Compelling bouts fill ‘fight week’ cards
Careers and reputations could be made and lost by the time the dust settles in Las Vegas
There is far too much going on this week in Las Vegas for me to waste precious words on the kind of flowery, flowing preamble you’re used to seeing from me in this space.
Instead, let’s get right to it: It’s International Fight Week and there are tandem events Friday and Saturday featuring an abundance of entertaining fights and compelling competitors that need to be discussed.
With The Ultimate Fighter 27 Finale taking place on Friday and UFC 226 on pay-perview the following night, there are too many outstanding matchups to discuss for me to waste time waxing poetic.
I’m bummed that we lost the featherweight title fight between Max Holloway and Brian Ortega — it was the fight I was most looking forward to this weekend — but the champion’s health and well-being are most important.
But even without that fight, Friday and Saturday are still loaded with quality action inside the Octagon.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the key fights and fighters to keep an eye on this weekend during International Fight Week in Las Vegas.
ROXANNE MODAFFERI VS. BARB HONCHAK
A rematch Modafferi has been chasing for seven years, since coming out on the wrong end of the decision the first time around, this is also an opportunity for these pioneers to prove they still have what it takes to be contenders in the flyweight division.
While far from a “Loser Leaves Town” match, this might be the last chance either woman has to establish herself as a title threat in the 125-pound weight class.
BRAD KATONA VS. JAY CUCCINIELLO
Long considered one of Canada’s top prospects, Winnipeg’s Katona advanced to the finals of this season’s featherweight tournament by beating Kyler Phillips and Tyler Diamond.
A natural bantamweight, the 26-year-old benefited from not having to cut weight throughout the competition, and it will be interesting to see how he handles fighting up in weight against Cucciniello.
BRAD TAVARES VS. ISRAEL ADESANYA
Headlining Friday’s TUF 27 Finale, this middleweight pairing is a litmus test for the emerging Adesanya, who has already earned a pair of wins this year to move to 13-0 overall.
Adesanya has never shared the cage with someone as experienced and polished as Tavares, who enters on a fourfight winning streak and sports a 12-4 record.
RAPHAEL ASSUNCAO VS. ROB FONT
Assuncao might be the most underrated fighter in the UFC right now, a 35-year-old veteran with a 10-1 record in the bantamweight division that includes a win over current champ T.J. Dillashaw and surging contender Marlon Moraes. If he wins on Saturday, he’ll make a compelling case for a title shot, but first he has to get through Font, a dangerous finisher with quick, powerful hands.
PAUL FELDER VS. MIKE PERRY
Paired together after they each lost opponents, this welterweight contest should be an old-fashioned slugfest between two guys who like to come forward and sling leather.
Felder has won three straight, but is moving up a division for this one, while Perry is looking to right the ship after suffering back-toback losses.
Expect fireworks.
FRANCIS NGANNOU VS. DERRICK LEWIS
Heavyweight knockout artists collide in the middle of Saturday’s pay-per-view in a fight that’s more than just a chance to see two devastating finishers swing sledgehammers at one another until one falls down.
Ngannou is returning for the first time since his title fight loss to Stipe Miocic (more on him shortly), while Lewis could punch his ticket to a title shot of his own by knocking off the former challenger.
STIPE MIOCIC VS. DANIEL CORMIER
Easily the biggest fight the UFC could make at the moment, there is much more at stake here than just Miocic’s belt.
For the defending champion, this is an opportunity to further cement his legacy as the best heavyweight in UFC history and bolster his alltime standing.
Miocic has won six straight overall and became the first man to successfully defend the heavyweight strap three times when he dominated Ngannou at UFC 220.
Adding Cormier to his list of vanquished foes would cement his place in the history books.
Across the cage, Cormier is looking to join the exclusive group of fighters to win UFC titles in two divisions and join Conor McGregor as the only fighters to hold two belts at the same time.
Because he’s spent the last four years fighting at light heavyweight, people seem to forget that Cormier went 13-0 as a heavyweight and was next in line for a title shot before changing divisions.
This is a wildly compelling fight and could be a precursor to some monster matchups down the road in the heavyweight division, no matter who wins.