The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to San Antonio on Saturday comes with a solid seven-bout slate of prelims with some distinct local flavor. Texans dot most of the undercard for UFC on ESPN 43, including Daniel Pineda in the featured slot against Tucker Lutz in what should be an enjoyable pairing. Beyond that, there is a lot of scrappiness on display with fighters like Steven Peterson, C.J. Vergara and Victor Altamirano taking on more athletic opponents in what should be some entertaining affairs, and bantamweight newcomer Hailey Cowan looks to bring some fresh blood to a division that could use it.
Featherweights
Daniel Pineda (27-14, 4-5 UFC) vs. Tucker Lutz (12-2, 1-1 UFC)ODDS: Lutz (-280), Pineda (+235)
Featherweights who missed all of 2022 look to bounce back here. Pineda initially slid out of the UFC back in 2014, but “The Pit” found a ton of success over the ensuing few years, running through opposition in both major promotions and ones based out of his native Texas. That was eventually enough for Pineda to earn a return to the Octagon in 2020, when he looked impressive in a second-round stoppage of Herbert Burns. Pineda has a style clearly honed over the years through experience and a commitment to violence, as there is little in terms of an overall gameplan outside of bringing aggression and power to his opponents, then hoping the rest sorts itself out. Unfortunately for Pineda, that has not worked in his favor since the win over Burns. Cub Swanson took him apart; Andre Fili was also doing so before an eye poke ended the bout in a no contest; and a combination of injuries and a drug suspension have kept Pineda out of action for nearly two years. After that long layoff, Pineda looks to get back to his winning ways in his home state against Lutz. Baltimore’s Lutz is certainly a solid fighter, even if it is still a bit hard to pin down exactly where “Top Gun” will settle in the UFC’s featherweight division. He has shown an ability to follow a smart gameplan and fight behind a variety of weapons, winning on Dana White’s Contender Series twice to earn a contract before putting on a complete performance to beat Kevin Aguilar in his UFC debut. However, the worry is that Lutz might be well-rounded to a fault. Against a focused specialist like wrestler Pat Sabatini, Lutz got little done as Sabatini imposed his will in the wrestling realm and did little else. Pineda may just run over him through sheer horsepower, but the bet is that Lutz can outmaneuver the former two-division Fury Fighting Championship titleholder enough to survive any early trouble and take over once the veteran’s all-power approach starts to fade. The pick is Lutz via decision.
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Pineda vs. Lutz
Peterson vs. Alexander
Giles vs. Parsons
Vergara vs. da Silva
Torres vs. Ogden
Salvador vs. Altamirano
Cowan vs. Vidal