UFC Vegas 24 - Fighter Previews

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Robert Whittaker - Former UFC Middleweight Champion & #1 Middleweight

Robert Whittaker is the creme of the crop in the Middleweight division. Over the past 5 years, Bobby Knuckles has proven himself to be a Top 3 Middleweight in the World and possibly a Top 10 Middleweight Ever. Although he has risen to great lengths at 185, Whittaker initially entered the octagon after winning The Ultimate Fighter at Welterweight. Rob would showcase his elite striking and athletic ability on the show and coast to a victory in the Finale against Brad Scott. Whittaker would go 2-2 in the division after winning the show. He dropped a decision to UFC veteran and fellow TUF winner Court McGee, then got finished by the NMF Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. Since moving up to 185 following the Wonderboy loss, Whittaker is 10-1 as a Middleweight. Impressive finishes over Derek Brunson and “Jacare” Souza catapulted Whittaker to a title shot. To add a bit of context to Whittakers story, let me explain how messed up Middleweight was around this time.

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Michael Bisping was the Champion. Instead of defending his belt against the rightful contenders, Bisping would rematch former rival and certified old man #11 Dan Henderson. Bisping would go on to defeat Henderson, and Whittaker would go on to defeat Yoel Romero for the Interim Title. Robert and Bisping would have a little promo in the octagon and everyone expected that to be the following fight. Except GSP had something to say about that. Even with Whittaker literally being the Interim Champion, they gave the Title Shot to a returning Georges St. Pierre, who had never fought at 185. To muddy the water even more, GSP won and then immediately retired. So now the official belt was vacant, but Whittaker was the Interim Champ. To fix the problem, the UFC matched up Whittaker and Former Champion Luke Rockhold, but that fight fell through after an injury to Whittaker. Once the Australian was ready to return, Rockhold turned into a rematch with Romero after Yoel KO’d Rockhold and kissed Luke on the mouth after. Whittaker would go on to defeat Romero again in one of the greatest Title fights in history. Unfortunately, Bobby Knuckles would drop the strap to Adesanya in his next fight. Since the loss to Izzy, Whittaker has rebounded with wins over two Top 5 contenders in Darren Till and Jared Cannonier. He is showing he’s still got it and many believe him to be the clear cut 2nd best Middleweight in the world. If he can handle Gastelum on Saturday, a rematch with Izzy would be virtually guaranteed.

Kelvin Gastelum - #8 UFC Middleweight

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Kelvin Gastelum has stepped to the plate to replace Paulo Costa against Robert Whittaker. Gastelum, like Whittaker, is a former Welterweight Ultimate Fighter winner who has since moved up to 185. Gastelum has remained a staple at Middleweight since his debut there against Tim Kennedy in December, 2016. He has racked up wins against Kennedy, Michael Bisping, and Jacare Souza. Following the Souza win, Kelvin was in a very similar situation to where he is now. He was matched up to face Robert Whittaker for Whittaker’s Middleweight Championship. It was going to be Robert’s first defense following his rivalry with Yoel Romero. The two fighters made it all the way up to weigh in, but the worst case scenario struck for Kelvin. Whittaker was forced to pull out of the fight the morning of the card. During his weight cut, severe back pain revealed Whittaker to have a hernia that required immediate surgery. Gastelum’s Title Shot was gone. He got to face Israel Adesanya for the Interim Title later that year as a consolation prize, but lost to Izzy by Unanimous Decision in one of the greatest fights ever. And that’s not hyperbole, it is one of the best bouts I’ve ever seen. Gastelum would fall on hard times following the Izzy loss, losing 2 more in a row to Jack Hermansson and Darren Till. He has since bounced back with a win over Ian Heinisch and knows the opportunity in front of him. He finally gets the fight he was owed so long ago. Granted, it’s not for the title, but a win over Whittaker could easily have Kelvin back in there with Adesanya this year.

