Hey fight fans, are you excited for this mid-week card? I’m really digging these match ups, partly because it feels a little like a WEC show since there’s nobody heavier than welterweight (Well, except for when Tibau rehydrates). Before the fights start, be a pal and take a look at the With Leather Staff Predictions (Now featuring more guest contributors than actual Uproxx staff!), and hey, feel free to make some fight picks of your own!
The Fight Pass prelim starts us off at 6:30 PM ET with the newest division, women’s strawweight. Claudia “Claudinha” Gadelha takes on Tina “Jelly Bean” Lahdemaki in the 115-pound division’s debut. If you haven’t seen a strawweight fight before, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, INVICTA’S LIBRARY IS NOW ON FIGHT PASS, THE THING YOU’RE USING TO WATCH THIS STRAWWEIGHT FIGHT. Sorry, I really like the strawweights (And Invicta), so I’m a little excited. This should be a good showcase for Gadelha, who’s hovering around #4 amongst strawweight fighters.
The regular prelims will be on Fox Sports 1, starting at 7:00 PM ET. There are some really good fights here, like Hugo Viana taking on Aljamain Sterling and Jessamyn Duke versus Leslie Smith, both fights in the bantamweight division. Viana’s got some of the best side burns this side of Chad Griggs, while Duke and Smith, both Invicta (WATCH IT) veterans, are tailor-made for having an exciting fight. The “people’s main event” is a lightweight bout between Gleison Tibau and Pat Healy, and I’m looking forward to a lot of fun man-grabs from these two grapplers.
The main card kicks off at 9:00 PM ET, and luckily, it stays on Fox Sports 1. Lucas Martins will be taking on Alex White, and both dudes will be looking for impressive finishes. There’s a flyweight bout as John Lineker takes on Alp Ozkilic, and only dumb idiot-jerks don’t look forward to flyweight fights. The heaviest bout on the card is between welterweights Rick Story and Leonardo Mafra. I’m not too knowledgeable about Mafra, but Story is usually good for a fun scrap.
The co-main and main events are both lightweight fights, as Edson Barboza brings his impressive kick-game against Evan “Not Lena” Dunham, while Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone throw down for a scheduled five rounds, with the winner probably facing off against bear wrestling Khabib Nurmagomedov.
This card looks fantastic on paper, so join the With Leather crew for some fun times and dumb jokes and a few “OOOOHHH MY GOD, THAT DUDE IS F*CKING DEAD!!!!!” freak-outs!
