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UFC Fight Night 138 is almost upon us, and with only a few days to go, it is time to take a look at the card waiting for us as well as what can be expected from each of the fights.
With UFC 229 leaving the fans on a high after an excellent pay-per-view, which was somewhat marred by the main event's aftermath, UFC Fight Night 138 has a lot to live up to. A week away from UFC 230, the Anthony Smith and Volkan Oezdemir will look to make sure that the event lives up to the hype which had been set up by the Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov bout.
One of the involved parties from that rivalry will be co-headlining the event, as Artem Lobov takes on Michael Johnson after Zubaira was removed from the card following his actions during the brawl after the main event at UFC 229.
At this point, the fights are set to be interesting, with six fights on the main card, out of which three are in the less-than well appreciated Light Heavyweight Division.
It is up to the Light Heavyweight Division to prove that they are worthy of their place on the card, and show the fans that they are more than what the fans had been expecting.
Before heading into the main card for the night, let's take a look at the Early Preliminary and Preliminary Cards which are set to take place.
Early Preliminary Card:
- Te'Jovan Edwards vs. Don Madge
- Arjan Bhullar vs. Marcelo Golm
- Stevie Ray vs. Jessin Ayari
Preliminary Card:
- Nordine Taleb vs. Sean Strickland
- Thibault Gouti vs. Nasrat Haqparast
- Calvin Kattar vs. Chris Fishgold
- Sarah Moras vs. Talita Bernardo
The Preliminary and Early Preliminary cards are stacked by themselves, but now, the main card itself could deliver on another level. Let's take a look at all the fights from the main card for the night.
#1 Gian Villante vs Ed Herman
The first Light Heavyweight fight from the main card of the night features fighters on both sides who will be looking desperately to make an impact on the night. Both of them are coming into the fight off losses in their last fight, which they both lost due to decisions.
The fact remains that this fight matters desperately for both fighters, and they will be going into it with a kill or be killed attitude which might see them snag the win. Whoever gets the first advantage in this fight will be the one with the win.
#2 Court McGee vs. Alex Garcia
Court McGee is not coming into this fight in the best of form, having lost three of his last five fights, and his last two fights being losses due to decisions. In his first fight of the year, he will look to set the record straight against Alex Garcia.
Alex Garcia, on the other hand, has already competed in this year, albeit in a losing effort against Ryan LaFlare. He was not able to get the big win in his last fight as he could not avoid a decision loss. With an alternative win/loss record in his last eight fights, he will be looking to get another win in this fight.
#3 Andre Soukhamthath vs. Jonathan Martinez
Andre Soukhamthath was scheduled to face Gavin Tucker at UFC Fight Night 138, but after Soukhamthath pulled out from the fight due to an undisclosed injury, he was left to face newcome to the UFC, Jonathan Martinez instead.
Soukhamthath has not had a good run since signing with UFC, having lost three of his four fights with the promotion. Martinez, on the other hand, has an incredible record outside the promotion, with nine wins and only one loss.
#4 Misha Cirkunov vs. Patrick Cummins
Misha Cirkunov might have had an almost faultless record heading into 2017, but the year did not prove to be a good one for him. He lost both his fights in the year, ending his unbeaten run in the UFC. His loss against Oezdemir and his second loss against Glover Texeira left him shaken. This fight against Cummins is important for him to gain momentum back.
It is the perfect opportunity as well, because Cummins is hardly the best fighter. In his eleven fights for the UFC he has lost five. A win here would go a long way in bringing back some credibiilty to his name.
#5 Artem Lobov vs. Michael Johnson
The fight that has an extra bit of importance attached to it due to the fallout from UFC 229's post-main event brawl. With Zubaira pulled from the event, Lobov did not have much time to prepare for Michael Johnson. Not the best fighter to begin with, this might have hurt his chances going into this fight.
Michael Johnson is not a person anyone can mess with, but he is also not the most dependable fighter on the UFC roster. Johnson remains a person who might be able to pull of a quick win over Lobov, but given his track record for losing easy fights, at this point this is a fight which will be interesting to watch.
#6 Anthony Smith vs. Volkan Oezdemir
While Volkan Oezdemir had a certain mystic when he first came into the UFC, the time for that same mystic seems to have passed. When he first came in, it was difficult to get a read on him.
However, as he was thrown into the fray against a fighter of the level of Daniel Cormier way too early, his faults came shining through for everyone to see.
While Anthony Smith looks much better in Light Heavyweight than during his time in Middleweight, there is still a lot that he needs to do before achieving what needs to be done. Oezdemir is still a powerful fighter, and looking at the fight from here, it may go all the way to a decision.
