UFC Fight Night: Luque vs. Dos Anjos
Vicente Luque cracks Mike Perry with a left hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.
This weekend, two well-rounded Welterweights square off in the octagon. Preceding them is a main card packed with future contenders and consistent finishers. Let’s take a look at this weekend’s main card.
Josh Fremd vs. Jamie Pickett
Josh Fremd submits Sedriques Dumas with a guillotine choke. Credit: Zuffa LLC.
Middleweight Bout
Josh Fremd: 10-4-0, 4 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.
Jamie Pickett: 13-9-0, 9 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.
Fremd has won three of his last five bouts, with his sole UFC victory coming over Sedriques Dumas (8-1-0). He is a patient boxer who fights behind his jab and picks his shots. He has heavy kicks but often throws them naked, not typically putting them in combinations. Training at FactoryX Muay Thai, Fremd’s best weapon is his left hand, often damaging his opponent with jabs and lead hooks. While he fights at a relatively slow pace, he does pick up his volume and urgency as the fight goes on, making him more dangerous the longer a fight goes for. He is willing to grapple and has solid offensive wrestling, able to land takedowns in open space and along the fence. Fremd isn’t too aggressive on top, focusing on advancing his position instead of doing much damage. He has the power to finish a fight, but his tendency to throw single shots often works against him.
Jamie Pickett blasts Joe Holmes with a left hand. Credit: Cageside Press.
Pickett has victories in two of his last five bouts, with his UFC victories coming over Joseph Holmes (8-4-0) and Laureano Staropoli (12-5-0). He often comes out slow, taking time to find his range and timing before engaging. He primarily throws straights, usually only throwing hooks when he’s in the pocket, and often blitzes forward with big combinations. Pickett has solid cardio, picking up the pace in the later stages of the fight when his opponent begins to fade. He is willing to grapple but mainly seems to do so when he’s losing the striking battle and is more than keen to clinch against the cage for long periods. Training at Port City Sports Performance, he is a lengthy striker who’s at his best when controlling the center of the octagon and using his reach. “The Night Wolf” has a solid arsenal of kicks, particularly at range, but favors his hands more, often throwing out naked kicks with no setup.
A.J. Dobson vs. Tafon Nchukwi
A.J. Dobson lands a right hand on Jacob Malkoun. Credit: Zuffa LLC.
Middleweight Bout
AJ Dobson: 6-2-0, 3 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.
Tafon Nchukwi: 6-3-0, 4 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.
Dobson has won three of his last five fights with a win on Dana White’s Contender Series over Hashem Arkhagha (6-1-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter who comes out guns blazing, often exchanging strikes on the inside or shooting for a takedown at the start. On the feet, he has a very upright stance and throws a lot of single shots with good power and speed in his hands. Dobson remains technical across the fight, keeping his shots straight and tight and using his length well. His best route to victory is through his wrestling, currently holding 80% takedown accuracy in the UFC and wild, heavy ground and pound. He has excellent top control and is very urgent on top, constantly pursuing a finish. Dobson has good cardio and can push a heavy pace across 15 minutes.
Tafon Nchukwi lands a body kick on Azamat Murzakanov. Credit: Doc’s Sports
Nchukwi has wins in two of his last five outings, with UFC victories over Mike Rodriguez (12-7-0) and Jamie Pickett (13-9-0). He’s an explosive, powerful striker who throws every shot with fight-ending intentions. He won’t spend much time at range, landing most of his damage with punches on the inside. Nchukwi has serious power in both hands and constantly throws bombs, supplying his opponent with a steady dose of hooks. He’s extremely dangerous in the clinch, able to land damage and generate significant power from in close. He also has solid wrestling and great takedowns, typically landing devastating ground and pound when on top. Nchukwi has fought at both Middleweight and Light Heavyweight in the UFC, showing that his power translates to both divisions.
Polyana Viana vs. Iasmin Lucindo
Polyana Viana locks in a submission on Mallory Martin. Credit: ESPN.
Women’s Strawweight Bout
Polyana Viana: 13-5-0, 5 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.
