UFC Vegas 71 Fight Card: Full Card Analysis, Is it Worth Watching?
Published
2 months ago
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By
Vladislav Tchakarov
Only a week after one of the best UFC Fight Nights we have ever seen, the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns with a new event, scheduled for the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. The UFC Vegas 71 Fight Card may not be as stacked as some of the previous events but there is no reason not to watch it – sometimes the lesser-known fighters produce the wildest performances.
UFC Fight Card This Weekend: Which stars will get involved in the main card?
We said it already – we will not see such a stacked event this week. We do not have a Max Holloway or an Edson Barboza, or a Clay Guida – we do have, however, a massive heavyweight bout that will determine one of the future title contenders. Here is the UFC Fight Night main event schedule.
• Heavyweight (205 pounds): Sergei Pavlovich (17-1-0) vs Curtis Blaydes (17-3-0)
• Middleweight (170 pounds): Brad Tavares (19-8-0) vs Bruno Silva (22-8-0)
• Lightweight (145 pounds): Bobby Green (29-14-1) vs Jared Gordon (19-6-0)
• Welterweight (155 pounds) Jeremiah Wells (11-2-0) vs Matthew Semelsberger (11-4-0)
As you can tell, there are few ranked fighters in the UFC Vegas 71 fight card but there are several fan favorites. Brad Tavares and Bruno Silva will clash in a promising co-main bout. Bobby Green is back again and he has to win this at all costs or he will have three defeats in a row. The fighter is known as one who does not decline fights – he literally accepts short notices, bouts that most people know he will lose. He simply wants to fight and does not care.
UFC Fight Night Main Event: Pavlovich vs Blaydes
Obviously, most of the attention will go toward the main event of this UFC Fight Night – Sergei Pavlovic vs Curtis Blaydes. They are currently ranked #3 and #4 in the heavyweight division. In most cases, such rankings would mean that the winner here will get a title shot. But this is the most complicated division in the UFC now with the return of Jon Jones.
Sergei Pavlovich's ex-coach gave an interview ahead of this bout and his opinion is that neither of these fighters will get a direct title shot after this clash. Jon Jones has already stated that he wants to fight Stipe Miocic next, and after that, Tom Aspinall will probably have his own chance. Only then will Sergei or Blaydes get a title shot. Of course, we never know what Dana White has in mind and he may surprise us.
UFC Vegas 71 Fight Card: Prelims, What to Expect
The UFC Fight Night prelims this week include some well-established fighters in the organization as well as some debutants. We will see big prospects like Mohammed Usman and unbeaten fighters like Junior Tafa and William Gomis. Here is the full prelim list from the UFC fight card this weekend.
Which fighter should you keep an eye on? The featured bout is between two extremely experienced fighters with nearly 30 fights each – Ricky Glenn and Christos Giagos. Both are capable athletes that never really got to the highest level. But they both produce some incredible fights and we definitely recommend watching this one.
Earlier in the night, UFC veteran Rani Yahya will make an appearance for the 20th time in the organization. The 38-year-old never made it to a championship but he has been consistent in the UFC since 2011. It also looks like he is in the best form of his life despite his age.
We will definitely watch some of the earlier bouts too – particularly the matches involving Norma Dumont and Mohammed Usman. As the name suggests, the latter is the brother of Kamaru Usman and he will have his second fight in the UFC after debuting with a massive win. Norma Dumont, on the other hand, has become one of our favorite prospects in the female divisions and we want to see whether she will grab a fifth win in a row.
