This Sunday, the UFC heads to Salt Lake City in what looks to be a veritable smorgasbord of career defining match ups in the featherweight division.
Emerging star Yair Rodriguez will endeavour to continue his campaign as a genuine threat to the 145-pound elite whilst established fighters such as Dennis Bermudez and Cub Swanson will be hoping to make a resurgence towards title contention.
Rodriguez and Alex ‘Bruce Leeroy’ Caceres square off this weekend as both fighters look to maintain their exciting form inside the cage. At just 23 years of age Rodriguez has already begun to build a reputation in the UFC as a highlight-reel machine, showcasing exceptional striking and unusual technique throughout his six-fight win streak. While some may describe the fighter as risky the TUF: Latin America champion has demonstrated unparalleled fluidity of movement and executed multiple captivating combinations throughout his tenure in the UFC. Such groundbreaking style has already awarded the young talent both Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonus honours as well as coming off a spectacular ‘flying knee’ finish against the formidable Andre Fili in April.
Taking on the emerging star is the always exciting Caceres. After losing to former contender Uriah Faber, and division journeyman Francisco Rivera, Caceres has made a resurgence to form with wins over Masio Fullen and Cole Miller. Fighting out of the MMA Lab under John Crouch the 28-year-old, who is known for his relaxed approach inside the Octagon, has seen recent success with his Kung Fu/ freestyle striking approach. Caceres has always been amazingly inventive inside the cage, but it is his striking accuracy that has proven effective in his last two unanimous decision victories.
This weekend we see two of the most creative fighters in the sport step into the cage to ensure their momentum doesn’t falter. What makes this fight so tantalising is that both men are at their best when they are on the offense and looking to utilize unorthodox movement and striking techniques. This bout will feature two eccentric styles that has all the makings of a Fight of the Night contender, and if the past is anything to go by, both men will leave caution at the door and put in an amazing performance for the fans.
Additionally, eighth ranked Dennis Bermudez and former TUF: Brazil winner Rony Jason take to the Octagon as both men look to boost their names back into the 145-pound conversation. Bermudez was once considered a real contender having beaten the likes of Clay Guida and now-serious-threat Max Holloway during a seven fight win streak. However, the former NCAA Division 1 wrestler fell short against fourth ranked Ricardo Lamas and then again to Jeremy Stephens in one of the grittier performances of 2015. ‘The Menace’ was able to gain some form back with his most recent fight over tough wrestler Tatsuya Kawajiri and will now face vigorous competition against the Brazilian. Jason, who has had some mixed performances after winning The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, still poses a huge threat with a storied list of knockouts and submissions to his name. Both fighters have lively personality’s that should translate into multiple dynamic exchanges, especially with potential career implications on the line.
And if fans can’t get enough of the 145-pound division then rest assured there’s yet another intriguing featherweight match up on the cards. Sixth ranked Swanson headlines the Fight Pass prelims against a former Shooto champion Kawajiri. Staying true to the fight cards theme, Swanson was on an amazing tear through the division not too long ago but came undone against the competitions elite. He now hopes to rebuild and look towards title contention after a convincing performance in April against Hacran Dias that highlighted Swanson’s trademark elusiveness and power.
Swanson faces a highly skilled grappler in Kawijiri, who has the ability to stifle a striker’s movement and land takedowns at will. The bad news for Swanson is that he has had trouble with wrestlers in the past. Frankie Edgar in 2014 comes to mind, a fight where Edgar seemed to suffocate the Jacksons MMA prodigy on the ground, and left the prominent striker to fight off his back for multiple rounds. Swanson will be looking to rectify such doubts against the Japanese grappler, who is coming off a unanimous decision loss to main card fighter, Bermudez.
Aussie fight fans can catch all the action on UFC Fight Pass for early prelims from 9am on Sunday 7 August (AEST) before moving over to FOX Sports for the remainder of the card.
Main Card (Fox Sports):
- Yair Rodriguez vs. Alex Caceres
- Dennis Bermudez vs. Rony Jason
- Thales Leites vs. Chris Camozzi
- Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Zak Cummings
- Trevor Smith vs. Joe Gigliotti
- Maryna Moroz vs. Danielle Taylor
Preliminary Card (Fox Sports):
- Court McGee vs. Dominique Steele
- Viktor Pesta vs. Marcin Tybura
- David Teymur vs. Jason Novelli
- Teruto Ishihara vs. Horacio Gutierrez
Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass):
- Cub Swanson vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri
- Chase Sherman vs. Justin Ledet
