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.
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