10 Things I Like at UFC Vegas 52
A critical division clash in the main event and a bevy of important developmental matchups highlight this weekend's slate
It really is so nice of the UFC to put together a terrific fight card for my 13-year anniversary on Saturday.
Yes, I will be watching the fights and not actually out celebrating my anniversary because that’s how dedicated I am to covering this sport… and because we’re going out for a lovely dinner on Sunday instead; less crowded, plus we’ve got other stuff to do on Saturday, so we’re spreading things out a little.
Playfulness aside, I love this fight card.
Five of the six main card bouts feel like they’re going to be truly informative in one way or another, and a couple of the preliminary card battles should be as well, plus there are some familiar names finally stepping back into the Octagon, a couple newcomers I want to get a look at inside the Octagon, and at least one fight that feels like it will most likely be over in less than three minutes, which feels crazy to say, but still excites me.
Saturday’s action should be all kinds of entertaining.
Happy Anniversary Sarah!
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Amanda Lemos’ Litmus Test
In 2021, Amanda Lemos established herself as a legitimate Top 10 fighter in the strawweight division, pushing her winning streak to five with three victories, capped by a close win over Angela Hill in December.
This weekend, in her 2022 debut, the Brazilian steps in for her first main event assignment opposite former champion Jessica Andrade in a bout that should clarify whether the streaking breakout talent from last year is a bona fide title threat or someone more akin to living in the 6-9 range in the division going forward.
I adore these kinds of fights — the next logical progression for an ascending fighter, where a ton of different questions are going to be answered — and would argue this is the best Fight Night main event of the year so far in terms of the immediate impact it will have on the division and the information it will convey about the less established Lemos.
We know how difficult it is and what it means to beat Andrade, and so now we get to see if Lemos is up to the challenge.
Jessica Andrade Adds to Strawweight Excitement
“Bate Estaca” being back in the 115-pound weight class is a like when the Los Angeles Dodgers add another big name to the roster each offseason: it may not be necessary, but are you really going to say no?
Andrade did well in her three fight stint at flyweight — earning a first-round finish on either side of a championship loss to Valentina Shevchenko — and undoubtedly could have remained at ‘25, continued to be a top contender there, and strawweight would have remained strong. But in speaking with Andrade ahead of her return to the 115-pound weight class this weekend, so talked about being undersized for the division and constantly battling opponents that are/were significantly bigger than her as the main reason to returning to the division she once ruled.
Strawweight didn’t need more contenders because it’s already the deepest collection of quality talent on the female side of the roster, but the Dodgers didn’t need to sign Freddie Freeman either…
Andrade being back at strawweight simply adds to the embarrassment of riches within the division and adds more intriguing matchup possibilities for the elite class, starting this weekend. She’s instantly back in the championship mix, and given her history with Rose Namajunas, a couple wins and “Thug Rose” holding onto the belt could quickly set up a third bout between the two.
Another Look at Alexander Romanov
Like I said yesterday, I’m always going to be interested in seeing an undefeated heavyweight climb back into the cage, and while I would have preferred Romanov be facing Tanner Boser, I’m not tuning out just because he’s going to be sharing the Octagon with Chase Sherman.
Even though I think this is going to be a one-sided affair, it’s still a chance to make a couple more reads on the unbeaten Romanov — to see how he does against someone coming forward throwing hands and low kicks; what kind of takedowns he works for; how he chooses to finish. All of that stuff is critical for getting a better understanding of how he’ll match up with opponents further up the divisional ladder, and if he does maul Sherman as expected, that step up could come as soon as his next fight.
Folks are going to moan about this being the co-main event and how it’s a squash match, but there is still information to be gleaned from this matchup.
Claudio Puelles’ Big Step Forward
Going from facing Chris Gruetzemacher to Clay Guida is a considerable step up in competition for Claudio Puelles, but that’s why I can’t wait to see this fight on Saturday.
To me, this is a no-lose situation for the Peruvian birthday boy — if he wins, he’s on a three-fight winning streak and coming off a victory over Guida, one of the most beloved and respected names in the division; and if he loses, it was a little too soon for him to jump into the fray with someone so experienced, but he still has plenty of time to reset and start another run.
Right now, prior to this fight, only hardcore dorks like me are really excited about Puelles, but this is the kind of matchup that can jumpstart a climb up the ladder and imbue him with some real hype heading into the second half of the year. For all his limitations and advanced age, Guida is still a tough out and posting quality efforts inside the cage, much like Jim Miller, and beating him still means something, especially for a young fighter like Puelles.
Featherweight Awesomeness
There is no way the fight between Lando Vannata and Charles Jourdain isn’t all kinds of fun.
Even if they just spend 15 minutes working alternating stick-and-move routines (which I don’t think is how this plays out), it will be a compelling, engaging cat-and-mouse between two fighters with undefined ceilings in the featherweight division. But if it becomes 80% of what it could be or more, we’re going to be in for a tremendous back-and-forth between a pair of fighters coming off good wins, but eager to show that was only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what they’re capable of doing inside the cage.
As much as I love Jourdain as a prospect, I’m a little more curious to see what Vannata brings to the table this weekend in his second appearance at ‘45 after a low-key terrific showing against Mike Grundy in his debut. He’s a dark horse for me in this division right now and how things play out here will help refine my thoughts on where he fits and how far he could climb in the next couple years.
