UFC Fight Night Austin: Edgar vs Swanson Main Card Preview

By Alex Dillon ADillon__


Saturday night will see the UFC take its fight night offering to Austin,Texas in an event that is scheduled to be headlined by featherweights Frankie Edgar and Cub Swanson. Bobby Green and Edson Barboza also face off in a feature co-main event lightweight clash. As well as these two standout fights, flyweights Brad Pickett and Joseph Benavidez also feature on the card.

Frankie Edgar (17-4-1) vs Cub Swanson (21-5)

This main event featherweight scrap is a draw for a number of reasons. First of all, these two fighters are big names in the division and are highly ranked which means there are obviously title implications on the line. Both have also fought and lost to the reigning champion Jose Aldo, Edgar challenged the champion for the belt where as Swanson fought Aldo back in WEC which turned out to be a famous TKO victory for the current champion. An impressive win for either fighter could signal a title shot next so expect both fighters to put their best performance in yet to pretty much stay relevant. And relevant they must stay especially with Irish standout Conor McGregor seemingly closing in on a title shot for himself.

Bobby Green (23-5) vs Edson Barboza (14-2)

These two potential lightweight contenders are set to clash in the co-main event Saturday night in a battle which will determine the winner as a real contender in a division that is arguably the hardest in the UFC. Bobby Green is coming into this fight on an impressive eight win streak with a controversial victory over Josh Thomson in his last outing. Edson Barboza comes off the back of a 1st round TKO victory over Evan Dunham. To many, Barboza is a frustrating figure as he shows promise of being a real contender only to fall at the final hurdle when he faces the top fighters such as Donald Cerrone and Jamie Varner. The winner gets closer to the title, the loser goes to the bottom of the pile.

Brad Pickett (24-9) vs Chico Camus (14-5)

This flyweight match up was somewhat requested by Brit Brad Pickett as he wanted on the card and Chico Camus duly obliged. Pickett comes into this fight on the back of a disappointing loss to flyweight contender Ian McCall at UFC Dublin. Camus also received a loss in his last outing as he dropped a unanimous decision to TUF winner Chris Holdsworth. Both fighters have failed to light up the UFC since joining so it can be said this fight is make or break for either, especially for Picketts title hopes as he is not getting any younger and really needs a push if he is ever going to challenge for the title. Expect this one to produce some fireworks.

Jared Rosholt (11-1) vs Alexey Oleinik (49-9-1) 

A heavyweight match up also takes place on the Austin card as Jared Rosholt takes on Alexey Oleinik. Rosholt comes into this one on a two fight win streak and Oleinik also comes in with a submission win on his UFC debut. Rosholt hasn't exactly set the heavyweight division alight since joining the UFC where as Oleinik has an impressive 40 submission victories on his record. Yes all but one of these have come in the lower league but in a sparse heavyweight UFC division, Oleinik could potentially become a contender if he can rack up a few submission victories. This one should end up being a finish.

Joseph Benavidez vs (20-4) vs Dustin Ortiz (14-3) 

Many fans believe this fight should be placed much higher on the card due to both guys names and current rankings in the flyweight division. Nevertheless, they're placed here and it is a chance for both to prove why they should be placed higher in the future. Benavidez is probably the #2 guy in the division currently but comes up short when it matters having previously lost to champion Demetrius Johnson twice now. Ortiz comes into this one on a two fight win streak courtesy of two split decision victories. Both fighters have more finishes then decision on their record so expect this to be explosive.

Isaac Vallie-Flagg (14-5) vs Matt Wiman (15-7)

In this lightweight showdown, both fighters are fighting to stay relevant in the UFC. Flagg is on a two fight loss streak and a loss here could easily see him cut especially as he is part of a deep lightweight division with plenty of better skilled competition. Wiman hasn't fought in nearly two years. A loss to one time contender T.J Grant and comes into this one trying to be a name once again in the UFC. It will certainly be interesting to see how he copes having been out of the cage for so long. As a credible finisher he will surely be looking for the finish here to cement his place in the division and put the rest of the fighters on alert. At the age of 36, it's questionable if he can really do much with the time he has left now but that's not to say he won't show up and return with a bang Saturday night.              
Share on Google Plus

About Unknown

This is a short description in the author block about the author. You edit it by entering text in the "Biographical Info" field in the user admin panel.
    Blogger Comment
    Facebook Comment

0 comments:

Post a Comment