UFC 263: Adesanya vs Vettori preview

UFC 263 sees two rematches take place in the form of championship fights, with Israel Adesanya defending his middleweight (185lbs) title against Marvin Vettori and Deiveson Figueiredo taking on Brandon Moreno for the flyweight (125lbs) strap.

Nate Diaz also returns for the first time since November 2019 in an inaugural five-round non-title, non-main event bout against England's Leon Edwards at welterweight (170lbs).

Adesanya vs Vettori

Having fought back in April 2018, both fighters have a combined 12-0 middleweight record in the three years since.

That 2018 fight was Adesanya's second in the UFC and was he first time he had had to rely on the judges in what was his 13th career outing.

A split decision win for the Nigerian was the outcome in what was seemingly a clear two rounds to one victory in his favour, one that Vettori has vehemently disputed ever since.

Off the back of his failed double title bid, and subsequent first career loss, at the hands of light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz back in March, Adesanya returns to middleweight for the first time since dispatching Paulo Costa last September.

Vettori, meanwhile, has put together a five-fight winning streak since his defeat to Adesanya and has worked his way to a title shot following consecutive main event decision wins over Jack Hermansson and Kevin Holland, respectively.

Figueiredo vs Moreno

Following a fight of the year contender back in December that saw a majority draw between the Brazilian and Mexican, the two meet immediately again for the title.

A point deduction for Figueiredo led to a somewhat fitting outcome, such was the quality of the action over those 25 minutes.

What was also considerably notable was the fact that both men had fought and won just three weeks previously.

Figueiredo submitted Alex Perez 117 seconds into his first defence, while Moreno scored himself a first round finish over Brandon Royval.

One of the most potent finishers in the division's history, Figueiredo has seen the judges' scorecards just twice in nine UFC wins having won the title in brutal fashion against divisional stalwart Joseph Benavidez.

Moreno, meanwhile, has seen not quite seen the same smooth ascent to the top. 

'The Assassin Baby' found himself cut from the roster following two decision losses and amidst a brief divisional purge.

The Mexican collected a title in his sole bout between UFC stints, making his return in a split draw against potential next challenger Askar Askarov.

Three wins later, Moreno had completed a relatively whirlwind route to a title shot against Figueiredo.

Edwards vs Diaz

Nate Diaz returns to the Octagon for the first time in over 18 months, with a strong test awaiting him in Leon Edwards.

Despite fighting the majority of his career at lightweight (155lbs), Diaz will make his fifth consecutive welterweight appearance.

Having last fought in a TKO loss to Jorge Masvidal, Diaz will be welcomed back to action by #3 ranked Edwards.

Edwards himself had endured a prolonged absence from the cage, until he returned in an anticlimactic bout vs Belal Muhammad back in March, which ended after an eyepoke from the Brit rendered Muhammad unable to continue.

That broke an eight-fight winning streak for Edwards, whose last defeat came at the hands of current champion Kamaru Usman back in December 2015.

Edwards' road to return vs Muhammad was a fairly tumultuous one.

Following his unanimous decision win over Rafael dos Anjos in July 2019, the 29-year-old was slated to face former champion Tyron Woodley in London in March last year.

However, the bout was cancelled following the beginning of the Covid restrictions and he saw his Woodley main event go to Gilbert Burns instead a few months later.

Burns won a lopsided decision and subsequently received the title shot vs Usman, but was forced to withdraw after a positive Covid test.

Edwards was apparently offered the shot instead but was forced to turn it down, citing his inability to train properly in England due to restrictions.

'Rocky' was then briefly removed from the rankings for 'inactivity' before soon after being announced as a headliner in a December bout with fast-rising prospect Khamzat Chimaev.

However, Edwards was then forced to withdraw after contracting Covid and subsequently more severe symptoms than most.

The bout was rescheduled once more for January before Chimaev withdrew with Covid, before the Swede pulled out once and for all in the third booking of the fight scheduled for March, which in turn led to Muhammad replacing him.

A fight on a main card of a PPV in an unprecedented five round bout against one of the company's biggest stars represents arguably Edwards' biggest fight of his career and a chance to finally grasp a shot at the title.

