The UFC returns to Las Vegas this Saturday as some of the best fighters in the world will once again step into the octagon at the UFC APEX for another exciting Fight Night on ESPN+. Several ranked fighters will be looking to put on a show and position themselves for future championship opportunities.
Two of the top seven lightweights in the world, both of which are known for finishing fights, will headline this Fight Night card and have a chance to push themselves into the top five of what might the most stacked division in the sport. Plus, ranked featherweights will meet and what should be an exciting co-main event and women’s strawweights will battle for a second time or a chance to move up the ranks.
Women’s strawweight bout: Marina Rodriguez vs. Michelle Waterson-Gomez
This will be an interesting rematch between two fighters with their backs against the wall. Marina Rodriguez sports an impressive 16-3-2 record with six knockouts. However, two of those three losses have come in her two most recent fights. The 36-year-old is now in a position to right the ship before the losses stack up at this late point in her career. The plus side for Rodriguez is that she is coming into a fight against an opponent she has already beaten in the past. Rodriguez earned a decision victory over Michelle Waterson-Gomez back in 2021. Now, in order to snap her losing streak, she’s going to have to do it again.
It’s a similar situation for Waterson-Gomez. She comes into this fight with an 18-11 record with nine submission wins, but has also lost her last three fights. In fact, that loss to Rodriguez began her losing streak back in 2021. On top of that, she has lost five of her last six and finds herself in desperate need of a win. At 37 years old, this may actually be a must-win for Waterson-Gomez, and the same can be said for Rodriguez. This should be a very interesting matchup with a clash of styles. If Waterson-Gomez can turn this into a grappling match, she could come out on top.
Featherweight bout: Bryce Mitchell vs. Dan Ige
This co-main event ha some major ramifications for the featherweight division. His last time in the octagon, Bryce Mitchell suffered his first career loss to Ilia Topuria, who is likely next in line to challenge for the title. That loss brought Mitchell’s record to an impressive 15-1 with nine submissions. There’s no doubt what Mitchell wants to do. Regardless of who his opponent is, Mitchell is going to look to take the fight to the floor and apply relentless pressure to either lock up a submission or grind out a decision. He was able to do it to 15 straight opponents and now he needs to bounce back from his first loss.
Dan Ige, on the other hand, is coming off of back-to-back wins and his record now stands at 17-6. The UFC veteran will be stepping into the octagon for the 15th time, and if he can keep his momentum rolling, he could continue to climb those featherweight rankings. Ige is well-rounded, racking up five wins by knockout and another five by submission. Perhaps more importantly though, he himself has never been finished. If Mitchell is going to try to overwhelm Ige with pressure, he’s going to find himself dealing with a very tough out.
Lightweight bout: Rafael Fiziev vs. Mateusz Gamrot
For as long as I can remember, the UFC’s lightweight division has been the most stacked in the sport. From the days to BJ Penn and Sean Sherk, to Frankie Edgar, to Conor McGregor, this class has been loaded with talent for a long time. And today is no different.
Rafael Fiziev is currently the sixth-ranked fighter in the division and sports a 12-2 record with eight knockouts. He’s also one of the most explosive and dangerous strikers in the class. Just ask Rafael Dos Anjos, Brad Riddell or Renato Carneiro. Fiziev will use his hand and his feet to put opponents away, making him very difficult to gameplan for. He is coming off of his first loss since 2019, but that came in a war against former lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, so it’s clear he belongs in there with the best in the world.
Across the cage, Mateusz Gamrot is the seventh-ranked fighter in the lightweight division. He sports a 22-2 record with seven knockouts and five submissions. The big difference here is that Gamrot has already bounced back from his second career loss, scoring a split decision victory against Jalin Turner in March. Gamrot has looked like a world beater at times, he just hasn’t been able to score that big win that puts him over the top. This will be his second opportunity, after he fell short against Beneil Dariush last year. A win in this main event likely puts the victor in the top five and in the championship picture in the near future.
UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs. Gamrot will be held Saturday, September 23 at 7:00 PM ET. Fight fans can watch live on ESPN+.