The UFC is back on free TV this weekend and fight fans are in for a treat with UFC on FOX 29 is set to take place this Saturday night (April 14, 2018) from the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
In the main event, lightweight contenders Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will square off in a probable barnburner that could potentially hold major divisional implications.
The co-main event, meanwhile, will feature a welterweight bout between former interim 170-pound titleholder Carlos Condit and late replacement opponent Alex Oliveira.
Also on the main card, rising star Israel Adesanya will take on Marvin Vettori in a middleweight bout.
Without further ado, let’s take a deeper look into UFC on FOX 29’s marquee fights:
Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje
UFC on FOX 29’s main event will feature a highly anticipated firefight between two of the lightweight division’s most exciting fighters.
Poirier, a veteran of 19 UFC fights, is coming off of a victory over former 155-pound champion Anthony Pettis. He’s currently ranked No. 5 in the talented division and has won six of his last eight bouts.
Stylistically, Poirier, a southpaw, has consistently improved his striking over the years. With incredible speed, “The Diamond” likes to pressure opponents but also incorporates the use of solid footwork and angles. He also has legitimate fight-ending power, as 11 of his 22 professional victories have come by way of T/KO.
While he may not be considered the better wrestler on paper, Poirier has undoubtedly improved in this department, and I’d argue that he is indeed the superior fighter as opposed to Gaethje when it comes to scrambles, submissions and pure grappling. A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Poirier has six submission victories to his credit, although I expect this fight to play out mostly on the feet.
Moving on to Gaethje, the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) champion holds an impressive professional record of 18-1, although he’s just 1-1 in his UFC career thus far, most recently suffering his first professional defeat to Eddie Alvarez.
On the feet, Gaethje is a relentless pressure fighter, always moving forward with undeniable aggressiveness. He has solid boxing skills in addition to possessing some of the most devastating leg kicks in the sport. He also has a knack for ending fights via strikes, as 15 of his 18 victories have come by way of T/KO.
While he is indeed an incredible striker, it’s also important to note that Gaethje will never shy away from a brawl. He has a terrific chin, but does leave himself open at times and he can be hit, which was seen in his last fight. It also appeared as if his cardio abandoned him a bit in his last bout.
In terms of grappling, Gaethje is a former NCAA Division I All-American Wrestler. He’s incredibly hard to take down and he likes to use his wrestling in reverse, defending takedowns in order to keep the fight standing.
He isn’t known much for his submissions and he’s likely less skilled in this category, but I’m not sure I see the fight ending up on the canvas anyway.
Ultimately, this is quite a difficult fight to call. With two high-level, offensive-minded fighters like Poirier and Gaethje, anything can and most likely will happen. Poirier will have to be cautious of Gaethje’s initial onslaught, but if the fight goes into the later rounds, I feel as if he has the skills to get the job done.
Gaethje is one of the most exciting fighters on the roster, but his style can lead to him being hittable or to him tiring, which could give him problems in this bout. For that reason, I see a firefight developing early and “Diamond” pulling away from ‘The Highlight’ and winning in the later rounds.
Prediction: Dustin Poirier def. Justin Gaethje via fourth-round TKO
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