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Another weekend is closing in, and another stacked UFC pay-per-view is almost upon us. This weekend's event will see the continuation of fans returning to arenas, after a sold-out crowd enjoyed the bliss of live MMA action at UFC 261 last month.
The promotion will welcome a full crowd of 17,000+ to the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event will mark the second to be held in front of a full crowd since the easing of restrictions following the Covid-19 outbreak.
Despite losing a few great fights through injuries, the PPV still looks to be another entertaining watch. At the top of the card, a new chapter in the lightweight division will begin following Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement. Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler will battle it out to start the new chapter on top. With a host of intriguing matchups, the event looks set to carry the momentum forward from the last PPV.
With exciting bouts throughout, this weekend’s event could bring us more memorable moments, but who could be providing them?
Ahead of Saturday’s card, here are five names to look out for at UFC 262.
#5 Jordan Wright - UFC middleweight
There aren't many better nicknames in MMA than 'The Beverley Hills Ninja'. Knowing we'll be hearing Bruce Buffer say that in front of a sold-out crowd is enough of a reason to include Jordan Wright on this list, but his MMA credentials do the job for him as well.
Wright was signed by the UFC as a 10-0 professional. Not a single one of his victories needed a decision. With five TKO's and five submissions, the 29-year-old was about as highly touted as a debutant could be.
His unbeaten record and 100% finish ratio was maintained on his UFC debut, when he defeated Ike Villanueva following a doctor's stoppage in the opening round.
A knockout defeat to Joaquin Buckley last November stalled his middleweight rise, but Wright has the chance to bounce back this year when he faces Jamie Pickett at UFC 262.
With neither man a stranger to a stoppage, this fight could steal the show.
#4 Mike Grundy - UFC featherweight
If there's ever a fight to bet on a submission finish, it's one involving Mike Grundy. The Englishman will make his third UFC appearance on Saturday when he takes on 10-fight UFC veteran Lando Vannata.
The Wigan-born featherweight boasts a 12-2 record consisting of eight submission wins. With Brabo chokes, triangle chokes and Americana's in his locker, Vannata will be looking to avoid too many grappling exchanges with the retired freestyle wrestler.
After building an eight-fight winning streak and becoming the Aspera FC featherweight champion, Grundy was signed by the UFC and made his debut in 2019. Despite his reputation on the ground, Grundy picked up a debut win against Nad Narimani with the first TKO finish of his career.
After the unbeaten Movsar Evloev handed Grundy his first defeat since 2015 last year, the 34-year-old will look to return to a positive UFC record this weekend when he welcomes Vannata to the 145-pound weight class.
Catch our full interview with Mike Grundy ahead of UFC 262 below.
#3 Tucker Lutz - UFC featherweight
At the second time of asking, Baltimore's Tucker Lutz secured a UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series. A unanimous decision victory over Sherrad Blackledge last November saw him record his second win on the show in the space of three months.
Despite two decisions in front of Dana White and UFC fans, Lutz is a dangerous fighter and more than capable of finding a brutal finish. Before his first DWCS appearance, 'Top Gun' had collected six KO's and two submissions in nine victories.
Having not lost a fight since his professional MMA debut back in 2015, Lutz will be looking to extend his winning streak to 12 when he makes his UFC debut against Kevin Aguilar at UFC 262.
With Lutz looking to make an impression and his opponent Aguilar needing a win to avoid a four-fight losing skid, this could be a real sleeper fight.
#2 Andre Muniz - UFC middleweight
One of the most exciting names on Saturday's card is Andre Muniz. The Brazilian will face his compatriot and UFC legend Jacare Souza in the featured prelim. What a tasty starter this could be before the PPV's main course.
'Sergipano' is 20-4 and hasn't been beaten since 2016. Like Tucker Lutz, it took two goes at earning a contract through DWCS before he made his UFC debut. A decision win over Bruno Assis in 2018 was enough to earn him another shot. A first-round rear-naked choke against Taylor Johnson a year later was enough to secure his place on the UFC's middleweight roster.
Two wins out of two in the UFC, including a submission win over Bartosz Fabinski in the opening round of their 2020 clash, has brought Muniz a big-name for his next octagon outing.
Muniz's opponent, Jacare Souza, is one of the most recognized names in the UFC, but is on a three-fight losing skid after defeats to Jack Hermansson, UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz and a memorable KO loss to Kevin Holland.
Nevertheless, the 41-year-old boasts wins over the likes of Chris Weidman, Derek Brunson, Vitor Belfort, Gegard Mousasi and Robbie Lawler. He'll be looking to show he hasn't lost a step at UFC 262.
For Muniz, this fight offers a massive opportunity to add a huge name to his record and ascend the 185-pound division. He is certainly one to watch this weekend.
#1 Beneil Dariush - UFC lightweight
Beneil Dariush will face Tony Ferguson in the UFC 262 co-main event. What a matchup this is. There aren't enough adjectives in the English language to describe how good of a fight this is on paper.
Beneil Dariush is on the sort of run that made Ferguson a contender. Since a defeat to Alexander Hernandez in 2018, Dariush has built a six-fight winning streak that includes a host of knockouts and submissions.
Two memorable KO wins over Drakkar Klose and Scott Holtzman brought Dariush's name into the lightweight conversation. An impressive performance against Carlos Diego Ferreira in February this year made him a contender.
With two unique fighters and innovative strikers entering the octagon together, this one is a must-watch fight. With his active winning streak and ability to provide highlight finishes, Beneil Dariush is the main man to watch at UFC 262.
Catch our interview with Beneil Dariush ahead of this weekend's PPV below.
