More championship action in MMA is on the docket for late night Friday. As of this writing, it’s unknown if the World Series will be headed for a potential sixth game on Friday night (the Los Angeles Dodgers are currently leading the New York Yankees three games to none in the best-of-seven series heading into Tuesday night’s Game Four.)
Even if there’s no baseball on Nov. 1, hard-hitting action will still rule the day in the form of combat sports. The year’s penultimate month in MMA gets going in Mexico City with Lux Fight League’s first of two November cards, Lux 047.
Main card action kicks off late night Friday at 11 pm ET/ 8 pm PT on UFC Fight Pass. As always, Lux 047 will be made available in both English and Spanish on the UFC‘s subscription-based streaming platform.
Bantamweight Supremacy at Stake in Lux 047 Main Event
All told, absent of any late adjustments to the card, the final version of Lux 047 features an 11-fight card. Highlighting the night is the back-end of a championship doubleheader in the Lux 047 main event.
Immediately following the co-main event of the evening for the Vacant Lux Lightweight Championship. the Lux Bantamweight Championship is at stake in the headliner. Incumbent champion Juan Diaz (12-1-1 MMA, 4-0 Lux) meets challenger Jose Roura (8-4 MMA, 7-3 Lux) for a rematch.
As with all MMA title fights in most promotions throughout the world, the Lux 047 main event is an advertised maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.
The Series So Far…
Going into the rematch on Friday, the all-time series between Diaz and Roura stands at 1-0 in favor of the former. Back in December of last year, Diaz scored a unanimous decision victory over Roura after five rounds in Lux 038. How will chapter two of this rivalry play out?
The champ, Juan "Pegajoso" Díaz, is ready for the next 🏆 pic.twitter.com/xQrNrRyxUy
— LUX Fight League (@luxfightleague) December 14, 2023
Lux 047 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds
Heading into the Lux 047 main event, Juan Diaz stands as the taller man at 5-foot-9, compared to the 5-foot-7 frame of Jose Roura. No reach advantage information is accessible at press time.
Currently, the oddsmakers have Juan Diaz installed as a -200 favorite on the money line, while Jose Roura counters as a +130 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend in MMA and/or combat sports, please wager responsibly.
Is “Pegajoso” UFC-Ready?
Juan Diaz, nicknamed “Pegajoso”, has posted a 5-0 record in his last five fights. Most recently, he scored a unanimous decision victory in a catchweight affair against Abraham Nava (6-4 MMA, 2-3 Lux) on April 26 in Lux 042.
Diaz was supposed to have made his initial defense of the Lux Bantamweight Championship that night. Originally, he had been booked to risk the strap against Andre Barquero (9-2 MMA, 2-0 Lux) during Lux 042 before the contest was postponed amid an injury sustained by the latter.
He’s already got a championship on his career highlights and has won five fights in succession. If he scores a victory here in the Lux 047 main event on Friday night, the one they call “Pegajoso” may find himself waking up one morning next week with a voicemail from UFC CEO Dana White, letting him know he’s in MMA’s top promotion.
Revenge on Roura’s Mind
In the other corner, Jose Roura enters the Lux 047 main event this Friday night having posted a mark of 3-2 in his last five fights, alternating wins and losses in the last four contests. After his original contest versus Juan Diaz in December of 2023, he returned to the cage in April, getting back in the win column by way of unanimous decision over Mauricio Nievas (9-5 MMA, 4-4 Lux) in Lux 042.
Roura has had close to 11 months to stew over the title shot that got away from him late last fall. A victory here could kickstart a sustained winning streak.
There’s an old adage that goes as follows: “Revenge is a dish best served cold”. Will he even the score against his rival?
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
With the Lux 047 main event being a rematch, expect both of these men to turn up the heat on Friday night.
Diaz Has to Neutralize Roura
Juan Diaz’s key to victory in the Lux 047 main event: Work Jose Roura to the point of exhaustion, like he did versus Abraham Nava back in the spring. Throughout the fight that night, Diaz was putting Nava in the clinch and dumping him to the mat.
By the end of the second round of the contest, Diaz almost landed a perfect flying knee that, if it connected, may have knocked Nava out cold. As the fight reached its last round, Diaz continued to move the action forward by taking Nava down with a hip throw.
While Nava tried to reverse the script on the ground, Diaz remained stout, landing elbow shots on his adversary before Nava stood up. In short, this was a systematic victory for Diaz, who took the contest (unanimous decision) after three rounds.
If Diaz can effectively disrupt Roura’s gameplan, he’ll retain the belt on Friday.
Roura Slick With Subs
In the other corner, watch out for Jose Roura’s ground game during the Lux 047 main event on Friday night. One need look no further than his 2021 fight against Marcello Morrelli.
During the second round of an advertised three, Roura took Morrelli’s back and softened him up with ground and pound shots. From there, he applied the torque to lock up a standing rear-naked choke, forcing Morrelli to tap out and go to sleep in three minutes’ time.
All it will take for Jose Roura to even the rivalry is establishing control on the ground. If Roura drops Morrelli on Friday night, he’ll regain the lightweight championship.
Final Thoughts
Any time a championship rematch is the focus of a main event in MMA, it’s a must-see contest. The Lux 047 main event is no exception.
Prediction: Juan Diaz by Unanimous Decision.
