Coming off of a huge pay per view last weekend, the UFC returns to the APEX in Las Vegas tomorrow night for an exciting Fight Night card. Some of the best fighters in the world will step into the octagon, headlined by two top contenders.
Two of the best at 170 pounds will clash in a main event that could potentially serve as a title eliminator and propel one of these men to a championship opportunity. Plus, two more welterweights will look to put on an impressive performance and carack the top 15 and two middleweights will try to prove that they deserve their spot in the co-main event.
Welterweight bout: Miguel Baeza vs. Andre Fialho
While the welterweights in the main event are near the top of the division and riding a wave of momentum, both of these guys are going to have to try and bounce back from a loss. Baeza is coming off of back-to-back losses, most recently a knockout at the hands of Kalinn Williams.Despite his recent woes, he still sports a 10-2 record with seven knockout victories to his name. He’s a dangerous striker but it will be interesting to see if he’s a bit gun shy after being knocked out for the first time.
A lot of the same can be said for Fialho, who is coming off of a decision loss to Michel Pereira back in January. His record stands at 14-4 and, despite being a year younger, he is the more experienced fighter. For example, Fialho has already proven that he can bounce back from a knockout loss, as he recovered from his last one by winning four of his next five, all by knockout. This will be a good matchup of very strong strikers, which should be fun to watch.
Middleweight bout: Caio Borralho vs. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev
It’s a very different story in our middleweight main event. Borralho is riding a nine-fight winning streak and hasn’t lost since his second pro fight in 2015. This fight will mark his octagon debut after he earned the opportunity on Dana White’s Contender Series. With a 10-1 record, four knockouts and three submissions, Borralho has proven that he can finish a fight anywhere and he is going to be a tough out for anyone who steps into the octagon with him.
Somehow sporting an even more impressive resume, Omargadzhiev is a perfect 13-0 with eight knockouts and three submissions. Also making his octagon debuting after impressing on the Contender Series, the Russian is primed for an impressive showing. A flashy win and a 14-0 record is a great way to find yourself in the top 15 in short order.
Welterweight bout: Vicente Luque vs. Belal Muhammad
It’s rare that we can get a main event between two guys who are in the top six in their division, who are riding extended win streaks and who faced each other before… and have it be free. That is the case with these two rivals who will be meeting for the second time after Luque won their first meeting all the way back in 2016.
Since hi win over Muhammad, Luque has gone 10-2 to bring his overall record to 21-7 with 11 knockout victories. More impressive though is the fact that he also has eight submission wins and has ended both of his last two fights with a brabo choke in the first round. Those wins came over former welterweight champ Tyron Woodley and perennial contender Michael Chiesa, proving that Luque belongs at the top of this division.
Muhammad wants to prove that he isn’t the same fighter Luque saw in their first meeting and his record would serve as evidence of that. Since that meeting, Muhammad has gone 10-1 and is riding a six-fight winning streak (interrupted only by one no contest). He has completely controlled top contenders like Demian Maia and Stephen Thompson, the latest of which served Luque his most recent loss. Game plans will be interesting here as Luque tends to make short work of his opponents while Muhammad tends to grind out decisions. Muhammad has also only been knocked out once, proving that he is tough to finish. Of course, the man who gave him that one knockout – Vicente Luque.
UFC Fight Night: Luque vs. Muhammad will be held Saturday, April 16 at 8:30 PM ET. Fight fans can watch live on ESPN+.