UFC Fight Night previews: Thompson vs. Holland, Barberena vs. dos Anjos & more | ESPN MMA Brett Okamoto and Megan …
hey everyone Megan olivi bread okamoto
here in Orlando Florida and Brett we’re
not here to talk about Disney we’re here
to talk about the fights because we’ve
got a great main event this one between
Stephen Thompson and Kevin Holland it’s
a really interesting matchup because
they both wanted this fight I mean Kevin
Holland had the shortest retirement ever
he said I’ve retired and then he got
this fight jumped right back into action
two traditional martial artists Kung Fu
versus karate what do you like about
this one
I like that it’s a stand-up fight for
Stephen Thompson it’s something he’s
been asking for it’s a fact it’s kind of
the biggest reason why we haven’t seen
him fight this year is because he was
holding off wanting to fight a striker
and and yeah why wouldn’t he and thank
you to UFC for finally giving him one I
get it he’s in the rankings and this is
a rankings-based board and all of that
but the guy fought Gilbert Burns he
fought the law Muhammad yes I don’t know
how much longer we’re going to see
Stephen Wonder Boy about to turn 40 this
winter he says you know he’s good and
his he hasn’t taken a lot of damage so I
hope that we see him continue to fight
but how many more times are we going to
see Stephen Wonderboy fight I want to
see him do what he does best I think
he’ll have a chance to do that against
Kevin Holland but it’s not going to be
easy you know Kevin Holland is a guy who
I think is going to press him a little
bit back forward and if he puts Thompson
along that perimeter of the fence where
where you know Wonder Boy can place
himself because he has a lot of
confidence there be careful though
because Kevin Holland is a dangerous guy
very dangerous this one’s scheduled for
five rounds as all of our main events
are do you feel like that has any impact
on one particular athlete over the other
I think it’s better for Kevin Holland
because Wonder Boy is tricky right so to
find him having more time I think could
could help you out so I think it’s it’s
a good thing for Kevin Holland he does
obviously doesn’t cut a whole lot of
weight to be a 185 he might he’s having
a podcast his podcast he might be doing
it live later is what I’m told like at a
bar at it with people around him like
the night before his fight it’s not 100
that he’s going to be there but I know
that his podcast and I’m blanking on the
name but go find it they’re going to
have a live episode tonight and Kevin
might show up you know the day before
his fight I love that he had Stephen as
one of his first guests too and they
were just chilling like having a great
time I spoke to them about it yesterday
and they were like there’s no animosity
whatsoever which I think will make for
an even better fight
um so that’s our main event one we’re
really looking forward to but the
co-main event we’ve got a streaking
Brian barbarina versus the former
champion at 155 pounds Rafael dosanjos
this one at welterweight this is an
intriguing matchup in in my eyes what
about you Brett I think it’s such an
important fight for for RDA because you
know he was at 170 he was kind of
finding a footing and then he had some
setbacks there you know he fought the
very top I mean the guy went what with
five rounds right with Usman he fought
Colby Covington like he fought the best
guys but you’re like is he big enough to
be here and so then he’s got to try to
go back down and when he went back down
fights with physiv Islam they fell apart
he eventually did fight physique but
it’s just been rough go for him and he’s
such a he’s such a legend you know and I
still think he has
something to give at the very top of
this division but it kind of has to
happen now and um you know this week
he’s kind of been saying like I might be
done with lightweight I don’t think he
is I think that this is an opportunity
for him to pick up a fight in a co-main
event not cut a whole lot of weight
fight comfortably at 170 hopefully look
good and then it opens options for him
you know his management team actually
told me that they’re like hey we were
kind of falling into that identity of
we’re just going to fight the guys who
are ranked below us at lightweight and
give them opportunities to draw that
yeah we don’t want that for RDA you know
so let’s take a fight of 170 and then
let’s kind of open the horizons he would
obviously love to fight Conor McGregor
at some point he was scheduled to fight
him broken like the most famous foot
injury in the history of the sport he
would love to fight you know some of
those bigger names and I think that
those that can happen for him but he has
to look good in this fight he certainly
does it and Brian has been performing so
well I mean he just went out and beat uh
Robbie Lawler he had a great fight
against Matt Brown I mean he’s doing
these fights against battle tested
tested veterans however RDA is more of a
