UFC brings pay-per-view worthy card to Orlando

Each year the Ultimate Fighting Championship puts on several fight night cards that have the depth of a pay-per-view card. This Saturday’s UFC Orlando card is no exception.

For the first time since 2018, the world combat sports leader returns to the Amway Center for a stacked card headlined by a battle between talented strikers in the welterweight division. No. 6-ranked Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson faces fan favorite Kevin Holland. Both men will enter the octagon looking to get back in the win column.

Thompson has been in the upper echelon of the welterweight division for much of his career. His unorthodox striking has caused problems for many of the UFC’s greats. Thompson holds victories over the likes of Jorge Masvidal, Rory McDonald, Johnny Hendricks and Robert Whittaker. Thompson’s karate-centered style even propelled him to a pair of championship opportunities versus former undisputed UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. Thompson came up short in both meetings with Woodley.

More recently, Thompson’s opponents have begun to take advantage of the South Carolina native’s deficiency in grappling. Gilbert Burns and Belal Muhammad neutralized Thompson’s striking almost completely using their wrestling and jujitsu. In his last six fights, “Wonderboy” is just 2-4. Luckily for the ageless wonder, his opponent Saturday night will more than likely not be looking to wrestle.

Holland has been one of the most entertaining fighters since his arrival in the UFC off of Dana White’s Contender Series with his constant trash talk and brash persona. Holland has posted a 10-5 record in the UFC. Early in his UFC tenure, Holland showcased his knock out power with knockouts of Darren Stewart, Ronaldo Souza and Joaquin Buckley. Later, Holland began to struggle with the wrestlers like Derek Brunson and Marvin Vettori, Holland’s difficulty with grapplers precipitated his move down to welterweight.

Despite running into a buzz saw in the form of Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279, Holland seems to have found a home at welterweight, posting a pair of wins versus UFC veterans Alex “Cowboy” Oliveira and Tim Means. This fight should be an immensely fun matchup. Look for Holland to use his 6-inch reach advantage and speed to try to stay one step ahead of Thompson. The question is can Thompson turn back the clock and make one more run to a title opportunity? Look for Thompson to use his spinning wheel kick as a potential knockout blow.

The welterweight action continues in the co-main event as Bryan “Bam Bam” Barberena looks to extend his win streak to four in facing yet another legend in the form of Rafael Dos Anjos. Barberena’s win streak includes wins over legends like Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown. Barberena pushes the pace and is always looking to stand and trade in the standup. Barberena tends to overwhelm his opponents with his striking output. Facing Dos Anjos will be a massive test for Barberena.

Dos Anjos, a former UFC lightweight champion, is still as dangerous as ever at age 38. The Brazilian is extremely well-rounded. Dos Anjos lands nearly 55% of his strikes. Dos Anjos also executes on average nearly two takedowns per fight. As a path to victory, look for Dos Anjos to grapple Barberena and look for submission in an effort to secure his 20th UFC win. Dos Anjos’ striking was on display in his demolition of Renato Moicano. With a convincing win Saturday, Dos Anjos could put himself back into the top five.

Also, on the main card at flyweight, a top-10 clash takes place as No. 7-ranked Matt “Danger” Schnell faces No. 6-ranked Matheus Nicolau. At age 29, Nicolaou has put together an impressive 18-2-1 overall. Nicolaou is riding a 6-fight win streak including three consecutive wins in his current stint with the UFC. All three wins have come by decision over Manel Kape, Tim Elliot and David Dvorak. Nicolaou is one of the most technical strikers in the UFC, landing nearly 60% of his strikes. Nicolaou will have to deal with the pressure of Schnell in order to claim victory.

Schnell is better than his 6-4 UFC record shows. Schnell has been one of the most entertaining flyweights since entering the UFC off of the Ultimate Fighter season 24. Fighting out of Louisiana, Schnell has shown a little bit of spice in terms of his striking. He lands more than four significant strikes per minute. The issue with Schnell is his propensity to get hit. He also boasts nine submission victories in his career, the most notable of which came in his last octagon appearance versus Sumudaerji at UFC on ABC3 in Long Island in one of the best fights of 2022. This fight should be a war, and its placement on the card speaks volumes about the promotion’s respect for both men. With the flyweight title on the line in January when Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo meet for the fourth time, this fight could go a long way to determining the future of the flyweight division.

