Preview: UFC Fight Night 182 Prelims

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Bantamweights

Louis Smolka (16-7) vs. Jose Alberto Quinonez (8-4)

ODDS: Smolka (-130), Quinonez (+110)

Quinonez looked like he could be the breakout star on the “The Ultimate Fighter Latin America” Season 1 cast during his stint on the house, but he never reached those heights despite a successful UFC career thus far. First, Quinonez lost the season’s bantamweight final to Alejandro Perez, and despite winning his next four fights, inactivity kept him from gaining much momentum. From 2015 to 2018, Quinonez only fought once per calendar year. After losses to top prospects Nathaniel Wood and Sean O'Malley, it seems like Quinonez’s window for a huge move up the ladder has closed, but he is still an entertaining fighter who should hold his own against Smolka. The Team Oyama-trained Smolka was on his way to flyweight contender status before a shocking 2016 loss to Brandon Moreno, at which time everything fell apart for the Hawaiian. He slid out of the UFC on a four-fight losing streak amidst some substance issues, but Smolka turned things around to earn a return to the promotion as a bantamweight and has looked solid since. Smolka was not a particularly physical fighter even at his peak, so while those attributes have been even further diminished at 135 pounds, he has been able to make up for it with an improved boxing game and his always-reliable submission skills. When faced with a raw opponent—his September 2019 win over Ryan MacDonald comes to mind—Smolka is capable of piecing up a challenger, but Quinonez does not fit the description. Quinonez is at his worst when an opponent can track him down and hit him hard. While he can hold his own in an exchange, “Teco” would much rather bounce around at range and try to be slick. Quinonez is the much faster fighter in this one, so he should be able to do his thing without much resistance from Smolka, who likely does not have the type of power to throw the Alliance MMA rep off his game. The pick is Quinonez via decision.

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