Photo by Michael S. Schwartz/Getty Images
The UFC on ESPN 5 card tomorrow afternoon (Sat., Aug. 3, 2019) from inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, will feature a main event clash between welterweight title hopefuls Colby Covington and Robbie Lawler. It’s one hell of a 170-pound clash and a fight that fans everywhere are looking forward to.
However, outside of Covington’s clash with “Ruthless,” the UFC on ESPN 5 card leaves a lot left to the imagination. With a co-main event featuring aging lightweights Jim Miller and Clay Guida, and a slew of main card bouts showcasing unknown and unranked names, it seems as if UFC dropped the ball for its return to big ESPN.
Just ask former UFC fighter and MMA personality Brendan Schaub, who recently broke down the upcoming Newark card.
“This weekend’s fights, I couldn’t tell you who’s on them,” Schaub said on his Below The Belt podcast (transcript via MMA News). “I don’t know. I know the main event, other than that I don’t know who the f*ck is on it. I know four people on the main card of this UFC.
“This weekend I’m in Nashville,” Schaub later added. “I think my Saturday show’s sold out. That’s how sh*tty this card is. So it’s like who’s watching it? I don’t know man. But these fights are so bad.”
While Schaub doesn’t have the best relationship with UFC and is usually critical about moves he doesn’t approve of, the former heavyweight fighter-turned comedian may be right. Outside of the main event between Covington and Lawler, what are fight fans really tuning in for?
Check out the full fight card below and judge for yourself:
UFC on ESPN 5 Main Card:
170 lbs.: Colby Covington vs. Robbie Lawler
155 lbs.: Jim Miller vs. Clay Guida
155 lbs.: Joaquim Silva vs. Nasrat Haqparast
185 lbs.: Trevin Giles vs. Gerald Meerschaert
155 lbs.: Scott Holtzman vs. Dong Hyun Ma
205 lbs.: Darko Stosic vs. Kennedy NzechukwuUFC on ESPN 5 “Prelims” Card:
170 lbs.: Mickey Gall vs. Saleem Touahri
125 lbs.: Antonina Shevchenko vs. Lucie Pudilova
125 lbs.: Jordan Espinosa vs. Matt Schnell
125 lbs.: Lauren Murphy vs. Mara Romero Borella
170 lbs.: Claudio Silva vs. Cole Williams
125 lbs.: Hannah Goldy vs. Miranda Granger
Sure, rising lightweight prospect Nasrat Haqparast is a very nice fighter trying to make a name for himself in a jam-packed division, but few fans know who he is or what he’s capable of doing. The same can be said about middleweight journeyman Gerald Meerschaert, who, despite finishing 26 out of his 28 career wins, carries little to no weight when it comes to star power. Names like Mickey Gall, Antonina Shevchenko, and Claudio Silva certainly add some spark to the ESPN undercard, but it’s nothing to write home about.
At the end of the day, many people feel the same way Schaub does, as UFC has seemingly filtered down its cards since striking an exclusive deal with ESPN. This weekend’s event in Newark looks like the weakest card on ESPN since the beginning.
“Dude these cards are … this is what you get man,” Schaub said. “But then that Aug. 17 [card] in Anaheim, ‘DC’ [vs. Miocic 2], stacked.”
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC on ESPN 5 fight card on Saturday, starting with the “Prelims” matches on ESPN, which are scheduled to begin at noon ET, before the main card start time at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.
For much more on this weekend’s UFC on ESPN 5 fight card click here.