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UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Chikadze will close out the action-packed month of August with a bang. The event, which will take place at the APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, will feature a surefire main event showdown between two hard-hitting featherweights looking to inch their way towards title contention.
Fireworks are expected to go off in the main event as striking savants Edson Barboza and Giga Chikadze collide. On top of that, this UFC Fight Night will also host the finale of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 29: Team Volkanovski vs. Team Ortega.
Bantamweights Ricky Turcios and Brady Hiestand will battle it out for the coveted UFC contract after training together inside the TUF house. Meanwhile, middleweight prospects Bryan Battle and Gilbert Urbina will square off in the co-main event.
UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Chikadze is expected to go down as one of the most exciting non-pay-per-view cards of the month. However, there are a few matchups on the card that won't exactly be 'Fight of the Night' candidates. On that note, let's take a look at three fights to look forward to and two that will likely disappoint on this card:
Fight to look forward to: Kevin Lee vs. Daniel Rodriguez (UFC welterweight)
![Kevin Lee vs. Daniel Rodriguez will take place on UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Chikadze [Image via @motownphenom on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/8b7eb-16298791018560-800.jpg)
Kevin Lee will be moving back to the welterweight division for the first time in well over a year to make his long-awaited octagon return against veteran Daniel Rodriguez.
The past few years have been a rollercoaster ride of emotion for Lee, who has lost his grip on top contender status after losing back-to-back against Al Iaquinta and Rafael dos Anjos. He then moved back to lightweight and earned a much-needed win over previously unbeaten Gregor Gillespie.
But Lee's success was short-lived as he missed weight in a lightweight matchup against Charles Oliveira and subsequently suffered a submission loss at the hands of the Brazilian. Lee was initially scheduled to face unbeaten rising star Sean Brady at UFC 264, but the bout was canceled after Brady was forced to pull out due to a foot injury.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez has been one of the most active fighters on the UFC roster. The 34-year-old will be making a third appearance in 2021 in his seventh UFC assignment in the last 20 months.
'D-Rod' will enter UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Chikadze on a two-fight winning streak following his unanimous decision victory over Mike Perry and a first-round stoppage of Preston Parsons. Rodriguez's efforts allowed him to take the mantle as the most active fighter from his training partner Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone.
Fight that will likely disappoint: Andre Petroski vs. Michael Gilmore (UFC middleweight)
![UFC Vegas 35: Andre Petroski vs. Michael Gilmore [Photo via @andrepetroski on IG]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/00fc6-16298793646350-800.jpg)
Andre Petroski will be given another opportunity to shine at UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Chikadze despite failing to qualify for the TUF 29 finals. The 30-year-old was Brian Ortega's number one pick and the heavy favorite to win the most recent TUF season. However, the grappler was submitted by Bryan Battle in their semifinal matchup and eliminated in the process.
Prior to his TUF stint, Petroski had built a promising career in regional circuits. He scored five consecutive victories in his first five contests before suffering the first defeat of his career against Aaron Jeffery at LFA 93. Needless to say, Petroski will be hungry for a much-needed rebound win at UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Chikadze.
Meanwhile, Michael Gilmore has made his way into TUF through sheer happenstance. He was selected as a replacement for Team Ortega's Miles Hunsinger, who suffered a knee injury while preparing for his quarterfinal bout.
It was a curious decision on the UFC's part to select Gilmore as Petroski's opponent, given that he wasn't even selected by the TUF 29 coaches to begin with. That said, it appears that the UFC is giving Petroski a freebie by booking him against an unproven opponent who he'll likely defeat with relative ease. With that in mind, this fight will likely disappoint.
Fight to look forward to: Ricky Turcios vs. Brady Hiestand (TUF Finale)
![Ricky Turcios vs Brady Hiestand [Photo via @rickyturcios on IG]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/cc3f9-16298795110253-800.jpg)
After spending weeks fighting for the same squad, Team Volkanovski members Ricky Turcios and Brady Hiestand will clash in the bantamweight finals of TUF 29 at UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Chikaze.
Due to his eccentric personality and unwavering energy, Turcios was given the monicker 'the cult leader' by his fellow TUF contestants. But in the cage, Turcios has proven that he's all business.
Turcios won a pair of hard-fought battles to reach the final pairing, edging out Dan Argueta and Liudvik Sholinian to book a ticket to the finale. A veteran with 12-fights under his belt, Turcios will come in as the more experienced and more well-rounded fighter. Thanks to his high-octane striking, Turcios can put on an exciting show every time he fights.
Meanwhile, Hiestand will look to follow in the footsteps of Michael Chiesa and Julianna Pena as the third Sikjitsu member to win TUF. The 22-year-old edged his hometown friend and training partner Josh Rettinghouse in the quarterfinals before dominating Vince Murdock to secure a spot in the finale. Hiestand may be young and untested at this stage of his career, but his performance in TUF is a testament to his talent.
Fight that will likely disappoint: Bryan Battle vs. Gilbert Urbina (TUF Finale)
![Bryan Battle vs. Gilbert Urbina [Photo via @alexandervolkanovski on IG]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/a64ee-16298797641279-800.jpg)
The middleweight tournament for TUF 29 concludes in a clash between Team Volkanovski representatives Bryan Battle and Gilbert Urbina at UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Chikadze.
Battle's journey to the finals is similar to that of Kelvin Gastelum. He was picked last by coach Alexander Volkanovski, but his raw talent and in-cage IQ allowed him to thrive against more experienced opponents like Kemran Lachinov and Andre Petroski. Battle is currently on a four-fight winning streak going into his octagon debut. Another win for 'Pooh Bear' will secure him a highly-coveted UFC contract and the title of "The Ultimate Fighter."
Meanwhile, Urbina will get a rare opportunity to win the show despite losing in the semifinals. He subbed in for Team Ortega's lone representative, Tresean Gore, who was forced to withdraw from the finale after suffering a knee injury. Gore advanced to the finale after knocking out Urbina, but his opportunity will have to wait until he makes a full recovery.
On paper, Battle vs. Urbina is a good matchup. Both men prefer to grapple, which indicates that the fight could be settled on the ground. However, Urbina has already lost in devastating fashion and during his TUF stint. Should he emerge as the victor at UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Chikadze, season 29 of TUF will undoubtedly end in an anti-climactic fashion.
Fight to look forward to: Edson Barboza vs. Giga Chikadze (UFC featherweight)
![UFC Vegas 35: Edson Barboza vs. Giga Chikadze [Photo credit: @edsonbarbozajr. & @knockoutcancer on IG]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/ed830-16298799860071-800.jpg)
The card will wrap up with a potential barnburner in the featherweight division as Edson Barboza and Giga Chikadze lock horns in an early 'Fight of the Night' favorite.
Barboza will head into the main event with a two-fight winning streak, having earned a win over Makwan Amirkhani and a wild third-round stoppage against Shane Burgos at UFC 262. The Brazilian striker has shown no signs of slowing down as he continues to build upon the success of his late-career resurgence in the featherweight division.
On the flipside, Chikadze will enter with a six-fight undefeated streak since making his octagon debut. The Georgian fighter has shown significant improvements every time he makes an appearance. His first two fights in the octagon ended in split decisions, but his two most recent outings ended in devastating TKO's.
Will the cagey veteran continue on his quest to return to the mountaintop, or will the up-and-coming star cement his place among the 145-pound division's elite? Regardless of the outcome, Barboza vs. Chikadze is definitely one of the most exciting matchups on Saturday night's UFC card.
