As usual, January was not an active month for the UFC. Thankfully, the two events that did happen in January lived up to the hype. We saw closely-contested title fights, decisive beatdowns, contenders showing up after long layoffs, and so on. Whereas January was a slow month with tons of breaks, February is when things pick up again.
The UFC will be holding an event every single week in February, so it’s safe to say the schedule is returning back to normal. The month will consist of three fight night cards in Vegas and a pay-per-view, where the UFC Middleweight Title will be on the line.
None of the four cards look amazing at the moment, but there’s enough going on to keep fight fans interested. As long as none of them get decimated with injuries, COVID and botched weight cuts, we should be in for a decent month in the UFC. Here are some of the biggest highlights of each card in February:
UFC Vegas 47: Hermansson vs. Strickland
Jack Hermansson has been a perennial contender at middleweight for a few years now. On February 5th, he will be looking to maintain his status as an upper-half contender in the division. Sean Strickland has been on a tear ever since recovering from his motorcycle accident in 2020 and stepping back into the cage. He’s moved up to middleweight and is currently on a five-fight win streak. Outside of the cage, he’s a vocal guy that people will either love or hate. No matter how disturbing his inner thoughts are, he will never hesitate to tell us what’s going on in his mind.
On the feet, Sean Strickland is tireless, pumping out his jab and overwhelming his opponent with relentless boxing combos. Though he can look slow and flat-footed, his defense usually makes him hard to touch. Hermansson is a tricky striker who is always bouncing around. However, he would rather be on the ground, using his striking to set up his takedowns. There’s a chance that if Hermansson can’t secure takedowns against Strickland, he could get overwhelmed on the feet by his brash opponent.
On the ground, Hermansson appears to be the more dynamic grappler. Once he gets his opponents down, he is good at passing and securing dominant top positions, pummeling his opponents with devastating ground and pound. He is not as much of a submission threat as he is a ground striker, but his go-to submission is the guillotine; a submission in which he has hit on Gerald Meerschaert & David Branch. Strickland isn’t a slouch on the mat either, but his chances appear to look better the longer the fight stays standing.
UFC Vegas 47: The Rest of the Card
The rest of the card isn’t overwhelming, but there’s enough to keep fans entertained. Punehele Soriano is a young powerhouse. He fights aggressively, has an explosive takedown and punches with ferocity. He will be facing Nick Maximov, a grappler who is known for training with the Diaz brothers. Bryan Battle and Tresean Gore will face off in a fight that was initially supposed to be for the TUF 29 Finale. Hakeem Dawodu will put his impressive striking skills to the test against a well-schooled fighter in Mike Trizano. Other fighters on the card include Miles Johns, Shavkat Rakhmonov, and to the surprise of many, Sam Alvey.
UFC 271: Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2
Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker face off again, after their first bout in October in 2019. Adesanya was able to get the better of Whittaker, who admitted that Adesanya was in his head. After a losing a fight for the Light Heavyweight title, Adesanya was able to get back on track, cruising to victory against Marvin Vettori. Whittaker is roaring on an impressive three-fight win streak, showing his dominant, well-rounded skill set in victories against Darren Till, Jared Cannonier and Kelvin Gastelum.
In the first fight, Whittaker initiated exchanges with reckless abandon, throwing himself in harm’s way. Adesanya made him pay, countering him constantly, knocking him down late in the first round, and knocking him out in the second. Robert Whittaker has rebounded since then, and despite losing in dominant fashion the first time, looks like a rejuvenated fighter in the rematch.
On the feet, Adesanya is like a computer the way he reads and reacts. He can be lulled into a slow fight sometimes, but if he finds the openings he needs on feints and counters, he will light his opponents up with his kickboxing skills. Whittaker will live and die with the blitz as a striker; he blitzes in with a flurry, and he gets out before the opponent can react. Mixing his timing and picking the right time to blitz will be important against a guy like Adesanya, who doesn’t take long to find his opponent’s rhythm.
Adesanya is not a weak grappler as a middleweight, but Whittaker’s grappling has looked so impressive in his recent fights, it would be a great idea for Robert to mix in some shots and work his top game if he can.
UFC 271: The Rest of the Card
In the co-main event we’ve got two heavyweight sluggers in Tai Tuivasa and Derrick Lewis; a fight that should provide entertainment before, during, and after the fight. Both are going to meet in the center, look to land a powerful punch, and we’re either going to get a shoey from Tuivasa or a hilarious post-fight interview from Derrick Lewis after the fight. The winner of this fight could set themselves up well for a future title shot.
Derek Brunson is blonde and he is re-energized, looking to earn his first title shot at middleweight. He still has a hard left, his wrestling is still amongst the best at 185, and his finishing instincts on the ground make him a threat. Using his grappling might be a challenge against the former heavyweight in Jared Cannonier, who will be looking to sprawl and brawl his way to victory.
