UFC 292 was a pretty boring card to watch. Aside from a few finishes, many fights went to judges’ scorecards or decisions. There were so many technical fights. We’ve seen a huge upset in the main event of the evening, where Sean O’Malley destroyed Aljamain Sterling to win the bantamweight belt via amazing stoppage in the second round.
UFC Fight Night 225 Rewards
Surprisingly, Dana White gave the Performance of the Night award to Weili Zhang, who defended her 115-pound strap against Amanda Lemos in the co-main event of the evening. Weili didn’t finish Lemos, the Brazilian fighter’s chin was amazing.
The Second POTN award was given to Sean O’Malley, who dethroned Aljamain Sterling with a massive right-hand counter and a barrage of strikes on the ground.
The winners of the Fight of the Night award are Cody Gibson and Brad Katona. The TUF bantamweight finalists took part in the great all-around three-round bout, which impressed the UFC head honcho Dana White. Katona won the preliminary card combat via unanimous decision.
UFC Fight Night 225 Announcement
The Boston’s card was a bit disappointing, but no worries, let’s focus on the next weekend. The promotion travels across the ocean for an event in Singapore. It kicks off pretty early for the USA and Latin America fans (5 AM ET), but many newcomers are willing to prove their skills to the UFC officials.
The main event of the evening looks pretty fun – the former UFC featherweight king Max Holloway, known for his tremendous boxing, will try to square off against very tough Korean mixed martial artist Chan Sung Jung, also known as “The Korean Zombie”.
Holloway is known for his tremendous punches and strikes, while Chan Sung Jung is known for his amazing chin and excellent combos, and level changes. This should be a lovely fight. Holloway gets the advantage, but this battle might advance into the championship rounds.
Prediction: Holloway to win
The co-main is fun too – the rematch between Anthony Smith and Ryan Spann looks so great. Last time, Smith dragged the combat to the ground and destroyed Spann via a rear-naked choke. Smith is not known for big punches and finishing abilities, but he can take a beating, and he’s got a BJJ black belt. Spann is a one-punch knockout artist, he’ll try to destroy his opponent in the first round. But if the battle advances in round 2, Spann’s cardio might be his greatest enemy.
Prediction: the fight will not go the distance
UFC Fight Night 225 Full Fight Card
Please take a look at the upcoming UFC fight card below. There are many low-tier names, but no worries, they are always willing to battle and engage.
Main Card (UFC On Fight Pass, ESPN+, 8 AM ET, 1 PM UK time)
Featherweight (145 pounds): Max Holloway (24-7-0) vs. Chan Sung Jung (17-7-0)
Light Heavyweight (205 pounds): Anthony Smith (36-18-0) vs. Ryan Spann (21-8-0)
Featherweight (145 pounds): Giga Chikadze (14-3-0) vs. Alex Caceres (21-13-0)
Bantamweight (135 pounds): Rinya Nakamura (7-0-0) vs. Fernie Garcia (10-3-0)
Flyweight (125 pounds): Erin Blanchfield (11-1-0) vs. Taila Santos (19-2-0)
Heavyweight (265 pounds): Junior Tafa (4-1-0) vs. Parker Porter (14-8-0)
Main Card (UFC On Fight Pass, ESPN+, 5 AM ET, 10 AM UK time)
Heavyweight (265 pounds): Waldo Cortes-Acosta (9-1-0) vs. Łukasz Brzeski (8-3-1)
Bantamweight (135 pounds): Toshiomi Kazama (10-3-0) vs. Garrett Armfield (8-3-0)
Middleweight (185 pounds): Chidi Njokuani (22-9-0) vs. Michał Oleksiejczuk (18-6-0)
Welterweight (170 pounds): Kenan Song (19-7-0) vs. Rolando Bedoya (14-2-0)
Welterweight (170 pounds): Yusaku Kinoshita (6-2-0) vs. Billy Goff (8-2-0)
Flyweight (125 pounds): Na Liang (19-6-0) vs. JJ Aldrich (11-6-0)
Featherweight (145 pounds): Seung Woo Choi (10-6-0) vs. Jarno Errens (13-4-1)
Seung Woo Choi is a Muay Thai specialist, but Errens can take a beating, so this battle could easily advance into round 3. Na Liang likes long wars, while JJ Aldrich rarely goes for the finish, so this combat might easily go the distance. JJ Aldrich is a more technical Octagon warrior, so she might out-edge the Chinese competitor in a three-round war.
Yusaku Kinoshita and Billy Goff are both aggressive fighters, they like to brawl and trade toe-to-toe strikes – this fight might end before the final bell. Kenan Song is past his prime, while Rolando Bedoya is one of the most technical fighters nowadays. The Peruvian should get the edge here.
Chidi Njokuani vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk is the combat between two stand-up experts and a big candidate for the Fight of the Night award. Toshiomi Kazama will try to drag the combat to the ground, but Garett Armfield has an excellent takedown defense, so this bout might be so unpredictable. Waldo-Cortes Acosta transitioned to a technical fighter, so his battle against Lukasz Brzeski could last for 15 minutes.
Junior Tafa and Parker Porter are amazing strikers, known for their knockout abilities. Tafa’s kickboxing strikes are very dangerous, while Porter knows to counter and engage inside the pocket. This might not go the distance. The winner of Erin Blanchfield vs Taila Santos might get a chance to fight for the 125-pound belt, so you can call this one a title eliminator combat. Both chicks will try to finish, you’ll enjoy this one.
Rinya Nakamura is a wrestling expert, while Garcia hits very hard in the stand-up. This is a clash of styles, and it could be pretty much fun to watch. Giga Chikadze and Alex Caceres are very technical strikers, known for long wars, footwork, and amazing level changes. This one could easily advance into round 3, but it is also a Fight of the Night candidate. The UFC loves good stand-up wars, fans will enjoy this one.
UFC Fight Night 225 Predictions
Check my full fight card predictions in the playlist below.
Yes, this card starts a bit early for European and USA fans, but you should watch it. Sit next to your PC/TV at 5 PM ET, wake up, and give this card a shot – many newcomers are willing to prove their skills and climb to the top of their divisions!
