The fights to watch at UFC Fight Night 146 in Wichita, Kansas
UFC Fight Night in Wichita kicks off on Saturday, March 2 at 3:00pm MT on ESPN+.
The INTRUST Bank Arena will host the event that features a main event of Derrick Lewis vs Junior dos Santos. The main event will establish the top contender at Daniel Cormier’s heavyweight strap. Lewis just had his shot at the belt and was unsuccessful, and looks to prove that he still belongs at the top of the division. On the other hand, dos Santos will be aiming to move back into championship contention with a win.
There are more fights to be excited about on this card. Most of the fighters are not considered household names, but it goes without saying, there is no shortage of talent. Here are some fights to keep your eyes on as these fighters try to build their fanbase.
Maurice Greene vs Jeff Hughes (Heavyweight)
Greene was on season 28 of The Ultimate Fighter, and looked like he might be the one to win the show. Unfortunately for Greene, he did not win, but ended up with a UFC contract anyway. Greene showed lots of talent on the show, and continued to show that talent when he won his first fight against another member of the show via submission in the first round. He is 6’7”, is willing to stand and trade with fighters, and has a strong ground game with 4 wins via submission on his record.
Hughes is on a 4-fight win streak and will look to derail Greene’s hype train before it leaves the station. Hughes won a contract on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series (DWTNCS) in season 2, and actually holds a win over Maurice Green via decision back in April of 2018 in LFA.
Marion Reneau (#6) vs Yana Kunitskaya (#9) (Bantamweight)
This fight has big bantamweight ramifications. Kunitskaya is a former champion in Invicta FC, and made her UFC debut against Cris Cyborg. Of course, the fight vs Cyborg did not go her way, but she was able to bounce back and earn a win in her second fight via decision. If your first fight in the UFC is against Cyborg, then you definitely have talent and confidence. Reneau was on a roll for a little while before running into Cat Zingano. The 41-year-old Reneau will look to prove that she still has fight left in her, and is more than a stepping stone for Kunitskaya.
Grant Dawson vs Julian Erosa (Featherweight)
Grant Dawson is 12-1 in his career, and is on a 3-fight win streak. Dawson won a contract on DWTNCS with a submission victory, and has multiple wins via submission on his resume. Dawson is a young fighter with plenty of upside with his high-level ground game. Erosa has had a rough couple of fights in the UFC losing via KO in his back-to-back losses. He is an experienced fighter, and a well-rounded one with 10 wins by KO and 9 by submission. Erosa is too talented to continue losing, and this should be a great match for both of these fighters to put on a show.
Blagoy Ivanov (#15) vs Ben Rothwell (Heavyweight)
Ivanov is a fighting veteran with championship pedigree, he won the 2008 Combat Sambo World Championships in Russia. Ivanov made his UFC debut vs Junior dos Santos, where he ultimately lost in a decision, but held his own. The fight was also a 5-round fight, showing he has the gas tank to go the distance and even into the championship rounds. Even though Ivanov is new to the UFC, he has plenty of experience with a career of 16-2.
Ben Rothwell has over 40 fights in his professional career. He made his UFC debut back in 2009, but has not fought since 2016. Rothwell is very well rounded on top of his experience and has multiple wins by way of KO and by submission. Ivanov will be looking to prove that he should be considered a title contender, and Rothwell will look to establish himself in is long awaited return to the Octagon.
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