Breakdown: UFC FN Prelims

Breakdown: UFC FN Prelims

 

            Before the main card starts on Fox, Fox Sports 1 will air UFC Fight Night Prelims starting at 5PM ET. Fight Pass subscribers can view even more prelims, to start streaming at 3:30. The FS-1 card’s main event, between #11 Tarec Saffiedine and Jake Ellenberger, will take place in the Welterweight Division.

Saffiedine saw a five fight win streak come to an end in his last fight, a third round TKO by Rory MacDonald (10/4/14). The twenty-nine year old Belgian is 15-4 in his career with 5 wins by submission.

Jake “Juggernaut” Ellenberger is 30-10 with 18 KO, 6 Sub and 6 Dec wins. Ellenberger’s recent bouts have come against the WW division’s best and Jake has had a rough run, just 1-4 in his last five. At TUF Finale on July 12, 2015 he got caught by, two of “Wonderboy’s” spinning kicks. The second ended his night at 4:24 in the first round.

2 Lightweights, Each Have 6 Submission Wins       

          Olivier Aubin Mercier is 7-1, his only loss came at TUF Nations Finale VS Chad Laprise at 170 pounds. “The Quebec Kid” has won three since in LW division, including two Subs and most recently, Unanimous Decision over Tony Sims (8/23/15). He takes on Carlos Diego Ferreira (in the battle of three named men).

Ferreira is 2-2 in the UFC, his last two, the only losses of his career. Last April he was KO’d by Red Hot, Dustin Poirier (1^st 3:45). Prior to the losses he finished a pair of TUF Alumni: Ramsey Nijem by 2^nd round TKO (8/30/14) and Colton Smith by RNC in the first thirty-eight seconds of the fight (6/26/14).

Middleweights

            Rafael “Sapo” Natal is the #15 ranked MW in the UFC. He holds three straight, decision wins in the division: Uriah Hall SD 5/23/15, Tom Watson UD 1/31/15 and Chris Camozzi SD 9/5/14. The thirty-three year old is 20-6-1 and takes on Kevin Casey.

At 9-3-2 with 3 KO, 3 Sub and 3 Dec wins Casey’s Record is pretty balanced. His last fight ended by accidental eye poke VS Antonio Carlos Jr. in eleven seconds, last December. It’s also worth noting, Casey’s UFC 175 TKO win over Bubba Bush was later overturned by the Nevada Athletic Commission because a post-fight drug test came back positive for anabolic steroid: drostanolone (used in cutting phases by body builders).

Two Ranked Flyweights

            Dustin Ortiz is entering his seventh fight with the UFC, he is 4-2 so far. The #9’s last fight was a third round TKO over Willie Gates (2:58, 8/8/15). He takes on #12 Wilson Reis. Reis is 7-2 in his last 9 and 19-6 on his career with 9 Sub wins. The winner should advance up the rankings toward Flyweight Champion and #2 pound for pound, Demetrious Johnson.