UFC Vegas 51: One Question for Every Fight

Getting primed for Saturday's return to the UFC APEX with a look at what intrigues me about each contest on the card

I like naming things, labelling things, coming up with ways to identify things outside of the usual nomenclature.

I’m a nickname guy, with both friends and pets. If I don’t have a short-hand or nickname for you that I use in your presence, than we’re not as close as you think we are, and despite the fact that each of my last two dogs had very simple, very easy names — Luke and Skippy — they also had 57 different variations and pet names and full name for when they did something bad and you had to middle name them like our parents did to all of us when we were younger and did something incredibly stupid.

Whenever I explain to people that the “E” at the start of my byline stands for Edgar, which is my given first name, I quickly following it with “… but no one calls me Edgar except for my mother when she’s mad at me for something,” because that really was the only time I heard someone say, “Edgar Spencer Kyte” with any confidence and conviction.

I say all that in order to say this: I’m going to start calling the events that follow pay-per-view shows “Hangover Events” because that’s kind of what it feels like to me.

Everyone is still a little drunk off the good stuff from last weekend and not quite ready to get into another card, so it doesn’t quite get the attention it would otherwise merit if it were a couple weeks removed from a PPV or following another Fight Night event.

“Hangover Events” are often better than people recognize immediately, but don’t appear that way at first glance because they pale in comparison to the blockbuster that took place the previous weekend, and that is the case here, as Saturday’s main event is an outstanding rematch and the rest of the card is rich with intriguing fights.

Grab yourself a bottle of Gatorade and a greasy breakfast sandwich (the best hangover fix I know) and let’s get into it, shall we?

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Vicente Luque vs. Belal Muhammad
Q: Is Vicente Luque the most dangerous fighter in the UFC?

Before you rush to call me crazy for suggesting such a thing, allow me to explain myself and give you the case to consider.

There are clearly bigger power threats like heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou, better pure kickboxers and more technical strikers, like Israel Adesanya and Valentina Shevchenko, as well as more dominant wrestlers and fighters like Aleksei Oleinik and Paul Craig who you should avoid going to the canvas with at all costs, always, forever.

But in terms of fighters that combine little bits of everything together with the toughness and durability to get into a knock-down, drag-out, blood-flowing slobberknocker, I don’t know if there is anyone more completely dangerous than Luque because wherever the fight goes, you’re in real danger at all times.

Stand and he can knock you out. Grapple and he can submit you with swiftness. If you happen to take those power shots on the feet, just know that you’re in for a long night at the office because you’re not finishing him either, and this dude is going to be in your grill until the bitter end, when he’s still got the pop in his punches to put you away because he really doesn’t like allowing the judges to say he’s the victor.

Just ask Bryan Barberena.

Luque is an absolute menace who is dangerous and threatening in every position, at all times, and while he’s had a couple little hiccups in his journey to being a Top 5 welterweight, he’s also consistently taken a step forward following each of those setbacks, and he hits this weekend’s main event rematch with Muhammad coming off a pair of outstanding first-round submission wins.

Everyone is going to have their own opinions on this, but “The Silent Assassin” is at the very least on the incredibly short list for being the most dangerous all-around fighter in the UFC at the moment.

Caio Borralho vs. Gadhzi Omargadzhiev
Q: Why doesn’t the UFC do this more often?

The co-main event on Saturday is a matchup between two members of the DWCS Class of ‘21, as Caio Borralho squares off with Gadzhi Omargadzhiev in a pairing that makes so much sense to me.

Coming out of last season on the Contender Series, I wasn’t sure how many of the new grads would have a real impact in the UFC going forward because there weren’t any real Geoff Neal, Sean O’Malley, Jamahal Hill types that really stood out as future contenders right from the jump. As such, I wanted to see how they handled their first couple appearances inside the Octagon, when the bright lights and pressure were really on.

But it never really occurred to me that pairing off newcomers in the same weight class was exactly what the promotion should do in some of these cases until this fight was announced, because while there have been a couple Season 5 contract winners that have been given showcase opportunities (read: Jailton Almeida), allowing them to decide amongst themselves which one takes a step forward right away is perfect.

Borralho needed two wins — one at middleweight, and one three weeks later at light heavyweight — to impress Dana White enough to earn a contract, while Omargadzhiev locked up a first-round kneebar for his 13th consecutive victory and passage to the UFC. Each has flashed upside, but neither jumps off the page the way some previous Contender Series grads have, which is why having them face each other in order to get another look at them works so well.

Middleweight is constantly in need of new names and talented fighters, and while neither of these guys look primed to be contenders any time soon, this fight is worth keeping an eye simply based on the fact that the winner is going to get increased opportunities as a DWCS alum.

Miguel Baeza vs. Andre Fialho
Q: Who rebounds this weekend?

