The UFC returns to Halifax, Nova Scotia, with a decent offering on Fox Sports 1 this Sunday.
In the main event, rising talent Derrick Lewis draws Travis Browne in a fight with some real implications for the stagnant heavyweight division. If he wins, Lewis will get a matchup with one of the division’s elite. Browne is on the tail end of a bad two-fight losing streak and desperately needs a win to stay relevant.
That theme of desperation carries through into the co-main event. Former welterweight champion Johny Hendricks moves up to 185 pounds for the first time and tries to snap a three-fight skid against former Bellator champion Hector Lombard, who has lost two consecutive fights inside the distance. The winner will gain a new lease on life, while the loser could well find himself out of the UFC.
The rest of the card features fun matchups and prospects worth watching. Canada’s Elias Theodorou takes on Cezar Ferreira in a meeting of The Ultimate Fighter winners with real implications in the wide-open middleweight division.
On the preliminary card, the welterweight scrap between Santiago Ponzinibbio and Nordine Taleb should be a barn burner, as should the opening matchup featuring Jack Marshman and Thiago Santos. Keep an eye on debuting Canadian fighters Gavin Tucker and Aiemann Zahabi, both of whom are legitimate talents.
Let’s take a look at each matchup.