Women’s Flyweights
Viviane Araujo (7-1, -250) vs. Alexis Davis (19-9, +210): Araujo’s debut went about as well as possible, to say the least. Historically a strawweight, Araujo stepped in as a late replacement for a late replacement during UFC 237 fight week and wound up knocking out bantamweight Talita Bernardo in a one-sided win. Araujo showed off her aggressive striking game and fast hands, leaving the much slower and less athletic Bernardo with little to offer before having her lights out. For an encore, “Vivi” now fights in her third weight class in as many fights, dropping down to 125 pounds to take on a perennially tough veteran in Davis. While Davis has won only one of her three fights since cutting down to flyweight, a case could be made that she should be undefeated. Davis is aggressive, maybe to a fault. She was able to control and damage Katlyn Chookagian and Jennifer Maia, but Davis absorbed some in return and wore it poorly enough that the decisions went against her. It is probably going to be a similar affair here. Davis is not particularly athletic, but her strength and durability should allow her to charge forward and control large swaths of this fight, particularly in the clinch. Even so, Araujo has shown enough boxing ability and willingness to throw down that she will probably piece up Davis before getting neutralized. Scoring favors damage more and more over control lately, so once again, the verdict will probably go against Davis. The pick is Araujo via decision.Advertisement
Featherweights
Hakeem Dawodu (9-1-1, -380) vs. Yoshinori Horie (8-1, +315): Calgary’s Dawodu was a natural to be included on this card in his native Alberta, as he is probably the province’s best prospect. Dawodu’s career stalled a bit due to inactivity in the World Series of Fighting, but he looked excellent every time out thanks to his natural power and strong muay Thai base. That gave him a decent amount of hype upon his UFC debut in 2018, but things went about as poorly as possible. One of Dawodu’s main issues has been his unwillingness to respect his opponent’s offense, and that bit him badly when Danny Henry rushed him for a club-and-sub finish in just 39 seconds. Dawodu has since righted the ship, and while his defense remains a concern, he has been more mindful of it in recent fights, with a December win over Kyle Bochniak serving as an impressive example of how he can break down a talented opponent. Dawodu reportedly had difficulty finding an opponent for this card, so he draws a Japanese newcomer in Horie, who has also shown the ability to crack with two first-round knockouts in his last two bouts. Dawodu’s lackadaisical approach to defense could be trouble early -- Horie has shown an ability to even be dangerous in what would normally be transitional phases -- but once he warms up, he should be able to take this fight over as the longer, more powerful athlete with more options at his disposal. The pick is Dawodu via third-round finish.Featherweights
Gavin Tucker (10-1, -135) vs. Sung Woo Choi (7-2, +115): It is comforting to see Tucker alive, let alone back in the Octagon. UFC 215 was marred by Tucker’s decision loss to Rick Glenn in which the Halifax, Nova Scotia, native took a beating that went on about a round too long due to referee negligence. Prior to that, Tucker had shown some impressive ability as a movement-heavy striker in a hometown fight against Sam Sicilia, but his encounter with Glenn opened a bunch of issues even before things went off the rails. Tucker obviously struggled early to deal with the former World Series of Fighting champion’s reach, but after Glenn managed to adjust to the Canadian’s offense and start hitting cleanly, Tucker lost his cool. He grew overly aggressive and fought at a pace that wore him out and left him as a sitting duck against a savvy veteran. Tucker will have to deal with a lot of the same problems in his return fight here against South Korea’s Choi, who is a long and lanky striker at 5-foot-11. Choi can cause some damage, which he showed on the regional scene, but he did not accomplish much in his UFC debut while getting outwrestled by Movsar Evloev in a one-sided defeat. If Tucker gets hit and reacts in the same way he did against Glenn, his clinch game and wrestling might be more effective this time around. However, it is just as likely that Choi -- a much more dangerous fighter than Glenn -- can throw enough heat to put away the Canadian. If Tucker has improved his approach in his two years off, this is a winnable fight, but based on his track record, the pick is Choi via second-round stoppage.Flyweights
Alexandre Pantoja (21-3, -120) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (15-1, +100): With the flyweight division having been spared for the time being, fights like this can be appreciated for what they are and not just regarded as pink-slip derbies. Figueiredo looked like the next big thing at 125 pounds, quite literally, as the Belem, Brazil, native is an absolute powerhouse of an athlete. The best part of Figueiredo’s arsenal is his crushing top game, but in recent fights, he has shown straight-up knockout power, a run that included his obliterating John Moraga with a punch to the body in August. Figueiredo’s undefeated march was finally halted by Jussier Formiga in March, but he looks to rebound against a countryman in Pantoja. While Pantoja was upset as the top seed on the all-flyweight season of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2016, he has done well to rebound with five wins in six fights on the UFC roster. For someone who was considered a bit of a finished product upon his debut, Pantoja has done well to look better in his recent fights, scoring quick finishes of Yuta Sasaki and Wilson Reis. Pantoja is dangerous everywhere, but he has traditionally had trouble with stronger wrestlers who can control and wear him down. Figueiredo fits that description, so even while he gets by on power much more than technique, he should be able to eventually make this a grind and win the latter stages of the fight. It will be a fun affair, but the pick is Figueiredo via decision.Next Fights » UFC Fight Pass Prelims
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