Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to the hurt business tonight (Sat., Aug. 5, 2017) for UFC Fight Night 114, which is set to go down inside Mexico City Arena in Mexico City, Mexico, airing live on FOX Sports 1.
The event will feature an interesting Flyweight scrap between two up-and-coming prospects in the division, as Sergio Pettis takes on Mexico’s own Brandon Moreno in a five-round affair. In the co-main event of the evening, Alexa Grasso will look to get back into the win column when she faces off against Randa Markos.
What’s Hot:
The Flyweight division desperately needs someone who can prove to be a worthy challenge to Demetrious Johnson’s longstanding reign and dominance over the weight class. Sure, Ray Borg gets next crack at “Mighty Mouse” at UFC 215, but after that, there aren’t a whole lot of fights left for “Mighty Mouse” at 125 pounds. That means he will have to start looking at rematches or moving up a weight class. That said, the winner of Sergio Pettis vs. Brandon Moreno will take a HUGE step up the rankings and could possibly be the next title defense against Johnson should he get through Borg.
Also, Alexa Grasso was pegged as one of the future faces of women’s mixed martial arts (MMA), but a loss to Felice Herrig stalled her momentum, ending her undefeated streak at nine straight wins. It will be interesting to see how she bounces back after suffering the first loss of her career against a hard-nosed veteran in Markos. She will have the Latin crowd behind her, and you know she wants nothing more than to get back in the win column in front of her home country fans.
What’s Not:
I get that Rashad Evans is on a three-fight skid, but giving him someone like Sam Alvey, who isn’t exactly a big name, is something that I just can’t fathom. Evans is the former 205-pound champion and a pioneer of the sport, if this is his last run, at least throw him in there with another veteran that has a bit more name value.
No disrespect, Sam.
Original Card vs. Actual Card:
Chris Gruetzemacher was set to face Martin Bravo before Chris was forced out with an injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Humberto Bandenay. Hacran Dias was booked to face Zabit Magomedsharipov, but Zabit was suddenly re-booked to face Nick Hein at the UFC Fight Night 115 in September, which resulted in Dias getting take off the card completely.
Injuries:
Chris Gruetzemacher was the only fighter stricken down by the injury bug.
New Blood:
Humberto Bandenay got the call up after Chris Gruetzemacher’s injury to face Martin Bravo. Also, Roberto Sanchez, who is undefeated (7-0), will look to keep his streak going in his first UFC fight against fellow undefeated fighter Joseph Morales, who will also be making his Octagon debut.
How The “Prelims” Look:
Several fights with up-and-comers and veterans who have yet to break in round out the “prelims.” I am really looking forward to the scrap between Henry Briones and Rani Yahya. They may be both coming off losses, but they let it all hang out once the cage door slams shut. Also, two undefeated newcomers will throw down as Roberto Sanchez and Joseph Morales put up their respective win streaks on the line in their UFC debuts. Someone’s “0” has got to go.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
Rashad Evans needs a win in the worst way. The former 205-pound champion has lost three fights in a row, with his last win coming in 2013. That’s four long years ago. Not even a drop down to Middleweight could stop his woes, as his 185-pound debut saw him lose to Dan Kelly. A fourth loss would be disastrous for “Suga,” a he will have plenty to think about moving forward in his MMA career, as retirement could start creeping into his head.
Interest Level: 6/10
A week after one of the biggest cards ever in UFC 214, fight fans can’t expect to get another big event. But, at the end of the day, it’s a decent night of fights on free television. Still, if UFC is trying to win over Mexico, cards like this aren’t going to get the job done moving forward. But, the thing about the Mexican fan base is that they just like to see some good scraps, and there are some fights on the docket that can steal the show and go all three of five rounds of thrilling action. A lot of questions will be answered, too. Is Grasso the real deal? Will this be the end for “Suga?” Which 125-pound fighter — Pettis or Moreno — will shed the prospect label and go into full-on contender status? We will find out soon enough.
Full UFC Fight Night 114 Fight Card:
UFC Fight Night 114 Main Event:
125 lbs.: Sergio Pettis vs. Brandon Moreno
FOX Sports 1 Main Card (10 p.m. ET):
115 lbs.: Alexa Grasso vs. Randa Markos
170 lbs.: Alan Jouban vs. Niko Price
145 lbs.: Humberto Bandenay vs. Martin Bravo
185 lbs.: Sam Alvey vs. Rashad Evans
135 lbs.: Alejandro Perez vs. Andre SoukhamthathFOX Sports 1 Prelims (8 p.m. ET):
185 lbs.: Jack Hermansson vs. Brad Scott
125 lbs.: Dustin Ortiz vs. Hector Sandoval
135 lbs.: Henry Briones vs. Rani Yahya
135 lbs.: Jose Quinonez vs. Diego RivasUFC Fight Pass Prelims (7 p.m. ET):
125 lbs.: Joseph Morales vs. Roberto Sanchez
155 lbs.: Alvaro Herrera vs. Jordan Rinaldi
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