A successful trip to Utah last weekend makes way for back-to-back events at the UFC Apex before they hit the road again for UFC 308 at the end of the month. 13 fights make up this weekend’s UFC Vegas 98 card, with all eyes on the flyweight main event that could produce a number one contender.
October kicks off with a PPV card for the UFC and ends with one too. Firstly, UFC 307 goes down in Salt Lake City, Utah headlined by a light heavyweight title fight and a co-main event that features a women’s bantamweight title bout. Raquel Pennington looks to defend her title for the first time against former champion Julianna Pena, which serves as an appetizer for the big boys in the headlining spot.
Although Rodriguez is on a tough stretch going 1-3 in her last four fights, she’s had bright moments throughout. Besides a brain fart at the end of round two of her last fight, she was close to picking up a win over former title holder, Jessica Andrade. Rodriguez often showcases a solid striking game with fluid combinations and some sting to her shots.
After losing her first professional fight, Cornolle has been on a roll, winning 8 straight matchups, including her first two UFC fights. She brings an aggressive striking style to the table, always pressuring her opponents and leaning on her muay thai background.
It would surprise most people that Moicano has been a part of the UFC roster since December 2014. The biggest spot he had found himself in was in early 2019 following a two-fight winning streak, he was positioned to take on former featherweight king, Jose Aldo. That began a 1-3 run for Moicano and led many people to believe his time was coming to a close. However, he is now 5-1 over his last 6 fights and has built a fan base from his fighting style and post-fight interviews. Usually engulfed in profanities, Moicano’s new persona has given him a huge following that he continues to feed off in and out of the cage.
Riding a six-fight winning streak, Torres has finished his three UFC opponents in the first round as well. He has become one of the more feared prospects on the roster with how quickly he can put people away. There are still question marks about how he does against guys that aren’t so easy to put away and those questions could get answered this weekend.
We’ve heard about the UFC’s foray into The Sphere for months now, but it is finally upon us this weekend. Commemorating Mexican Independence Day, the UFC has put together a stellar card to showcase the best that Mexico has to offer. Outside of the top three fights, the name value falls off a cliff.
It was a very unfortunate circumstance for Ramaska as he was forced out of The Ultimate Fighter going into the semi-finals after he suffered too much damage in the opening bout of the season. Luckily, the UFC has given him another opportunity to make it to the big show. Ramaska is a warrior that loves to throw down and swing leather. His ground game needs some work as he can be taken down and out grappled. However, if he can keep fights in the striking realm, he is more than capable of thriving in chaos.
The UFC took Labor Day weekend off just like the rest of us and return this weekend with a welterweight banger. It seems the theme of the card is “changing of the guard”. The co-main event features a former champion, Jessica Andrade, taking on a rising star in Natalia Silva. Headlining duties fall upon a former title challenger and another rising star.