Drakkar Klose - Heavy Handed UFC Lightweight

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There has never been a boring Drakkar Klose fight ever. You know the meme of Rogan, Anik, and Cormier freaking out? Thats from a Drakkar Klose fight. Despite all his UFC wins being by Decision, Klose has made a name for himself as a bomb thrower with very respectable wrestling. He is 5-2 at 155 since his debut win over Devin Powell in January, 2017. He holds wins over veteran Lightweights like Bobby Green, Lando Vannata, and Marc Diakiese. The problem with Drakkar has been his inability to remain consistent enough for the Top 15. His biggest fight his career came in March, 2020 against Beniel Dariush. Dariush has been a staple of the back half of the Top 15 for years and is incredibly well rounded as a fighter. Despite Dariush fighting with a bad leg injury, and Klose almost finishing him, Beniel was able to KO Klose early in the 2nd round. That is what caused the meme by the way. Since the loss to Beniel, we haven’t seen Klose back in the octagon. He will get a chance to rebound against the biggest name of his career in Jeremy Stephens. I still expect Klose to make a solid run at 155 and find himself in the rankings before too long.

Jeremy Stephens - #10 UFC Featherweight

Who the fook is that guy???? It’s Jeremy Stephens, the real hardest hitting 145er! In all seriousness, Stephens has established himself as a dangerous man for anyone at 145. He will be making his 34th UFC appearance Saturday and the first at Lightweight since December, 2012. Following a loss to Yves Edwards, Jeremy began to wreak havoc at Featherweight. Stephens won his first 3 fights in the division, before settling into a gatekeeper role outside of the Top 5. He has always been a part of the Top 10 since making the move down, but losses to Cub Swanson, Frankie Edgar, Charles Oliveira, and Pre-Champion Max Holloway kept him from a Title Shot. Despite that, Jeremy has been able to rack up 8 wins in the division. To remain a gatekeeper, you have to turn some people back, if you don’t, you just suck. Jeremy has been able to turn back prospects like Josh Emmett and Doo Ho Choi. The move back up to 155 comes at a good time for Stephens. He has lost 4 fights in a row with a no-contest mixed in. He has not gotten his hand raised since February, 2018. The drop down in competition and move up in weight may serve Stephens well. If not, we may be starting to talk about a spot on ESPN+.

Andrei Arlovski - Former UFC Heavyweight Champion and Certified Scary Man

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I won’t overwhelm you with Arlovski’s entire UFC career, mainly because it would end up taking about 5 pages. Arlovski has been fighting in the UFC since November, 2000. Yeah, 21 years! What a company man! Over that time, he has captured UFC gold and remained a threat all the way through his graceful aging process. Andrei will be entering the octagon for the 35th time Saturday night, moving him into 3rd All-Time in UFC appearances. His career has seen ups and downs over the 21 years. Since winning the Title against Tim Sylvia 2005, Arlovski has racked up 15 UFC wins, brining his grand total to 19. He has had 5 fight winning streaks and 5 fight losing streaks inside the octagon, but has always remained a tough out. He has now fallen into a Top 15 gatekeeper role, but he has done a good job of turning kids back lately. He has won 2 of his last 3 fights, defeating both Phillipe Lins and Tanner Boser. Arlovski now has the chance to send another prospect home when he faces off against Chase Sherman. Andrei could retire today and be inducted into the Hall of Fame tomorrow. Win or lose, it is still a treat watching this guy scrap.

Chase Sherman - Bare Knuckle Beast

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Chase Sherman is back to the UFC after tearing it up on the Bare Knuckle scene. He will be tasked with by far the biggest fight of his career when he stares down Arlovski this weekend. Sherman initially broke into the UFC in 2016. He was a bright prospect with an 8-1 professional record. Despite the promise Sherman showed on the regional scene, he would go 2-5 throughout his first UFC run. He managed to pick up wins over Rashad Coulter and Damian Grabowski, but dropped his most high profile appearances to Justin “Big Titty” Willis and Augusto Sakai. But after going an incredibly impressive 1-1-1 in Bare Knuckle, he is back to prove himself again. He already dispatched of Ike Villanueva and is looking to pick up the biggest win of his life. A victory over Arlovski could help erase the memory of his first run and get him on the track towards the Top 15.