UFC Fight Night Saint Petersburg: Overeem vs Oleinik - main card preview

#7 Alistair Overeem vs #9 Aleksei Oleinik

The UFC returns to Russia for the first time since its debut in Moscow last September, with the Octagon touching down in Saint Petersburg this weekend.

The event features a headline between two extremely experienced heavyweights, with #7 Alistair Overeem takes on #9 Aleksei Oleinik.

The Reem was originally set to face #6 Alexander Volkov, but the 6ft 7in Russian was subsequently pulled from the fight two weeks ago, with Oleinik being selected as the replacement.

Overeem, who turns 39 next month, has a record of 44-17 with one no contest, while his adversary Oleinik, 42 in June, currently stands at a mammoth 57-11-1.

The chances of this five-round main event going to a decision is seemingly unlikely, with Overeem seeing the judges just eight times in 62 bouts, while Oleinik has been to decision on nine occasions during his 69-fight career.

Dutchman Overeem has typically spread his finishes out, with 22 coming via (T)KO and 17 via submission.

The Russian, on the other hand, is at his most dangerous on the ground, winning an incredible 45 of his 57 wins by way of submission.

The 41-year-old has finished all six of his UFC wins with five coming via submission, including two of his patented, unorthodox Ezekiel choke.

Islam Makhachev vs Armen Tsarukyan

A cancelled bout with fellow fringe top 15 lightweight Francisco Trinaldo back in January looked set to be a thing of the past for Islam Makhachev when rumours of a bout with #6 Kevin Lee started circulating.

However, that fight did not come to fruition with Lee since having moved up to welterweight to face #3 Rafael dos Anjos.

Instead, Makhachev has been handed 22-year-old Arman Tsarukyan, who is currently on a 12-fight winning streak.

The Armenian will also be making his UFC debut, with his last fight coming back in August where he won via a head kick in the third round to improve his record to 13-1.

Makhachev, who trains with champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, has been tipped to be a future title contender and had recently been ranked.

However, things move fast at lightweight and he has not fought since last July, where he submitted Kajan Johnson in the first round.

Tsarukyan will come into the fight looking to make a name for himself, while Makhachev will have his eyes firmly set on a win and a top 15 opponent next time out.

Sergey Pavlovich vs Marcelo Golm

Two heavyweight prospects face off, with Sergey Pavlovich taking on Brazilian Marcelo Golm.

Pavlovich made his UFC debut at the end of November when he took on Overeem in the co-main in Beijing.

The previously unbeaten Russian was unable to get going, and the Reem secured the finish in the first round.

Golm, meanwhile, also came into the UFC unbeaten but he has gone 0-2 in the Octagon since winning his debut, dropping decisions to the wrestling-heavy duo of Tim Johnson and Arjun Singh Bhullar.

#7 Roxanne Modafferi vs #12 Antonina Shevchenko

An intriguing matchup in the women's flyweight division takes place on the main card, with veteran Roxanne Modafferi facing off with the champion's sister, Antonina Shevchenko.

Antonina's entrance into the UFC has thrown up a potentially fascinating dynamic to the division, where Valentina Shevchenko currently reigns supreme.

It will, therefore, be interesting to see how the next year or so will look for Antonina, especially if she is able to overcome Modafferi and in turn make her way up the rankings.

This particular matchup will likely look like a typical grappler vs striker bout, with Shevchenko's considerable Muay Thai credentials going up against Modafferi's ground game.

The intrigue is compounded by the respective differences in MMA experience, with Antonina heading into just her fifth bout since 2005, while Roxy will be making her 38th appearance and her 30th in the same period.

UFC Fight Night Philadelphia: Barboza vs Gaethje - preview

Main card

Lightweight main event - #6 Edson Barboza vs #8 Justin Gaethje 

Explosive entertainment is on the menu in the main event of the UFC's return to Philadelphia, as dynamic Brazilian striker Edson Barboza faces off with serial bonus collector Justin Gaethje.

The matchup is one of the most-anticipated so far this year, with the ferocious kicking game of Barboza going head on with Gaethje's ferocious leg kicks and heavy pressure game.

Pressure is something that has shown to be one of Barboza's weaknesses in his UFC career so far, with fighters able to drown him and thus essentially nullify his explosive kicks.

