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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back at it again tonight (Sat., July 20, 2019) as UFC on ESPN 4 goes down from inside AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Headlining the event is a Welterweight match up that will see Rafael dos Anjos take on the streaking Leon Edwards. In the co-headlining act, Aleksei Oleinik faces Walt Harris in Heavyweight action.
What’s Hot:
Leon Edwards has long felt like the odd man out in the Welterweight division. And you can’t really blame him, either, as he still can’t get a Top 10 ranking despite winning seven in a row since 2016 and only has two losses inside the Octagon. And he has beaten top guys such as Donald Cerrone and Gunnar Nelson. And yet, instead of going up in the rankings, he somehow went down a spot this last time around. His request to get a fight against Jorge Masvidal was shut down because of that very reason, so you kind of feel for “Rocky.” But, he does have another big fight against Rafael dos Anjos, and a win there should be enough to get him into the Top 10.
As for dos Anjos, despite going 1-2 in his last three outings, he still has a higher ranking than his foe at No. 4. But, that’s what name value gets you, as “RDA” did his work at Lightweight as champion. So despite the fact that he only has six fights at 170 pounds voters felt he was a top five fighter in the division. That said, Rafael’s level of competition when compared to Leon’s is a bit tougher having faced the likes of Kamaru Usman, Colby Covington, Kevin Lee and Robbie Lawler, just to name a few. With only one win in his last three outings, dos Anjos wants to avoid falling out of the mix, while Edwards looks to finally get some respect put on his name by taking out a former champion.
Aleksei Oleinik is still chugging along at 42 years of age and still getting co-main event slots despite getting taken out by Alistair Overeem in his last outing. I don’t dislike Aleksei, but giving him co-headlining duties caught me off guard. Nevertheless, he has a tough opponent in Walt Harris standing in his way. Harris is another of those combatants scratching and crawling to get a bit more love and recognition form UFC. He should be 3-0 in his last few outings, but his win over Andrei Arlovski was overturned to a “no contest” after failing a drug test.
Greg Hardy once again finds himself in a prime slot on ESPN. After he was disqualified in his UFC debut for illegal knees, the former NFL star came roaring back to defeat Dmitry Smolyakov a few months later with a first-round knockout. In facing Juan Adams later tonight, he’ll find a bit more opposition, as he is 5-1 (1-1 UFC) as a pro.
Plus, “Kraken” doesn’t think too much of Hardy, so now Greg has to worry about a man who has disdain for him trying to take his head off. This is a pick em’ fight for me as I haven’t seen enough from either man to make a good prediction. One thing is certain, someone is going to sleep. A win for Hardy can go a long way in proving his doubters wrong, while Adams picking up the “W” gives him bragging rights for days.
What’s Not:
There really isn’t much to complain about here. It’s a free event and it’s pretty well-rounded for not being a pay-per-view (PPV) card.
Original Card Vs. Actual Card:
Liz Carmouche was set to face Roxanne Modafferi at this event but was yanked from the card to face Valentina Shevchenko for the women’s Flyweight title next month at UFC Fight Night 156. Now, Roxanne will rematch Jennifer Maia.
Injuries:
None!
How The ‘Prelims’ Look:
Alex Caceres will headline the underbelly of the ESPN streamed portion of the event against Steven Peterson. Caceres is coming off a submission loss to Kron Gracie, while Peterson is looking to get back into the winner’s circle after getting outclassed by Luis Pena a few months back.
Also, Irena Aldana makes a quick turnaround having just fought last May to face off against Raquel Pennington. I really like this fight, as Irene is an up-and-coming contender with three straight wins, while Pennington is a former title challenger looking to break a two-fight skid. While normally I wouldn’t like losers and winners getting matched up this way, I think this one makes sense seeing as how Pennington’s foe have been top notch.