Baeza won his first three UFC fights by stoppage to establish himself as a promising, emerging fighter in the welterweight division before suffering consecutive losses after taking a step up in competition. Fialho debuted on short notice opposite Michel Pereira, had a strong first round, but couldn’t maintain his success and dropped a decision to the streaking Brazilian.

Now they meet on the main card this weekend, each desperate to avoid another setback, and both carrying the abilities to dominate and potentially finish this fight, which means seeing how they sort things out on Saturday should be all kinds of fun.

I adore fights like this — not just because they carry explosive possibilities, but also because it provides an instant understanding of where each man stands in the 170-pound weight class, and gives a greater sense of what to expect from them in the next 12-18 months inside the Octagon.

Baeza looked great out of the chute, but he’s shown some technical and tactical deficiencies in his last two outings. Fialho worked well to start in January and mauled four opponents last year, but he can be a little simplistic with his approach at times.

Both appear to have the skills to operate in the space just beyond the Top 15 right now, with a spot in the lower third of the rankings feeling like a reasonable progression point over the next couple years, with Saturday’s contest being a chance to further refine those reads, projections, and expectations.

Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Wu Yanan
Q: What will a move to bantamweight do for Mayra Bueno Silva?

Four of Mayra Bueno Silva’s first five victories came in the bantamweight division, including her win on the All-Brazilian edition of the Contender Series that took place in the summer of 2018, where she earned her UFC contract. She then dropped back down to flyweight and proceeded to go 2-2-1 in five appearances, collecting submission wins over Gillian Robertson and Mara Romero Borella, battling to a draw with Montana De La Rosa, and dropping decisions to Maryna Moroz and Manon Fiorot.

Now she moves back to the 135-pound weight class for a matchup against Wu Yanan, and I’m genuinely curious to see how she looks because if I’m being honest: the path to contention at ‘35 is much, much easier than it is at ‘25 right now and this could be a really smart move for the Brazilian.

The things I’m most interested in seeing right out of the gate is how Bueno Silva looks at this weight, as she’ll be giving up a little bit of height and a little bit of reach to most of the top contenders in the division, but she has the frame to add some muscle and make up for those shortfalls with her strength. Wu is slightly taller, but also kind of slightly built, so this should be a good initial measuring stick opportunity to see what “Sheetara” brings to the table in a new, yet familiar weight class.

Pat Sabatini vs. TJ Laramie
Q: How high can Pat Sabatini climb in the featherweight division?

After a 3-0 rookie year in 2021, Sabatini kicks off his sophomore campaign Saturday against TJ Laramie, who tagged in for Gavin Tucker when the Newfoundland native was forced out with a shoulder injury.

It’s a weird matchup for the Philadelphia native because he’s already faced and beaten better opposition than Laramie, but beggars can’t be choosers when you’re hoping to stay on a card and not get shuffled back a couple weeks or months. This also feels like an opportunity for Sabatini to potentially make a statement, which would in turn stir up more conversation about just how far up the divisional ladder he could climb because four straight wins to start a UFC career is nothing to sneeze at and the former CFFC champ has a little of that “guy you don’t see coming” vibe to him already.

You know I love quality grapplers with some grit to them, and we’ve seen those things out of Sabatini already, plus he trains with a great crew, fought a tough slate on the way to the UFC, and is right in that age/experience sweet spot where he’s mature and seasoned and confident in his skills. He feels like a guy that should beat Laramie, and then maybe get one more win before facing a Top 15 opponent, and while there are some dangerous names in that group, there are a couple I think he could beat too, plus a few more further up the ladder I wouldn’t mind seeing him face as well.

All I’m saying is keep an eye on him because he’s not just some random who got a couple wins last year; he’s a dark horse in the 145-pound weight class.

Mounir Lazzez vs. Ange Loosa
Q: Remember when everyone got way too excited about Mounir Lazzez?

We all know I’m a dick who doesn’t mind dragging out old receipts and talking my shit on this platform — it is mine platform, after all — so let’s do it.

There were a lot of folks that got all kinds of extra excited about Mounir Lazzez following his debut decision win over Abdul Razak Alhassan back on Fight Island, acting like besting the heavy-hitting, shallow-tanked welterweight — who hadn’t competed in nearly two years, by the way — was some kind of statement win for the newcomer from Tunisia.

It was the same card as Khamzat Chimaev’s debut and there were people suggesting they were each going to rise through the welterweight ranks with swiftness alongside one another. Chimaev has held up his end of the bargain, but Lazzez?

After getting folded over by a body kick from Warlley Alves last January, the 34-year-old is back this weekend in a short-notice pairing with former DWCS contestant Ange Loosa, who is subbing for Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos, who withdrew for personal reasons.