In his last fight, Barboza faced New Zealand's Dan Hooker, who seemed content to try and go toe-to-toe on the feet with the Brazilian.

Barboza was in turn able to perfectly showcase his frightening striking skills and Hooker eventually perished in the third round after absorbing tremendous amounts of toe-curling punishment.

Previously, the 33-year-old had faced Kevin Lee in a main event last April and current champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in the penultimate UFC bout of 2017.

Both went the same way, aside from a brief moment in the 3rd round of the Lee fight where Barboza had seemingly got the American on his last legs, with the Brazilian unable to stop the takedown and subsequent top pressure.

Gaethje will bring a different type of pressure, although it remains to be seen whether he will try to take the fight to the ground.

Gaethje himself is coming off the back of a similar loss-loss-win streak, suffering his first professional loss against Eddie Alvarez before being stopped at the start of the 4th round next time out against Dustin Poirier.

He bounced back with a first round KO inside two minutes against James Vick last August.

Again, like Barboza's two recent losses, Gaethje's defeats followed a pattern before the referee called the fights in the 3rd and 4th rounds respectively.

Both Alvarez and Poirier were close to breaking point through Gaethje's leg kicks, pressure and heart, with both saying they were essentially on the brink before being able to finish.

As with every Gaethje fight, this is unlikely to be a dull affair and to add such a ridiculously explosive striker in Barboza into the mix means there likely will be fireworks.

Co-main event - #11 David Branch vs Jack Hermansson

The co-main event sees the experienced 38-year-old #11 ranked middleweight David Branch face Sweden's Jack Hermansson.

It is the second consecutive event where Branch will face an unranked fighter, coming up second best last time out against Jared Cannonier.

Branch was scheduled to face current #3 Jacare Souza at Madison Square Garden last November but with Souza instead facing Chris Weidman after Luke Rockhold pulled out through injury.

The 38-year-old was dealt a tough blow with a chance to get straight back in the top 5 mix after knocking out Thiago Santos in July, only to find himself on the wrong side of a TKO at the hands of unranked Cannonier.

Hermansson, meanwhile, comes in off the back of two impressive finishes, a TKO comeback against veteran Thiago Leites and most recently a submission win via guillotine against Gerald Meerschaert in December.

#10 Josh Emmett vs Michael Johnson

#10 ranked Josh Emmett is finally ready to make his way back into the Octagon after a brutal loss at the hands of #7 Jeremy Stephens last February.

The heavy-handed 34-year-old faces UFC veteran Michael Johnson, who is currently 2-1 since moving down to featherweight.

Johnson dropped his debut at 145lbs after being submitted by Darren Elkins but battled back to score successive decision wins over Andre Fili and Artem Lobov.

This is an intriguing high-level encounter, with Johnson facing his second ranked opponent since dropping to 145lbs, and Emmett coming back to face such an experienced campaigner after such a rough layoff.

#6 Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs #9 Michelle Waterson

The high-level matchups continue down the card, as top ten strawweights face off in what could likely be a must-win as far as their respevtive title hopes are concerned.

#6 Karolina Kowalkiewicz returns for the first time since being viciously knocked out last September by current #1 and next title challenger, Jessica Andrade.

She faces #9 Michelle Waterson, who is coming off the back of two decision wins in 2018 over #12 Felice Herrig and #14 Courtney Casey.

This could conceivably be the last chance for both fighters to make a run towards the title, with the list of top contenders only growing.

Kennedy Nzechukwu vs Paul Craig

Nigerian Kennedy Nzechukwu makes his UFC debut after his two-fight stint on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series and faces Scotland's Paul Craig.

Nzechukwu is an imposing figure at 205lbs, listed at 6'5" with an 83" reach and Craig will need to look to drag the 26-year-old into deeper waters and test the will and cardio of the 6-0 striker.

Craig himself has struggled in recent times, having been finished in three of his last four fights with his sole victory in that span being a miracle comeback submission with one second left to go in a fight he was set to lose.

His last fight was was at the start of December where he lost via kimura to another Contender Series alum in Jim Crute.