During the prelims, there will be some interesting matchups between crafty veterans and hot prospects; Bobby Green vs. Nasrat Haqparast and Roxanne Modafferi vs. Casey O’Neill both fit into that description. Renato Moicano is looking to solidify himself as a contender at 155, and he will be matched up against the hot & cold Alexander Hernandez. On the early prelims, Matt Schnell and his guard game will be tested against the takedowns and top game of Alex Perez.
UFC Vegas 48: Dos Anjos vs. Fiziev
On February 19th, a crossroads battle will be taking place at lightweight. Rafael Fiziev is 28 years old, looking to keep climbing up the lightweight ladder (currently sitting at No. 11). He’s won five straight ever since losing his UFC debut, and is looking to keep the train moving. On the other side is Rafael Dos Anjos, the 37 year old former lightweight champion. Although he has lost four of his last six fights, Dos Anjos moved back down to lightweight and grinded his way to victory against Paul Felder. Dos Anjos will come back after a long layoff to fight one of the fastest risers in the division.
Dos Anjos will have his work cut out against him trying to strike with Fiziev. Usually, he loves to pressure and beat his opponents down with pace and attrition. He ain’t afraid to let his hands go and will throw punishing leg kicks. However, Fiziev is just a younger, sharper, striker right now. Sometimes, he becomes more hittable as he gets tired, but his reflexes make it hard to land on him early. He’s a ferocious puncher and his body kicks will roast your ribs.
Dos Anjos’ best chances in this fight would come by mixing in some takedowns. Grappling Fiziev and tying him up could slow him down in the later rounds, even if he doesn’t find immediate success from the top position. It’s a tall task though; from what we’ve seen so far, Rafael Fiziev is physically gifted and hard to hold down. Dos Anjos is ambitious, looking for one more title run at the end of his career, but the UFC did not do him any favors matching him up against Fiziev.
UFC Vegas 48: The Rest of the Card
Julian Marquez isn’t the cleanest of fighters, but he’s always down for fun scrap. If he wins, he’ll probably have a cringey post-fight speech prepared for his fans. Marquez will have his work cut out for him when he fights Kyle Daukaus. Alexander Romanov is looking to continue his climb up 265, and his fight against Ilir Latifi will be a battle between two freakishly strong powerhouse grapplers. After a disappointing fight against Thiago Santos, Johnny Walker is looking to put that performance in the rearview against a heavy-hitting foe in Jamahal Hill. Opening up the main card will be Joaquin Buckley and Abdul Razak Alhassan; a fight that should not last very long. Somebody is going to get KO’d in that fight, so do not blink.
UFC Vegas 49: Dariush vs. Makhachev
Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush face off in a fight that should determine who will fight the winner of Oliveira-Gaethje for the lightweight title. After struggling to find fights against ranked opponents, Makhachev was finally granted the opportunity in 2021, racking three submission victories against increasingly harder competition. Beneil Dariush’s win against Thiago Moises in 2018 was his first UFC win in two years, and he hasn’t looked back since, building his momentum slowly but surely.
When it comes to their temperaments, Dariush and Makhachev are polar opposites as strikers. They employ similar techniques, but their approaches are very different. Makchachev, as a striker, stays calm and relaxed. He doesn’t put a ton on his strikes and is only using them to set up takedown entries. Dariush will throw caution to the wind and brawl once the fight begins to escalate. Dariush’s approach has led to some vicious knockouts, but it has also led to him gassing and sometimes getting KO’d himself in previous fights.
What should be intriguing about this fight will be who wins the grappling exchanges. You can see Khabib’s influence in how Islam has an answer to all of his opponents transitions and sweep attempts. He chains his takedowns together and he uses the fence to keep his opponent pinned down and hopeless. Beneil Dariush competed at the world level in BJJ before he fought in the UFC, and it shows. He isn’t just a pure BJJ specialist though; Dariush has developed a wrestling game competent enough to utilize his Jiu-Jitsu as well. He’s like a wet blanket on top, and he’s got a list of submissions he can go to once he secures position as well. On paper, Islam appears to be the superior fighter, but Beneil will have a chip on his shoulder.
UFC Vegas 49: The Rest of the Card
Both looking to bounce back from disappointing losses, Makhmoud Muradov and his smooth boxing skills will take on Misha Cirkunov and his crushing top game. Hard-hitting Ryan Spann will be facing off against a mad man in Ion Cutelaba. Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Marcin Tybura will be a fight between guys looking to maintain their status as contenders in the heavyweight division. Tybura will probably look to close the distance and wear Rozenstruik down with his grappling, whereas Rozenstruik will be waiting for that perfect counter hook.
I would like to thank you for taking your time to read this article. For more sports-related content, head over to Belly Up Sports. We have articles, op-eds, and podcasts available on our website. If you would like to reach me, you can find me on Twitter.
