Pre-Fight Stock Report: UFC on ESPN 3

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Putting it on the Line

The Ultimate Fighting Championship heads to Minneapolis this Saturday featuring a heavyweight tilt sure to end in fireworks between former champion Junior dos Santos and one-time title challenger Francis Ngannou. With dos Santos riding a three-fight win streak and Ngannou finishing his last two opponents, the winner of this fight likely finds themselves closing in on another opportunity to fight for the championship. With a path to gold clear ahead, both fighters have the most to both lose and gain going into their main event bout this weekend.

Even with Henry Cejudo successfully vying for the bantamweight title, the UFC’s flyweight division has been left in limbo with more fighters being released than signed and matchups for the division being put to a halt. Joseph Benavidez and Jussier Formiga go into Saturday’s co-headlining bout looking to sway the powers that be and reset the trajectory of a division seemingly on life support. Neither competitor has been shy about calling for a bout with Cejudo with a win come Saturday night and it’s safe to assume both men will be walking into the cage looking to put their opponent away when it matters most.

Another highly billed affair at UFC on ESPN 3 is a ranked welterweight bout pitting Brazilian submission artist Demian Maia against a new challenger to the division’s elite in Anthony Rocco Martin. Following an early submission win against Lyman Good, Maia is looking to capitalize on the momentum and put together his first win streak since his 2017 title campaign. On the other side of the coin is Rocco Martin. Since his move to welterweight, the American Top Team fighter is undefeated in four consecutive fights and gets his first opportunity against a ranked opponent in his UFC career. A win here for Maia gives him renewed hope at making one final title run in the twilight of his mixed martial arts career. Meanwhile, a win for Rocco Martin lands him firmly in the welterweight rankings, setting him up for a fight against another household name.

Breakout Potential

Coming off of Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series, Roosevelt Roberts has been flawless throughout his MMA career. Roberts is coming into this bout an undefeated 8-0 and looking to bring his UFC winning streak to three and really put himself on the map in terms of being a hot prospect to watch in the UFC’s stacked lightweight division. Standing in Roberts way is Vinc Pichel, a six fight UFC veteran with eight knockouts to his resume. A win here for Roberts likely earns him an opportunity against an opponent at a higher level of competition and places him atop a list of highly touted contenders funneling into one of the deepest divisions in the UFC.

Another undefeated fighter looking to capitalize on a hot start to his UFC tenure is Alonzo Menifield, also earning his way to the promotion via Contender Series. Menifield has finished all eight of his professional victories within two rounds, including seven victories by way of knockout. Menifield is set to lock horns with Scottland’s submission specialist Paul Craig on Saturday and a win in this bout sends Menifield’s trajectory soaring. In the current landscape of the light-heavyweight division, with sustained success Menifield could find himself face to face with ranked opposition before the end of the year. Look for Menifield to start the main card off with a bang by delivering a quick and violent knockout that he’s slowly becoming known for.

On the Chopping Block

Since starting his UFC career with a first-round knockout victory, Junior Albini has had a rough time finding much success in the heavyweight division. The Brazilian has lost his last three fights and was finished in his most recent two. Albini is in desperate need of a victory here if he hopes to remain with the promotion and will be hunting for the knockout win against “The Ultimate Fighter” season 28 alumni Maurice Greene, who comes into the contest undefeated in two appearances thus far inside of the UFC. In a last-ditch attempt to save his UFC career, look for Albini to game plan a way to wade through the reach of the long and powerful Greene.

Jordan Griffin has not been met with some of the same success his peers have seen coming off of the Contender Series. In between injuries, Griffin has dropped his lone bout inside the Octagon to fellow alum Dan Ige. It has been shown time and time again that patience is rarely granted to UFC newcomers and if Griffin wishes to remain with the promotion, he’s going to have to come into his preliminary bout with promotional newcomer Vince Murdock looking to prove why he belongs. Look for Griffin to come out and chain together submissions, a skill that earned him his way into the promotion and will serve him well in a bout with a striker that has seven knockout wins in 10 victories.