3 fights to look forward to and 2 fights that will likely disappoint at UFC Vegas 31
On the heels of the whirlwind of events from UFC 264, the octagon returns to its APEX for UFC Vegas 31. This time around, there won't be large crowds, no fanfare, and hopefully, not much mayhem either.
After two of the biggest stars at lightweight saw action last Saturday, the focus shifts to the division's hottest prospects as Islam Makhachev and Thiago Moises take center stage. Former women's bantamweight champion Miesha Tate will also return to action after spending five years in retirement.
Needless to say, UFC Vegas 31 is an event that will mostly appeal to diehard MMA fans. The fight card may not have the glitz and glamor of UFC 264, but it's just the right event to serve as a palate cleanser after last weekend's chaotic pay-per-view.
On that note, let's look at three fights to look forward to and two fights that will likely disappoint at UFC Vegas 31.
Fight to look forward to at UFC Vegas 31: Khalid Taha vs. Sergey Morozov
Khalid Taha and Sergey Morozov are two competitors looking to get back in the win column of the bantamweight division. Taha and Morozov are in a similar situation as they dropped to a couple of fringe top 15 fighters in their previous outings.
After an unsuccessful octagon debut, Taha redeemed himself after knocking out Boston Salmon in 25 seconds. The German fighter was unable to build momentum, however, after he saw a submission win over Bruno Silva go to waste because of a failed drug test, and dropped a unanimous decision against Raoni Barcelos.
Morozov had his five-fight winning streak snapped in his UFC debut when he ran into rising star Umar Nurmagomedov earlier this year. Seven months later, he’s returning for his second appearance in the octagon, looking for his first UFC win.
Taha vs. Morozov is an intriguing matchup as both competitors are well-equipped to exploit the other’s flaws. Taha appears to be a bad matchup for Morozov, who doesn’t perform well when pressured, but the Kazakh fighter could neutralize his opponent with his solid grappling game. Either way, it will be interesting to see how the fight goes.