Two weeks to go before the highly anticipated rematch between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya and the UFC has not disappointed. They have continued to provide amazing cards through March leading up to the blockbuster on April 8th. Last week lived up to the hype as the two co-main events went the distance and resulted in majority decisions. Leon Edwards quieted his haters and edged out the win over Kamaru Usman to retain his title. Justin Gaethje got back on the winning track, pulling off the upset over Rafael Fiziev on the judge’s scorecards. This week the UFC heads to San Antonio, Texas, to bring us another packed event.
Main Event
The main event of this Saturday’s UFC card features Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen, with Holly Holm vs. Yana Santos as the co-headliner. Holm lost a split decision her de ella last time out in 2022 to Ketlen Viera. Santos has not fought since her loss of her in 2021 to Irene Aldana. Holm defeated Aldana back in 2020, while Santos defeated Viera in 2021. MMA math again does not add up, as this just shows how equal of a fight it will be on Saturday night. Holm has the experience advantage as the former women’s bantamweight champion, but those times may be in the past. Age may be a factor as Santos is 33 and Holm is 41, however, Holm just recently signed a brand new six-fight deal to stay with the UFC. I would lean towards Holly Holm by decision. She is battle tested and will be able to deal with whatever Santos sends her way.
In the bantamweight division, third-ranked Marlon “Chito” Vera takes on fifth-ranked Cory Sandhagen in the main event. Vera is riding a four-fight win streak and is looking to solidify himself as the next man up to challenge for the bantamweight title. Sandhagen has lost two of his last three fights from him. It is not as bad as it looks. All of his losses from him in the last six years have come from bantamweight champions, including Petr Yan, TJ Dillashaw, and current champion Aljamain Sterling. Sandhagen is arguably the best striker in the bantamweight division. This will put Vera to the ultimate test to see if he is truly ready to be a champion. I believe that Sandhagen is too well-rounded for Vera and will be a step ahead of him in every exchange. Cory will cruise to a unanimous decision victory in the main event.
Njokuani Moving Up
The main card also features a very exciting fight in the middleweight division between Chidi Njokuani and Albert Duraev. Njokuani is 4-1 in his last five fights and will be moving up a weight class, as he feels that it will feel more natural fighting at 185. Duraev is 2-1 in the UFC, most recently coming off a knockout loss to Joaquin Buckley. Duraev is a very talented fighter, but he cannot seem to put it all together facing tougher competition. Njokuani has knockout power in both hands, with 14 of his 22 wins coming by knockout, and one mistake by Duraev could end the night early. Look for Njokuani to get yet another finish here within the first two rounds.
Might Be Worth a Look
A fight to look out for on the prelims is the featherweight bout between Daniel Pineda and Tucker Lutz. Pineda is 27-14, with all 27 wins coming by finish. Lutz is 12-2, with eight of those wins by finish. This fight could easily be the fight of the night Both fighters are looking for the finish any chance they can get. Lutz is easily the better wrestler. Pineda is very good on his back from him and could bait Lutz into a submission. Pineda has way too much value at +240 to not look at. Back the underdog and chalk up another submission for Pineda’s record. The UFC heads to San Antonio Saturday with yet another great event.
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