Sodiq Yusuff vs Sheymon Moraes

Kicking off the main card is another Nigerian Contender Series alum, with Sodiq Yusuff locking horns with Brazilian Sheymon Moraes in the featherweight division.

This is personally one of the fights I am looking forward to the most, with Yusuff showcasing tremendous power and combinations in his Contender Series bout and UFC debut and Moraes having a strong, technical Muay Thai game.

Moraes' sole losses in his 11-2 MMA career so far have been to two of the UFC's current most exciting contenders in #1 bantamweight Marlon Moraes and #6 featherweight Zabit Magomedsharipov.

The loss to Zabit was in Moraes' UFC debut but he has since bounced back with consectiuve decision wins, with his last win coming in a bloody encounter against Julio Arce.

Prelims

Marina Rodriguez vs Jessica Aguilar + Ross Pearson vs Desmond Green

Veterans Jessica Aguilar and Ross Pearson return to face tough tasks in Marina Rodriguez and Desmond Green respectively.

Before those two bouts, two terrific-looking fights will take place in the featherweight and middleweight divisions.

Kevin Holland vs Gerald Meerschaert

To kick off the ESPN prelims, one of my personal favourite current fighters Kevin Holland takes on experienced finisher Meerschaert.

Holland featured on the Contender Series as he coasted to a decision win, before making his UFC debut on short notice against the intimidating Santos and became the first to take Santos to a decision since Elias Theodorou back in December 2015.

It was a thoroughly entertaining debut on the main card of a PPV, and he returned in Beijing to face heavy-hitting Welshman John Phillips.

Another entertaining display followed, with Holland picking up his first UFC win with a rear naked choke finish late in the 3rd round.

Entertainment is surely set to be served up once more when 'Trail Blazer' steps in against Meerschaert, with the latter finishing 26 of his 28 wins, with just three of his 38 total fights going the distance.

Enrique Barzola vs Kevin Aguilar

Following that is a featherweight bout between the streaking Peruvian Enrique Barzola and 16-1 former LFA champion Kevin Aguilar.

Barzola has won his last four bouts, all by decision, and is 5-1 overall in the UFC with his only defeat coming via split decision against Kyle Bochniak two and a half years ago.

This bout is one between two fighters who could well be looking towards a ranked opponent soon, especially should either one put in a particularly impressive performance.

Aguilar was impressive in his UFC debut, getting past the tough challenge of Rick Glenn via unanimous decision at the Ultimate Fighter 28 finale back in November.

With Barzola's penchant for decisions so far in his UFC career and Aguilar's last two outings in the Contender Series and UFC debut, this could have the makings of a fight of the night rival to the main event.

Early prelims

Ray Borg vs Casey Kenney + Sabina Mazo vs Maryna Moroz

Ray Borg and debutant Casey Kenney round off the early prelims after promising Colombian flyweight makes her UFC debut against Ukrainian Maryna Moroz.

Borg was the only fighter to miss weight for the event after moving up from flyweight, while Kenney debuts just eight days after winning the LFA bantamweight belt in under two minutes.

Kenney also won the LFA flyweight belt back in November, while Borg's last outing was at UFC 216 where he fought Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight title and in turn fell victim to Johnson's famous flying armbar.

Alex Perez vs Mark De La Rosa

Finally, the curtain will be raised with a bantamweight clash between Alex Perez and Mark De La Rosa.

Perez was riding an eight fight winning streak heading into a fight with #2 flyweight Joe Benavidez last November but came up short after being finished in the first round.

His explosive display against Jose Shorty Torres in his previous bout showed what he is capable of, with the 27-year-old 3-1 in the UFC and 21-5 overall.

De La Rosa, meanwhile, sports an 11-1 MMA record and has won his last two UFC outings.

His most recent performance came back in November where he beat Joby Sanchez via split decision and so this should be a fast-paced way to kick off the night in Philly.

UFC Fight Night: Nashville - Thompson vs Pettis preview

Stephen Thompson vs Anthony Pettis

A welterweight matchup out of left field headlines UFC Nashville this Saturday, as two-time title challenger and #3 ranked contender Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson welcomes former lightweight champion Anthony 'Showtime' Pettis to 170lbs.

