Don’t forget about UFC Fight Night: Oklahoma City going down Sunday on FS 1! The main event features a fantastic lightweight match up between two rivals. BJ Penn is also fighting on the card. It may be overlooked by Bellator 180, but UFC Fight Night: Oklahoma City should be fun.
UFC Fight Night: Oklahoma City Preview
Michael Chiesa vs Kevin Lee
These two fighters do NOT like each other. We all saw this when the two engaged in an on-stage scuffle at the UFC Summer Kickoff Press Conference. If that is any indication of what the fight will be like – then I’m tuning in!
On a side note, Chiesa and Lee are two dark horses in the stacked 155 lb division. Unfortunately there’s not a whole lot happening. Conor McGregor is sitting on the throne while he prepares for his Floyd Mayweather match. Khabib Nurmagomedov is MIA due to Ramadan. Tony Ferguson is trying to snag a fight with Nate Diaz, but Diaz is MIA and only interested in a McGregor rubber match. Edson Barboza is also up there. The winner of Chiesa/Lee should arguably be right up there with everyone else. Oh, and don’t forget about “Ragin” Al Iaquinta!
Chiesa has been out of action for quite a while, but he’s on a 3-fight win streak. Most recently he submitted Beneil Dariush via rear-naked choke in April of 2016. Meanwhile, Kevin Lee is on a 4-fight win streak with a recent submission over Francisco Trinaldo last March.
Stylistically, the two match up very well. Chiesa is perhaps one of the largest men in the lightweight division, so any time he can get on top of his opponent he becomes an instant threat. His striking his perhaps his biggest weakness, as he is quite hittable, but if he’s shown anything it’s that he’s very durable.
Lee is rather similar in that he prioritizes grappling and top control. However, Lee is a must better athlete – expect him to be the faster, quicker fighter while Chiesa is much longer and bigger. Ultimately, expect a lot of heated exchanges mixed with fast-paced scrambles.
Johny Hendricks vs Tim Boetsch
In the middleweight division, Johny Hendricks will take on “The Barbarian” Tim Boetsch. This is a very intriguing fight because of where Hendricks and Boetsch are at in their careers. It’s no secret they’re both far removed from any sort of title contention , but they can still compete in fun exciting fights.
Hendricks at one point was the #1 welterweight on the planet after Georges St. Pierre left the sport. Since then, he has fallen from the ranks. He lost the belt, then went 1-3. Eventually, he was forced up to middleweight following consistent issues with his weight. There, he defeated Hector Lombard and is now surging for his first winning streak since 2013. Hendricks still possesses some skilled boxing despite having a very short frame for the division. You also can’t forget about his insane wrestling credentials.
His opponent, Boetsch, is a long-time veteran of the game. He first debuted in the UFC back in 2008. Boetsch picked up some quality wins along the way, but has always stayed as a gate-keeper. He will once again play that role in this fight. “The Barbian” is not a very pretty fighter to watch, but he’s ruthless, tough, and very violent. He is also massive for the division which means Hendricks will have to resort to more of a tactical approach than physical. Should be quite interesting!
BJ Penn vs Dennis Siver
For some reason, BJ Penn just doesn’t want to give it up. After several failed returns, BJ will look for his first win in roughly 7 years. That’s pretty brutal. However, most of that can be chalked up to the level of competition he was pit against. Fighters like Yair Rodriguez, Frankie Edgar, and Rory MacDonald are just another class above him. In this fight, Dennis Siver represents a much more beatable opponent for Penn.
That being said, this is no gimme fight. Siver is a craft striker with powerful kicks and knockout power. He may be aged and slowing down, but it’s hard to find a fighter more aged than BJ Penn.
At the end of the day, this won’t be an eye-opening fight. Your heart wants BJ Penn to win just to see him get his hand raised, but Dennis Siver likely has this in the bag.
Tim Means vs Alex Garcia
“The Dirty Bird” returns to action this Sunday as well! For those who don’t know, Tim Means is one of those fighters who you never want to miss. He’s violent, skillful, and very aggresive whether it’s on his feet, in the clinch, or on the ground. He’s facing off against Cuban talent Alex Garcia who KO’d Mike Swick at the end of the year.
This is a great stylistic match up between a rangy woodchipper (Means) and stocky powerhouse (Garcia). Wherever the fight goes, expect there to be lots of back-and-forth exchanges. Ultimately, I have to expect we’ll see Means’ elbows in full display. Garcia will try to close the distance and score takedowns, but Means is so dangerous on the inside.
Also on the card
Above are just the fights I’m most excited about. UFC Fight Night: Oklahoma City will also feature Justine Kish vs Felice Herrig. These are two exciting women strawweights who are on good win streaks; in fact, Kish is a perfect 6-0.
And how can you miss Clay Guida vs Erik Koch? These are two very fun fighters who are at the tail end of their career. Koch has been so inactive lately, which is terrible due to how talented he is. Guida on the other hand just hasn’t been able to get his hand raised much as he’s 2-4 in his last 6.
The first ever women’s strawweight champ Carla Esparza will also return to face Polish fighter Maryna Moroz.
Be sure to check out UFC Fight Night: Oklahoma City this Sunday!