Sam Alvey looks to end his two-fight losing streak when he faces Klidson Abreu, who failed to take off in his UFC debut after losing to Magomed Ankalaev last February. Ray Borg will get his chance to prove he can make weight – or else live up to this promise – when he meets undefeated (8-0, 0-0 UFC) Gabriel Silva. Aside from making weight, Borg needs to be impressive this time around, as he has lost two in a row.
To get a more detailed look at all of the “Prelims” undercard action click here and here.
New Blood:
Silva will look to pump new blood into the Bantamweight division when he takes on long-time veteran, Ray Borg. Silva is undefeated (8-0) and has proven to have a well-rounded arsenal. Gabriel is the younger brother of former UFC star Erick Silva. The knock on Gabriel is the fact that he hasn’t been too active since making his debut almost nine years ago, competing only eight times. If he can stay health and active and win some top-level fights, the sky is the limit for this young Brazilian.
Domingo Pilarte will also look to shine in his UFC debut, also at 135 pounds. He’s the winner of five in a row and sports an overall record of 8-1. Pilarte is an aggressive fighter and another product of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series (DWTNCS). While he is known for his striking, Pilarte isn’t afraid to take it to the ground, and his wrestling skills will ensure you get there. Domingo does have the tendency to overexert himself in fights, so he’ll need to reel it in a bit, as a combination of that and UFC jitters could cost him.
To learn more about all the “New Blood” click here.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
Andrei Arlovski has lost four straight since 2018, putting his UFC career at huge risk if he drops number five against Ben Rothwell. Andrei is one of the most beloved fighters in the history of UFC and MMA in general, but another defeat won’t look good on his resume, and the promotion may very well let him go on his way.
He is only 2-8-1 in his last 11 fights, so he really hasn’t given UFC a reason to keep him around other than his name and legacy. That said, he does have a win over “Big Ben,” so if he can replicate that same outcome as he did 11 years ago, he can keep his spot on the UFC roster a bit longer.
Interest Level: 7/10
This card is actually intriguing, and has a good mixture of fights on both the main card and on the “Prelims.” Aside from all of the great matchups we have already covered, a pair of Lightweight showdowns round out the main card. Alexander Hernandez will look to show that he learned from his knockout loss to Donald Cerrone — snapping his eight-fight win streak – when he takes on wily veteran Francisco Trinaldo. Francisco has competed inside the Octagon a whopping 18 times, so there isn’t much that Hernandez can throw at the Brazilian that he hasn’t already seen. This one should be a banger and very tough to call.
Furthermore, James Vick looks to stop the bleeding of two straight defeats when he faces Dan Hooker. Dan was brutalized by Edson Barboza in his previous fight, who used him as his personal punching bag and ended his four fight win streak. Both men have shown promise, but neither have been able to take that leap needed to get into the championship mix. A win here helps them get closer.
We are in for an exciting night of fights that can have major championship implications at Welterweight and perhaps introduce some new contenders at Heavyweight. I envision a lot of finishes tonight, so sit back and enjoy the fights!
UFC On ESPN 4 Full Fight Card:
UFC on ESPN 4 Main Event:
170 lbs.: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Leon Edwards
UFC on ESPN 4 Main Card (9 p.m. ET):
265 lbs.: Walt Harris vs. Aleksei Oleinik
265 lbs.: Juan Adams vs. Greg Hardy
155 lbs.: Dan Hooker vs. James Vick
155 lbs.: Alexander Hernandez vs. Francisco Trinaldo
265 lbs.: Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell
UFC on ESPN 4 ‘Prelims’ (6 p.m. ET):
145 lbs.: Alex Caceres vs. Steven Peterson
135 lbs.: Irene Aldana vs. Raquel Pennington
205 lbs.: Klidson Abreu vs. Sam Alvey
125 lbs.: Roxanne Modafferi vs. Jennifer Maia
135 lbs.: Ray Borg vs. Gabriel Silva
135 lbs.: Mario Bautista vs. Jin Soo Son
135 lbs.: Felipe Colares vs. Domingo Pilarte
*Fight card, bout order and the amount of matches subject to change.
For more upcoming UFC events click here.