3 fights to look forward to and 2 that will likely disappoint at UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs. Dumont

UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs. Dumont [Photo credit: UFC.com]
UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs. Dumont [Photo credit: UFC.com]

UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs. Dumont takes place this weekend. The event, which goes down at the Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, will feature an intriguing main event showdown in the women's featherweight division.

Two weeks after having her fight with Macy Chiasson canceled due to missing weight, Aspen Ladd will attempt to put her career on the right path by stepping up on short notice against Norma Dumont. Ladd will finally be returning to the octagon after back-to-back fight cancelations.

In the co-main event, up-and-coming heavyweight Carlos Felipe takes on ageless wonder Andrei Arlovski. Meanwhile, veteran Jim Miller will attempt to snap a two-fight losing skid against UFC upstart Erick Gonzalez.

In terms of name value, Saturday night's card doesn't have a lot to offer. However, the event should still deliver some solid action.

With that in mind, here are three fights to look forward to and two that will likely disappoint at UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs. Dumont.


Fight to look forward to at UFC Fight Night 195: Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Manon Fiorot

UFC Fight Night 195: Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Manon Fiorot
UFC Fight Night 195: Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Manon Fiorot

Top prospect Manon Fiorot will look for her third straight UFC victory as she squares off against Brazilian Mayra Bueno Silva.

With seven victories in a row, 'The Beast' made a strong impression by securing back-to-back finishes in her first two outings in the UFC. In each of those instances, Fiorot displayed aggression, taking out Victoria Leonardo and Tabatha Ricci with her high-octane striking.

Meanwhile, Silva has collected a solid 2-1-1 record since making her way to the UFC. A product of Dana White's Contender Series, the Brazilian holds submission wins over Gillian Robertson and Mara Romero Borella. In her latest outing, Silva fought Montana De La Rosa to a draw, pushing her overall record to 7-1-1.

Fiorot and Silva will clash as they try to stand out in the women's bantamweight division. With champion Amanda Nunes still as dominant as ever, it's about time the 135-pound weight class gets an infusion of new talent.

Fight that will likely disappoint at UFC Fight Night 195: Andrew Sanchez vs. Bruno Silva

UFC Fight Night 195: Andrew Sanchez vs. Bruno Silva
UFC Fight Night 195: Andrew Sanchez vs. Bruno Silva

At UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs. Dumont, middleweights Andrew Sanchez and Bruno Silva will collide in the featured matchup on the preliminary card.

Sanchez will attempt to return to the win column after being brutally knocked out by Makhmud Muradov in January. The winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 23 had a promising start to his UFC career, bagging two straight wins against Khalil Rountree and Trevor Smith.

Unfortunately, Sanchez's career never really took off after he fell short against some of the top contenders in the middleweight division. Sanchez's most notable opponents were former title challengers Anthony Smith and Marvin Vettori. However, he was proven unprepared for elite competition and lost to both.

Meanwhile, Silva made his promotional debut earlier this year to end a two-and-a-half-year absence. 'Blindado' made an impressive first impression against fellow Brazilian Wellington Turman at UFC on ESPN 25. Silva put his ferocity on display when he pummeled his compatriot with vicious ground-and-pound strikes to earn the TKO.

This UFC Fight Night 195 bout has the makings of an intriguing matchup. However, Sanchez has been inconsistent as of late and might not be able to deliver. For that reason, this fight could disappoint.


Fight to look forward to at UFC Fight Night 195: Andrei Arlovski vs. Carlos Felipe

UFC Fight Night 195: Andrei Arlovski vs. Carlos Felipe
UFC Fight Night 195: Andrei Arlovski vs. Carlos Felipe

Former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski has made a fool out of Father Time in his last few contests. With the exception of Tom Aspinall, the veteran has made it a habit to derail the careers of up-and-coming heavyweights. On Saturday, another surging youngster will test Arlovski as Carlos Felipe looks for his fourth win inside the octagon.

The 42-year-old Arlovski has been a mainstay in the heavyweight division. He has been thriving as a gatekeeper in the division's top 15 in recent years. 'The Pitbull' has won three of his last five bouts, serving as a litmus test for aspiring contenders.

Last time out, Arlovski stepped in on short notice against Chase Sherman. Although the odds were not in his favor, Arlovski silenced his critics when he schooled Sherman through three rounds and walked away with a unanimous decision win.

Meanwhile, Felipe has bounced back after serving a two-year suspension. Since then, the Brazilian has amassed three straight victories over Yorgan de Castro, Justin Tafa and Jake Collier.

At UFC Fight Night 195, Felipe will get an opportunity to prove that he's ready to take his career to the next level. A triumph against Arlovski would definitely be an encouraging sign of things to come for the young heavyweight.

Fight that will likely disappoint at UFC Fight Night 195: Jim Miller vs. Erick Gonzalez

UFC Fight Night 195: Jim Miller vs. Erick Gonzalez
UFC Fight Night 195: Jim Miller vs. Erick Gonzalez

An interesting matchup that will take place on the main card of UFC Fight Night: Ladd vs. Dumont will see the fighter with the most UFC fights take on an octagon debutant.

Appearing in his 50th professional fight, Jim Miller is keen to prove that the sport hasn't passed him by. The New Jersey native has been a permanent presence in the lightweight division over the past 13 years. However, his last two fights didn't go his way as he dropped back-to-back unanimous decisions to Vinc Pichel and Joe Solecki.

Standing on the opposite side of the cage will be 29-year-old Erick Gonzalez. The American will join the ranks of one of the richest divisions in the UFC and will have a tough test in the form of Miller. Gonzalez's last two losses came against UFC veterans Rafa Garcia and Humberto Bandenay. If he hopes to prove himself worthy of being in the octagon, he has to get past Miller in convincing fashion.

As intriguing as this bout is, Miller is far removed from his prime while Gonzalez is an unproven commodity. For those reasons, the fight might disappoint.


Fight to look forward to at UFC Fight Night 195: Aspen Ladd vs. Norma Dumont

UFC Fight Night 195: Aspen Ladd vs. Norma Dumont
UFC Fight Night 195: Aspen Ladd vs. Norma Dumont

The main event of UFC Fight Night 195 was supposed to be a clash between former bantamweight queen Holly Holm and Norma Dumont. However, 'The Preacher's Daughter' was forced to pull out after reports came out that she's dealing with a knee injury. Thankfully, Aspen Ladd stepped in to save the day.

Ladd has been regarded as a top prospect in recent years. Unfortunately, she has been out of commission since 2019 after suffering a knee injury last year. On top of that, her scheduled return bouts fell apart due to an injury to her opponent and weight cutting woes.

Originally scheduled to fight Macy Chiasson on UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Walker, Ladd's comeback was nixed following a botched weight cut. Given it wasn't the first time she struggled to make weight, it makes perfect sense for Ladd to test the waters of the 145-pound weight class.

Meanwhile, Dumont had similar scale issues in her lone attempt to compete at women's bantamweight. Nonetheless, the Brazilian found success in her most recent outings against Ashlee Evans-Smith and Felicia Spencer.

This matchup is one to definitely look forward to. Given that the list of Amanda Nunes' challengers at featherweight isn't a long one, this main event battle could potentially produce the division's next title challenger.

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