UFC Worldwide Battle Week is right here and enthusiasm might range. Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka 2 and Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes are high-quality fights with excessive violence thresholds however few issues can match the environment of a Conor McGregor struggle.
UFC 303 has been plagued with accidents and struggle cancellations, significantly on the primary card. A protracted overdue struggle between McGregor and Michael Chandler was scrapped after McGregor suffered an harm, main the promotion to scramble for an answer. Pereira vs. Prochazka 2 will probably be a delight on struggle night time however it’s not the one struggle price watching in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Ortega vs. Lopes will give the primary occasion a run for its Battle of the Evening cash. Let’s study three fights, plus some honorable mentions, price watching earlier than UFC 303’s primary occasion.
Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes
Will probably be a tragedy if this struggle is boring. Ortega and Lopes are two of essentially the most dynamic fighters in any division. Each featherweights are submission wizards with dynamic placing and an urge for food for violence. Ortega regarded like a world-beater throughout his seven-fight run to a UFC title shot towards Max Holloway. He is struggled with consistency since, however almost defeating Alexander Volkanovski and a come-from-behind victory towards Yair Rodriguez in February present he is nonetheless elite. Lopes has been a deal with since almost defeating Movsar Evloev in a short-notice debut 13 months in the past. Lopes subsequently gained three consecutive fights every in 98 seconds or much less. This co-main occasion has a efficiency bonus written throughout it.
“It should be a conflict throughout, an attention-grabbing chess [match] throughout,” Ortega advised CBS Sports activities. “If a man shouldn’t be beatable on the ft or on the bottom, if he is an issue in every single place, which means it is an excellent struggle… He is a go-getter. He’ll go for it anytime, at any level towards anybody.”
Ian Machado Garry vs. Michael Web page
In contrast to the co-main occasion, Garry vs. Web page could possibly be a bore. However it’s too intriguing to go away off the record. Longtime Bellator star Michael “Venom” Web page delighted in his debut towards Kevin Holland. Web page is a spotlight machine at his greatest however his distinctive model requires an opponent keen to have interaction. Undefeated striker Garry can rack up placing numbers; nonetheless, he is probably too sensible to play into Web page’s recreation. Garry and “MVP” are probably too defensively accountable to placed on a enjoyable present however there’s an excessive amount of curiosity and profession upside for the winner to disregard.
“It’s my job to show I am one of the best within the division. I’ll try this by taking that belt at some point,” Garry advised CBS Sports activities. “I’m phenomenally gifted at placing. I’m a tremendous MMA fighter. I’m well-rounded. Individuals haven’t seen it, and so they have solely not seen it as a result of I need not take the struggle wherever aside from the placing. I am that good, I am that gifted and I am that tremendous at what I do.”
Cub Swanson vs. Andre Fili
Age has not dulled Swanson’s urge for food for violence. The 2016 UFC Corridor of Fame struggle recipient makes his forty third stroll to the cage one month shy of the twentieth anniversary of his MMA debut. Swanson, 40, has alternated wins and losses in his final 5 fights with 4 ending through stoppage. Standing throughout from him is an opponent additionally battling consistency. Fili is a strong fighter however hasn’t pieced collectively consecutive wins since 2019. Each guys can discover a end or rack up numbers over 15 hard-fought minutes. Swanson must cease combating sometime so savor the time he has.
Honorable mentions: Joe Pyfer vs. Marc-Andre Barriault, Rei Tsuruya vs. Carlos Hernandez