The UFC is headed back into the City of Brotherly Love later this month, and a couple fights are inserted on short notice. UFC on ESPN 2 happens March 30 in Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, along with my initial thoughts on those new bouts are below.
Kevin Holland vs. Gerald Meerschaert, UFC on ESPN two Middleweights Kevin Holland Gerald Meerschaert are set to battle at UFC on ESPN 2 in what ought to be a fun battle for the fans. The Philly Voice broke the news. Holland (13-4) dropped a choice to Thiago Santos in his UFC debut but rebounded nicely with a submission win over John Phillips. In general, he has won five of his last six fights. Meerschaert (28-10) is currently 4-2 in the UFC but is coming from a submission loss to Jack Hermansson. Both Holland and Meerschaert are extremely underrated and exciting fighters at middleweight, but awarded Holland’s youth and physical advantages in this particular fight, I’d make him the favorite here.
Ray Borg vs. Kyler Phillips, UFC on ESPN two Because of 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 hasn’t fought as a submission loss to Demetrious Johnson at October 2017. He’s 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 couple of weeks ago. He is a veteran of the Contender Series and seems like a very promising prospect, however, he lacks the UFC encounter that Borg has. I believe Phillips has a chance to win this particular fight, but you still have to prefer Borg.
Alex Perez vs. Mark de la Rosa, UFC on ESPN two Moving upward from flyweight to bantamweight is Alex Perez, and he will take on Mark de la Rosa. Perez (21-5) won his first three UFC battles before getting knocked out by Joseph Benavidez in his final outing. Prior to this, he had been riding an eight-fight win streak. De la Rosa (11-1) is 2-1 at the UFC and his wife Montana de la Rosa is getting a lot of success from the Octagon, but the fact he fought at a narrow split decision win over Joby Sanchez was bothering. Like many bantamweight bouts, this should be competitive, but I’d still prefer Perez to get his hands raised.
John Makdessi vs. Jesus Pinedo, UFC Fight Night 148
Due to accidents Chris Gruetzemacher and Nasrat Haqparast, their original opponents John Makdessi and Jesus Pinedo will now fight at UFC Fight Night 148, taking place March 23 in Bridgestone Arena at Nashville, Tennessee. Considering both guys are lightweights who only lost their opponents, this was the best 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 series and beat Devin Powell by choice in his UFC debut. Makdessi includes a ton of experience in the Octagon but Pinedo is just 22-years-old and looks like a fantastic prospect. I’d anticipate a close lineup here but awarded Pinedo’s youth and upside down he is probably the drama in this .
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