Pettis, who fought for the featherweight interim title little over two years ago, moves up to welterweight for the first time in the UFC.

Currently ranked #8 at lightweight, Pettis is coming off the back of a fight of the year contender last October against Tony Ferguson, where he lost via corner stoppage.

Thompson is also coming off a loss, after a closely-fought decision in the main event at Liverpool last May against Darren Till.

There will be the added incentive of a clearer route back to title contention for Wonderboy, after Kamaru Usman dethroned Tyron Woodley.

Woodley and Thompson shared 50 minutes of action over the course of two consecutive title fights, with Wonderboy unable to get the nod on either occasion and subsequently finding his path back to another shot blocked.

An impressive win for the 36-year-old will get him closer to the title picture, and would perhaps need just one more win to challenge for the belt.

Curtis Blaydes vs Justin Willis

Elsewhere, two top ten heavyweights Curtis Blaydes and Justin Willis face off against each other in the co-main event.

Blaydes suffered a second disappointing setback to Francis Ngannou back in their main event in Beijing in November, with the Cameroonian stopping the #4 heavyweight in just 45 seconds.

Willis climbed into the top ten courtesy of a composed unanimous decision win over Mark Hunt in Adelaide and will look to move closer to the top five if he is able to defeat Blaydes.

Jussier Formiga vs Deiveson Figueiredo

A top 5 matchup at flyweight also features, with an all-Brazilian bout between #1 ranked Jussier Formiga and the entertaining and unbeaten #4 ranked Deiveson Figueiredo.

Figueiredo has a high finishing rate for the division, only going to the judges twice in his 15 wins along with a mix of (T)KOs and submissions.

In his four UFC bouts to date, the 31-year-old has three TKO wins to his credit, most recently finishing former title challenger John Moraga in the second round back in August.

By comparison, Formiga will be entering the Octagon for the 13th time, currently holding a 9-4 UFC record.

The 33-year-old's wins are split between ten submissions and 12 decisions and is on a three fight winning streak, with two submission wins leading up to his unanimous decision win last time out against Sergio Pettis.

Alexis Davis vs Jennifer Maia

Despite losing a decision to Liz Carmouche in her UFC debut, the highly-rated Brazilian Jennifer Maia will get another crack at the top echelons of the flyweight division when she faces former bantamweight title challenger and current #5 ranked Alexis Davis.

Maia entered the UFC as Invicta flyweight champion, with her previous three contests all going the 25 minute championship distance.

Davis is also no stranger to high-level competition, and the 34-year-old Canadian will be looking to get back on track following a unanimous decision defeat to #3 Katlyn Chookagian last July.

Bryce Mitchell vs Bobby Moffett

A particularly intriguing matchup headlines the ESPN Prelims, with Ultimate Fighter season 27 alum Bryce Mitchell taking on Bobby Moffett, who entered the UFC via Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series.

Mitchell picked up a unanimous decision win over TUF 27 teammate Tyler Diamond in his debut at the Ultimate Fighter season 27 finale last summer.

'Thug Nasty' has since suffered an infamous scrotum injury after some DIY involving a power tool went awry, and that has in turn delayed his UFC career but he has now made a recovery and is set to continue to protect his unbeaten record.

Moffett, meanwhile, got off to a controversial winning start in his November debut against veteran Chas Skelly.

The Wolfman won via d'arce choke in the 2nd round after referee Tim Mills had adjudged Skelly to have been choked unconscious, to which Skelly immediately protested following the stoppage.

Rest of the card

John Makdessi vs Jesus Pinedo (lightweight)
Luis Pena vs Steven Peterson (featherweight)
Maycee Barber vs JJ Aldrich (flyweight)
Marlon Vera vs Frankie Saenz (bantamweight)
Randa Markos #15 vs Angela Hill (strawweight)
Ryan MacDonald vs Chris Gutierrez (bantamweight)
Eric Shelton #11 vs Jordan Espinosa #14 (flyweight)

UFC Fight Night: Phoenix - Ngannou vs Velasquez preview

Francis Ngannou vs Cain Velasquez

Former two-time heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez returns to the octagon for the first time in almost two and a half years to face knockout artist Francis Ngannou.

