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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Gamrot
Get Ready For UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Gamrot By Taking A Closer Look At Every Fight On The Card.
By E. Spencer Kyte, on X @SpencerKyte
Following a two-month run where the UFC held events in four international locations and four states, the mixed martial arts leader is primed for an extended “work from home” stretch as the next three events are all scheduled to take place at the UFC APEX prior to some more travel to close out the year.
The first in the tetra pack of home games comes on Saturday in the form of an event headlined by a critical lightweight matchup with key bouts at featherweight and strawweight in the chief supporting roles, and a handful of intriguing talents making the walk throughout the evening.
Here’s a deeper dive into what’s in store for everyone when the action hits the Octagon this Saturday.
Main Event: Rafael Fiziev vs. Mateusz Gamrot
Rafael Fiziev and Mateusz Gamrot are right beside each other in the lightweight rankings, and this weekend, the Top 10 standouts will share the Octagon in hopes of taking another step forward in the ultra-competitive 155-pound weight class.
Currently positioned at No. 6 in the division, Fiziev returns for the first time since his UFC 286 loss to Justin Gaethje in London. The dynamic striker had been calling for a date with a top contender for some time and started well opposite the BMF titleholder, but he wasn’t able to maintain his output or contend with Gaethje’s unrelenting offensive assault, leading to a decision loss.
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Gamrot stumbled in his date opposite a top contender last October, dropping a decision to Beneil Dariush at UFC 280, but the Polish veteran has since rebounded with a hard-fought victory over tricky prospect Jalin Turner. Now 5-2 in the UFC and 22-2 with one no contest overall, “Gamer” hopes to collect a second straight win and leapfrog the man that currently sits one stop ahead of him in the rankings
This is a fascinating clash of styles, as Fiziev is a pure striker with sharp takedown defense, and Gamrot is at his very best when grappling, which may lead to an interesting back-and-forth as each man looks to dictate the terms of engagement. Scheduled for five rounds, pace and conditioning could be key factors as well, as while Saturday is the second UFC main event for each man, Gamrot has significantly more experience in championship fights from his time as a two-division champ in KSW.
With a lightweight title fight on the schedule for next month, how this one plays out could have an immediate and significant impact on how things line up at the top of the division going forward.
Other Main Card Fights
Bryce Mitchell vs. Dan Ige
Top 15 featherweights occupy the co-main event slot on Saturday’s fight card as Bryce Mitchell returns against Dan Ige.
Though he lost to Brad Katona during their time on Season 27 of The Ultimate Fighter, Mitchell suffered his first loss in UFC competition last time out, running into the buzzsaw that is Ilia Topuria. After the bout, “Thug Nasty” voiced frustrations and pondered retirement, but has since refocused himself on making a run in the 145-pound weight class. Prior to the setback, the Arkansas native had earned six straight wins inside the Octagon, including back-to-back decision nods over veterans Andre Fili and Edson Barboza.
A long-time member of the Hawaiian contingent training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Ige has used 2023 as a chance to remind people about his talents and where he fits in the featherweight hierarchy. He snapped a three-fight slide with a second-round knockout win over Damon Jackson on the first show of the year, and then followed it up with a unanimous decision victory over “The Tennessee Terminator” Nate Landwehr in June.
Saturday’s co-main is a meeting of top talents entering the Octagon from very different directions, as Mitchell is coming off a crushing defeat that had him questioning his future in the sport, while Ige is riding high after consecutive quality wins. Stylistically, this one could hinge on the Hawaiian’s ability to force Mitchell to strike, as well as how quickly he’s able to get back to his feet should the black belt grappler get him on the canvas.
Marina Rodriguez vs. Michelle Waterson-Gomez
Veteran contenders meet for the second time in the middle bout of Saturday’s main card as Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson-Gomez face off again in an important strawweight battle.
Rodriguez was on the cusp of title contention after putting together a four-fight winning streak following a debated split decision loss to former champ Carla Esparza in the summer of 2020. Instead, she was booked opposite fellow Brazilian Amanda Lemos, was stopped early in the third round, and was knocked from the title conversation before dropping a second straight fight in May to another Brazilian, Virna Jandiroba, at UFC 288.
The 37-year-old Waterson-Gomez enters this weekend’s pairing on three-fight slide and having dropped five of six overall. She’s been a contender in the strawweight division since matriculating to the UFC from Invicta FC in 2015, compiling a 6-7 record while facing a non-stop diet of ranked opponents and tough outs.
These two previously faced off on May 8, 2021 in a five-round main event contest that was won by Rodriguez, who used her length to keep Waterson-Gomez on the outside en route to a unanimous decision victory. It will be interesting to see what changes each athlete is able to make based on their previous matchup, as well as what kind of urgency each brings to the Octagon as they look to get back into the win column.
Bryan Battle vs. AJ Fletcher
Bryan Battle and AJ Fletcher face off in a clash of developing welterweight finishers on Saturday’s main card.
