The UFC bantamweight contender picture will gain some clarity Saturday night.
Marlon Moraes meets Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The card will take place at the Flash Forum on Yas Island, which the UFC has dubbed “Fight Island,” the promotion’s international home during the coronavirus pandemic.
Coming in, ESPN has Moraes ranked No. 2 in the world at bantamweight and Sandhagen at No. 6. The winner could be a future title contender.
Moraes (23-6-1) has won five of his past six fights, with the only loss in that time coming to Henry Cejudo in a bout for the then-vacant bantamweight title. Moraes, a 32-year-old Brazilian, is coming off a split-decision win over former featherweight champ Jose Aldo at UFC 245 last December. Moraes is the former World Series of Fighting bantamweight champion, and he already owns wins over UFC bantamweight contenders Aljamain Sterling and Jimmie Rivera.
Sandhagen (12-2) lost for the first time during his UFC run at UFC 250 in June, a submission defeat to Sterling. Sandhagen, a Colorado resident, was on a seven-fight winning streak prior to that. The 28-year-old is thought to be a future star in the division, with precision striking and unorthodox footwork somewhat reminiscent of former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.
In the co-main event Saturday, Edson Barboza and Makwan Amirkhani meet in a clash of featherweights. Barboza (20-9), a 34-year-old Brazilian, has lost five of six. Amirkhani (16-4), a 31-year-old from Finland, has won three of four.
Also on the card, Ben Rothwell meets Marcin Tybura in a heavyweight battle; Markus Perez faces South African prospect Dricus Du Plessis at middleweight; and Youssef Zalal tries to win his fourth UFC fight of the year, against Ilia Topuria in a featherweight bout.
Still to come:
Men’s bantamweight: Marlon Moraes (23-6-1, 5-2 UFC, +120) vs. Cory Sandhagen (12-2, 5-1 UFC, -140)
Men’s featherweight: Edson Barboza (20-9, 14-9 UFC, -260) vs. Makwan Amirkhani (16-4, 6-2 UFC, +220)
Heavyweight: Ben Rothwell (38-12, 8-6 UFC, -150) vs. Marcin Tybura (19-6, 6-5 UFC, +130)
Middleweight: Markus Perez (12-3, 2-3 UFC, +140) vs. Dricus Du Plessis (14-2, 0-0 UFC, -160)
Heavyweight: Tom Aspinall (8-2, 1-0 UFC, -625) vs. Alan Baudot (8-1, 0-0 UFC, +450)
Men’s featherweight: Youssef Zalal (10-2, 3-0 UFC, -160) vs. llia Topuria (8-0, 0-0 UFC, +130)
Middleweight: Tom Breese (11-2, 4-2 UFC, -250) vs. KB Bhullar (8-0, 0-0 UFC, +210)
Heavyweight: Chris Daukaus (9-3, 1-0 UFC, +230) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (8-0, 1-0 UFC, -270)
Middleweight: Impa Kasanganay (8-0, 1-0 UFC, -240) vs. Joaquin Buckley (10-3, 0-1 UFC, +200)
Men’s bantamweight: Ali AlQaisi (8-4, 0-1 UFC, +185) vs. Tony Kelley (6-2, 0-1 UFC, -220)
Men’s featherweight: Giga Chikadze (10-2, 3-0 UFC, +125) vs. Omar Morales (10-0, 2-0 UFC, -145)
Women’s bantamweight: Tracy Cortez (7-1, 1-0 UFC, -190) vs. Stephanie Egger (5-1, 0-0 UFC, +170)
Men’s flyweight: Bruno Silva (10-4-2, 0-0 UFC, +345) vs. Tagir Ulanbekov (10-1, 0 -0 UFC, -425)