Five Under-The-Radar Storylines For UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Fiziev
The UFC is back at the Apex after a successful 2022 International Fight Week. In the UFC Vegas 58 main event, former lightweight champion and No. 7 ranked Rafael dos Anjos takes on No. 9 ranked Rafael Fiziev in the battle of Rafaels. The pair was scheduled two other times, but visas and COVID-19 halted the matchup. However, if you look past the main event, there are some under-the-radar storylines.
TUF winner’s debut
Okay, technically, Ricky Turcios already made his UFC debut when he won season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter, but you get what I’m saying. Hopefully. Anyways, the Texas-based fighter makes his first appearance after winning the show, and he has been missed. It has been almost a year since his war against Brady Hiestand, and he gets another tough yet fun matchup. ‘Pretty’ Ricky fights Aiemann Zahabi, who is also coming off a lengthy layoff. This could easily be Fight of the Night, but then again, any fight with Turcios is nuts.
Second straight co-main event
There have only been a few UFC fighters to fight in the co-main event in their first two fights for the organization. Brazil’s Caio Borralho is now among the few. Borralho made his UFC debut in April against Gadzhi Omargadzhiev and looked terrific. While his debut didn’t end the way he wanted (an illegal knee that went to a technical decision), he left an impression on the UFC brass, and he fights in the co-main again. The Brazilian gets a stiff test in fellow Dana White’s Contender Series alumni Armen Petrosyan.
Banger of the Week
This week’s banger of the week is a no-brainer – Michael Johnson vs. Jamie Mullarkey. The fight might last less than a round, or it could possibly go three rounds; that’s doubtful, though. Both lightweights are known for their knockout power and their striking. Johnson got back into the win column in May when he knocked out Alan Patrick, snapping a four-fight win streak. Mullarkey is looking to get back into the win column after his two-fight KO streak was snapped at UFC 272 against Jalin Turner.
With 19 knockouts between them, don’t blink.
Must win
There are a couple of must-win fights on UFC Vegas 58, but the most prominent fighter is Cynthia Calvillo. After starting her UFC career on fire, the 34-year-old fighter has fallen on tough times as of late. Calvillo is currently on a three-fight skid, getting finished in her last two. Her losses are to nothing but ranked flyweights – two of them being title challengers. A loss on Saturday could be severely detrimental to her UFC career, with a chance to be released. After her last loss, she teased a return to strawweight, but that will be on hold as she faces Nina Nunes.
One of the best fights…opening the card
I write about it basically every week, but the UFC‘s card placement can be very questionable. This week, one of the best fights on the card is opening the prelims. Ronnie Lawrence vs. Saidyokub Kakhramoov is a ridiculous fight between two of the most talented bantamweight prospects on the roster. Lawrence is 8-1 and has been dominant thus far in his two UFC fights, and he even went through some adversity in his last outing at UFC 271. Kakhramonov is coming off a layoff, but he made an impression when he put Trevin Jones to sleep in his UFC debut – on only two-day’s notice. Kakhramonov is the former CFFC bantamweight champion and has a lot of hype behind him.
