The UFC’s stacked schedule simply does not let up. They will be kicking off December this Saturday with an impressive Fight Night card featuring some talented young fighters who are looking to take their careers to the next level.
Two of the best middleweights in the world will face off with championship aspirations potentially on the line. Plus, one of the top light heavyweight contenders will square off with a promising up-and-coming prospect and two fighters in the women’s flyweight division will look to take a big leap.
Let’s take a closer look at those three fights:
Women’s Flyweight bout: Montana De La Rosa vs. Taila Santos
The women’s flyweight division is very top-heavy, with dominant champion Valentina Shevchenko sitting at the top. Two young fighters will look to prove that there is more depth to this division tomorrow night. The 25-year-old De La Rosa comes in with the 15th spot in the rankings and an 11-6 record. She is coming off of a loss and will to bounce back and move up those ranks. She’ll likely look to use her impressive submission skills (accounting for eight of her 11 wins) to do so.
Across the cage, Santos comes in with a very impressive 16-1 record. The 27-year-old is currently unranked but she’ll certainly be hoping that changes after tomorrow night. Santos will look to keep the fight standing as she has won 10 of her 17 fights by knockout. This is a classic clash of styles and should make for a very interesting fight.
Light Heavyweight bout: Ovince Saint Preux vs. Jamahal Hill
A seasoned veteran takes on an up-and-coming talent in this light heavyweight bout. The 37-year-old St. Preux is one of the best athletes the UFC has ever seen. He possesses some serious knockout power but also has a knack for putting opponents away with a choke that will likely be named after him by the end of his career. He has been on a bit of a skid lately, dropping four of his last seven, but he’s always a dangerous opponent for anyone in the division.
For St. Preux to win, he’s going to have to hand Hill his first loss. The 29-year-old comes in with a perfect 7-0 record and is looking for his second UFC win. Hill has finished three of his seven opponents by knockout and will likely look to keep this one on the feet to avoid St. Preux’s powerful grappling and that signature choke. A win here would be a huge boost to Hill’s young career.
Middleweight bout: Jack Hermansson vs. Marvin Vettori
Jack Hermansson | UFC
The UFC’s middleweight division is absolutely loaded with talent. Any time you get a fight between two guys ranked inside the top 15, you know it’s going to be a war. With the title picture a bit blurry, there’s a lot on the line in this main event.
Vettori is an incredibly talented young fighter with a very bright future ahead of him. The 27-year-old Italian already has 19 fights under his belt with a stellar 15-4 record. In a division filled with knockout artists, Vettori is a matchup nightmare for most opponents. He’s put away nine of his opponents with submissions, including Karl Roberson back in June with a rear-naked choke. He’s going to want to use that grappling against another very strong striker.
While Vettori is looking to climb the rankings as he looks toward the future, Hermansson has some more immediate plans on his mind. The fourth-ranked middleweight is likely just one or two impressive victories away from a championship opportunity. Hermansson comes in with a 21-5 record and 11 wins by knockout. His grappling skills are also overlooked though, as he also has six submission wins on his record, including a heel hook victory over perennial contender Kelvin Gastelum in July.Hermansson is certainly one of the best fighters in the division and he’s going to look to prove it against Vettori. Anything could happen in this fight. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of gameplan each fighter employs.
UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Vettori will air tomorrow night, December 5 at 10 PM ET on ESPN+. You can get unrivaled UFC access by signing up for ESPN+ here.