This is one of those fights where Lazzez could look good, and probably should win because Loosa is solid, but just fought two weeks ago, when he won a decision over John “Doomsday” Howard, who is closing in on “professional opponent” territory now that he’s 39 years old.

I just hope that if “The Sniper” does show out, people don’t get all worked up again because he’s honestly nothing more than a quality mid-pack welterweight who is going to pick his spots a couple times a year, not some late-bloomer future contender poised to make a run.

Devin Clark vs. William Knight
Q: Why is William Knight actively moving in the wrong direction?

I think William Knight has some intriguing upside — he’s an absolute brick shithouse with clear power and he’s earned a couple good wins already inside the Octagon — but this decision to move up to heavyweight and face Devin Clark this weekend feels like a poor choice.

Now, I get that pencilling it in at heavyweight means we don’t get the same situation as last time, when Knight took a short-notice fight with Maxim Grishin and blew passed the light heavyweight limit by 12 pounds, criticizing those that criticized him because, and I’m paraphrasing here, he took it on short notice and just couldn’t get down to 206 in time for the fight.

But did anyone in Knight’s camp feel like he looked good in that fight? Does anyone really believe this is a guy that (a) should be fighting at a higher weight on the regular or (b) taking fights on limited notice?

Knight is one of those guys that could probably make middleweight and be more successful if he committed to changing his body and did it all the right way because he’s under six-feet tall and faces a lot of physical disadvantages at light heavyweight as a result, but he doesn’t seem like someone that is particularly interested in not being built like a Mack truck. So at the very least, he should be fighting at light heavyweight and spending as much time as possible between fights working on skill-building and improving his conditioning, because there is room for advancement in the 205-pound ranks.

Instead, it feels like he’s taking this fight just to take a fight, which is never a great decision, and is especially unsound when you’re coming off a bad showing where you blew weight by a dozen pounds.

For Knight’s sake, I hope he wins this weekend, because if he doesn’t, he’s going to be staring down the prospects of a “do or die” fight next time out… if there is a next time out.

Lina Lansberg vs. Pannie Kianzad
Q: Where does Lina Lansberg fit in the bantamweight division?

Officially, the answer is “At No. 11 in the rankings,” which shows you how incredibly lazy everyone that contributes to the UFC Official Fighter Rankings are when it comes to filling out their ballots, which isn’t surprising given that it’s largely made up of people from site very few people are visiting.

I say it’s ridiculous and shows how lazy people are because Lansberg hasn’t fought since January 2020, when she lost a decision to Sara McMann. She been out of action since then, as she and her partner, former UFC featherweight Akira Corassani, welcomed their daughter into the world, yet somehow, there weren’t any active fighters that managed to overtake the now 40-year-old Swedish veteran with a 4-4 record in the Octagon in the rankings.

Seriously — the UFC really needs to find a better way to do its rankings and the sport needs something akin to the old Bloody Elbow / USAToday Consensus Rankings that kicked ass back in the day, but I digress…

Lansberg returns Saturday in an intriguing clash with Pannie Kianzad, who was climbing the rankings herself before running into Raquel Pennington last time out, and I’m genuinely curious to figure out where Lansberg fits in the division and what she can add to the ranks in the next couple years?

My instinct is that she’s beyond the point of being particularly competitive against top talent, and is probably best suited to be a veteran presence just outside the Top 15, but I’ve been wrong before, I’ll be wrong again, and I could certainly be wrong here.

How Saturday plays out will provide clarity.

Drakkar Klose vs. Brandon Jenkins
Q: Remember Drakkar Klose?

I ask that question in jest because of course you remember Drakkar Klose, but it’s been two years since he stepped into the Octagon as well, and I genuinely do believe that a lot of folks don't remember just how talented and dangerous the MMA Lab representative is when he’s in there.

Klose’s last appearance was at UFC 248 against Beneil Dariush, where he had the Top 5 lightweight on skates, but then got blasted by a huge shot himself a minute into the second round. It was a wild six-minute fight and only the second loss of Klose’s career.

You heard me: Drakkar Klose is 11-2-1 for his career and his last lost came against a dude that just outside the championship mix right now.

This weekend’s fight with Brandon Jenkins is a chance to get back in the cage, get back in the win column, and get back on the radar in the lightweight division, where he already holds wins over recent winners Marc Diakiese and Bobby Green, as well as Lando Vannata.

Klose is someone to keep an eye on provided he can stay healthy.

Rafa Garcia vs. Jesse Ronson
Q: Will Jesse Ronson finally get his first UFC win?

The Canadian veteran thought he’d accomplished the feat in July 2020, when he turned up on short notice, clocked Nicolas Dalby with a clean right hand, and then choked out the former Cage Warriors champion, all in under three minutes. It was an incredible performance and a fairytale ending to a long, twisting story that no one — not even Ronson — thought would possibly happen for the longest time.

