UFC Fight Night: Hill vs. Rountree Jr. Preview and Predictions

Both main event fighters enter this fight after being knocked out in their last bouts; which contender will prove to be more durable?

I think one big difference between these two fighters is how they handled getting knocked out. While Jamahal Hill came up with excuse after excuse, Rountree took his beating like a man and knew he got beaten by the better man on the night when Alex Pereira pummeled him in their title fight.

However, another difference is the type of beatings that they have taken recently. Hill got clobbered by both Pereira and Jiri Prochazka, but the way that Pereira brutalized Rountree was the type of loss that can change a career. He may never be the same fighter he was before that clash.

Neither of these two will ever be champion; they’re just a half notch below the best of the best. However, because they are high-level strikers, this will be a heck of a fight. A tactical slugfest may be an oxymoron but, that is exactly what I expect to see in the main event. I think Rountree will land the better strikes more consistently, but I don’t think he will be able to take nearly the same amount of punishment he did against Pereira. Expect a late come-from-behind knockout win for Hill and probably a cringy post-fight speech.

Rafael Fiziev has lost three straight fights; can he snap that streak and defeat Ignacio Bahamondes?

No disrespect to Ignacio Bahamondes, but he is a step down in competition compared to Fiziev’s most recent opponents. On paper, at least, because Bahamondes could outshine what we have seen from him so far as his competition level increases. This is going to be a good test for both of these guys in the absolute shark tank that is the lightweight division.

I think that Fiziev will be able to get the win this weekend due to an advantage in punching power. He has dynamite in his hands and that will be a difference maker. He won’t end the fight the first time he lands, but it will be authoritative to the point that it makes Bahamondes cautious about trying to close the distance. I think this one starts with an exciting first round, and then Fiziev picks apart Bahamondes from boxing range for a mediocre third-round fight, because of how reluctant Bahamondes is to take chances after getting stung.

What one fighter’s UFC career is on the ropes at this event?

There aren’t a lot of household names on this card, but one fighter who has a big name, and needs a win, is Curtis Blaydes. He has lost two of his last three, granted, they were to top-tier heavyweights in Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich. If he can’t get the job done against Rivzan Kuniev, who is making his promotional debut, it might mark the end of his time as someone to potentially fight for the title.

Which fight is the sleeper match-up on this card?

This card is full of fighters from the region who don’t have big names and aren’t well known by MMA fans in the United States. In that vein, I’d say that the entire preliminary card is full of sleeper matchups that are worth tuning ino to see what the next generation of overseas fighters bring to the table.

Who takes home the “Performance of the Night” honors?

Nikolas Motta. He is a dangerous man on the feet and fighting on the other side of the world against a man from the region puts the cards stacked against him. However, I think he utilizes his high volume and technically precise punching to get the job done against Nazim Sadykhov.

Pair this card with…

Call it low-hanging fruit, or meat, but I’ll say go to Burger King and grab a Whopper. That is exactly what we are going to see in the main event. Two thudding behemoths throwing down, while looking to separate one another from consciousness.