UFC 216 will be held in Las Vegas on October 7th, and here is a look at the top three fights on the card, which features a pair of title fights.
Tony Ferguson vs. Kevin Lee – Lightweight
This fight is for an interim lightweight belt as champion Conor McGregor won’t be fighting anytime soon after his boxing loss to Floyd Mayweather. That opens the door for Ferguson (22-3) and Lee (16-2), starting with Ferguson, who has won nine in a row and defeated former champion Rafael dos Anjos in November. Lee submitted Michael Chiesa in June for his fifth straight win, although it might have been an early stoppage. Both come from wrestling backgrounds and can grapple very well, but Ferguson might have the edge in knockout power as he has won nine times via TKO/KO to one for Lee, who might want to get this to the ground as fast as possible.
Demetrious Johnson vs. Ray Borg – Flyweight
This fight was supposed to take place at UFC 215, but Borg (12-2) came down with a viral illness and had to drop out. Johnson (26-2-1) can break the UFC record for consecutive title defenses with a win in this match, and he has absolutely dominated this division to the point where he is a big favorite no matter who he faces. However, the biggest obstacle in this fight might be Borg’s ability to make weight as he has failed to do so twice in the past, and UFC doctors pulled him from UFC 215. Regardless of what type of shape he is in, Borg could be in for a rough ride against Johnson, who is incredibly fast, he can strike and grapple, and he has motivation to break the record, which he shares with former middleweight king Anderson Silva.
Fabricio Werdum vs. Derrick Lewis – Heavyweight
Werdum (21-7-1) has lost two of his last three, including a majority decision to Alistair Overeem in July, while Lewis (18-5, 1 NC) lost via TKO to Mark Hunt in June. Lewis then decided to retire, but flipped on his decision, so you have to wonder how motivated he is to get back into the cage, or what his motivation even is. Werdum, a former champion, would like to get back up to the top of the list and fight Stipe Miocic, who took the belt from Werdum in May 2016, and his striking is much better than it was in the past. However, that might have hurt him against Miocic, and it could definitely hurt him against Lewis, who might be the most powerful man in the heavyweight division, which is saying a lot. Lewis will do his best to keep this standing because Werdum is still one of the best grapplers in the world, and arguably the best heavyweight grappler there has ever been. If this goes to the ground, Werdum has a huge advantage and that is something he might want to use against the heavy-handed Lewis.
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