The UFC will return to Texas this Saturday for another exciting Fight Night card featuring five matchups of ranked opponents. It is truly a pay-per-view-worthy slate of fights as some of the very best in the world will step into the octagon and fight fans will get to watch for free on ESPN.
In perhaps the most stacked division in the UFC, two of the top eight contenders will meet in a main event that will certainly have imminent championship implications. Plus, a bantamweight matchup will see a former champion move up a class to test himself against a perennial contender and two lightweights on the fringes of the top 15 will look to climb into the top 10.
Bantamweight bout: Rob Font vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
It is so strange to see Deiveson Figueiredo fighting anywhere bt the main event of a pay-per-view against Brandon Moreno, but here we are. The former flyweight champion is making his move up to the bantamweight division to prove he can conquer a second class. Figueiredo comes into this fight with a 21-3-1 record with nine knockouts and eight submissions. He’s also coming off of four straight showdowns with Moreno, so it will be exciting to see him face a different opponent for the first time since 2020. Figueiredo is talented everywhere, making him an absolute nightmare to gameplan. Striking or grappling, he can end a fight in a hurry.
For eight-ranked Rob Font, the striking game will be the key. Coming into this bout with a 20-7 record and nine knockouts, Font is a very talented striker with some of the best hands in the class. He has proven he belongs in the octagon with the best fighters in the world, but he just hasn’t been able to get over the hump, dropping three of his last four fights to top bantamweight contenders. A signature win over a former champion would be just the thing to vault Font into title contention. If he can keep this a standup battle, Font has a chance to score a big victory here.
Lightweight bout: Jalin Turner vs. Bobby Green
If the main event is a showdown to see who gets into the Lightweight title picture, this co-main event is a showdown to determine who gets to stay in the division’s top 15. Jalin Turner sports a 13-7 record with nine knockouts but has lost two in a row against a couple of top contenders. Granted, both of those losses were split decisions in very close fights, but they still show up as Ls at the end of the day. Turner is a solid striker but he is very dangerous in the grappling game, racking up four submission victories. A win in this co-main event would be huge for Turner to stop his skid and start building some momentum towards the lightweight crown.
It’s a different story for Bobby Green, who has already snapped his own two-fight losing streak and is now looking to win a third in a row. Green is one of the most entertaining and popular fighters in the UFC and he has racked up a 31-14-1 record with 11 knockouts and nine submissions. Green is a flashy striker with some of the fastest hands you will ever see in the octagon. He’s going to need to keep this one a striking battle because he is not going to want to go to the ground with Turner. And that will be easier said than done as Turner is the taller fighter by about five inches, which means Green will have to get inside the reach of his opponent to get into range. This should be an interesting and exciting chess match.
Lightweight bout: Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan
For a very long time, the UFC’s lightweight division has been the strongest in the sport. Once again ruled by the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, it could be argued it is tougher now than it has ever been. So when you get a free card headlined by the numbers four and eight contenders, that is a fight you don’t want to miss.
Beneil Dariush had been on an absolute tear, winning eight straight fights against some of the best in the class before getting derailed by former champion Charles Oliveira in June. Now, he has to look to bounce back from a loss for the first time since 2018. With a 22-5 record and eight submission wins, Dariush is cemented as one of the best lightweights in the world. Now, he just needs to get back to his winning ways against a very tough opponent to prove he deserves a shot at the gold.
It takes an impressive resume to come in as the favorite against the fourth-ranked lightweight in the world. Luckily for Arman Tsarukyan, he sports a 20-3 with eight knockouts, including one in his most recent outing in June. His only two UFC losses have come against the currently-sixth ranked Mateusz Gamrot and current champion Islam Makhachev. After winning his last two bouts. Tsarukyan is looking to score that signature win that would vault him into at least the top five in the class and possibly put him in championship contention. If he can keep this a stand up battle, it could be a short main event and a big shakeup near the top of the lightweight rankings.
UFC Fight Night: Dariush vs. Tsarukyan will be held Saturday, December 2 at 7:00 PM ET. Fight fans can watch live on ESPN and ESPN+.