The UFC is set to return to the APEX in Las Vegas this weekend for another exciting night of fights. As fans look forward to the big pay-per-view card next week, some very talented fighters will put on a show to hold us over until then.
Two top eight light heavyweights will meet in a main event that has a lot on the line in what is one of the sport’s most complicated weight classes these days. Plus, a ranked middleweight will look to climb higher against an opponent who wants to crack the top 15 and two tough heavyweights will meet as they try to grab some momentum.
Heavyweight bout: Augusto Sakai vs. Don’Tale Mayes
On these Fight Night cards, we often see fighters who are looking to bounce back from a loss. It’s rare, however, to see a guy looking to bounce back from four straight losses. That is the case for Sakai here as he has dropped his last four fights, all by knockout. In his defense, those losses all came against some of the top heavyweights in the world. And even with this losing streak, he still boasts a 15-5 record, with 11 knockouts. He’s a tough guy who can end a fight in a hurry and his back is absolutely against the wall here.
Mayes is also looking to right the ship here, though his losing streak is limited to just his most recent fight. With a 10-4 record and five knockouts, he has also proven he is a very talented fighter. These guys are likely going to stand and bang but it will be interesting to see if either one looks to take the fight to the floor.
Middleweight bout: Andre Muniz vs. Brendan Allen
This is an interesting opportunity for two middleweight contenders. Muniz is currently the 11th-ranked fighter in the class and riding a nine-fight winning streak. He’s also undefeated in the UFC and sports a 23-4 record overall. It’s probably not thrilling for him to be facing off with an unranked opponent but if he were to put forth a dominant performance here, it would be difficult not to move him up the ranks. And in the middleweight division, which is very open at the top, that could mean a very big fight in the near future for Muniz.
The opportunity for Allen is much more obvious. His opponent has a number next to his name and he wants to take it. Allen is 20-5 and riding a three fight winning streak of his own. He also has 11 wins by submission, including two on his current winning streak. This is a battle of two expert grapplers and it might come down to who can get the better of the striking.
Light Heavyweight bout: Nikita Krylov vs. Ryan Spann
The UFC light heavyweight division is, to put it bluntly, kind of a mess. An injured champion and a draw in a title fight left the class with a question mark on the throne for a while. Jamahal Hill stepped up and claimed that top spot by beating Glover Teixeira, but many are still wondering who the best fighter in the class really is. And with all that chaos, the guys in the middle of the rankings have a huge opportunity to jump up.
Krylov is an absolute destroyer, with 27 of his 29 wins coming by either knockout or submission. He’s coming off of wins over two high-level light heavyweights in Alexander Gustafsson and Volkan Oezdemir. Currently ranked sixth in the division, a dominant win here could give him a very strong case for a title shot, given the unsure nature of the class. I would expect Krylov to be looking to end this fight early.
That will be easier said than done against Spann, who comes into this bout with a 21-7 record and the eighth spot in the light heavyweight rankings. Spann has six wins by knockout and 12 by submission, so clearly he can take the fight wherever it goes. However, his advantage seems to be in his athleticism in this matchup, so I would expect him to look to stick and move and not wind up on the ground with Krylov looking to work submissions. Spann has the same opportunity as his opponent here, which makes this a very important main event.
UFC Fight Night: Krylov vs. Spann will be held Saturday, February 18 at 7 PM ET. Fight fans can watch live on ESPN+.