Well, the UFC has put together another stacked card for fans and Sportsnet 360 has the pleasure of televising it. This card is one championship bout away from being pay-per-view caliber, which makes this free lineup of fights even more exciting. The big story with this fight card is the UFC was able to book a show in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the training ground for Greg Jackson and his MMA camp. MMA is extremely popular in those parts and Albuquerque has produced some of the best UFC fighters to date. Given the level of talent on this card, and the fact that many of them fight out of Albuquerque, this will be a loud building with incredible talent ready to enter the octagon.
UFC Fight Night: Albuquerque will feature a total of 11 fights aired at three separate times. To kick off the night, UFC Fight Pass owners will get the first fight between Patrick Cummins and Roger Narvaez, which is followed by the Sportsnet 360 prelims. The Sportsnet 360 prelims will feature four fights that start at 8PM (ET)/5PM (PT), before the main card airs at 10PM (ET)/7PM (PT).
The main card is nothing short of spectacular, featuring fighters like Ben Henderson, Diego Sanchez and John Dodson. Their opponents, Rustam Khabilov, Ross Pearson and John Moraga respectively, are no slouches either. If this card ends up being one of the best of the year, you will probably thank a conglomerate of these fighters for the show.
Without further ado, here is MMASucka’s pre-fight analysis for UFC Fight Night Albuquerque: Henderson vs. Khabilov on Sportsnet 360.
Sportsnet 360 Main Card
#2 Benson “Smooth” Henderson (20-3-0) vs. #11 Rustam “Tiger” Khabilov (17-1-0)
Another battle featuring fighters out of the MMA Lab and Jackson-Wink MMA, Ben Henderson faces an extremely tough opponent in Rustam Khabilov. Though he may not be one of the most well-known fighters, Khabilov has impressed in the octagon by winning six-straight fights, three of which have been in the UFC. His most challenging matchup came in his last bout against Jorge Masvidal, who he defeated via unanimous decision last year. The only loss on Khabilov’s record came in 2011, where he lost in the M-1 Selection Ukraine Finals via split decision.
For Henderson, the only thing on his mind must be a third shot at Anthony Pettis. This is almost like the Batman and Joker relationship of the UFC, with Pettis getting the upper hand on both occasions so far. Pettis was able to beat Henderson by being elusive and unpredictable, which would be a good tactic for Khabilov to utilize as well. Henderson defeated Josh Thomson in his last bout and will be looking to continue his comeback against the very underrated Russian. The most interesting factor is both fighters have never been knocked out, which should make this a very enjoyable five-round battle to decide the top of the UFC lightweight division.
Diego “The Dream” Sanchez (26-7-0) vs. Ross “The Real Deal” Pearson (17-6-0, 1NC)
If you want to talk about an exciting fight, look no further than Diego Sanchez and Ross Pearson. These two fighters are make casual UFC fans enjoy the sport. They are old-school brawlers with impeccable chins. They will throw absolute haymakers for three straight rounds till someone simply can’t compete anymore. Is there a more enjoyable fight? Though he lost, Sanchez has been the same old beast in his few fights, pushing forward constantly while taking damaging blows. Pearson is much of the same when it comes to the fisticuffs, knocking out Ryan Couture and George Sotiropoulos before his no contest bout with Melvin Guillard.
If this fight goes all three rounds, expect blood, and lots of it. Both fighters will not stop pushing forward and have very good endurance to go the distance. Whoever comes out with the win could get a ranked fighter in their next bout, but it will be a very hard fought battle for both fighters. Sanchez is in a bit more of trouble having lost his last three of four fights, but it would a shock to see the UFC release one of their most fan-favored fighters in history. With that said, this bout has fight of the night written all over it, making it one of the most anticipated fights on the card.
#1 John “The Magician” Dodson (16-6-0) vs. #5 John Moraga (14-2-0)
One of the more anticipated and exciting matchups, John Dodson takes on John Moraga for the second time with hopes of getting back in the UFC flyweight title picture. Both fighters come out of extremely respected camps and possess world class skill in all areas. For Dodson, the power he possesses at 125 pounds is simply unmatched, and Moraga will do best to keep his distance from any power punches coming his way. In their first fight, Moraga did a good job in avoiding the knockout blow but was defeated via unanimous decision at Nemesis Fighting in 2010.
