UFC Fight Night: Yusuff v Barboza main card preview & fight tips

With a huge line-up building for UFC 294, fight fans might have overlooked this UFC Fight Night from the Apex Arena in Las Vegas. This card does contain several compelling contests, including a potential banger between Jonathan Martinez and Adrian Yanez and a high-level matchup between the exciting Andre Petrovski and a rejuvenated Michel Pereira.

Read on for our full tips and analysis.

Sodiq Yusuff vs Edson Barboza

Sodiq Yusuff vs Edson Barboza

Jennifer Maia v Viviane Araujo

Jennifer Maia vs Viviane Araujo

Jennifer Maia (21-9-1) has recaptured her winning form in her last two appearances by delivering a pair of unanimous decision victories. The Brazilian is ranked ninth in the women’s flyweight division and has come up short against the upper echelon of women’s talent with recent losses against Valentina Shevchenko, Katlyn Chookagian, and Manon Fiorot. This appears to be a favourable matchup, and Maia enters as the warm bookmaker favourite.

Viviane Araujo (11-5-0) is enduring a career rough patch and has only won one of her last four UFC appearances. The Brazilian’s last eight fights have all been decided by the judging panel, where a lack of output across fifteen minutes has cost her dearly. The 36-year-old is skating on thin ice and will need to turn around her poor form with an improved showing if she hopes to retain her place on the UFC roster.

Jonathan Martinez v Adrian Yanez

Jonathan Martinez vs Adrian Yanez

Jonathan Martinez (18-4-0) has dropped just one bout from his last seven contests and appears ready to punch into the top ten bantamweight rankings. The 29-year-old is a hard worker who combines volume strikes with the occasional knockout blow. Martinez scored a rare leg kick KO at his most recent outing, buckling the thigh of hardened veteran Cub Swanson. Another stoppage will advance his cause and should have him calling out a big-named opponent.

Adrian Yanez (16-4-0) suffered a first-round knockout at the hands of Rob Font in April 2023, ending an impressive nine-fight win streak. The 29-year-old is blessed with more power than his opponent here but might begin cautiously to avoid another early disaster. Yanez should let his heavy hands fly in the second and third rounds and will be searching for his 11th career knockout. This is an enthralling matchup that may deliver a Fight of the Night contender.

Andre Petroski v Michel Pereira

Andre Petroski vs Michel Pereira

Andre Petroski (10-2-0) is a dangerous wrecking ball who has only lost a single professional fight since 2018. He has been brought on slowly by UFC matchmakers but now appears ready to earn a middleweight ranking. Petroski is a well-rounded athlete who hits hard and can finish his work by submitting a downed opponent. A decorated high school and college wrestler, he has a powerful base and high work rate that can break an opponent over the course of fifteen minutes.

Michel Pereira (28-11-0) is also a prolific mixed martial artist who has competed professionally 41 times since making his debut back in 2011. The 30-year-old is riding a five-fight win streak and will not be intimidated by the arsenal of Petroski. He owns a black belt in BJJ, and this may be a very evenly matched grappling contest if the action hits the mat. Pereira does not possess the one-punch knockout power of his opponent, so he might be more inclined to hunt for takedown opportunities after early exchanges.

Edgar Chairez v Daniel Lacerda

Edgar Chairez vs Daniel Lacerda

Edgar Chairez (10-5-0) is coming off a strange no-contest result after the referee prematurely stopped his bout with Daniel Lacerda. It is only fair that they run it back. Chairez had his opponent in a tight choke, but a replay confirmed that the stoppage was early as Lacerda had not tapped and was able to continue. Both men are elite grapplers, and this contest may follow a similar path. The Mexican boasts superior recent form and is expected to be hard to beat.

Daniel Lacerda (11-5-0) had dropped four straight contests heading into the no-contest and needs to lift significantly to be competitive here. Three of the four losses were KO stoppages, and the Brazilian appears to have suffered a drop in confidence. It seems unlikely that he will be able to find the necessary form reversal to prevail after coming within seconds of losing to Chairez.

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