The best and worst from UFC on Fox 29

#3 Best: The Middleweight division has some new contenders

Antonio Carlos Junior might be the newest contender at Middleweight

Last night’s prelim card wasn’t too heavy on names but provided some good action, and perhaps most impressively, it threw up a pair of new contenders in the aging 185lbs division. Both Brad Tavares and Antonio Carlos Junior picked up their biggest wins to date, and should probably find themselves in the top ten come Monday’s rankings update.

Tavares pulled out his first finish since 2011 in a back-and-forth fight, finishing the tough Krzysztof Jotko via a third-round knockout, while ‘Shoeface’ was hugely impressive in taking out Tim Boetsch – largely outstriking him before thoroughly whitewashing him on the ground en route to a rear naked choke submission.

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Both men have taken bad losses in the past – Tavares lost to Boetsch and Shoeface was stopped by Daniel Kelly – but now they both seem to be in the best form of their careers and are on strong win streaks – Tavares winning 4 in a row, Shoeface 5.

And with the majority of the upper end of the 185lbs division – the likes of Michael Bisping, Vitor Belfort, Ronaldo Souza, Yoel Romero and David Branch – being older fighters, it’s nice to see some younger blood rising through the ranks.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Kishan Prasad