After winning the middleweight competition on Season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter and sticking around the 185-pound ranks to grab an additional victory, Battle moved down to welterweight with a first-round knockout win over Japanese veteran Takashi Sato. He dropped his next outing, getting relentlessly wrestled by Rinat Fakhretdinov, before blasting Gabe Green in 14 seconds earlier this year in a homecoming bout in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Fletcher ripped through the regional ranks on his way to the first fight on Season 5 of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS), posting eight wins and seven finishes. He knocked out Leonardo Damiani with a flying knee to garner a UFC contract, but stumbled upon arrival, dropping decisions to Matthew Semelsberger and Ange Loosa before bouncing back with his first win last time out.
Battle’s two welterweight victories have come in a combined 58 seconds, while Fletcher has finished nine of his 10 career wins, with six of those victories coming in the opening round. Be sure you’re seated and paying close attention when this one starts because it might not last very long.
Ricardo Ramos vs. Charles Jourdain
All-action featherweights open the main card as Brazil’s Ricardo Ramos squares off with Canada’s Charles Jourdain.
The 28-year-old Ramos has been hit-and-miss throughout his UFC career, showing moments of brilliance like his two spinning back elbow victories alongside frustrating efforts like his loss to Zubaira Tukhugov at UFC 267. Compounding things is the fact that he’s struggled to compete consistently, with opponent withdrawals, COVID and, most recently, a big miss on the scales scuttling multiple fights.
Jourdain has been one of the more active fighters in the division since his May 2019 debut, as Saturday will be his 12th UFC appearance. Like Ramos, the French-Canadian talent has struggled to find consistent results, but he snapped a two-fight skid with a patient, measured win over Kron Gracie last time out, acknowledging the need to be a little more technical and tactical in his post-fight interview.
Both men are creative strikers with quality skills on the ground, as well, and at 28 and 26, respectively, they still have time to figure out who they are as competitors and try to cobble together the kind of winning streak that carries them into the rankings and gives them more established footing in the division. On paper, this is one of the frontrunners in the Fight of the Night conversation, and should be an entertaining, competitive affair from start-to-finish, whenever that may come.
Preliminary Card Fights
Dan Argueta va. Miles Johns
Bantamweights Dan Argueta and Miles Johns close out the prelims this weekend in Las Vegas.
A contestant on Season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter, Argueta gave a good account of himself in his short-notice debut at featherweight, and then won his return to the 135-pound ranks before his last outing against Ronnie Lawrence was stopped prematurely and ruled a no contest. A member of the DWCS Class of ’19, Johns is 4-2 in six UFC starts, most recently earning a unanimous decision win over Vince Morales last November.
Both men have shown flashes of upside in the 135-pound ranks, but which one will earn the victory and take another step forward on Saturday night?
Tim Means vs. Andre Fialho
This is a Banger Alert! I repeat: Banger Alert!
Tim Means doesn’t know how to do things any other than to come forward and get into an entertaining scrap, as the 39-year-old “Dirty Bird,” each and every time over the course of his 49-fight career thus far. Similarly, Andre Fialho is a “kill or be killed” fighter who earned his first two UFC wins less than a month apart, both by first-round stoppage.
These two welterweights are going to touch gloves in the center of the cage to start things off and then proceed to beat the stuffing out of one another until someone is unable to continue, and it’s going to be a tremendously enjoyable time watching them do so on Saturday.
Jacob Malkoun vs. Cody Brundage
Jacob Malkoun hopes to keep things moving in the right direction, while Cody Brundage is eager to get back into the win column in this middleweight matchup.
After fighting three times in 2022, Malkoun finally makes his first start of 2023, aiming to build off his unanimous decision win over Nick Maximov last October. Brundage steps in on short notice after doing so in June and landing on the wrong side of the scorecards opposite Sedriques Dumas, which extended his losing streak to three.
Malkoun is 3-1 over his last four with his lone setback coming against surging American Brendan Allen, while Brundage is in dire need of getting his hand raised. Both are primarily grapplers, so it will all come down to who is able to control things inside and get to their spots on Saturday evening.
Mohammed Usman vs. Jake Collier
Heavyweights moving in different directions cross paths here as TUF winner Mohammed Usman faces off with Jake Collier.
Usman arrives with a 2-0 mark in the UFC after defeating Zac Pauga to claim the TUF 30 heavyweight tournament and following it up with a decision win over Junior Tafa last time out. Collier touches down in Vegas on a three-fight slide and having lost five of seven since returning to action in the summer of 2020.
Mizuki vs. Hannah Goldy
Mizuki returns to action for the first time in three years on Saturday, stepping back into the Octagon opposite Hannah Goldy in a strawweight preliminary card bout.
Still just 29 years old and sporting a 14-6 record, Mizuki looks to recapture that form that made her one of the most intriguing young talents in the sport prior to and after her arrival on the UFC stage in 2019. After starting her career with five straight wins, Goldy is just 1-3 in the UFC, most recently losing to Molly McCann at flyweight last summer in London.
Montserrat Rendon vs. Tamires Vidal
Undefeated newcomer Montserrat Rendon and UFC sophomore Tamires Vidal open Saturday’s fight card in the bantamweight division.
The 34-year-old Rendon is 5-0 as a professional, with all her victories coming on the scorecards, including her last appearance at Invicta FC 49 just under a year ago. Vidal turned in a solid debut performance last November, running her winning streak to six with a first-round stoppage win over Ramona Pascual.
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