Critical Contest at Flyweight
Maycee Barber and Montana De La Rosa meet on the main card this weekend and it is one of those rare instances where it’s a colossal fight for both competitors, even though there both are still several fights away from contention.
Barber has already missed her window to beat Jon Jones’ record for being the youngest champion in UFC history, and over the last couple years, she’s been passed by at least two, but perhaps as many as four fighters when it comes to sorting out the best emerging talents in the division. For the record, she’s clearly behind Casey O’Neill and Erin Blanchfield, and could also be trailing Miranda Maverick and Mariya Agapova, depending on how you rate those last two.
As for De La Rosa, she’s just quietly continued working on her game, making improvements and adjustments, putting together a 5-2-1 record through her first eight appearances. She’s always been a solid athlete and she’s starting to understand how to translate that into being a more successful fighter, flashing gains in her striking last time out, and if she can beat Barber on Saturday, it will be a big signal that she’s ready to return to the rankings and start making a little more headway in the division.
Flyweight is tremendously intriguing to me right now because of the quality mix of established names and up-and-coming talents present throughout the ranks, and a matchup like this that clarifies the pecking order amongst the ascending set, but also on the fringes of the Top 15 is extremely important and interesting in my opinion.
I Want to Know More About… Aoriqileng
I don’t know if he’s actually 28 or how many of his 29 fights outside of the UFC I should really pay attention to in terms of formulating my opinion about him, but what I do know is that I was entertained each of the first two times I watched Aoriqileng compete in the Octagon, and now he’s moving up a division and I want to see more and know more.
We don’t talk enough about takeaways from losses, but I thought the Chinese newcomer acquitted himself well in his debut against Jeff Molina, and that he could have taken the decision in his bout with Cody Durden, so while he’s 0-2 heading into this pairing with Cameron Else, he could be 1-1 and he showed flashes of promise each time. The bump up to bantamweight intrigues me as well, because he tailed off in each of those two previous outings, so I’m curious to see if he’s got more gas left in the tank down the stretch of this one… if it goes that far.
Else is a “kill or be killed” competitor with a couple quality finishes on his resume, but limited experience overall and only one fight in the last two years, which leads me to believe this will be fast-paced out of the gate and likely end before the judges can be called upon. I’m all about gathering information, and this one should tell me a great deal more about “The Mongolian Murder” regardless of how it plays out.
Middleweight Mayhem
The fight between Jordan Wright and Marc-Andre Barriault is the matchup that isn’t likely to go more than three minutes that I teased in the intro, and that potential for quick chaos fascinates and excites me.
It’s wild that Wright has 15 career fights and has been in there for more than two minutes on just four occasions, and while Barriault is more of a grinder, I have a feeling that Wright’s penchant for spending very little time in the cage will dictate how this one goes. Whether that’s a positive or a negative for him is yet to be determined.
Here’s the thing: if you’re Barriault and you’re coming off an embarrassing 16-second loss that halted your first little run of success in the Octagon, you have to be thinking about getting out there and getting all up in Wright’s face, trying to get him out of there in a hurry, right? You have to, don’t you?
Obviously he might be a little gun-shy after getting popped by Chidi Njokuani last time out, but Wright isn’t anywhere near as polished or experienced as Njokuani, plus he’s far more susceptible to getting knocked out himself, so I’m really curious to see if the French-Canadian will come sprinting out of the gates trying to secure his own rapid first-round finish on Saturday.
Tyson Pedro Returns
Tyson Pedro was an intriguing emerging talent to me before his three-year hiatus and he’s perhaps even more intriguing to me now.
There are all kinds of ways to re-frame his first couple wins in the UFC, but you don’t beat Khalil Rountree Jr. and Paul Craig if you’re a scrub, regardless of how inexperienced those men were at the time, and while things didn’t go so well for Pedro over three of his next four appearances, he too was an inexperienced fighter trying to figure things out on the fly in the UFC light heavyweight division.
Finally healthy and fit to return, he comes back a little older, probably a little wiser, and probably a lot further ahead in his development than he was last we saw him, because for all the time he’s been away, I’m guessing it hasn’t just been three straight years of injuries and zero training. I’ve always thought he had a good frame for the division and showed flashes of real upside, especially with his grappling skills, plus he’s seen his brother-in-law Tai Tuivasa make serious gains in the big boy division, and I’m sure that has motivated and inspired him as well.
Saturday is a “pass or fail” assignment against Ike Villanueva, a battle-tested veteran who has struggled to have positive results at this level, so the outcome will show whether Pedro is someone to start keeping an eye on again or if those years on the sidelines have stripped him of his upside.
A Polarizing Fight to Start Things Off
There are a lot of people that will argue that Dean Barry and Mike Jackson aren’t “UFC caliber,” whatever that means these days, and lament this fight being on the card this weekend, and I don’t really disagree… but that doesn’t mean I’m not curious to see how this thing plays out.
I don’t begrudge either of these guys for taking the opportunities being afforded to them — I will never slag a fighter for saying, “Yes” to a UFC opportunity — and while they don’t have the MMA experience you normally see from fighters at this level, both have a ton of overall combat sports experience and they should get after it to start the show this weekend.