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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs The Korean Zombie
Get Ready For An Epic Event In Singapore By Previewing Every Fight On UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs The Korean Zombie
By E. Spencer Kyte, on Twitter @SpencerKyte
The UFC returns to Singapore this weekend with an outstanding fight card headlined by a clash of featherweight standouts and featuring a critical matchup in the women’s flyweight division.
Saturday’s event at Singapore Indoor Stadium marks the promotion’s sixth trip to the island nation, which most recently played host to UFC 275 last June. That event was wildly entertaining and had a significant impact on several divisions, while increasing the profile of a few key ascending talents, and this weekend’s card should be no different.
Here’s a look at what’s on tap.
Main Event: Max Holloway vs. Chan Sung Jung
Two of the longest tenured fighters in the UFC featherweight division, it’s surprising that Max Holloway and Chan Sung Jung have never crossed paths until now.
Holloway’s lengthy winning streak that eventually carried him to the top of the division and superstar status in the sport began in Singapore a decade ago. Now, after posting a unanimous decision win over Arnold Allen earlier this year that re-affirmed his standing as the unquestioned top contender in the division, “Blessed” is back to face off with Jung in a long-awaited showdown between two beloved competitors.
Saturday marks Jung’s return to action for the first time since his UFC 273 title fight loss to Alexander Volkanovski. The 36-year-old was halted in that contest and wanted to take time off to allow lingering injuries to heal, to recover mentally from the defeat, and to spend time coaching the next generation of talents coming through his gym. Healthy, re-focused, and ready to compete, don’t be surprised if we see a vintage “Korean Zombie” performance this weekend.
Despite being at or near the top of the division for several years, the timing never lined up for Holloway and Jung to share the Octagon prior to this matchup. The South Korean standout ascended into title contention before his Hawaiian counterpart was in the championship mix, and during the two-year window when Holloway had the belt, there were other contenders ahead of the veteran in the title queue.
Finally, they face off on Saturday night, and how it plays out will help plot the course forward in the featherweight division.
Other Main Card Fights
Anthony Smith vs. Ryan Spann
Light heavyweights Anthony Smith and Ryan Spann renew acquaintances this weekend, with each hoping to get things moving in the right direction heading into the final third of 2023.
Smith enters on a two-fight slide and coming off a disappointing performance opposite Johnny Walker that had the former title challenger pondering retirement. “Lionheart” couldn’t really get out of first gear in North Carolina while dropping a decision to the surging Brazilian, and looks to reclaim the form he carried into and through his first encounter with Spann.
After posting back-to-back first-round stoppage wins over Ion Cutelaba and Dominick Reyes in 2022 to climb into the Top 10, Spann faltered earlier this year against Nikita Krylov, losing by triangle choke in the opening round. The Fortis MMA representative has been one of the more mercurial talents in the division since arriving via Dana White’s Contender Series, amassing a 7-3 record with six stoppage wins and all three losses coming inside the distance.
These two fought in September 2021, with Spann coming out of the gates quickly, only for Smith to rapidly reverse the momentum and register a first-round submission win. The former title challenger hasn’t won since, but Spann has traditionally struggled in his highest profile moments, so this feels like a “something’s gotta give” showdown that should produce excitement on Saturday night.
Giga Chikadze vs. Alex Caceres
Giga Chikadze returns to action for the first time since the opening event of 2022, stepping into the Octagon with ranked veteran Alex Caceres on this weekend’s main card.
The former kickboxer Chikadze collected seven straight wins to begin his UFC tenure, and headed into 2022 talking about fighting for the featherweight title. But Calvin Kattar had other ideas, handing Chikadze his first UFC defeat, and the 34-year-old Georgian hasn’t fought since, making this the longest he’s gone in his combat sports career between fights.
The 35-year-old Caceres, who sits at No. 15 in the rankings, enters on a two-fight winning streak, having most recently bested Daniel Pineda in an entertaining clash in June. The former Ultimate Fighter contestant is on a five-year run of good form, putting together a 7-1 record over his last eight appearances, finally becoming the fully realized version of the fighter many forecasted he could become all those years ago on the long-running reality TV competition.
Will Chikadze get right back into the win column and add his name to the growing list of championship hopefuls in the 145-pound weight class or can Caceres earn the biggest win of his UFC career in Year 13 on the roster?
Rinya Nakamura vs. Fernie Garcia
Rinya Nakamura and Fernie Garcia share the Octagon in a clash of bantamweights.
The winner of last season’s Road to UFC bantamweight tournament, Nakamura is 7-0 in just over two years as a professional, having earned his last three victories by first-round stoppage. A former U-23 wrestling world champion, the 28-year-old Japanese fighter is one of the most intriguing prospects in the loaded 135-pound weight class.
Garcia earned his contract with a highlight reel knockout of Joshua Weems on Season 5 of Dana White’s Contender Series but has failed to replicate that success through his first two UFC starts. The Fortis MMA man has dropped consecutive decisions to Journey Newsom and Brady Hiestand while having positive moments in each, and looks to derail rapid ascent of Nakamura this weekend.
Stylistically, this is grappler versus striker, and while that profiles as trouble for Garcia, every round of every fight starts on the feet, and it’ll be interesting to see if the 31-year-old will be able to find the chin of his surging counterpart this weekend.
Erin Blanchfield vs. Taila Santos
Initially booked to face one another in February, Erin Blanchfield and Taila Santos now share the Octagon in Singapore, with a championship opportunity potentially awaiting the winner.
