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#3. UFC Fight Night – The main card
This weekend’s UFC main card features a further three fights, according to the most recent reports.
At welterweight, Alex Oliveira will fight Niko Price in what should be a surefire contender for the Fight of the Night award. Incredibly, Price has been the distance just twice in a total of 13 UFC bouts, although he’s lost five of those fights.
Oliveira would’ve presented him with a tricky test a couple of years ago, as his length, punching power and submission prowess made him one of the more dangerous welterweights on the roster. However, more recently ‘Cowboy’ has looked a little past his prime, falling to defeat in his last two fights.
Price will need to be careful here, but this should be a winnable fight for him, perhaps even by decision.
At middleweight, Misha Cirkunov will take on Krzysztof Jotko. Quite how Cirkunov expects to make 185 pounds is anyone’s guess given his huge size at 205 pounds. But if he can make the drop safely, he could be a force to be reckoned with.
However, even a drop in weight won’t fix his durability issues, which has largely prevented him from ever moving into title contention. Against Jotko, though, who is hardly the biggest hitter in the UFC, he should probably be okay. In fact, his grappling skills may well be enough to net him a decision or TKO win.
Finally, Aspen Ladd will return to face Macy Chiasson in a women's bantamweight bout. This one is a key fight for Ladd, as a win could well put her in line for a shot at Amanda Nunes somewhere down the line.
Can she pull it off? Assuming she’s fully healed from the severe knee injury that’s sidelined her since 2019, it’s likely. Chiasson’s length and reach will prove to be tricky for her.However, if Ladd can get her opponent down, she’s likely to finish her off with her usual brand of ruthless ground-and-pound.
#4. UFC Fight Night – The prelims
Picks in bold
Lightweight division: Joe Solecki vs. Jared Gordon
Women's flyweight division: Antonina Shevchenko vs. Casey O’Neill
Women's bantamweight division: Bethe Correia vs. Karol Rosa
Lightweight division: Jamie Mullarkey vs. Devonte Smith
Featherweight division: Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Gaetano Pirrello
Bantamweight division: Alejandro Perez vs. Johnny Eduardo
Featherweight division: Sean Soriano vs. Fernando Padilla
Lightweight division: Alexander Hernandez vs. Mike Breeden
Women's bantamweight division: Shanna Young vs. Stephanie Egger