Both fighters have come a long way since their last meeting and it will be interesting to see how this one plays out. If Moraga can get the win, he will have avenged his only loss outside of Demetrious Johnson, making the rematch ever more interesting. On the other hand, if Dodson comes away with the win and remains the #1 flyweight, another shot at “Mighty Mouse” will be the inevitable decision. With that said, expect both fighters at the top of their game as they make their up the UFC flyweight ladder.
#5 Rafael dos Anjos (20-7-0) vs. Jason “The Kansas City Bandit” High (19-4-0)
Probably one of the more underrated fights, Rafael dos Anjos and Jason High have the potential to be electric for three straight rounds. While dos Anjos is the more experienced UFC fighter, High has made his fights count, winning 10 of his last 11. For dos Anjos, a win in his last fight would have put in him the title picture, but he fell to Khabib Nurmagomedov via decision in April. Going into this fight, dos Anjos will be confident given his previous competition, but he will likely utilize his elusiveness and endurance to grind out the fight. Hopefully he can get back on the winning trail and make another run at UFC gold.
High is one of the many fighters to come in from Strikeforce and has had moderate success in the UFC. Though he lost his debut against a tough opponent in Erick Silva, High came back to beat James Head and Anthony Lapsley in decisive fashion. This will easily be the biggest fight of his career and a win would shoot him up the lightweight rankings indefinitely. Look for both fighters to come out hungry and put on a great show.
Yves Edwards (42-20-1, 1NC) vs. Piotr Hallmann (14-2-0)
Yves Edwards enters the octagon for the 18th time and has one of the longest reigning MMA careers on the roster. He has fought some of the toughest lightweights in the world but is currently fighting for his UFC career. Edwards has gone 0-2-0. 1NC in his last three fights since defeating Jeremy Stephens with a first round KO. Fighting out of American Top Team, Edwards has a good chance of getting back in the win column and saving his UFC career for the time being.
Though Piotr Hallmann lacks similar experience, he is a young fighter who has had tremendous success outside the UFC. He has yet to be finished and has shown respectable versatility in his past fights. This will be his third fight in the UFC, beating Francisco Trinaldo in his debut and losing to Al Iaquinta in his most recent bout. Even with the loss, this will surely be Hallman’s toughest competition and a victory in Albuquerque will get him a much more interesting match up next time around.
#12 Eirk “Goyito” Perez (14-5-0) vs. #14 Bryan “Kid Lightning” Caraway (18-7-0)
The first two ranked fighters to hit the octagon, Erik Perez and Bryan Caraway are looking to move up in the bantamweight division with a big win in Albuquerque. Caraway is another Team Alpha Male product and will be looking to build of TJ Dillashaw’s success. He has won 16 of his 18 wins by submission and has deadly neck chokes that could end the fight at any time. He lost a close split decision to Takeya Mizugaki but came back strong in his last fight against Johnny Bedford. If Caraway can get this fight to the ground in a dominant position, it will be intriguing to see if Perez can defend his impressive submission game.
Perez has shown his own skills on the ground as well, winning seven of his 14 victories by submission. He is an impressive 4-1 in the UFC and will be taking one of his toughest opponents to date. Perez is also one of the many Jackson-Wink MMA fighters who will fight in front of the Albuquerque crowd, making this an even more important fight for him. If the fight hits the ground, both fighters have the ability to pull off a decisive submission victory, which should make this a grueling battle till the end.
Sportsnet 360 Prelims
Yaotzin Meza (19-9-0) vs. Sergio “The Phenom” Pettis (10-1-0)
This bout will represent the old breed versus the new breed of fighters coming into MMA. Yaotzin Meza, 33, will be taking Sergio Pettis, 20, to headline the Sportsnet 360 UFC prelims. Meza has fought all over the place and has three fights in the UFC thus far. Though he is 1-2, he has fought Chad Mendes and Chico Camus in very tough losses. Meza will most likely use his experience and versatility to try and catch the young Pettis off guard. Fighting out of MMA Lab, Meza has all the tools to try and come away with a much needed win against a very tough opponent.
Tough may not be the only way to describe Pettis but he has shown solid endurance in all of his fights thus far. Living in the shadow of his championship-wielding older bother Anthony Pettis, “The Phenom” is well on his way as an MMA fighter and has a very promising career in the UFC. To win this fight he will have to be much like his brother, change the pace of more experienced fighter and try to surprise him. Pettis has yet to be knocked out and was only finished once via rear-naked choke by Alex Caceres. If Pettis comes away with a win, look for him to hit the main card in his next bout.
