The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday returns to Macau, China, for the first time since 2014 and does so with an undercard poised for some entertaining action. There’s a clear emphasis on young talent, mostly out of Asia, with nine of the 14 fighters making their respective Octagon debuts. Three of the four “Road to UFC” finals are set to take place, but the best newcomer of the bunch looks to be recent Dana White’s Contender Series winner Lone’er Kavanagh—a flyweight who should have an enjoyable scrap with fellow debutant Jose Ochoa. From there, the clear standout pairing comes in the form of a Maheshate Hayisaer-Nikolas Motta lightweight affair that seems like a near-guarantee for violence.
Bantamweights
Su Young You (13-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. Jieleyisi Baergeng (18-5, 0-0 UFC)ODDS: You (-145), Baergeng (+120)
This “Road to UFC” bantamweight final should hopefully result in some excitement on the mat. South Korea’s You has been one of the more entertaining entrants in this year’s tournament, living up to his “You-Jitsu” nickname by showing off some aggressive and creative grappling. It’s dynamic up to a point, as You’s two wins to get here have each been a bit hard-fought in nature. There’s not much of a backup plan for You besides hunting for takedowns and submissions, and that aggression does tend to wear the Korean out over three rounds. In the other corner, China’s Baergeng is a much more standard wrestler—a fairly straight-ahead grinder who has leaned on his physical strength to make it through the tournament. Baergeng also tends to fade a bit if pressed into a difficult fight on the ground, which essentially reduces this clash into whether Baergeng’s power or You’s dynamism will carry the day on the mat. Activity should be what wins rounds, so the Korean gets the nod in what’s generally an even matchup. The pick is You via decision.
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You vs. Baergeng
Cho vs. Sahota
Feng vs. Shi
Hernandez vs. Tumendemberel
Kavanagh vs. Ochoa
Xiao vs. Le
Hayisaer vs. Motta