UFC Nashville preview
Cory Sandhagen is looking to continue his good run, while Fob Font will want to build on the great win last time out against Adrian Yanez. Jessica Andrade will try to snap her losing streak, but are facing a tough task in Tatiana Suarez.
Cory Sandhagen and Rob Font will face off in the main event at UFC Nashville. While both of them normally fight at bantamweight, this will be held at a 140lbs catchweight because Sandhagen’s original opponent Umar Nurmagomedov had to pull out. In all honesty, I wasn’t really a fan of the Nurmagomedov matchup to start with, because although the Russian is undefeated and a phenomenal fighter, he hasn’t actually beat a ranked fighter yet and is still ranked at number 11. To then be matched up with the number 4 ranked bantamweight didn’t feel quite right, especially as Sandhagen is on a winning run. I don’t doubt that Umar is capable of winning against the top of the division, but he has to earn it first.
Rob Font is also likely a better matchup for Sandhagen, as he is basically a pure striker. Sandhagen is one of the best and most dynamic strikers in the bantamweight division, but we also saw last time out against Marlon Vera that he can use his wrestling really well. For Rob Font, it’s all about utilising that excellent jab of his, and give himself the best chance at using his boxing without taking too much risk. Although he lost against both José Aldo and Marlon Vera, he was on the front foot for a lot of those fights before getting caught and rocked/dropped. He is basically impossible to finish though, but his chin could again be a problem against such an awkward and dynamic striker as Sandhagen.
With a title fight between champion Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley going down in Boston later this month, this could very well land the winner in a good position to get a chance to take on the winner. Merab Dvalishvili is at the front of the queue, but won’t fight for the belt as long as his teammate is the champion. Sterling will probably move up to featherweight relatively soon though, so if there’s a vacant belt on the line, the winner here could very well stand on the opposite side of Merab. I think Sandhagen get this done, and although I think Sterling will retain his belt in Boston, I would absolutely love to see Sandhagen vs O’Malley in a 5 rounder for the title.
In the strawweight co-main, Tatiana Suarez is taking on another former champion Jessica Andrade. Suarez is undefeated, and one of the best female prospects in the UFC, while Jessica Andrade is currently on a two fight losing streak. She has already fought 3 times this year, starting the year off by dominating Lauren Murphy in Brazil before being stopped by Both Erin Blanchfield and Yan Xiaonan. Tatiana Suarez has been very unlucky with injuries in recent years, but bounced back with a good win against Montana De La Rosa, getting a second round guillotine. That is very impressive after a 4 year layoff, and even though that was at 125lbs she has her sights set on that strawweight title. A win against number 5 ranked Jessica Andrade would certainly put her in a good spot for a title eliminator next, but you can never count out the Brazilian.
At the same card as Sterling vs O’Malley, the strawweight title is also on the line. Champion Zhang Weili is taking on Amanda Lemos, and with Rose Namajunas having her next fight at flyweight there is one fewer title contender, at least in the short term. I still think the UFC missed a beat by not making Zhang Weili vs Yan Xiaonan (ideally in China), and while that could still happen, it wouldn’t surprise me if Suarez leapfrog Xiaonan if she were to win in Nashville. And I think she will win. Her wrestling is very, very good, and it wouldn’t surprise me if she was able to do exactly what Valentina Shevchenko did to Andrade on the ground. I see a ground and pound finish for Suarez and a title fight next.