Iasmin Lucindo: 14-5-0, 8 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.
Viana has won three of her last five fights and has UFC victories over Jinh Yu Frey (11-9-0), Mallory Martin (7-5-0), and Emily Whitmire (4-5-0). She’s at her most dangerous early on and has scored four first-round finishes in her promotional tenure. She’s a bit flat-footed on the feet but has solid power, speed, and a devastating right straight. Viana throws everything in combination and is willing to engage on the inside. She has a hazardous submission game and is very comfortable off her back, often finding submissions when taken down by her opponent. She transitions extremely quickly and never telegraphs her moves, seemingly finding submissions out of thin air. Viana constantly pursues a finish on the ground and often throws vicious elbows until securing a submission.
Iasmin Lucindo lands a right hand on Yazmin Jauregui. Credit: Zuffa LLC.
Lucindo has victories in four of her last five appearances, with her lone UFC victory coming over Brogan Walker (8-4-0). She’s an aggressive striker, always coming forward, pursuing a knockout. She’s very dangerous on the inside and is willing to eat one to land one, often tending to headhunt. Lucindo throws everything in combination and with brutal power, dealing out most of her damage with her punches. She went professional at 14, making her impressively experienced for a 21-year-old. While she’s at her best holding the center and controlling the pace, she has grappling abilities and a solid takedown game. Although primarily a boxer, Lucindo sometimes gets flashy, throwing spinning kicks and backfists.
#13 (LHW) Khalil Rountree Jr. vs. #14 (HW) Chris Daukaus
Khalil Rountree Jr. throws a jab at Karl Roberson. Credit: MyMMANews
Light Heavyweight Bout
Khalil Rountree Jr.: 12-5-0, 8 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.
Chris Daukaus: 12-6-0, 11 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.
Rountree has won three of his last five outings and has victories over #15 ranked Light Heavyweight Dustin Jacoby (19-7-1), Eryk Anders (15-8-0), and Modestas Bukauskas (15-5-0). He scored the only oblique kick finish in UFC history when he obliterated Bukauskas’ knee in 2021. He has a background in Muay Thai, but his best weapons are his hands. Rountree will regularly explode forward, swinging massive looping hooks and throwing every shot with fight-ending intentions. Training at Syndicate MMA, he can fight a slower, more technical fight despite his tendency to get wild, but he can gas himself out sometimes in his search for a finish. He’s at his best early on in a fight and when he can control the center of the octagon, using his forward pressure and crazy power to damage his opponents. Rountree has never landed a takedown in the UFC and rarely initiates grappling exchanges.
Chris Daukaus rocks Shamil Abdurakhimov with a hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Daukaus has victories in two of his last five fights and holds wins over Shamil Abdurakhimov (20-8-0), Aleksei Oleinik (60-17-1), and Rodrigo Nascimento (10-1-0). Training out of Martinez BJJ, he possesses excellent speed for a heavyweight, using his crisp boxing to overwhelm his opponents with volume and power. He rarely takes the fight to the mat but possesses solid clinch work, a black belt in BJJ, and good defensive wrestling. Daukaus, unlike many heavyweights, relies on his output instead of his strength to get finishes. He throws everything in combination and is constantly coming forward, looking for a finish. He won’t throw many kicks, often spending much of his cage-time fighting in a phone booth. Daukaus is willing to eat one to land one and loves to brawl, but this hasn’t been the best strategy lately, with three KO losses in his last three fights.
Cub Swanson vs. Hakeem Dawodu
Cub Swanson lands ground and pound on Daniel Pineda. Credit: ESPN.
Featherweight Bout
Cub Swanson: 28-13-0, 13 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.
Hakeem Dawodu: 13-3-1, 7 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.
