UFC Fight Night 128: Barboza vs. Lee
Date: April 21
Arena: Boardwalk Hall
City: Atlantic City, NJ
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back in Atlantic City, NJ with UFC Fight Night 128: Barboza vs. Lee. If you’re considering wagering on this fight card, there are many good plays to put your money down on. These, however, are fights I think you should skip at the sportsbook on Saturday night.
These are my fighters to watch:
Frankie Edgar Edgar is making an immediate return to action following a first round knockout against Brian Ortega at UFC 222 just last month. He is taking this fight because it is in his backyard of Atlantic City, NJ, and perhaps because it is also against an opponent he has handily defeated previously. I think Frankie Edgar is a fighter to watch this Saturday night, because everybody is wondering if whether this rematch will be a repeat of their first meeting, or if Swanson will shut Edgar’s lights off for the second time in two months.
Dan Hooker Hooker has been impressive since making the move up from 145 pounds to the UFC’s lightweight division, where he has already knocked out veteran Ross Pearson and submitted prospect Marc Diakiese. He is one of my fighters to watch this weekend as he takes on another veteran in Jim Miller, who will be battling on his turf in Jersey. Hooker is a solid favorite heading into this bout, and he needs another impressive victory to propel him into competition against ranked opposition.
Tony Martin Martin is moving up from lightweight to the UFC’s welterweight division, where he will be greeted by veteran Keita Nakamura. Despite moving up a weight class, today’s weigh-ins revealed Martin to be the larger fighter of the two. His weight cut issues are now behind him, so it is interesting to see how Martin will look in this weight class. Will he impress, like Donald Cerrone, Yancy Medeiros, Alex Oliveira and Jorge Masvidal have, or will he continue to come up short? I think he is a fighter to watch at UFC Fight Night 128, because that question will be answered.
