Stop the printing: you will see Leon Edwards inside the octagon tonight.
Sure, as our very own Jose Youngs always reminds us, nothing is official until both fighters are in the cage (and as we recently saw with Chas Skelly and Jamall Emmers, we mean both fighters), but this is the closest Edwards has been to the competition since July 20, 2019 to return. Though it’s not one of the big names Edwards has asked for, and it’s not even the originally scheduled opponent Khamzat Chimaev, you have to think – The number 1 welterweight candidate is excited that Belal Muhammad has performed for him in UFC Vegas 21 main event to contest.
While it would be nice to believe UFC President Dana White when he says that Edwards is ‘100 percent’ to challenge Kamaru Usman with a win on Saturday, ‘Rocky’ should be content to shake off the rust and his current extend victory to nine. . Or who knows? Maybe he wins in a dominant way and he follows with a dazzling promotion to the fight that makes it impossible to overlook him. Stranger things happened.
Let us not rule out the possibility that Mohammed was stealing Edwards’ thunder. “Remember the name” was increasingly scratching and clinging to the welterweight ranks, and a win over Edwards would make it five straight and nine in his final ten for Muhammad. We are upset away from Muhammad jumping to the front of the line for a UFC title.
In other main map actions, light heavyweights Misha Cirkunov and Ryan Spann compete to slow closer to a top-10 ranking featherweight candidate, Dan Ige, to slow down the role of a wavy Gavin Tucker. Jonathan Martinez meets Davey Grant in a bantamweight match, flyweights Manel Kape and Matheus Nicolau seek redemption, and middleweights Eryk Anders and Darren Stewart want to return to the winning column.
What: UFC Vegas 21
Where: UFC APEX in Las Vegas
When: Saturday, March 13th. The preliminary match for seven matches starts at 17:00 ET on ESPN +, with the main match of six matches starting at 20:00 ET on ESPN +.
Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad
This should be a great opportunity for Belal Muhammad to show that he deserves to fight the top 10 competition. It should also be a win for Leon Edwards.
Edwards is better than Muhammad in every phase of the game, whether we are strikingly talking, wrestling or the rhetoric that is often overlooked. He is just as well rounded as anyone with £ 170 and if he had been a more powerful finisher, he would have shot a title a long time ago. As it is, he is the man who no one wanted to fight with welterweight, and with good reason.
No one, that is, except Mohammed. When it was announced that Muhammad would fight for the second in a month, it was little surprise given the opportunity before him. Another win and the top-5 spot he has long sought is his. He does not have one elite skill, but he has cardio for days, and this is an area that could be a big problem for Edwards.
Remember, it’s been almost twenty months since Edwards’ last fight and it’s not like he could train optimally during that whole time. He had an attack with COVID-19 late last year and we can not know if it will have any breathing and lung ability. It does not make excuses for Edwards, it’s just something to note in a fight that looks like it’s the full five rounds.
I like Edwards’ overall skill set, and even though he’s not 100 percent this time, he has the skills to work through a night and get past Mohammed.
Choose: Edwards
Misha Cirkunov teen Ryan Spann
Speaking of fighters who have gotten rid of long dismissal, Misha Cirkunov is competing for the first time since September 2019. The tribute Latvian-Canadian won a highlight role Peruvian tie-breaker victory against Jimmy Crute who probably saved his UFC career and then missed the entire 2020. He now faces Ryan Spann, another lightweight heavyweight contender, who wants to erase the bitter taste of his first UFC loss.
The old saying of “be first” will definitely be this one. Cirkunov is the best grappler and a submission will come quickly if he can take down Spann in the first round. Spann, on the other hand, has the best hand speed, and if he notices Cirkunov early, he should be able to follow up and put Cirkunov away.
Spann’s speed makes me lean his direction for this choice. Watch for Spann to keep his distance to make Cirkunov difficult to set up his takes, then use clever counters to get a knockout in the first round.
Choose: Spann
Dan Ige vs. Gavin Tucker
This may be the most fascinating and frenetic battle on the map. Dan Ige wants to go in and out with Tucker and look for opportunities to put Gavin Tucker on his back, while Tucker will also be looking for openings to get hits and power shots. Ige faced much stronger competition, but the late thriving Tucker could peak at the right time.
I believe Tucker’s three-fight boom is real. So if he sets the tone in this battle with Ige, it will not be due to the shortcomings of Ige; rather, Tucker has a printing style needed to prevent Ige from implementing its best tools. However, if Ige can turn it into a struggle, I’ll give him the nod in that section.
Tucker should also show that he can maintain a high pace through three rounds, something that was not a problem for Ige. It’s imperative that Tucker gets up early on the scorecards so he’s not in survival mode once Ige increases the offense in the final round.
I let Tucker pull off a close game.
Choose: Tucker
Jonathan Martinez vs. Davey Grant
Jonathan Martinez’s confidence is on the roof at the moment, and if he has his weight issues under control, he will be a long time of £ 135. He was an absolute sharpshooter in his victory over Thomas Almeida, one of the best strikers in the division.
Davey Grant is the right test for the 26-year-old at this stage of his career. The experienced Englishman is a wrestling specialist Martinez has yet to face in the UFC. He can also hit a shot and he’s going to put pressure on Martinez because he wants to get his submission match going.
Unless Grant can change his approach on his feet, he will be a sitting duck for Martinez’s striking time. Martinez is improving rapidly and as long as he and his team place an increasing emphasis on defense for this fight, he should avoid too many hairy situations on the ground. Once he’s up and running, he could become the first fighter to lose a result to Grant.
Choose: Martinez
Manel Kape vs. Matheus Nicolau
Manel Kape’s UFC debut was a bit of a disappointment given the hype that he had a successful run with RIZIN, but he gets a second chance to make a first impression here. The same can be said of Matheus Nicolau getting a second shot of his own after being part of the UFC’s flyweight in 2018, despite a strong octagon.
I really like Nicolau’s submission skills and he’s not shy about throwing leather on his feet. However, he will probably want to stick to his fight against Kape. Where Nicolau will get in trouble is when his defense is put to the test, as Kape has shown that he is both a strongman and a patient one. He’s not going to rush in and get Nicolau an easy removal. Capes also have the athleticism and agility to slip free when Nicolau clings to him.
As for Nicolau, who I expect to be a factor in the flyweight division going forward, I see him struggling to get a bead on Kape, and by the time he does, he will realize that Kape is a steps before him on his feet.
Hold capes by knocking out.
Choose: Cape
Eryk Anders vs. Darren Stewart
I do not know how long I can wait for Eryk Anders.
What I mean by that is the former college football standout has shown a lot of potential since making his UFC debut in 2017, but for some reason, his impressive physical gifts have not translated into consistency in the cage. Officials put a lot of trust in him, as evidenced by the fact that he regularly appears on main maps, including two opportunities for the head, and the results were mixed.
This is one situation in which I think Darren Stewart’s consistency will be the key to victory. He is not the most exciting middleweight, but his efficiency from a distance and his defense will serve him well against the explosive Anders. I expect Anders to show his usual transgressions, which will not be enough to seriously threaten Stewart unless Anders shifts into an extra gear. As it is, Stewart must be able to withstand the storm and make a decision.
Choose: Stewart
Preliminary round
Defeat Angela Hill. Ashley Yoder
Defeat Charles Jourdain. Marcelo Rojo
Rani Yahya defeats Ray Rodriguez
Defeat Nasrat Haqparast. Rafa Garcia
Defeat Cortney Casey. JJ Aldrich
Gloria de Paula defeats Jinh Yu Frey
Defeat Matthew Semelsberger. Jason Witt