The Mexican-American's last fight was at UFC 200 where he finished Travis Browne in the first round, but he has not featured since due to injuries.

Ngannou, meanwhile, has been considerably more active and took four high-profile fights in 12 months between December 2017 and November 2018.

Despite a tough start to 2018, the Cameroonian finished strongly with a 45 second knockout of Curtis Blaydes in Beijing last November.

It is likely that this matchup is one of those where there is likely to be one of two outcomes - either Ngannou will connect in the first two rounds and get the finish, or Velasquez will grind him down over the first few rounds and possibly finish later.

Ngannou looked a shadow of himself against Derrick Lewis but looked typically dangerous last time out against Blaydes, while Velasquez is coming off a considerable layoff.

It is a fascinating matchup, and we will likely see for sure whether Velasquez has what it takes to make another title run at the age of 36.

James Vick vs Paul Felder

Elsewhere, in the co-main event James Vick and Paul Felder finally face off in a mouthwatering lightweight clash.

The two were previously set to face off in July but Vick was bumped up to an August main event against Justin Gaethje.

'The Texicutioner' was on the wrong end of a first round knockout in that fight, while Felder lost a split decision in his last fight in a welterweight bout with Mike Perry last July.

Felder, who has been in and around the rankings in the last year, will look to cement a ranking with a win over #10 Vick.

Kron Gracie vs Alex Caceres

Brazilian jiu jitsu ace Kron Gracie will make his octagon debut against the always entertaining Alex 'Bruce Leeroy' Caceres.

Son of BJJ legend Rickson Gracie, Kron will return to action for the first time since 2016 as he looks to improve on his 4-0 record and make a splash in the featherweight division.

With Nate Diaz in his corner, it will be intriging to see how Gracie's overall game has improved in the two years since his last outing and Caceres will definitely be both a test and a fun first fight.

Vicente Luque vs Bryan Barberena 

The 'Silent Assassin' nickname is seemingly a very apt one for welterweight Vicente Luque, who has won seven of his last eight fights, only dropping a unanimous decision to current #9 Leon Edwards in that time.

What is even more impressive in that streak is that he has finished all seven of those wins, with three submissions and four knockouts.

His 14-6-1 is fairly misleading given his recent form, in a similar sense to fellow Brazilian and current #1 bantamweight Marlon Moraes.

He faces another test in Bryan Barbarena, who is fresh off a TKO win over Jake Ellenberger back in August.

Another impressive performance for Luque will surely make it near impossible for him to be ignored for a ranked matchup for much longer.

Jimmie Rivera vs Aljamain Sterling

The ESPN prelims headliner sees two top bantamweights face off with #5 Jimmie Rivera taking on #7 Aljamain Sterling.

Both came up on the New Jersey regional scene and this bout is seen as one that has been in the making for a number of years.

Both also suffered knockout losses at the hands of Moraes in the last 14 months, but both have since returned to winning ways.

Sterling returned with a decision win over Welshman Brett Johns before pulling off an incredible kneebar submission over Cody Stamann last time out at UFC 228 last September.

Rivera got back into the win column in his last fight with a unanimous decision victory over John Dodson at the same event.

Other highlights

Scott Holtzman looked very impressive at UFC 229 last October as he finished the promising Alan Patrick in the third round.

He faces UFC stalwart Nik Lentz in a lightweight bout, with Lentz fresh off a second round finish of former title challenger Gray Maynard, again at the same event.

The mysterious Russian-Moldovan Alexandra Albu returns to face Emily Whitmire in the first fight of the night at strawweight.

Albu was signed by the UFC towards the end of 2013, but has fought just twice since, most recently in a decision win over Kailan Curran at UFC 214 in July 2017.

She is also listed at both 3-0 and 7-0, but if her bout with Curran was anything to go by then it should be an entertaining bout.

Following on from Albu-Whitmire is the continued fall from grace that is former bantamweight champion and top pound-for-pound fighter Renan Barao.

Barao missed weight for the second consecutive time when he weighed in two pounds heavy for tonight's fight with Luke Sanders.

The Brazilian has lost his last three and has gone from 32-1(1) to 34-7(1) after losing to TJ Dillashaw.

