Fighters On The Rise | UFC Fight Night: Garcia vs Onama

A big part of what makes the Croatian heavyweight such a fascinating addition to the big boy ranks is that he’s 35 years old and 32 fights into his professional career. He’s a fully formed, well-rounded, seasoned fighter, and it’s a little easier to get an accurate read on where folks like that could potentially fit in each division because there are fewer questions about their skills and abilities. It’s why everyone rightfully got excited about Kayla Harrison and Reinier de Ridder coming over, as well as the Bellator crew, even though things haven’t necessarily gone as planned for them yet.

Delija flashed quick and powerful hands in his 123-second drubbing of Tybura, closing the distance and putting his paws on the Polish veteran with the kind of urgency that ups the ante each time he steps into the Octagon. It’s the same way that his training partner and friend, heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, approaches things when he’s got people backing up and/or hurt: quick recognition, all-out assault to secure the finish.

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This weekend, he makes his sophomore appearance in a crucial clash with Waldo Cortes Acosta, who sits at No. 6 in the rankings and is looking to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to Sergei Pavlovich last time out. The Dominican Dana White’s Contender Series grad is 7-2 inside the Octagon, including a knockout win over Ryan Spann and a solid victory on the scorecards against Serghei Spivac, and has continued to improve over the course of his UFC tenure. Sure, he stumbled last time out, but only a select few have bested Pavlovich thus far, and it will likely have provided some valuable insights into what “Salsa Boy” needed to work on to possibly crack the Top 5 in the future.

Just as the fight with Tybura was an instant measuring stick moment for Delija, so too is Saturday’s co-main event assignment against Cortes Acosta. With things at the top of the division paused at the moment, a second consecutive standout effort could put the UFC newcomer on the doorstep of the Top 5 and facing someone living in that house next time out, which is a pretty sweet place to be after just two fights… if he can get there.

Allan Nascimento

Nascimento has made four UFC appearances and had seven matchups go by the boards for one reason or another, and that feels like a perfect indicator of why the talented Brazilian flyweight remains a little under the radar heading into his matchup with Cody Durden this weekend in Las Vegas.

The Chute Boxe Diego Lima representative lost his debut by debated split decision to Top 15 staple Tagir Ulanbekov, and his since put together a three-fight winning streak, with victories over Jake Hadley, Carlos Hernandez, and Jafel Filho. Beating that triumvirate of DWCS grads had Nascimento lined up to face a fourth this weekend — and his first ranked opponent since Ulanbekov — but Rafael Estevam was forced to withdraw and subsequently replaced by Durden, who is a pretty strong substitute, all things considered.

Much like Delija, part of what makes Nascimento an interesting fighter to watch this weekend and track going forward is that he, too, is a capital P Professional. He has solid hands and excellent jiu jitsu, is technically sound and defensively responsible, and is going to deliver a quality fight every time out, regardless of who he’s in there with. We see fighters like that go on runs in their respective divisions all the time, and Nascimento is quietly on one now, with the skills to continue extending it if he can stay active and land the right opportunities.

This weekend’s clash with Durden is a chance to face another veteran stalwart who is going to be hungrier and more aggressive than an unfed dog left chained up in the yard for too long, given that he’s lost two straight and four of his last five after briefly breaking into the rankings. A fourth straight win for “Puro Osso” should put him in a position to either carry a number next to his name or fight someone that does next time out.

Norma Dumont