Every UFC fight has a storyline to it. The general public might not always be deeply invested, but whether it’s for a championship or marks a debut, each fight represents a pivotal moment for the athletes.
With every trip to the octagon comes a narrative. What does a win mean in the short term? The long term? What fights are on the horizon with an impressive performance? What new skills or weaknesses will be revealed?
The potential storylines are endless, and we’re here to help identify the most significant one for each fight, this time at UFC 249, which takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. Today, we look at the prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.
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ESPN prelims
Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone
There’s no starvation for narratives in this one as fan favorites Pettis and Cerrone look to shake the public perception of disappointment in their most recent performances and add some stability to their respective careers.
Pettis is coming off arguably his worst loss to date against Diego Ferreira. “Showtime” has bounced around weight classes in hopes of adding some measure of consistency to his results. It’s been to no avail, but now Pettis is being set up to rematch an opponent he already blew past in less than three minutes back in January 2013. It’s critical for Pettis to win if he wants to keep getting big-name fights, because another loss would push his UFC record to sub-.500 territory.
Cerrone is not in danger of having his winning percentage fall below even, but he is facing the longest skid of his career. The last time “Cowboy” lost three straight he rebounded in resounding fashion, but this assignment feels tougher. Cerrone has been stopped in all three of his recent defeats, and the questions have started to come about damage absorbed entering his 35th UFC fight. That’s a concern that’s not going to go away, but Cerrone can evade hard questions about fighting life with a win.
Aleksei Oleinik vs. Fabricio Werdum
Does former UFC heavyweight champ Werdum still have it after a layoff of more than two years due to a USADA suspension? That is the big question surrounding his return bout against fellow submission ace Oleinik.
Werdum, now 42, was the best heavyweight in the world for a good time. It’s hard to envision him returning to that point at his age and following so much time off. Even if he beats Oleinik, it’s not exactly the most telling litmus test for where he stands.
The Brazilian is a welcomed readdition to the heavyweight ranks, though, and his ability to get future fights of worthy is heavily dependent on his performance against Oleinik, who will try to beat an ex-UFC champ for the first time.
Carla Esparza vs. Michelle Waterson
It’s been five years since Esparza’s reign as the UFC’s inaugural 115-pound champ came to an end, and dropping some key bouts have prevented her from getting back to the strap. She’s coming off back-to-back wins, though, and if “The Cookie Monster” is ever going to see another title fight, then getting this one against Waterson is essential.
“The Karate Hottie” enters in a similar situation. She’s fallen just shy of securing a title shot on multiple occasions, and opportunities could soon be running out. Beating a former champion like Esparza would be just the statement she needs to continue to connect her name to title contention.
Uriah Hall vs. Ronaldo Souza
At long last Hall has seemingly found his way since linking up with Fortis MMA. Hall has started to really come into his own over the past couple fights, but his opponents haven’t been of Souza’s caliber. Can he get through the challenge and start churning out results that support all the hype he got entering the UFC?
“Jacare,” on the other hand, is trying to hang on to his final bits of relevance as a middleweight contender and reinforce that he shouldn’t be written off entirely. Souza is one of the best to never fight for a UFC title, but at 40, on the first losing skid of his career, and now returning to 185 pounds after an unsuccessful experiment at light heavyweight, it feels like a win is needed to extend his fighting life.
ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass prelims
Vicente Luque vs. Niko Price
Many will forget this is actually a rematch. Luque choked out Price in the second round back in October 2017, and in the years since both men have proven themselves to be among the top action fighters in the welterweight division.
After having his seven-fight winning streak snapped by Stephen Thompson at UFC 244 in November, Luque has been working to evolve his game. He wants to show he’s taking steps forward, and losing to someone he’s already beaten would not be a good representation of that.
Not to say Luque must beat Price more impressively than last time, but he’s already shown what’s possible, and therefor Luque will try to one-up himself. Price, meanwhile, has the always-exciting opportunity to redeem a signature loss on his resume.
Bryce Mitchell vs. Charles Rosa
No disrespect to Rosa, but the focus is on Mitchell here. Rosa has been on a win-one, lose-one stretch during his UFC career (albeit with some questionable decisions), while Mitchell is the undefeated featherweight prospect who has gained traction for his quirky, yet lovable personality.
The last time Mitchell stepped in the octagon he pulled off the second Twister submission finish in UFC history (which won MMAJunkie’s 2019 “Submission of the Year”). That’s a high bar to set, and now we’re wondering what he’ll do next.
Ryan Spann vs. Sam Alvey
This fight is all about Spann and whether he’s ready to take the next step as a light heavyweight prospect. The Fortis MMA product has impressed in going 3-0 in the UFC so far, and now he gets a solid test in respected veteran Sam Alvey.
Alvey may be on a three-fight skid, but he shouldn’t be written off. He’s a crafty veteran with nearly 50 pro bouts, and he can certainly catch Spann slipping. Now it’s a question of whether he can find that upset, or if Spann can continue to generate excitement about his future.
