The UFC returns home to Las Vegas this weekend for a Fight Night show at the Meta APEX that features a host of rising prospects looking to edge themselves closer to contender status.
Ahead of fight night in Sin City, we take a look at the fight card and pick out three key questions that we’ll learn the answers to as the action unfolds inside the Octagon on Saturday night.
Can ‘Lok Dog’ gatecrash the bantamweight elite?
When the wider MMA world first set eyes on Vinicius Oliveira, he dazzled with spectacular striking and eye-popping knockouts as he announced his arrival in the UFC in stunning fashion. But since then, “Lok Dog” has had to show other facets to his game as he’s battled to the scorecard with each of his last three opponents.
He managed to win each of those three fights, but now Oliveira faces the toughest, trickiest test of his UFC career to date. Mario Bautista is still ranked inside the UFC’s bantamweight top 10, and remains one of the most difficult puzzles to solve at 135 pounds.
If Oliveira can show the fight IQ to outpoint Bautista or, even better, knock him out with one swing of his four-ounce MMA gloves, the “Lok Dog” hype train will go into overdrive. But if he can’t, and ends up losing out to the UFC veteran, the question marks will remain over whether the Brazilian has what it takes to make it to the very highest levels of the sport.
Saturday night will tell us a lot.
Can Kyoji Horiguchi force himself into the flyweight title picture?
Kyoji Horiguchi has been one of the best fighters in the world in the lower weight classes for the best part of a decade. Now, after capturing championship gold in Bellator and RIZIN FF, the Japanese ace is back in the UFC, and wants to complete his set by adding the UFC flyweight title to his collection.
To get himself to a title shot, he’ll have to get past Amir Albazi this weekend. The Iraqi contender is well-rounded, compact, and does most things very well. But Horiguchi has elite-level talent, and if he can get the job done on Saturday night, a title eliminator fight – or maybe even a title shot – should be next.
Does Jailton Almeida have what it takes to be a serious title threat at heavyweight?
Jailton Almeida quickly established himself as a dangerous rising threat in the heavyweight division, but as he has risen up the ranks, his limitations have been exposed by the higher-ranked fighters, as his lack of stand-up skills, and at times passive top game have hurt his stock.
But the Brazilian remains one of the best grapplers in the division, and if he can showcase improved striking and a more aggressive approach on the mat against Russia’s Rizvan Kuniev, he could force himself into contendership as the year progresses.
Kuniev has similar ambitions, and after a split-decision loss to perennial contender Curtis Blaydes last time out, he’ll be determined to bounce back with victory in a fight where he’ll fancy his chances strongly in the striking exchanges.
