UFC Fight Night 228 Fight Card: Fiziev vs Gamrot to Clash in Las Vegas

A month later, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns home to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Rafael Fiziev will face Mateusz Gamrot in the massive main event. Here is what to expect from the UFC Fight Night 228 fight card.

UFC Fight Night 228 Fight Card: Everything You Need to Know

It is fair to say that we got spoiled over the last month. After a series of title fights and massive events, the UFC returns to Vegas for a far simpler night. Even the previous few Fight Nights had cards worthy of a PPV event. This time, we only have the main event that will be massive and Fiziev and Gamrot will try to get one step closer to a title fight in the lighweight division. Let's dive deeper into the UFC fight card this weekend.

UFC Fight Night 228 Co-Main and Main Events

• Ligthweight: Rafael Fiziev (12-2-0) vs Mateusz Gamrot (22-2-0)
• Featherweight: Bryce Mitchell (15-2-0) vs Dan Ige (17-6-0)

Rafael Fiziev returns for the first time since he lost to Justin Gaethje, the current holder of the BMF title. Is it fair to say that he has been neglected by the UFC? We think so. He is a massive talent and has been waiting for a new big chance in a while. If he wins here, he should get closer to that title shot.

His opponent, Mateusz Gamrot has been one of the most incredible prospects in the UFC. He has only two defeats in 24 professional bouts, both of which in the UFC (5-2). This should be a comfortable matchup for Gamrot as he is a grappler while Fiziev is a pure striker. As long as Gamrot takes control in the clinch or gets a takedown, he should be scoring a lot of points. This will be the culmination of this UFC fight card.

In the co-main event of the UFC Fight Night 228 fight card, we have Bryce Mitchell and Dan Ige. Before his recent defeat to Ilia Topuria in December 2022, Bryce Mitchell was considered to be one of the main prospects in the Featherweight division. He was on a streak of 15 wins in a row and was undefeated. He has been unlucky in 2023 with all of his scheduled fights getting cancelled.

Dan Ige had his best period between 2018 and 2020 but since then, his performances have not been perfect. He suffered three consecutive defeats before his last two wins over Damon Jackson and Nate Landwehr. We think that he will suffer against a young grappler like Bryce Mitchell. Both fighters rarely get early finishes, so we expect a long bout and a possible win for Mitchell.

UFC Fight Night 228 Main Card:

• Ligthweight: Rafael Fiziev (12-2-0) vs Mateusz Gamrot (22-2-0)
• Featherweight: Bryce Mitchell (15-2-0) vs Dan Ige (17-6-0)
• Women's Strawweight: Marina Rodriguez (16-3-2) vs Michelle Waterson-Gomez (18-11-0)
• Welterweight: Bryan Battle (10-2-0) vs AJ Fletcher (10-2-0)
• Featherweight: Ricardo Ramos (16-4-0) vs Charles Jourdain (14-6-1)

Besides the top fights on the UFC Fight Night 228 fight card, there is one more bout that involves ranked fighters. Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson-Gomez will try to earn a boost in the Strawweight rankings. Rodriguez was close to a title shot three years ago but her career ended up going in a completely different direction. She enters this match with two consecutive defeats.

Her opponent, however, has had it worse. Veteran fighter Waterson-Gomez has lost five of her last six bouts. She has been in the UFC since 2015 and was never able to make it big. This will be the second bout between these fighters and the previous one was in 2021 (Rodriguez won via unanimous decision.

Earlier on the UFC Fight Night 228 fight card, Bryan Battle returns for a third bout in the Welterweight division after switching his weight class. He won both fights in the opening minute. His opponent, AJ Fletcher is another distinguished finisher, ending 9 out of his 10 wins ahead of schedule.

UFC Fight Night 228 Prelims:

• Bantamweight: Dan Argueta (9-1-0) vs Miles Johns (13-2-0)
• Welterweight: Tim Means (32-15-1) vs Andre Fialho (16-7-0)
• Middleweight: Jacob Malkoun (7-2-0) vs Cody Brundage (8-5-0)
• Heavyweight: Mohammad Usman (10-2-0) vs Jake Collier (13-9-0)
• Women's Strawweight: Mizuki (14-6-0) vs Hannah Goldy (6-3-0)
• Women's Bantamweight: Montserrat Rendon (5-0-0) vs Tamires Vidal (7-1-0)

There are several prospects in the prelims of the UFC Fight Night 228 fight card. Mohammad Usman is making a return to the UFC in the Heavyweight division and he will face Jake Collier, who has mostly been unlucky in the UFC. Usman should have it easy here, if easy exists in the HW division.

Tim Means will return to the octagon for the 49th time in his career and will face one of the biggest prospects in the Welterweight division. Despite his age, he continues to produce wild matches and we expect nothing less from a bout against Andre Fialho, who has won all his UFC bouts with first-round stoppages.

In another good one, Jacob Malkoun finally returns to the UFC after his three bouts in 2022. He won three out of his last four bouts and will be motivated to win another one. His opponent, Cody Brundage, fought two months ago on short notice. He returns after accepting one more short-notice fight here. We think that this one may be the highlight of the prelims in the UFC Fight Night 228 fight card.