ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass prelims
[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]
Many will forget this is actually a rematch. Luque choked out Price in the second round back in October 2017, and in the years since both men have proven themselves to be among the top action fighters in the welterweight division.
After having his seven-fight winning streak snapped by Stephen Thompson at UFC 244 in November, Luque has been working to evolve his game. He wants to show he’s taking steps forward, and losing to someone he’s already beaten would not be a good representation of that.
Not to say Luque must beat Price more impressively than last time, but he’s already shown what’s possible, and therefor Luque will try to one-up himself. Price, meanwhile, has the always-exciting opportunity to redeem a signature loss on his resume.
[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag]
No disrespect to Rosa, but the focus is on Mitchell here. Rosa has been on a win-one, lose-one stretch during his UFC career (albeit with some questionable decisions), while Mitchell is the undefeated featherweight prospect who has gained traction for his quirky, yet lovable personality.
The last time Mitchell stepped in the octagon he pulled off the second Twister submission finish in UFC history (which won MMAJunkie’s 2019 “Submission of the Year”). That’s a high bar to set, and now we’re wondering what he’ll do next.
[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Sam Alvey[/autotag]
This fight is all about Spann and whether he’s ready to take the next step as a light heavyweight prospect. The Fortis MMA product has impressed in going 3-0 in the UFC so far, and now he gets a solid test in respected veteran Sam Alvey.
Alvey may be on a three-fight skid, but he shouldn’t be written off. He’s a crafty veteran with nearly 50 pro bouts, and he can certainly catch Spann slipping. Now it’s a question of whether he can find that upset, or if Spann can continue to generate excitement about his future.