The UFC returns to Las Vegas this weekend with some of the best fighters of the world coming back to the APEX. It’s another exciting Fight Night card with ranked fighters up and down the card, and a whole lot of great matchups that should result in some memorable fights.
Two of the top 10 heavyweights in the world will meet in a main event that could position the winner for a future championship opportunity. Plus, two ranked featherweights will look to move up and two unranked featherweights will try to put on a show and prove they belong in the top 15.
Featherweight bout: Michael Trizano vs. Lucas Almeida
The good news for Michael Trizano is that he is coming into this bout with a 9-2 record. The bad news is, both of those losses have come in his last three fights. The 30-year-old is looking to right the ship in his sixth UFC outing and get back into the win column. With two wins by knockout and two by submission, he has proven he can finish fights but that’s also probably not a finish you’re going to place any bets on.
Across the octagon, Almeida will be making his UFC debut after suffering his first professional loss on Dana White’s Contender Series back in September. He has since bounced back with a submission win, bringing his record to an impressive 13-1. Unlike his opponent, Almeida i very likely to finish fights, with all 13 of his wins being stoppages. With eight knockouts and five submissions, Almeida can finish fights anywhere. A win in his debut would immediately get him a lot of attention.
Featherweight bout: Dan Ige vs. Movsar Evloev
Jumping into the top 15 of the featherweight division, Ige has proven that he belongs in the octagon with the best in the world. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to do much with those opportunities lately, dropping three of his last four. Still, he sports a 15-5 record with four knockouts and five submissions. His most recent win was a knockout of Gavin Tucker in just 22 seconds last year, proving that he has some serious power in his hands.
His opponent is a fast-rising 28-year-old who sports a perfect 15-0 record. Evloev has looked very good since joining the UFC, winning his first five fights. He’s a dominant grappler but he often uses that reputation to open up with his hands and constantly pressure his opponents. This fight could easily end up being a stand up battle but Evloev could also look to employ that grappling if Ige cracks him.
Heavyweight bout: Alexander Volkov vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
There is a lot of room in the heavyweight division for ranked fighters to move up. The dominant champion is waiting for a new opponent and a lot of guys have already had a shot. That makes any matchup of two ranked heavyweights a very big one, in more ways than one.
Currently ranked at seven in the class, Volkov’s career is impressive on volume alone, with this being his 45th professional fight. But to make things more impressive, he also has a 34-10 record with 22 knockouts. Lately though, he has dropped two of his last three, albeit to guys ranked in the top 10 in the division. In fact, Volkov hasn’t lost to anyone not currently ranked in the top 15 since 2015. He’s a dangerous striker who can hurt you with anything so you have to be sure not to blink while watching his fights.
And speaking of not blinking, Rozenstruik can also end a fight in a hurry. With a 12-3 record and 11 knockouts, he is an absolute destroyer. Like Volkov though, he has struggled of late, losing three of his last five. However, Rozenstruik has never lost to anyone who is not currently a ranked UFC heavyweight. And on the flip side of that, his list of knockout victims includes former champions like Junior Dos Santos, Alistair Overeem and Andrei Arlovski. You can certainly expect some fireworks in this main event.
UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Rozenstruik will be held Saturday, June 4 at 4 PM ET. Fight fans can watch live on ESPN+.