With UFC 203 on one side, Cris Cyborg on the other and a slew of top-shelf cards heading our way as the year winds down, it might feel right to skip out on UFC Fight Night 94.
There are reasons to resist that feeling.
In Saturday’s main event, lightweight contenders Dustin Poirier and Michael Johnson face off, with contender status in what is arguably the UFC’s most crowded division hanging in the balance.
Truth be told, this is a pretty quirky card. Here are the four key UFC Fight Night 94 storylines to keep tabs on, whether you decide to skip the action or not.
Title Shot for Poirier?
So far, so good for Poirier (20-4) since returning to 155 pounds. Four bouts in his return stint at lightweight, four victories, three stoppages. And those aren’t slouchy names, either. Go ahead and count Bobby Green and Yancy Medeiros among the defeated.
Johnson is his toughest test to date, ranked in the UFC’s official top 10. Johnson will try to ply his pressure and strength to get his hands on Poirier and stub him out on the chain link. Poirier will probably try to keep this in space, making this a good style matchup.
Johnson (17-10) is probably feeling a little cornered at the moment, having dropped two straight, first to Nate Diaz and then to Beneil Dariush. The UFC brass has made a habit of matching him up with the best, and his wins over top guys like Edson Barboza probably will keep him off the chopping block. But a win would still be helpful.
Could Poirier earn a shot at the lightweight belt, currently held by Eddie Alvarez? Probably not on the strength of this win alone, but it would vault him past the velvet rope and into the true inner circle of contendership.
Rick Glenn, Former WSOF Champ, Makes UFC Debut in FOTN Dark Horse
Rick Glenn jumped through a hell of a lot of hoops to get here.
Toiling on the World Series of Fighting featherweight circuit, Glenn (18-3-1) eventually captured the title in 2014. Unfortunately for him, that was the same year Glenn lost his teenage sister Aubry to brain cancer and grandmother Paulette, with whom he was very close.
“I don’t talk to my dad, and my mom lives out of town,” Glenn said following Paulette’s passing. “Our grandmother was a parent for us. She raised us.”
Later that year, Glenn lost the title to four-time All-American wrestler Lance Palmer. Not long after, Glenn left Milwaukee’s Roufusport gym, which is home to several top fighters but has faced allegations it fosters a dangerous and toxic training culture.
Glenn settled elsewhere in Milwaukee with Pura Vida BJJ. Then he left WSOF in hopes of reaching the UFC.
A couple of 2016 wins on the smaller circuits, and Glenn finally got his call-up when Abel Trujillo fell injured. He’ll face Evan Dunham at lightweight on Saturday’s main card.
Despite all this, Glenn is still just 27 years old. He is also some kind of aggressive, particularly on the feet. Have you ever heard it said that a fighter has a nose for the finish? That’s Glenn. He has a nose for blood. So does Dunham. You should batten down your hatches for this one. If it’s not Fight of the Night at the end, two other fighters are going to have to do something remarkable.
Mexican Fighters Look to Show Out
UFC Fight Night 94 takes place in Hidalgo, Texas, smack on the U.S.-Mexico border. (One assumes logistics and such are a bit easier for the UFC if it stays on the American side.)
Logical, then, that matchmakers infused the card with five fighters—Erick Montano, Jose Alberto Quinonez, Augusto Montano, Gabriel Benitez and Alejandro Perez—who make their home in Mexico.
Most hardcore fans know about the UFC’s desire to establish a stronger presence in Mexico. Emerging stars like Yair Rodriguez and Erik Perez, plus the existing star power of Mexican-American Cain Velasquez, are leading that charge. But if one or more of these guys can make an impression in Hidalgo, that could add some needed bench depth to the movement.
Prospects Across the Card
When a card lacks massive star power, that’s when you look for the silver lining: prospects. They’re not always there, but in the case of UFC Fight Night 94, they are.
We’ve already mentioned Glenn (who may no longer qualify, depending on your definition of prospect) and the Mexican contingent appearing on the card.
In addition to them, Long Island lightweight Chris Wade faces Dagestani Islam Makhachev. Both are coming off a loss, but the winner here will be back on track as a fighter to watch at 155 pounds.
On the Fight Pass portion of the undercard, Randy Brown of Queens, New York, (by way of Jamaica) tries to go to 2-1 in the UFC. This will be his third bout of 2016 after being scooped up from New York’s well-regarded Ring of Combat promotion.
And of course, let’s not sleep on Brazilian Antonio Carlos “Cara de Sapato” Junior. That’s right—it’s Shoe Face. Shoe Face is an undistinguished 2-2 (1) thus far in the UFC, but he’s still 6-2 (1) overall, 26 years old and a world champion jiu-jitsu player. If Shoe Face can put it all together Saturday, he could lace up a solid place in the middleweight division.
Scott Harris writes about MMA for Bleacher Report. For more, follow Scott on Twitter.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com