Abdul Razak Alhassan - Unfortunately Inconsistent UFC Welterweight

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Abdul Razak Alhassan has been flirting with a trip to Bellator recently. He has not been able to get himself on the good side of the boss or the UFC fans. He started off his run very, very strong. He KO’d Charlie Ward in :53 seconds in his UFC debut. His freakish athletic ability made him pop as a strong future contender. He would then drop a Split Decision to future Top 10 Middleweight Omari Akhmedov, but many did not criticize Alhassan too much. Akhmedov is a proven fighter and Alhassan gave him a run for his money in his 2nd UFC appearance. He would then go on to have a weird little 2 fight feud with former TUF contestant Sabah Homasi. Alhassan and Homasi were putting on a firefight in the first round of their first fight, but a horrendous stoppage by Herb Dean tainted the fight. The rematch was just as wild, but ended with a rightful stoppage as Alhassan knocked Homasi stiff in the first round. His power was beginning to gain some buzz in the division, especially after he followed up with a :43 second KO of Top 15 gatekeeper Niko Price. Alhassan was being looked at as a dark horse in the division after the Price win, but his run has since turned 180 degrees. He was out for over 2 years with legal issues and missed weight by 4 pounds upon his return. To make things even worse, Alhassan’s timing seemed very off and he went on to lose a Unanimous Decision to Mounir Lazzez. Lazzez was making his UFC debut and was expected to get squashed by Alhassan. Abdul would then go on to suffer his worst loss yet, a brutal :30 second KO against Khaos Williams. Oh, and he also missed weight again for the Williams fight, this time by 2 pounds. He is now making a jump to 185 and will look to regain the buzz on his name. I believe 185 is a more natural weight class for Alhassan’s size. With weight no longer being an issue, it is up to Abdul to regain the momentum he once had.

Jakob Malkoun - UFC Middleweight I Feel Bad For

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There really isn’t much to say about Jakob Malkoun. He is a decorated grappler, but lacks MMA experience and has not been handed the easiest matchups so far in his career. Malkoun is only 4-1 professionally. He entered his UFC debut 4-0 against Phil Hawes. Hawes is an absolute specimen and was clearly the stronger man. Before Malkoun could even think about getting the fight to the ground, Hawes swarmed him and KO’d him in :18 seconds. Despite losing to a physically strong striker, the UFC matched him up with a stronger, more athletic striker. If Malkoun can get Alhassan to the ground, he could turn this fight around, but it seems to me like he’s been a sacrificial lamb so far in his UFC career.

Luis “Violent Bob Ross” Pena - Fan Favorite UFC Lightweight

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Luis Pena adds one more to the list of former Ultimate Fighter contestants on the Main Card. Violent Bob Ross, yes that’s his actual nickname, has become a fan favorite through his elusive smile and positive attitude. Ever since his appearance on TUF, fans have been attracted to his hard working personality. Pena would not lose a fight on his season, but would be forced out with an injury. He promised Dana White he would be back and better than ever, and Dana guaranteed him a fight on the Finale then and there. Pena did not squash his opportunity, finishing Richie Smullen in the first round. Since his win at the Finale, Luis hasn’t had as much luck with the judges as he would like. He would go on to drop a razor close Split Decisions to fellow cast member Mike Trizano and veteran Matt Frevola. The latter being more contraversial than the former. The Frevola fight was close, but many, including myself, thought Pena won. He currently holds 3 UFC wins, but these super close losses, along with a submission loss to Khama Worthy, have kept him from reaching his full potential. Pena could easily be 6-1 in the UFC, instead he is 4-3. If he can go out there a show a killer, screw the judges mentality, I think Violent Bob Ross is a name to look out for in the future.

Alex Munoz - Promising UFC Lightweight

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Alex Munoz is the last name wrapping up the Main Card. Munoz popped up on UFC radars on Season 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series. He was 4-0 professionally heading into a Main Event spot against Nick Newell. Many fans know Newell as the fighter with one arm. Despite only having one arm, Newell was a stand out in World Series of Fighting. He was one of the promotion's best fighters, only suffering one loss to Future UFC Interim Champion Justin Gaethje. Many wondered how Newell would fare in the UFC way before the Munoz bout and this fight was supposed to be his entrance into the big show. However, Munoz was having none of it. Regardless of the hype surrounding Newell, and the inexperience of Munoz, Alex was there to win. He would go on to defeat Newell by Unanimous Decision, but was not awarded a contract that night, as not every fighter who wins gets a contract. Following another win on the regional scene, Munoz would make his debut on short notice against Nasrat Haqparast. He would lose by Unanimous Decision, but gain the respect of many. Nasrat is one of the best young prospects in the division and Munoz stood toe to toe with him. Now he is back with his first full camp under his belt. If he can dispatch of Pena, Munoz will certainly begin to collect some hype around his name.