Sanders himself is 1-3 in his last four and is coming off a submission loss to Barao's compatriot Rani Yahya last August.

UFC Fight Night: Fortaleza - Assuncao vs Moraes main card preview

Civil war

The main and co-main event at UFC Fortaleza features two high-stakes Brazil vs Brazil match-ups in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions.

A rematch headlines the event, with #3 ranked Raphael Assuncao taking on #4 Marlon Moraes.

The pair met back in June 2017 in Rio de Janeiro, with Assuncao narrowly edging out a split decision victory.

The 36-year-old has since claimed impressive victories over Matthew Lopez and Rob Font, while Moraes had a split decision go his way against John Dodson before claiming a pair of highlight reel knockouts in his last two outings, against Aljamain Sterling and Jimmie Rivera.

The fight is likely an unofficial number one contender match-up, with the winner having the best case for a title shot.

Things were complicated, however, when the champion TJ Dillashaw dropped down to flyweight to fight Henry Cejudo.

The subsequent victory for Cejudo and the controversy surrounding it means Dillashaw's focus is likely to be firmly on a rematch, potentially leaving tonight's winner in limbo.

In the co-main, former featherweight champion Jose Aldo returns to face rising contender Renato Moicano in another bout with title implications, albeit likely one-sided.

With two TKO losses to the champion Max Holloway, the path to the title has been blocked for Aldo, regardless of what he does in the near future.

Moicano, meanwhile, is ranked #4 and a win over Aldo could well be the golden ticket to a title shot against Holloway.

13-1-1 Moicano has faced strong competition in his last four, picking up a decision win over the dangerous Jeremy Stephens before succumbing to his first professional loss after going toe to toe with recent title challenger Brian Ortega.

The 29-year-old returned to the win column last April after putting on a clinic in a decision win over Calvin Kattar, before finishing long-time contender Cub Swanson in the first round last time out.

Aldo also got back to winning ways last July when he finished Stephens with a body shot in the first round following consecutive defeats to Holloway.

The 32-year-old has come out and said that he is seeking to fight twice more after Fortaleza before retiring.

Main card highlights

The main card for UFC Fortaleza is a talent-stacked showcase featuring UFC veterans and talented up-and-comers.

The first two fights of the main card feature two fighters that I personally am very excited to see following their respective debuts last year.

First up is Brazilian strawweight Livinha Souza, who faces unbeaten newcomer and compatriot Sarah Frota.

Souza's UFC debut back in September was one of my favourites of the year as she finished Alex Chambers in the first round.

Everything from the intense walkout, the fiery pace she set to start things off, the guillotine finish and the Cristiano Ronaldoesque celebration made me an instant fan.

The former Invicta strawweight champion takes on 31-year-old Frota, who missed weight for the bout by seven pounds.

Next up is 6'6" Brazilian light heavyweight Johnny Walker, who takes on American Justin Ledet.

Walker burst onto the light heavyweight scene with a devastating first round finish of Khalil Rountree in Argentina.

Based in a karate-style stance, Walker has shown explosive striking ability and bullied Rountree in the clinch to claim a win in his UFC debut.

As well as being a huge, intimidating presence, Walker has also shown some entertaining eccentricity, be it in his post-fight interview or the weigh-ins/staredowns.

Ledet was briefly ranked at heavyweight before dropping down to 205lbs to face prospect Aleksandr Rakic in Hamburg last July.

Previously unbeaten, Ledet was on the wrong side of dominant unanimous decision win for Austrian Rakic and will look to return to winning ways against another interesting 205lbs prospect.

Two prolific Brazilian submission artists follow up, with Charles Oliveira first of all taking on Swedish striker David Teymur.

Oliveira recently broke the UFC record for most submissions, and added to that feat with a first round finish of Jim Miller last time out to take his tally to 12.

29-year-old Teymur is a perfect 5-0 in the UFC so far, with recent decision wins over tough opposition in Nik Lentz and Drakkar Klose.

Following Oliveira, sometimes known as the 'human backpack', former two-time title challenger and #8 ranked Demian Maia returns against Lyman Good.

Maia has lost his last three, with those losses coming in decisions against current champion Tyron Woodley in a title fight, current #1 Colby Covington and last time out he faced current #2 and the next title challenger, Kamaru Usman.