Bobby “Vicious” Voelker (24-11-0) vs. Lance Benoist (6-2-0)
Probably one of the most experienced fighters on the card, Bobby Voelker is another MMA veteran who finds himself on the preliminary cards due to the immense competition in the UFC. He is currently on a three-fight losing streak, including a devastating finish by Robbie Lawler. Voelker lost his last fight via decision and has not won a fight since 2011. Needless to say, he will need a big win tonight if he hopes to continue his career in the UFC.
With just eight fights under his belt at age 25, Lance Benoist has already fought in the UFC three times and has gone 1-2 in that span. Like Voelker, his last win came in 2011 against Matt Riddle, which was probably the most impressive win of his career too. He is a strong BJJ fighter and will likely want to take it to the ground. His striking has been questionable in the past and playing it safe against such an experienced fighter might be the best thing to do. Having lost his last two, Benoist is also fighting for his UFC career and, if not already in it, will need a victory to stay out of the UFC hot seat.
Scott “Young Guns” Jorgensen (14-8-0) vs. Danny “The Gremlin” Martinez (17-5-0)
Two fighters at different junctures of their careers, Scott Jorgensen and Danny Martinez will certainly deliver on the Sportstnet 360 prelims. Jorgensen is now fighting for his UFC career after losing three straight in handed fashion. He has seen his record fall to 14-8 and it remains to be seen if he can still compete with top fighters. He still possesses a great chin and can go the distance with ease, but has had very little success with his opponents’ ground game . What he needs to do keep the fight standing and attempt his own submissions when the opportune time arrives. If he does not come away with a win, it is almost a guarantee that his UFC career will be over.
Standing in Jorgensen’s way is the heavy handed Martinez, who has finished over half his wins via KO/TKO. Furthermore, Martinez fights out of the very competitive Alliance MMA camp, which will be a huge advantage for him going into this fight. He has trained with fighters who know Jorgensen well, and it does not seem like he will be overhauling his game anytime soon. If he can stay comfortable and land some big shots, we could be looking at the man who ended Scotty Jorgensen’s UFC career.
John “The Super Saiyan” Tuck (7-1-0) vs. Jake “The Librarian” Lindsay (9-0-0)
What should be a very impressive fight, both Jon Tuck and Jake Lindsey have tremendous talent and have had the chance to truly display their skills in the UFC. Tuck is 1-1 in the UFC, having lost his previous fight to Norman Parke via unanimous decision. Prior to that, Tuck was 7-0 and demonstrated good all-around skill in the octagon. Before entering the UFC, Tuck was on a 6-fight win streak, finishing all his opponents in the first round. If he can pull of a similar victory to any of his first six, this would probably the best win of his career and the fight that gets him noticed in the UFC.
Lindsey is no slouch, and comes into the UFC an undefeated record after ripping through the Victory Fighting Championship based out of Kansas. He has finished his last three opponents in the first round and seems quite ready to take on tougher competition. Like Tuck, Lindsey is a good all-around fighter and has displayed tremendous power in his striking. Fighting at lightweight, this should be a great demonstration of power and speed given both fighters’ abilities.
UFC Fight Pass Prelim
Patrick Cummins (4-1-0) vs. Roger “Silverback” Narvaez (6-0-0)
For the second time in a row, Patrick Cummins will be taking on an undefeated fighter. Last time, he was also undefeated, but unlucky for him, he was fighting Daniel Cormier. Though Cummins has one UFC fight under his belt, we have not seen much of his offense at this level. He was completed dominated by a stronger and faster Cormier, but in his defense, he took the fight on short notice. He came into the UFC with four first round stoppages and hopes to get back on the winning trail in Albuquerque. This time, Cummins will have a more favorable opponent in Roger Narvaez, but in MMA, you should never take an opponent lightly.
While Narvaez is not Cormier, he comes into the UFC with a solid BJJ background and an undefeated record. He has competed in several promotions and debuted with Strikeforce in 2010. It has taken him quite some time to get to the UFC, fighting just six times in four years, but he has a huge opportunity against Cummins. He has finished four of his six opponents in the first round (2 TKO, 1 SUB) and will be a solid challenge for the American. Cummins made a name for himself by heavily attacking Cormier before the fight, so if Narvaez can come away with an impressive win, there will be an added boost to this victory.
