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Another Saturday of UFC action is nearly upon us and another exciting card is all ready to go. This week’s event will be the last to be held at the UFC Apex before we see another packed-out crowd enjoy live MMA action inside a sold-out arena.
Having welcomed fans back at UFC 261 and UFC 262, a full crowd will once again be in attendance next weekend at UFC 263. But before a fortunate section of the UFC fanbase fills up the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, 14 fights will take place this weekend inside the oh-so-familiar Apex...
UFC Vegas 28: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai
At UFC Vegas 28 this weekend, Jairzinho Rozenstruik will taste a UFC main event for the second time in his career. Against Augusto Sakai, the 33-year-old will look to return to the win column and find the form that had him unbeaten in his first 10 MMA fights.
But the Brazilian will be no easy opponent. Like Rozenstruik, Sakai made a blistering start to his UFC career. Six wins in his first half-a-dozen fights, including four knockouts, brought the 30-year-old into contention. A defeat to Alistair Overeem last September was a disappointing way to end his unbeaten UFC record. Sakai will look to get back up-and-running in the division on Saturday.
The card has the potential to be a highly entertaining watch. With that said, here are five names to look out for at UFC Vegas 28.
#5 Santiago Ponzinibbio
Santiago Ponzinibbio has often been on the cusp of becoming a star at 170-pounds in the UFC. His record is more than impressive, but a serious injury provided a setback at the worst possible time.
The Argentinian was riding high in the UFC after accumulating a seven-fight winning streak that featured wins over Neil Magny, Mike Perry, Gunnar Nelson and Zak Cummings. After a staph infection stalled his rise, 'Gente Boa' looked set to pick up where he left off when he returned this year. A knockout loss to Li Jingliang in January made it clear a lot of work is needed if he is to reach the top of the division again.
Nevertheless, Ponzinibbio's 27-4 record is impressive and Miguel Baeza, who he's set to face this weekend, has made an unbeaten start to his career, making Ponzinibbio's next matchup an exciting prospect.
#4 Mason Jones
Mason Jones is one of the most promising prospects to have come out of the UK's MMA scene in recent times. Despite impressing in a highly entertaining fight and picking up a $50,000 'Fight of the Night' bonus, 'The Dragon' was disappointed to suffer his first MMA loss in his UFC debut. At UFC Vegas 28, he'll look to show he belongs on the sport's biggest stage.
Jones was signed by the UFC after building a 10-0 record, most of which came under the Cage Warriors banner. After two first-round knockouts in 2020, the 26-year-old received his UFC call-up.
Despite looking promising on his first walk to the octagon, Jones knows wins are crucial if he is to have a successful UFC career. He'll look to notch his first against Brazil's Alan Patrick this weekend.
Catch our exclusive interview with Mason Jones ahead of UFC Vegas 28 below:
#3 Roman Dolidze
The invasion of talented, explosive Georgian fighters in the UFC could advance further at this weekend’s Fight Night, as Roman Dolidze steps into the octagon to face Argentina's Laureano Staropoli.
Alongside the likes of Giga Chikadze, Ilia Tapuria and Merab Dvalishvili, Dolidze joined the UFC’s Georgian revolution in explosive fashion on Fight Island last summer. He provided one of the knockouts of the year against Khadis Ibragimov.
But 2021 didn't start well for the 32-year-old. Trevin Giles became the first man to defeat Dolidze in MMA at UFC Vegas 22 in March. The fight was Dolidze's middleweight debut. He'll be hoping to record his first win at 185-pounds at the second attempt on Saturday. After having his eight-fight winning streak snapped this year, Dolidze will look to return to the win column against 'El Matador'.
With four knockouts and three submissions across his eight victories in the sport, Dolidze will be a danger to Staropoli on the feet and on the canvas. And having just tasted defeat for the first time, it stands to reason the Georgian will do everything he can to have his arm raised once again.
#2 Jordan Leavitt
At UFC Vegas 28, Jordan Leavitt will look to maintain his unbeaten MMA record and extend his winning streak to nine. The charismatic lightweight will open Saturday's card against former TUF competitor Claudio Puelles.
Leavitt couldn't have arrived in the UFC in a more impactful way. Having earned a contract with the promotion through Dana White's Contender Series, 'The Monkey King', debuted against Matt Wiman at UFC Vegas 16. If his first-round arm triangle choke on DWCS hadn't gotten his name known, his 22-second slam against Wiman on debut certainly did. It was brutal...
With five submissions on his record, Leavitt is a dangerous man to go to ground with. But Puelles will be no easy opponent. At just 25 years of age, the Peruvian remains a hot prospect at 155-pounds. 'El Nino' was defeated in The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 3 final by Martin Bravo. While Bravo went on to lose all three of his UFC appearances before his release in 2020, Puelles has built a two-fight winning streak that includes victories over Felipe Silva and Marcos Mariano.
With both men boasting five submissions, we could see a technical opening bout on Saturday night, and a finish on the mat seems likely.
#1 Miguel Baeza
At UFC Vegas 28, Miguel Baeza will go head-to-head with veteran welterweight Santiago Ponzinibbio. The clash will see two 170lbers at fairly opposite ends of their careers fight to secure a number next to their name this summer.
For Baeza, this fight offers a golden opportunity to add a recognized UFC name to his record. At just 28-years-old, 'Caramel Thunder' has immense potential, and his UFC career so far has shown that. Since debuting for the promotion in 2019 as a 7-0 professional, wins over Hector Aldana and Takashi Sato, as well as a memorable knockout of Matt Brown, have ascended Baeza to a double-figure win tally.
Against the Argentinian, Baeza will look to increase his winning streak to 11 and establish his name as a real threat to the rest of the division. If he manages to maintain the unbeaten start to his career this weekend, it stands to reason Baeza will enter the octagon with an even bigger name next time out.