All three are very strong wrestlers and were all able to stifle Maia's takedown attempts and outstrike him on the feet.

An easier style match-up on paper is next up with the currently unranked Good, primarily a striker.

This is only Good's fourth UFC appearance since making his debut back in July 2015, but he is powerful and explosive on the feet and is a former Bellator champion, coming off a savage first round finish of Ben Saunders.

UFC Fight Night Brooklyn: Cejudo vs Dillashaw preview

World flyweight title - Cejudo vs Dillashaw

Current bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw will attempt to become just the fourth simultaneous two division champion when he moves down to flyweight to face Henry Cejudo.

The fight had been brewing since Cejudo became just the second flyweight champion in UFC history after narrowly edging out long-reigning champion Demetrious Johnson back in August.

Immediately after winning the belt, Cejudo called for a fight with the winner of the bantamweight title fight that was taking place straight after, between Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt.

Dillashaw retained his title with a first round TKO and was keen to face Cejudo, but set his sights on going down to face the flyweight champion at 125lbs instead of defending at his natural weight-class.

After some further back and forth between the pair, the fight was made.

Before the announcement, however, rumours swirled that the flyweight division was to close following a swap deal between Johnson and the unbeaten welterweight Ben Askren, with Johnson moving to ONE Championship and Askren heading the opposite way.

A number of flyweights announced they were moving up to bantamweight and some were cut from the promotion, adding further fuel to the rumours.

However, the Cejudo-Dillashaw match-up was made for the flyweight title.

In the build-up, the fight has been billed as Cejudo trying to save the division by beating Dillashaw, while the 135lbs champion is setting his sights on shutting down the division with a win.

Main card highlights

In the co-main event, controversial former NFL player Greg Hardy makes his UFC debut against Allen Crowder in a heavyweight bout.

Despite only being 3-0 as a professional, Hardy's explosive athleticism and past makes intriguing viewing, hence the co-main slot.

He debuted in the summer on Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series, and has since recorded three first round KOs.

At lightweight, newly-ranked Gregor Gillespie puts his unbeaten 12-0 record on the line against Yancy Medeiros.

Medeiros is moving down from a stint at welterweight, with his last outing coming in a main event loss against Donald Cerrone last February.

In what was a main event back-up of sorts, #2 Joe Benavidez takes on #8 Dustin Ortiz at flyweight.

In their previous meeting in November 2014, Benavidez took a unanimous decision win and the 34-year-old is coming off a TKO victory over Alex Perez a little under two months ago, and has won seven of his last eight.

Ortiz, meanwhile, is on a three-fight win streak which includes two first round finishes, the latest coming back in July against Matheus Nicolau.

ESPN Prelims

A fascinating lightweight match-up headlines the first-ever TV prelims on ESPN in America, as #12 Alexander Hernandez takes on Cerrone.

Currently ranked #12 at welterweight, Cerrone is moving back down after a ten fight stint at 170lbs and has set his sights on another run to the title.

Hernandez has openly said that Cerrone is simply a stepping stone towards his own march to the title, with the 26-year-old making a huge splash in one of the UFC's deepest divisions, having gone 2-0 so far.

An exciting match-up between #10 Joanne Calderwood and debutant Ariane 'Queen of Violence' Lipski takes place in the women's flyweight division.

Lipski is a 24-year-old Brazilian who was a champion in Polish promotion KSW, while Calderwood won her last fight against Kalindra Faria via submission for the first time in her 15-fight career.

ESPN+ prelims

The ESPN+ prelims are headlined by Dennis 'The Menace' Bermudez, who is moving back up to lightweight for the first time since 2010, and Te Edwards.

Edwards is another DWTNCS alum, but he did not get the result he was hoping for in his UFC debut as he was finished early into the second round by South African Don Madge.

Bermudez is currently on a four-fight losing streak, with his last three incredibly coming via split decision, and will hope that the move up to lightweight will get him back in the win column.

Geoff Neal returns after an impressive performance back in September as he collected a highlight reel headkick KO over Frank Camacho.

He gets an increase in competition with top 25 welterweight Belal Muhammad, who is currently on a four-fight winning streak.