While the weekend was a slow one for fight announcements, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) more than made up for it with multiple fights being booked for upcoming pay-per-view events later this year. Here’s a brief recap: Joseph Benavidez vs Ali Bagautinov, UFC 192 Two former flyweight title contenders will throw down on one of the feature bouts of UFC 192. Both Joseph Benavidez and Ali Bagautinov are top 10 flyweights. Benavidez has won three straight since his last title fight loss to Demetrious Johnson while Bagautinov has not fought since he lost to Johnson, instead serving a suspension following a positive test for performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). I expect Benavidez to open as a decent favorite in this contest due to Bagautinov’s lengthy layoff as well as Benavidez’s recent momentum in the division, having scored wins over some pretty decent competition. Rose Namajunas vs Angela Hill, UFC 192 Two competitors from season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter will square off as Rose Namajunas and Angela Hill look to get back on track. Namajunas lost her bid for the UFC women’s strawweight title and had a fight against Nina Ansaroff scrapped at the last minute due to weight-cutting mishaps. Hill, on the other hand, picked up a win in her UFC debut over Emily Kagan, but got completely dominated on the ground by Tecia Torres in her last fight. Namajunas should open as a decent favorite, but if Hill can somehow avoid getting taken down and submitted, she should be able to hold her own on the feet. Namajunas is a flashy striker, but lacks refined combinations and she could lose a full-on stand-up fight. Jacare Souza vs Yoel Romero, UFC 194 The third time’s the charm for Jacare Souza and Yoel Romero. Both men have legitimate claims of being the number one contender in the UFC middleweight division, but the title shot is instead going to Luke Rockhold. The winner of this contest will certainly have a claim for a shot at the winner of Weidman vs Rockhold. Souza is a former Strikeforce middleweight champion and has not lost in the UFC, holding victories over top contenders like Gegard Mousasi and Derek Brunson. Romero has also gone undefeated in the UFC, defeating the likes of Lyoto Machida and Tim Kennedy along the way. I’d expect Souza to be a favorite in this contest due to his incredible ground skills and significant improvement made in his striking, but you can’t count Romero or his elite wrestling and power out. Whoever lands the first heavy strike could be the winner.
