Gunnar Nelson and Santiago Ponzinibbio are two of the most intriguing fighters in the welterweight division, but for different reasons. Nelson is a technical wizard whose unique style is always compelling to watch. Ponzinibbio is more visceral in his attack, and he’s always down for a sweat and blood flying slugfest. In short, you need to watch this one on Sunday, because it’s likely that something memorable will happen.
It’s crazy to think that Cynthia Calvillo has fought her entire pro career in the space of 11 months, and now she’s in this weekend’s co-main event against Joanne Calderwood. And while Calderwood has the experience and the home field advantage in Scotland, the result of this fight may come down to whether all this fighting has burned Calvillo out, or if she’s using this momentum as fuel to pick up her third UFC victory of 2017.
Another member of the Scottish contingent representing their country in Glasgow is Stevie Ray, and “Braveheart” has shown off plenty of grit along with talent in his last two wins over Ross Pearson and Joe Lauzon. Paul Felder is another tough test for the Fife native, and while they’re evenly matched in a lot of ways, Felder’s superior power could decide things if he can land the right shots at the right time.
If you didn’t know who Jack Marshman was before his UFC debut win over Magnus Cedenblad last November, you probably became an instant fan after his gritty and exciting Performance of the Night win. Things didn’t work out for “The Hammer” in February against Thiago Santos, but he can get back on track if he can get by underrated Canadian Ryan Janes.
Despite his recent loss to Tyson Pedro, Paul Craig is still considered to be one of the top prospects in the light heavyweight division, and he gets to remind people of that notion at home in Scotland. His opponent, Khalil Rountree Jr. also has a high upside in the sport, but Craig’s home field advantage and ground game may be too much for the former TUF finalist.
At 6-1 and 5-10, respectively, Justin Willis and James Mulheron aren’t huge heavyweights by any means, but with nine of their combined 15 wins coming by knockout, these newcomers pack a punch. England’s Mulheron has more MMA experience, but Willis trains with the killers at AKA in San Jose, so this is as evenly matched as you can get.
Danny Roberts has shown off a lot in three UFC bouts, and despite a loss in his last one against Mike Perry last October, there’s a lot of upside for the Brit, who gets to return to Europe for a bout with Bobby Nash, a tough customer who will be pushing Roberts all the way once the Octagon door closes.
The MMA world says goodbye to Neil Seery on Sunday, as the Irish veteran has decided to retire after this weekend’s bout. In typical Seery style, he took on the toughest challenge possible in Alexandre Pantoja, and while the Brazilian prospect has to be favored here, remember that Seery has never been blown out of a fight in the UFC. So if he’s in the fight, he has every chance to win it and leave the Octagon for the last time with a performance to remember.
Newcomer Galore Bofando is a bit of a mystery man coming into this weekend’s bout with Charlie Ward, but he’s known as a pretty prolific striker, so it should be a fun fight to watch against SBG’s Ward, who likes to keep it standing as well.
A late addition to the card, newcomers Danny Henry and Daniel Teymur will throw down in a lightweight bout. Henry is a local favorite who made his name in South Africa, of all places, where he was a two-time champion in that country’s biggest promotion, EFC. Teymur is the older brother of UFC vet David Teymur, and his 6-0 record is as perfect as you can get it, as he’s finished all six wins in the first round.
After losing a March bout with Ian Entwistle on the day of the fight, Brett Johns has called his training camp for this fight in Glasgow a 28-week one. And he even lost his original foe on Sunday when Mitch Gagnon fell out. Thankfully, Albert Morales stepped in to face the Welshman, and this should be a good scrap between two promising bantamweights.
Octagon newcomer Amanda Lemos is unbeaten and a knockout artist who likes to throw hard. Match her up with Leslie Smith and we will likely get a Leslie Smith fight. In other words, make sure you’re tuned in for this one, because it will surely be in the running for Fight of the Night honors.
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