Cub Swanson comes into this fight with three wins in his last five fights, with notable victories over #1 ranked Lightweight Charles Oliveira (32-8-0), #3 ranked Lightweight Dustin Poirier (28-7-0), and Darren Elkins (28-11-0). Training at Joel Diaz Training Camp, he is a UFC mainstay supplying fans with exciting fights for nearly two decades. He’s an excellent striker known for throwing thunderous, looping hooks, devastating leg kicks, and constant forward motion. Swanson will often charge forward to throw big combos, mainly hooks, and straights, but also has a great kicking game and will throw various attacks with his legs. “Killer” Cub also has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and will occasionally mix in wrestling, but he has been submitted seven times in his career and will mostly keep the fight standing.
Hakeem Dawodu lands a body kick on Zubaira Tukhugov. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Dawodu has won three of his last five bouts, with his best wins coming over Michael Trizano (11-3-0), Zubaira Tukhugov (20-6-1), and Julio Arce (18-6-0). He is an excellent counter-striker, utilizing a sharp kickboxing style to damage his opponents. He does a great job mixing up his strikes, evenly attacking the head, legs, and body with various punches and kicks. Training at Champion’s Creed MMA, Dawodu possesses one of the more impressive kicking arsenals I’ve seen, particularly with his low kicks, attacking from different angles to deal severe damage to the legs and body. He occasionally throws flashy attacks, but he has excellent fundamentals and keeps his striking technical throughout the entire fight. “Mean” has struggled on the ground in the past, getting taken down nine times by Movsar Evloev (17-0-0), and has no interest in taking the fight to the mat, only clinching when he’s hurt.
#10 (WW) Vicente Luque vs. #9 (LW) Rafael Dos Anjos
Vicente Luque submits Tyron Woodley. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Welterweight Bout
Vicente Luque: 21-9-1, 11 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.
Rafael Dos Anjos: 32-14-0, 5 KO/TKO, 11 Sub.
Luque has found victory in three of his last five bouts and holds wins over former UFC Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley (19-7-1), #3 ranked Welterweight Belal Muhammad (23-3-0), and #12 ranked Lightweight Jalin Turner (13-7-0). He is a heavy-handed striker who throws everything with power while remaining accurate. He fights behind his jab and throws everything with purpose, never telegraphing shots or wasting energy. Luque has excellent low kicks and does a great job mixing them into combinations. He’s able to lead the dance or counter strike but loves to brawl and will eat a shot to land one. He holds black belts in BJJ and Luta Livre and has extremely dangerous chokes. Although Luque won’t often chase takedowns, he regularly finds himself in top position due to knockdowns.
Rafael Dos Anjos lands an elbow on Renato Moicano. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Dos Anjos has won three of his last five fights and has wins over former UFC Welterweight champion Robbie Lawler (30-16-0) and former UFC Lightweight champions Anthony Pettis (25-14-0) and Benson Henderson (30-12-0). A former UFC Lightweight champion himself, he has been in the UFC since 2008 and is one of the most experienced veterans in the sport. He has heavy hands and kicks on the feet and is constantly pressuring forward. Dos Anjos is very technical and accurate and often uses his striking to set up his grappling. Averaging about two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes, he has excellent timing and usually gets his opponent to the mat in open space. He has fantastic top control and excellent ground and pound, never putting himself in bad spots and always choosing position over submission. Dos Anjos is a 4th-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with excellent cardio, making him always dangerous, no matter where the fight goes.
Best Bets
Khalil Rountree Jr. by KO: Rountree Jr. is one of the most vicious strikers in the entire 205-pound division, and with Daukaus moving down in weight, this could be a real problem for him. Not to mention, Daukaus is coming off three straight KO losses and facing yet another powerful striker.
AJ Dobson Moneyline (+125): Despite a rough start in the UFC, Dobson has serious potential. He’s lengthy and well-rounded, able to present issues for his opponents on the feet and on the ground. I think he could blow through Nchukwi, but he’ll need to use his wrestling to do so.
Vicente Luque Moneyline (+105): Calling this a best bet is probably silly, but I love Luque and I can’t pick against him here. RDA is a true legend and deserves the respect he receives, but his bout with Rafael Fiziev showed he can be outstruck still and I think Luque has the ability to do that. I also think Luque’s grappling abilities are slept on, and if RDA gets lazy with his takedowns, he could find himself getting choked out.
