alessio Di Chirico (12-3) vs. Makhmud Muradov (22-6) (Middleweight)

Makhmud Muradov’s entrance into the UFC this weekend will come against Alessio Di Chirico. Almost everything indicates it to be a win for Muradov. He’s the more experienced fighter, the bigger fighter and currently on an 11-fight winning streak. Di Chirico is coming off a decision loss to Kevin Holland.

Bout 7: Alen Amedovski (8-1) vs. John Phillips (21-9) (Middleweight)

Wales fighter John Phillips will potentially fight for his spot in the UFC on Saturday, attempting to snap a current three-fight winning streak that started with his promotional debut. His opponent Alen Amedovski’s situation is less severe, currently attempting to bounce back from his debut loss against Krzysztof Jotko five months ago. Amedovski has fought at a high level before, getting two first round finish wins in Bellator.

Bout 8: Alex Oliveira (20-7-1) vs. Nicolas Dalby (17-3-1) (Welterweight)

Kicking off the main card at 2PM EST on ESPN+ will be Alex Oliveira and Nicolas Dalby. The fight will be a return to the UFC for Dalby. After leaving the promotion in 2016 with a record of 1-3-1, Dalby turned to the Cage Warriors promotion to go 3-1 1 NC. Now returning to the UFC with the goal of having a better run than last time, it won’t be an easy entrance against Oliveira. While the last two fights for Oliveira were losses, they came against big opponents in Gunnar Nelson and “Platinum” Mike Perry.

Bout 9: Ovince St. Preux (22-13) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (14-2) (Light Heavyweight)

The next fight has a clear storyline: the up-and-coming fighter versus a gatekeeper of the weight class. Heading into his 20th UFC fight, Ovince St. Preux has been matched against Michal Oleksiejczuk, who has a 2-0-1 record since joining the UFC back in 2017. A win against St. Preux would be the biggest one in the career of Oleksiejczuk so far.

Bout 10: Ion Cutelaba (15-4) vs. Khalil Rountree (8-3) (Light Heavyweight)

Ion Cutelaba and Khalil Rountree are two of the biggest light heavyweight names that aren’t ranked. Bouncing back with a win against Eryk Anders earlier this year, Khalil Rountree will look to crash the rankings after beating Ion Cutelaba. Cutelaba on the other hand recently lost to Glover Teixeira, getting choked out in the second round. A win for either fighter could mean seeing their name on the top 15 list next week.

Bout 11: Gunnar Nelson (17-4-1) vs. Gilbert Burns (16-3) (Welterweight)

Just over a month after his last victory, Gilbert Burns is booked for another fight. His opponent this time around is Gunnar Nelson. Both fighters were on the same UFC 231 card in December last year where they both picked up a win. Since then, Burns has went 2-0 in MMA fights, defeating Mike Davis and just last month breaking the undefeated streak of Alexey Kunchenko. Nelson has only fought once within the same timeframe, losing to Leon Edwards.

Bout 12: Mark O. Madsen (8-0) vs. Danilo Belluardo (12-4) (Lightweight)

The under-represented Denmark will at least see a debuting fighter in the co-main event of the evening. Coming into the promotion with an undefeated record, Mark O. Madsen will face Danilo Belluardo, who is 0-1 within the promotion. Coming in as a huge favourite, Madsen’s prior notable wins came from unofficial UFC feeder promotion Cage Warriors.

Bout 13: Jack Hermansson (20-4) vs. Jared Cannonier (12-4) (Middleweight)

The main event of the evening will see highly ranked middleweights Jack Hermansson and Jared Cannonier face off. Hermansson is the higher ranked fighter (#5) while Cannonier is in a somewhat lower spot (#9). While a win from either fighter likely wouldn’t blast them up to a title contender position, they would be within a fight’s distance likely of being the top contender. Before getting to the title, they would have to defeat a top contender like Paulo Costa, Kelvin Gastelum, the loser of Israel Adesanya versus Robert Whittaker or even Yoel Romero, who is a step below the others.

Jack Hermansson is currently on a four-fight winning streak, stopping three of his opponents. His most recent win was a dominant five round fight against Jacare Souza back in April. The Swede debuted in the UFC in 2016, only losing twice since then. Cannonier has won two in a row, stopping both David Branch and Anderson Silva (although the win over Silva came via leg injury). If you’re interested in further reading, ESPN did a good piece talking about how Cannonier went from heavyweight to middleweight.

UFC has a big event next weekend live from Australia. Starting at 6:30 PM EST with the main card at 10PM EST, UFC 243 will be headlined by Robert Whittaker putting his UFC Middleweight Championship up against interim Champion Israel Adesanya. The show will also feature other prominent Australia and New Zealand based-UFC fighters.