The underrated fights to watch at UFC 237 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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On May 11th, UFC will make its return to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for UFC 237: Namajunas vs Andrade.

Below are the underrated fights to watch for the preliminary fight card:

1. Raoni Barcelos vs Carlos Huachin 

UFC bantamweights clash as Raoni Barcelos battles Inka FC bantamweight champion and new UFC signee, Carlos Huachin. Barcelos was originally scheduled to fight Said Nurmagomedov, but he had to pull out of the fight. The reasoning behind Nurmagomedov pulling out is still unknown at this time. 

Barcelos holds a professional record of 13-1, with 7 KOs, 2 submissions, and 4 decisions. He has remained undefeated since his submission loss to Mark Dickman in 2014. In his most recent fight, he defeated Mark Gutierrez by second-round submission at the TUF 28 Finale. He is currently riding a 6-fight win streak which includes 3 KOs and a rear-naked choke. 

His opponent, Carlos Huachin, is the Inka FC Bantamweight champion and this will be his UFC debut. He won the title at Inka FC 29, when he defeated Marcelino Cavalcante by first-round TKO. He holds a professional record of 10-3-1, with 8 KOs, and 2 submissions. His three losses have all been by decision, he has never been finished in his MMA career. Huachin is currently riding a 6-fight win streak, not including his fight with Rodrigo Vera in 2014 which was ruled a draw. 

This fight is going to be a great one! 

2. Warlley Alves vs Sergio Moraes 

UFC welterweights collide as Warlley Alves takes on Sergio Moraes in Rio. Alves holds a professional record of 12-3, with 2 KOs, 6 submissions, and 4 decisions. In his last fight, he was stopped for the first time in his 15-fight career, when he was knocked out by James Krause. Alves began his career on a 12-fight win streak, including wins over Nordine Taleb, Alan Jouban, and current welterweight title challenger, Colby Covington. 

His opponent, Sergio Moraes, actually just fought in March, against Rocco Martin. Moraes ended up dropping a decision to Martin but the fight itself was a war. Moraes holds a professional record of 14-4, with 8 submissions, 5 decisions, and 1 KO. Moraes was on a 2-fight win streak to carry him through 2018, with big wins over Tim Means and Ben Saunders. 

With both of these warriors coming off a loss, I’m sure they both want to get themselves back into the win column. This should be an exciting fight.

3. Thiago Moises vs Kurt Holobaugh 

The UFC’s 155-pound division kicks back into high gear as Thiago Moises battles Kurt Holobaugh. Moises holds a professional record of 11-3, with 3 KOs, 5 submissions, and 3 decisions. He was on a 2-fight win streak, with wins over Jeff Peterson and Gleidson Moraes Cutis, before dropping a decision to Beneil Dariush in November 2018. 

His opponent, Kurt Holobaugh, holds a professional record of 17-6, with 9 submissions, 5 KOs, and 3 decisions. He is 3-2-1 in his last 6 fights, including Titan FC wins over Yosdenis Cedeno and Gesias Cavalcante. He has a UFC record of 0-2, having lost to Raoni Barcelos and Shane ‘Hurricane’ Burgos. I imagine that he will be looking to bounce back and really prove himself in the UFC when he fights Moises on Saturday night. 

With both of these fighters coming off of losses, I know that they will be aiming to prove themselves in the lightweight division by scoring a big win in Rio. 

Don’t miss out on all of the action live on the ESPN network.

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Follow our writer Kevin Mahoney (@KeysRealTalk).



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