Sandwiched in between UFC, Bellator, and WSOF cards this week, Legacy FC offers another card from the Lone Star state which will air on AXS TV. While none of the promotion’s titles are on the line on Friday night, there is a nice mix of veterans and prospects on this card, and it should result in an entertaining evening of violence. The main event sees Anthony Njokuani fight for the first time outside of a Zuffa promotion since all the way back in 2008. The striker could never get much traction in the UFC or WEC, going a combined 7-8 in the two promotions, but his longevity is a testament to an entertaining fighting style. Entertaining is right up his opponent David Burrow’s alley, as the Arkansas native has not seen the final bell in his 17 pro MMA fights. At 23, this will be by far the biggest test of Burrow’s career, but he’s also at the age where fighters can make rapid developments. The co-main event features another UFC veteran, although Joseph Sandoval’s tenure in the Octagon was nowhere near as long. After losing his two UFC bouts in a combined 1:39, he was cut from the promotion. Another pair of sub-90 second losses followed before Sandoval won in his last bout. That was 19 months ago however, which is always a concern on the regional level. There is no such concern for Jason Sampson, who fought in October and picked up his third straight win, all under the Bellator banner. The grappler will be looking to take this one down to avoid Sandoval’s stand up. The most interesting fight to me is between Caio Machado and Steven Peterson, a pair of decent prospects. Machado suffered his first pro loss in his last bout against blue chipper Thomas Almeida, while Peterson has won three straight since a surprising knockout loss back at Legacy FC 19. MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas opened the betting lines for these three Legacy FC 38 bouts at Several Bookmakers today: ——————– MAIN CARD (AXS TV, 10pm ET) Anthony Njokuani -385 David Burrow +265 Jason Sampson -265 Joseph Sandoval +185 Caio Machado -130 Steven Peterson -110 ——————– Brad’s Analysis: This looks like an all-chalk night to me, but I can’t justify playing a declining Njokuani at nearly 4-to-1. Sampson and Machado both interest me however, as I think Sampson takes Sandoval down early in their bout and gets a tap. Even if the submission isn’t there, Sampson can still control the wrestling throughout the fight, and take a decision, but with all of Sandoval’s losses coming inside the first two minutes of his bouts, it’s hard not to imagine that happening again. As for Machado, I still think he’s a very good prospect, he just had the unfortunate luck of running into Thomas Almeida on his way to the UFC. Machado should have a significant ground advantage against Peterson, and the striking will be competitive. I do have slight concerns about Machado’s gas tank, especially facing a bigger fighter in Peterson who may be able to grind on him, but I still have to side with the more skilled overall fighter in this spot.
