This Sunday, we’re to be gifted with a phenomenal title fight on free television between two of the most dynamic and exciting strikers in the sport today. The pairing of TJ Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz has been a long time coming, and here, we take a look at the card taking place on FS1 this weekend.
First up on the main card is the return of Englishman Ross Pearson, who comes in to face off with Francisco Trinaldo. Trinaldo has been making a name for himself in the UFC as a very active fighter, this being his 12th fight in four years. He comes in on a four fight win streak, including a split decision over Norman Parke.
Pearson has been slightly less successful of late, having alternated in wins and losses in his last six (although it should be noted one of those was one of the poorest decisions in UFC history in his bout against Diego Sanchez). He’ll be wanting to break that unfortunate streak, as he enters the ring on a win over Paul Felder at UFC 191.
Pearson, regardless of his fight outcomes, is an exciting fighter. With slick boxing and good head movement, Pearson likes to keep the fight standing and be constantly moving. In Trinaldo, he’ll meet an equally willing dance partner, and the fight will be telling for which direction the two are headed in their careers.
Following those two is a heavyweight bout between Travis Browne and Matt Mitrione. Both on losses, the two’s pairing somewhat exposes the lack of depth in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Browne’s only losses in the past four years come to Heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum and #4 (then #3) ranked Andrei Arlovski.
Compare that to Mitrione, whose record stands at 9-4, with four losses coming to competition lesser than many of Browne’s victories. For Mitrione, it’s a big opportunity to jump up in rankings, and one imagines he’ll look to slow the pace of the bout and attempt to take it to the ground. For Browne, the superior fighter, he’ll be out to show that the stunning KO defeat to Arlovski wasn’t enough to derail his previous momentum towards the top of the division.
Then, in the co-main event of the evening, we move to the Lightweight division for an absolute barn-burner. Former Lightweight champion Anthony Pettis (#1) faces off with former Bellator Lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez (#4).
It’s not a fight to be missed, and it’s one with real implications for the division, as the winner is likely to face the winner of the UFC 197 main event title fight between Conor McGregor and Rafael Dos Anjos.
For Pettis, the fight is his first after losing the title to Dos Anjos at UFC 185. That defeat not only took from him his championship belt, it also put a startling halt to what looked to be a prospective run towards mainstream recognition. Appearing on the cover of the Wheaties cereal box, his loss derailed any talk of pound for pound greatness, and one imagines he’ll be aiming to recapture that spark. A man plagued with injuries, Pettis feels like a forgotten name at 155lbs, and for someone with exceptional technique and flashy attacks, it’ll be interesting to see his attitude throughout the fight.
For Alvarez, a victory will cement what many were unsure of. If he belongs in the discussion when it comes to the elite of Lightweight. He lost to Donald Cerrone in his UFC debut, but bounced back with an impressive showing over Gilbert Melendez (who went on to fail a drug test post-fight).
Both men will be aiming for the victory, and the potential promise of a massive money fight with McGregor looms.
In the main event, we’re seeing Bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz face off. Cruz returns from perennial injuries in an attempt to win back the title he was never beaten for, while Dillashaw looks to cement his claim as the divisions best.
My colleague Casey Hodgin wrote about the fight at length here, and the fact we’re receiving this fight on free television is exceptional. It’s has the potential to be the most technical and interesting fight style-wise we’ve seen in UFC history.
This event has four exceptional bouts, and they’re all free. Watch it.
For odds for this fight card, check here.