Also, on the main card at heavyweight, the surging Sergei Pavlovich faces fan favorite Tai Tuivasa. Tuivasa enters Saturday night having won five out of his last six fights. The lone loss for Tuivasa in that stretch came in his last octagon appearance in September at UFC Paris versus Ciryl Gane. All five of Tuivasa’s recent wins have come by knockout, most notably Tuivasa holds wins over Greg Hardy, Augusto Sakai and Derrick Lewis. Credit should be given to Tuivasa for taking on another incredibly tough opponent in a three-month span. Coupled with 13 knockouts in 14 victories overall, Tuivasa has shown a more measured approach in his recent fights, in part because of his tendency to be wobbled. A victory Saturday night for Tuivasa could put him back into title contention. Tuivasa will be facing one of the best athletes in the division in Pavlovich.

The 30-year-old Russian has put together an outstanding 16-1 record including a 4-1 start to his UFC tenure. Pavlovich is both a technical and powerful striker. Most recently, the Russian bulldozed Derrick Lewis in just 55 seconds in July at UFC 277. In this top-five battle at heavyweight, a win by either man could mean a title shot is in their future. With that being said, the looming heavyweight debut of Jon Jones and the contract situation of Francis Ngannou complicates the title picture.

At middleweight, the title picture is wide open after Israel Adesanya’s loss at UFC 281. Contenders Jack Hermanson and Roman Dolidze look to take the next step towards title contention. Stepping in for the injured Derek Brunson, this is the chance for Dolidze to make a statement. Out of the country of Georgia, Dolidze has found success in the UFC with an aggressive style. Dolidze has amassed six knockouts and three submission victories in his 11 wins overall. To this point in his short UFC tenure Dolidze has shined posting a 5-1 record including emphatic knockout wins versus Phil Hawes and Kyle Daukaus. Taking this fight on short notice, the concern for Dolidze is his cardio, especially when the Georgian already tends to empty the gas tank on a full training camp. The 34-year-old Georgian will take on Hermansson, a veteran who will enter the octagon looking for consistency Saturday night.

Hermansson has gone 4-3 in his last seven fights. In his last octagon appearance, Hermansson earned a victory by decision over the action man Chris Curtis at UFC London. Hermansson is one of the best technical boxers in the UFC. The native of Sweden is accurate landing more than half of his strikes. Hermansson is also a high-volume striker lending more than five significant strikes per minute. Hermansson’s durability gives him a chance to survive the aggressiveness of Dolidze. This fight has major title implications in the middleweight division.

The action stays in the middleweight division as Kyle Daukaus returns to the octagon to face former Alabama linebacker and 2009 National Champion Erik Anders. Both men enter the octagon looking to inch closer to the top 15. Daukaus is a submission artist with nine of his 11 victories coming by submission. The Philadelphia native has dealt with some adversity of late while recovering from facial fractures suffered five months ago in his last octagon appearance courtesy of a vicious knee from Roman Dolidze at UFC Austin back in June. Daukaus has gone 2-3 in his first UFC appearances. Daukaus gave his thoughts on his mentality going into the fight with Anders. Daukaus told ufc.com “I was surprised that they gave me him, just because he’s a name and he’s known — he’s main evented against guys and fought a ton of great names. It’s very surprising, but I can’t get too caught up on that, either — I have to go in there and just imagine that it’s another 0-0 guy I’m going against.” Daukaus has the mentality of just going 1-0 each time he’s in the octagon. This fight comes down to the precision and accuracy of Daukaus versus the power and overall strength of Anders. Both men are badly in need of a win. Who will go 1-0 in Orlando? Find out Saturday night.

In Saturday’s featured prelim, exciting veterans Niko Price and Phil Rowe square off in the welterweight division. Despite his 7-5 record in the UFC, Price is still one of the most entertaining fighters in the promotion. Price will look to build off his win versus Alex “Cowboy” Olivera in his last octagon appearance back in October 2021. Price has dangerous power with 10 of his 15 wins coming by knockout. While it is exciting, Price’s tendency to brawl gets him in trouble on occasion. Rowe is a dangerous opponent for Price. The 32-year-old Dana White’s Contender Series alum, Rowe has bounced back nicely from his loss to Gabe Green in his debut with knockouts of Jason Witt and Orion Cosce. Look for Rowe to use his advantage to stay on the outside and avoid the wild man that is Price. If Price makes one mistake, it could be a successful night for the “Fresh Prince.”

At Strawweight, the veteran Angela “Overkill” Hill returns to the UFC octagon for the 22nd time to face top prospect Emily Ducote. Hill has been a mainstay in the strawweight division sense coming off of season 20 of the Ultimate Fighter. Her 22nd fight in the UFC gives Hill the most UFC bouts for a female in UFC history. Hill wants to push the pace every time she steps in the octagon. The 37-year-old has been on the wrong side of some razor thin decisions versus Tecia Torres and Amanda Lemos of late. In her last octagon appearance at UFC San Diego versus Loopy Godinez, Hill earned the decision victory snapping her three-fight skid. In this fight versus Ducote, look for Hill to initiate clinch situations to neutralize the striking ability of Ducote. Look for Hill to also use her kicks in an effort to stay out of Ducote’s striking range. Ducote is looking to improve to 2-0 in the UFC after earning a in her UFC debut versus Jessica Penne at UFC Long Island. After starting her career at flyweight, Ducote seems to have found a home at strawweight. Ducote possesses a unique blend of striking and wrestling that could cause problems in the strawweight division for years to come.