Blanchfield has been nothing short of outstanding through her first five UFC appearances, building off decision wins over Sarah Alpar and Miranda Maverick with submission victories over JJ Aldrich, Molly McCann, and Jessica Andrade. The 24-year-old from New Jersey is now 11-1 and riding an eight-fight winning streak, and a victory over the recent title challenger could cement her standing as the No. 1 contender going forward.
Saturday marks Santos’ second straight appearance in Singapore after pushing then-champ Valentina Shevchenko to the limit in their UFC 275 title encounter. The Brazilian earned the nod on one scorecard and was controlling the action against the flyweight queen prior to an accidental clash of heads, and would like nothing more than to halt Blanchfield’s rise and punch her own ticket to another championship matchup.
Can Blanchfield keep rolling or will Santos get back in the win column at her expense?
Junior Tafa vs. Parker Porter
Heavyweights open the main card as Australia’s Junior Tafa faces off with Connecticut native Parker Porter.
The 26-year-old Tafa made his promotional debut earlier this year, dropping a unanimous decision to Mohammed Usman in a battle of attrition in April. He’d won four straight prior to his first foray into the Octagon, all by stoppage, and will look to tap back into those finishing skills here.
Porter started his 2023 campaign by venturing to Australia and losing to Tafa’s older brother Justin at UFC 284 before getting back into the win column with a first-round stoppage win over Braxton Smith at UFC 288. The burly veteran has gone 4-2 since losing his short-notice UFC debut, with his other setback coming against Jailton Almeida, who has been beating everyone he shares the Octagon with thus far.
It’ll be interesting to see if Tafa can take some pointers from his big brother’s performance to register a similar result or if Porter can draw level with the family by collecting a second straight win this weekend in Singapore.
Prelim Fights
Waldo Cortes Acosta vs. Lukasz Brzeski
DWCS alums Waldo Cortes Acosta and Lukasz Brzeski meet in the final preliminary card bout on Saturday’s card.
Cortes Acosta earned his UFC contract in early August last year, then collected decision wins over Jared Vanderaa and Chase Sherman in October and November, respectively, before dropping a decision to Marcos Rogerio de Lima earlier this year. The Polish heavyweight Brzeski enters this one with his back against the wall, having dropped consecutive decisions to fellow Contender Series alums Martin Buday and Karl Williams.
Toshiomi Kazama vs. Garrett Armfield
Toshiomi Kazama and Garrett Armfield face off in a meeting of bantamweight sophomores.
The 26-year-old Kazama advanced to the finals of the Road to UFC tournament last season after a first round upset win and second round walkover, only to run into Nakamura in the finals, where he was quickly stopped. Armfield made his short-notice debut up a division, battling hard before getting caught in an arm-triangle choke against former amateur rival David Onama.
Chidi Njokuani vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Sound the klaxons — we have a low-key banger alert as Chidi Njokuani and Michal Oleksiejczuk share the Octagon this weekend in Singapore.
Njokuani earned first-round finishes of Marc-Andre Barriault and Dusko Todorovic to start his UFC tenure, but has since dropped back-to-back contests against Gregory Rodrigues and Albert Duraev. After an eight-fight run at light heavyweight, Oleksiejczuk dropped to middleweight and scored first-round finishes of Sam Alvey and Cody Brundage before getting out-grappled and submitted by Ciao Borralho last time out.
Expect this one to start on the feet, stay on the feet, and end with someone getting hit with something nasty.
Song Kenan vs. Rolando Bedoya
Song Kenan and Rolando Bedoya share the Octagon in what could be an entertaining clash of welterweight strikers.
Sporting a 4-3 record in the UFC and 19-7 mark overall, Song enters on a two-fight slide, having been stopped in back-to-back outings against Max Griffin and Ian Machado Garry. Bedoya made his debut earlier this year, impressing in a competitive clash with Khaos Williams that ended with him dropping a split decision, but elevating his stock, nonetheless.
Both men like to get after it on the feet, so, like the middleweight matchup that will follow them into the Octagon, Song and Bedoya could pair up to put on an absolute banger this weekend.
Billy Goff vs. Yusaku Kinoshita
Billy Goff and Yusaku Kinoshita face off in this clash of members of the DWCS Class of ’22.
Goff earned his contract on last season’s second week by rallying to finish returning competitor Shimon Smotrisky in the opening round, which gave the 25-year-old six straight wins and four consecutive finishes. Kinoshita closed out Week 6 with a third-round stoppage win over Jose Henrique, but then dropped his promotional debut against Adam Fugitt earlier this year.
Liang Na vs. JJ Aldrich
It’s a meeting of flyweights looking to break out of a funk in this one as Liang Na meets JJ Aldrich.
The 26-year-old Liang entered the UFC on a five-fight winning streak, but has since suffered back-to-back stoppage losses against Ariane Carnelossi and Silvana Gomez Juarez. Aldrich carried a three-fight winning streak into her meeting with Blanchfield last June, was submitted, and subsequently got out-worked by Ariane Lipski in March.
SeungWoo Choi vs. Jarno Errens
Featherweights open the show in Singapore as SeungWoo Choi takes on Jarno Errens.
Choi’s UFC career has been defined by runs — he lost his first two, won his next three, and turns up here looking to break out of a three-fight slump. Errens dropped his promotional debut last fall in Paris, landing on the wrong side of a majority decision verdict against French prospect William Gomis.
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