MMA news sites love a redemption arc for a fighter who has suffered. That’s precisely what they might get when Vicente Luque fights in the co-main event against Joaquin Buckley. Luque quickly points out his Brazilian heritage, but he was born in Westwood, New Jersey, and will count on the home crowd to cheer him. He will need it, too. The Silent Assassin has just one victory on his resume since 2021. Since then, he’s had two losses and multiple canceled fights, which has stunted his career.

Joaquin Buckley has enjoyed his re-emergence as a welterweight, having won both of his fights last year. Could he upset the New Jersey natives by making it three victories in a row by defeating Luque and taking the spoils back to St. Louis, Missouri?

Undefeated Dudakova Gets Another Challenge

If you follow women’s MMA, you’ll already appreciate that Victoria Dudakova, the Russian fighter from Volgograd, is one of the most exciting names right now. She’s only had two main roster UFC fights to date but has looked at home at this elite level. She finished Istela Nunes in 34 seconds before seeing out Jinh Yu Frey by decision in her second UFC contest. She comes up against a Brazilian who needs a UFC win, as Melissa Gatto is on a two-fight losing streak. There will be significant implications for the result of this fight. Dudakova will continue to rise in stock if she wins. Gatto must prove her spot in the UFC; if she derails Dudakova, she does just that. However, if she loses, she will have a poor 0-3 UFC record and might be shown the door. 

McKee Needs Big Win Against Njokuani

MMA news websites quickly pointed out the potential that Rhys McKee has…unfortunately, he’s not shown it at the highest level. Skeletor has split his time between the UFC and Cage Warriors. While excelling and capturing the CWFC welterweight championship, he lost all three UFC fights. Subsequently, this fight against Chidi Njokuani is of paramount importance. Njokuani comes into this fight in equally poor form, having lost three on the bounce too. The Dallas-born fighter has at least won fights in the UFC, albeit long ago. Both fighters need a win to have a fruitful future within the UFC.

Uzbeki Best Up for the UFC Test

Brazil, the United States, and Russia are the countries most commonly associated with MMA success. Despite Uzbekistan having historical and geographical ties with Russia, it hasn’t had many MMA athletes emerge from its borders. Nursultan Ruziboev could be the man to change all that. He’s got an awe-inspiring 35-8-2 overall record.

However, the wider MMA audience doesn’t recognize any of his opponents as he fought in the Eastern stretches of Eurasia. The UFC has signed him to see whether he can fight at the top level. He passed the first evaluation by defeating Brunno Ferreira back in July, proving his abilities are more than a regional level.

The next matchup for Ruziboev is the incredibly sturdy Sedriques Dumas. The Reaper is 9-1 in his record and would like to send his opponent back to Uzbekistan with his tail between his legs. Dumas is typically a strategic fighter who wants to win round by round; he’ll need to use every ounce of his superior American training to ensure he can defend against Ruziboev’s vicious attacks.

The Last Ottoman Wants Another KO

Ibo Aslan is another man from a non-conventional MMA country. He represents Turkey and resides in Istanbul. While soccer might be the national sport, if he keeps performing in his current vein, the sports fans from Istanbul to Antalya could be turned to mixed martial arts. Why so? The Last Ottoman only wins by KO. All 12 of his victories have ended with his opponent unable to continue, usually laying flat on the canvas. That included his fight on the Contender Series 2023, which earned his UFC contract and his place here on the main roster.

Aslan is taking on Anton Turkalj, a Swedish fighter who paved his way to the UFC by winning the Contender Series a year prior. Unfortunately, Turkalj has had a terrible run since linking up with the main UFC roster, losing his last three fights. If he goes 0-4 in the UFC, serious concerns will be about whether he can continue fighting at the elite level.

By Dean McHugh.