At lightweight UFC Hall of Famer, the “Carpenter” Clay Guida returns to the octagon to face fellow veteran Scott “Hot Sauce” Holtzman in a battle between veterans. Guida will make his 34th walk to the octagon in the UFC and 60th overall. Guida enters Saturday night looking to rebound from his loss in his last octagon appearance versus Claudio Puelles via a knee bar. Throughout his career Guida has been known for his constant movement and desire to hunt for takedowns. The 40-year-old averages more than two takedowns per fight. In addition to his wrestling, Guida lands more than three significant strikes per minute. Guida’s relentless output will be key in this fight. The 39-year Holtzman is coming off of two consecutive knockout losses at the hands of elite competition Mateusz Gamrot and Beneil Dariush. The Tennessee native will likely be fighting for his job Saturday night.

Continuing at lightweight, the always entertaining Michael Johnson returns to the octagon versus Marc Diakiese. Johnson has been a highlight reel personified since his days on the Ultimate Fighter season 12. Johnson enters with his back against the wall having lost five out of his last six fights. Johnson most recently lost by decision to Jamie Mullarkey in July. Johnson certainly has his back against the wall Saturday night facing Diakiese. The 29-year-old Englishman has been one of the streakier fighters during his tenure in the UFC. Diakiese is currently on a 2-fight win streak. Expect Diakiese to wrestle in order to neutralize the striking of Johnson. It will be interesting to see if Johnson uses his wrestling background that he fostered at Central Methodist University, or if Johnson continues to try to strike with his opponents in the future.

At featherweight, it’s a battle of experience versus youth as 38-year-old Darren “The Damage” Elkins looks to continue his recent successful run against the surging Jonathan Pearce. Elkins is known for his well-rounded skill set and durability. Elkins enters Saturday night having three of his last four fights. Elkins has had some serious longevity in the UFC with nearly 30 fights. His calling card is his ability to come back from long odds and win. Elkins faces long odds once again Saturday night. Pearce, the 30-year-old Johnson City, Tennessee native is looking to push win streak to five Saturday night. Pearce is a high-volume striker that matches up well with Elkins in the standup. The question becomes can Pearce out wrestle Elkins? Or will the damage pull the upset once again?

At women’s flyweight No. 15-ranked Amanda Ribas takes on No. 13-ranked Tracy Cortez in a vastly underrated matchup. Out of Dana White’s Contender Series, Cortez looks to remain unbeaten inside the UFC octagon and push her record to 5-0 in the UFC. For Ribas, the 29-year-old Brazilian decided to make the move down to flyweight in order reset her career after a rough stretch at strawweight that saw Ribas fall to elite fighters like Marina Rodriguez. In her flyweight debut, Ribas came up short versus perennial No. 1 contender Kaitlyn Chookagian. This is the perfect chance for Ribas to bounce back on a high-profile stage. Facing the tougher competition may help Ribas in the long run. Look for Ribas to use her speed and accuracy to her advantage. In the clinch Ribas likes to attempt head and arm throws. Ribas has also proven to be a submission threat as well with four submission victories in her 11 victories overall. Cortez brings a willingness to move forward into the octagon. Cortes has evolved into a diverse striker with the ability to maintain distance with her kicks. Cortez has a tendency to stay in the pocket and throw big shots which should make for a fun fight.

Also, on the prelims at lightweight Contender Series alums Natan Levy and Genaro Valdez face off in which should be an exciting striking battle. At flyweight, undefeated Dana White’s Contender Series alum Francis Marshall puts his 6-0 record on the line in his UFC debut versus Marcelo Rojo.

To open the night, top strawweight prospect Yazmin Jauregui enters Saturday night looking to build off her stellar debut in August at UFC San Diego. With a win versus Istela Nunes, Jauregui could improve her record to 10-0 overall. Saturday’s 15-fight card is can’t miss. This card is absolutely worthy of its placement on ESPN. UFC Orlando is the first fight night card to appear on ESPN since UFC San Diego in August.

The action begins with the prelims at 7 p.m. ET, and continues with the main card at 10 p.m. ET. The action will be called by longtime UFC play by play man Jon Anik. Anik will be joined by a pair of Hall of Famers in former undisputed UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping and former two-division champion Daniel Cormier. Megan Olivi will serve as the sideline reporter for the broadcast.