The UFC is headed back into the City of Brotherly Love later this month, and a few fights are added on short notice. UFC on ESPN two happens March 30 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, along with my initial thoughts on these new bouts are below.
Kevin Holland vs. Gerald Meerschaert, UFC on ESPN 2 Middleweights Kevin Holland Gerald Meerschaert are set to battle at UFC on ESPN 2 in what should be a fun fight for the fans. The Philly Voice broke the news. Holland (13-4) fell a decision to Thiago Santos in his UFC debut but rebounded nicely with a submission win over John Phillips. In general, he’s won five of the last six fights. Meerschaert (28-10) is 4-2 in the UFC but is coming from a entry loss to Jack Hermansson. Both Holland and Meerschaert are very underrated and exciting fighters at middleweight, but given Holland’s childhood and physiological benefits in this particular fight, I’d make him the favorite here.
Ray Borg vs. Kyler Phillips, UFC on ESPN two Due to an accident to Pingyuan Liu, Ray Borg now meets short-notice replacement opponent Kyler Phillips at a bantamweight bout. Borg (11-3) is 5-3 overall in the UFC but has not fought since a submission reduction to Demetrious Johnson at October 2017. He has dealt with a lot in his young career and hopefully he could put the past behind him. Phillips (6-1) is making his UFC debut after picking up a head kick KO in LFA just a few weeks ago. He is a veteran of the Contender Series and seems like a very promising prospect, but he lacks the UFC encounter that Borg has. I believe Phillips has a opportunity to win this fight, but you still must prefer Borg.
Alex Perez vs. Mark de la Rosa, UFC on ESPN two Moving upward from flyweight into bantamweight is Alex Perez, and he will take on Mark de la Rosa. Perez (21-5) won his first three UFC fights before getting knocked out by Joseph Benavidez in his final outing. Prior to that, he was riding an eight-fight win series. De la Rosa (11-1) is 2-1 at the UFC and his wife Montana de la Rosa is having a lot of success in the Octagon, but the truth he fought in a narrow split decision win over Joby Sanchez was troubling. Like most bantamweight bouts, this should be competitive, but I would still prefer Perez to receive his hands raised.
John Makdessi vs. Jesus Pinedo, UFC Fight Night 148
Due to injuries to Chris Gruetzemacher and Nasrat Haqparast, their first rivals John Makdessi and Jesus Pinedo will now fight at UFC Fight Night 148, taking place March 23 in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Considering both guys are lightweights who just lost their competitions, this was the way to maintain both guys on the card. Makdessi (16-6) is 9-6 at the UFC and is coming from back-to-back wins over Ross Pearson and Abel Trujillo. Pinedo (16-4-1) is really on a seven-fight win streak and beat Devin Powell by choice in his UFC debut. Makdessi includes a whole lot of experience from the Octagon however Pinedo is just 22-years-old and seems like a fantastic prospect. I would expect a close line here but awarded Pinedo’s youth and upside he is probably the play in this .
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