UFC 329 may be over, but the action in the Octagon does not stop.
It begins this coming Saturday, when former champions Dricus Du Plessis and Kamaru Usman meet at middleweight in Oklahoma’s first card since 2017. The week after that, former light heavyweight king Magomed Ankalaev looks to rebound against former challenger Khalil Rountree in Abu Dhabi.
Those cards, while light in star power, do boast some intriguing names who deserve more attention. Here are the three biggest of them.
Tyrell Fortune is one of many Bellator alums who have been trickling into the UFC in recent times. His short-notice debut against Marcin Tybura ended in a rather pedestrian decision win, although it was not without post-fight drama.
Cage announcer Bruce Buffer had initially declared Tybura the victor, only to realize his mistake late. By then, Fortune had left the Octagon and was heading towards the tunnel, so he had to be called back in for the correct verdict.
It was the second time Fortune had experienced drama not related to in-ring action in his combat sports career. Back in 2012, when he was still a collegiate wrestler, he had been declared dead after a particularly tough weight cut. only to a recover.
Now, Fortune hopes to have a more “normal” affair against Rizvan Kuniev, who was last seen banishing Jailton Almeida from the UFC. Hopefully, he has a more impressive showing this time around.
Earlier this year, Christian Leroy Duncan was mentiond as one of three fighters who might enter the rankings within the first quarter of this year. He did so by outworking veteran Roman Dolidze over three rounds in London in March.
Next up for “CLD” is an even bigger test: a co-main spot against Jared Cannonier. Despite being over 40 years of age, the former title challenger is still a wily and formidable threat, as Gregory Rodrigues found out the hard way. Beat him, and Duncan should anoint himself as someone to watch out for at 185.
The UFC’s women’s divisions are currently in a rough patch, with none of its champions having fought in the first half of the year. Nevertheless, there are still youngsters within the rankings who inspire hope for a resurgence.
One of them is Fatima Kline. Since returning from ten pounds north after her short-notice debut, she has been unstoppable. Victoria Dudakova and Melissa Martinez were cut from the promotion after being knocked out by her, then Angela Hill was outworked over three rounds.
This Saturday, Kline draws Tabatha Ricci, who replaces a dizzy Amanda Ribas. A win should propel her to the 115-pound top 10 and mark her as a contender on the rise.
After the 69-second farce that was UFC 329’s main event, fans cannot wait to wash away its bitter aftertaste with some underrated action.
Du Plessis is only 32, yet it feels as if he is already at a career crossroads. Beating Usman does nearly nothing for his title prospects, while a loss could signal the beginning of a stunning decline.
On the other hand, Ankalaev has seldom been seen as a company favorite, even when he was finishing the likes of Anthony Smith and Johnny Walker. It was telling that he was not one half of the light heavyweight title fight in April after Alex Pereira decided to pursue history. If he loses to a lesser contender like Rountree, it could put his tenure in jeopardy despite his high ranking.
That being said, hopefully a bizarre foul or unfortunate injury like what happened last Saturday does not befall any of those fighters…
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