And then he tested positive for a banned substance and the result was overturned.

Not quite two years later, Ronson is back this weekend, stepping in with Rafa Garcia, hoping to finally get an official UFC victory on his record.

I wrote about his journey for the UFC website and am admittedly pulling for the guy because this is one of those cool stories everyone claims we should be telling, but few actually tell, and I want to see how it ends.

Garcia is a tough out coming off a solid win, so this should be an exciting, competitive fight this weekend.

Chris Barnett vs. Martin Buday
Q: How does Chris Barnett follow his UFC 268 victory?

Chris Barnett delivered one of the most entertaining performances of 2021 at UFC 268 in New York City, kicking it off by joyously dancing his way to the Octagon before clocking Gian Villante with a spinning heel kick, and finishing things out with “The Fat Man Flop.”

It was an absolute masterpiece and now, this weekend, Barnett is finally back for his encore, squaring off against DWCS grad Martin Buday in an assignment that doesn’t feel great for the popular hardcore darling.

Buday is a gigantic human being who works well in the clinch, while Barnett is a squat, rotund heavyweight who likes to operate in space. I’m not saying this is a fight Barnett can’t win, but he’s going to need to be moving well and keeping Buday guessing with his offence in order to get it done, and I’m just not sure he can do that for 15 minutes.

But I am super-curious to see him try, and let’s be honest: seeing Barnett dancing his way to the Octagon is reason enough to tune in this weekend.

Jordan Leavitt vs. Trey Ogden
Q: Is Trey Ogden ready for the big stage?

Here I go being that dude that says things some people aren’t going to like again, but Trey Ogden really feels to me like one of those fighters a lot of folks that have talked to him a bunch of times are happy to see get a shot simply because he’s someone they’ve talked to a bunch of times in the past, kind of like Josh Fremd last weekend.

It’s not that Ogden isn’t a solid fighter — he is, but that’s kind of all he is, at least in my opinion, and given how much I’ve heard people bitch and moan about the declining quality of UFC fighters over the years, it’s weird to me to see some of those same folks celebrating the 32-year-old lightweight’s arrival on the big stage.

As always, I will come back here this weekend and say I was wrong and acknowledge that I was a dick if Ogden goes out and looks impressive on Saturday, but beating JJ Okanovich and building a 15-4 record against moderate competition at best where you’ve lost to the best guys you’ve faced doesn’t scream “Get this guy into the UFC!” to me.

His opponent on Saturday, Jordan Leavitt, is still a question mark to me as well, but at least he’s still reasonably young and fairly early in his career, plus he actually dominated on the regional circuit before getting his chance.

I might have to end up eating my words here, but we’ll see.

Istela Nunes vs. Sam Hughes
Q: What does Istela Nunes bring to the table?

I don’t mean that in terms of her actual skills and core approach because I think that is fairly well established — quick hands, decent power, a little bit of moxie, and some intriguing upside.

But what I mean is does she still have that intriguing upside or are we all still remembering a fighter who flashed potential back in her days under the ONE Championship banner, before she caught a two-year ban, transitioned to the UFC, and lost her debut?

I can looked passed losing to Ariane Carnelossi last time out because Carnelossi is putting things together as of late and is a brute for the strawweight division, but Saturday’s contest against Sam Hughes is kind of a must-win for the now 29-year-old Brazilian, who has prepped for this fight at American Top Team. Hughes is 0-3 in the UFC and is in dire need of a win herself, plus she’s switched camps and is working with the Fortis MMA crew now, so we should see the absolute best version of her possible this weekend, which means Nunes will in turn need to be at her best in order to get the victory.

We get hung up on potential and previous ideas about fighters all the time in this sport, and I wonder if that’s where folks are at right now with Nunes?

Alatengheili vs. Kevin Croom
Q: Is Kevin Croom really fighting at bantamweight this weekend?

That’s where this fight is booked and I have to say I’m surprised because each of Croom’s last two UFC appearances came at featherweight, his short-notice debut came at lightweight, and he hasn’t competed at bantamweight since (checks notes) January 17, 2015.

Now, “Crash” isn’t a big dude and he’s been around for an eternity, so I don't put it passed him to make ‘35 without issue, but he’s also not a particularly big guy, and he’s 34 years old, so it’s not like there is a lot of weight to drop and this is one place where being older isn’t a positive.

I was actually expecting to see Alatengheili moving up to featherweight when I first looked at this fight because the 30-year-old from Mongolia is shredded at ‘35 and cutting weight sucks, so a shift forward in divisions would have made sense, but instead it’s Croom moving down.

Hopefully all goes well and this is a “nothing to see here” situation, but right now, I’m nervous and skeptical.