'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
This weekend sees UFC 274 go down from Phoenix, Arizona. Naturally, most of the attention is going on the two title bouts at the top of the card, as well as Michael Chandler’s likely war with Tony Ferguson.
UFC 274 isn’t just a three-fight card, though. This event is filled, top to bottom, with some excellent talent, meaning plenty of fighters are flying under the radar going into the event.
Some of these fighters will be hoping to climb into title contention with a victory this weekend, while others will simply be aiming to claim one of the $50k bonuses on offer. Either way, they deserve a little more attention.
Here are five fighters who are flying under the radar going into UFC 274.
#5. Marcos Rogerio de Lima – UFC heavyweight
Given that he’s 36 years old, has been with the UFC for almost a decade now, and has an octagon record of 8-5, it’s probably fair to say that Marcos Rogerio de Lima is probably never going to climb into contention for the heavyweight title.
However, ‘Pezao’ guarantees one thing every time he enters the octagon and that’s sheer excitement. He might not look like a physical specimen, but the Brazilian is one of the most ruthless finishers on the entire roster right now.
More to the point, he’s also one of the most reckless and, in turn, most vulnerable fighters in the heavyweight division. Essentially, with his fighting style, all heavy strikes and non-stop attacks, it’s easy to see why just two of his 13 bouts in the octagon have gone the distance.
This weekend’s event sees him paired with Blagoy Ivanov, a fighter who is practically the opposite of de Lima in that he rarely produces any kind of fireworks. Fans can probably expect that to change in this fight.
Ivanov is an expert ground fighter. While de Lima has won two fights in a row for the first time since 2014 to lead into this clash, the stylistic match still seems tricky for him. Therefore, if the Brazilian does pull off a win, it might be time to take him seriously as a contender.
Either way, this should be a crazy fight, and given his fighting style, ‘Pezao’ doesn’t deserve to be flying under the radar.
#4. Khaos Williams – UFC welterweight
Another fighter who usually guarantees wild action is fighting on this weekend’s preliminary card. Welterweight contender Khaos Williams is set to take on Randy Brown.
While Williams’ climb towards the UFC’s welterweight rankings was halted when he lost to Michel Pereira in 2020, ‘The Ox Fighter’ is still one of the most explosive athletes competing at 170 pounds, as he’s shown on multiple occasions in the octagon.
Williams’ finishes of Abdul Razak Alhassan and Alex Morono were truly stunning, as both men went down like they’d been shot rather than punched. Most recently, he turned the lights out on prospect Miguel Baeza in devastating fashion, leaving him unconscious in the third round.
Given that his opponent this weekend is also a pretty dangerous finisher in his own right, it seems unlikely that this clash will go the distance. However, Williams’ penchant for ending things with serious violence, especially considering that he’s up against an opponent who’s been knocked out six times before – means that he’s the man to watch here, so don’t be surprised if he wins a $50k bonus despite flying under the radar.
#3. Francisco Trinaldo – UFC welterweight
Any fighter who manages to continue competing in the UFC past their 40th birthday deserves plenty of respect and plenty of attention. So, it’s a bit of a surprise to see welterweight veteran Francisco Trinaldo flying so far under the radar going into this weekend’s show.
The final survivor of the first series of TUF: Brazil, which aired a decade ago, Trinaldo has never really become a genuine star during his years with the UFC. That's probably been due to his low-key personality and the fact that he’s suffered key losses at the wrong times.
However, ‘Massaranduba’ has actually been one of the promotion’s more consistent fighters over the last 10 years. His octagon record of 17-7 is probably one of the most underrated in recent memory when you consider the opponents he’s faced, names like Jim Miller, Paul Felder and Bobby Green.
Most recently, Trinaldo defeated Dwight Grant in another solid performance, and this weekend sees him face off with the UK’s Danny Roberts, an explosive striker with a penchant for putting on fun fights.
No one will be focusing on Trinaldo or his fight this weekend, but ‘Massaranduba’ may well produce not only a fun fight, but another impressive win too, making him a man to watch.
#2. Brandon Royval – UFC flyweight
UFC 274’s preliminary card doesn’t feature many fighters who might impact their division’s title picture in the near future, but the one exception to that is flyweight contender Brandon Royval, who faces off against Matt Schnell.
‘Raw Dawg’ only debuted in the octagon in mid-2020, but he’s already made a name for himself not only as one of the more exciting fighters to be competing at 125 pounds, but also one of the most talented and dangerous, too.
Royval’s last two bouts came on Fight Night cards. Had his clash with Schnell featured on one of the weaker events we’ve been treated to in recent weeks, it’s likely that he’d have garnered far more attention.
After all, ‘Raw Dawg’ holds a recent win over Kai Kara-France, who is currently one of the hottest fighters in the flyweight division and who has been pegged as a future title challenger.
So if Royval can overcome Schnell this weekend, particularly if he can finish him off as he did to Kara-France and Tim Elliott, he might not be too far off a shot at the gold in his own right.
That means he definitely deserves more attention, but due to this weekend’s event’s stacked nature, he’s flying under the radar for sure.
#1. Andre Fialho – UFC welterweight
After he knocked out Miguel Baeza in his most recent UFC bout, winning a $50k performance bonus in the process, the idea that Portuguese welterweight prospect Andre Fialho might be flying under the radar coming into his next fight seemed laughable.
However, few fans, even hardcore ones, seem to have realized that Fialho is competing on this weekend’s preliminary card, although there is a fair explanation for that.
Incredibly, Fialho’s fight with Cameron VanCamp was only added to the event late last week, meaning that the two fighters will be stepping into the octagon on around eight days’ notice when all is said and done.
Given that the Portuguese’s fight with Baeza only took place on April 16, the idea that he’s fighting on such a quick turnaround, particularly as he isn’t stepping in as a late-notice replacement, is pretty crazy in itself.
The fact that he’s also facing VanCamp, who is making his UFC debut off the back of four straight wins, is even more remarkable. Essentially, this is a high-risk, low-reward fight for Fialho.
However, given his excellent showing against Baeza, he’ll clearly be hoping to keep the momentum going in this clash. If he can perform that well again, particularly if he wins another bonus award, then it’ll be impossible to ignore him again going forward.