well-rounded fighter I would say he uses
all the tools he possesses a little bit
more than Maybe some of his previous
opponents but Brian seems ready for the
challenge Brian is Brian has
surprised me over the last few years and
that’s that’s honestly just because a
if you’re just being honest he was a fun
fighter he wasn’t really a guy we looked
at as a guy who’s going to go on this
long win streak and win seven eight in a
row you know it just wasn’t that guy he
was more of like a fun guy you insert
him in the card and he’s got it like the
fun things are gonna happen you know
he’s very good but not really a guy that
he’s going to win eight in a row and go
on a title run um I still don’t know if
he’s that guy but then he then he
injured his spine and he was going to go
in for surgery on that spine and she’s
like you hear a spine injury and a mixed
martial artist you’re like it’s not
going to be a good thing you know but
he’s gotten healthy he’s gone on this
run he’s uh he’s enjoying every minute
of it you know he says he’s like man
they’re matching me up with my favorite
Fighters like I guess he’s my favorite
fighter every every week you know so he
loved like uh where he is mentally and
just um he’s always in it he’s always
going to be in it he’s one of those guys
who is not going to give up if he has a
bad round against a guy who’s supposed
to beat him in an RDA he’s still going
to be there Preston in the third round
and that’s that’s what Brian’s always
had throughout his career exactly and
not that you know it’s that important to
note at this point however RDA moved
back to Brazil about a year and a half
ago and Brian actually moved down to
North Carolina from Tennessee
um this is his second Camp doing it
there but he has his family surround him
now they have a new Farm in North
Carolina so a lot of different movements
but these guys are using their best
judgment for what they believe is going
to be best for them as an athlete and
them as a family which then registers in
their performances so I think it’s
really cool to note that they’re doing
these types of things and making these
big risks in their own lives in order to
find the best personal and professional
life so that’s your co-main event but
Brett we always do these wrap-ups and
I’m like maybe we could talk about a
fight or fighter on this card that isn’t
maybe at the highest part of you know
this this ESPN plus uh Marquee but where
are you looking on this card and saying
hey this is going to be a great
performance well I like the the Tracy
Cortez and manahavis fight just because
I think it’s important you know both of
them have flashed a lot of potential
they haven’t really either one of them
have given that full performance that is
is okay this this is someone who is
going to be in that that title hunt at
125 pounds so I think that’s a very
important fight
um again just two women that we’ve seen
sort of growing and developing for a
while now who’s going to take the next
step I also I’m going to be paying close
attention to the Jack romance and fight
just because I feel bad for him
um you know the guy was supposed to
fight Darren till yeah that fight fell
through fights Chris Curtis which is not
the same you know you don’t get you
don’t get the same reward for for
fighting Chris Curtis at zarentel and
now again you know supposed to have a
bigger match up here against Derek
Brunson who’s ranked now he faces a
dangerous guy in Roman deletes on short
notice and he’s even saying this week
which is wild to me Jack’s saying I hope
they rebooked the Derrick Brunson fight
and it’s just that that’s such a weird
place to be mentally I always find it
um interesting when these guys they have
a fight they lose that fight and then
they’re basically fighting to get that
that has to be such a weird place to try
to to perform mentally so
um a lot of a lot of uh interest in the
Jack romance and fight because I just
feel like he’s been dealt a a raw hand
and we’ll see how how he how he deals
with it such a talented athlete Jack
romance and I’ve got to say I’m really
looking forward to this Emily versus
Angela fight at straw weight they’re
both ranked strawweights and Emily came
out and in her debut she looked great
against Jessica penne who is Angela
Hill’s training partner her podcast
partner and she was a former title
Challenger and Emily was calm as could
be in that performance and she when we
spoke to her this week she’s like you
know I had a lot of other weapons I wish
I would have gotten to use so Angela
cornered Jessica for that one obviously
she wants to get some payback there she
is a battle tested fighter I mean she
has been in there with everybody and
she’s had close fights with so many
people I really really think this is
going to be an important one for the
strawweight division and then you gotta
love that Flyway fight that’s on the
main card as well so lots to look
forward to from Orlando I’m Megan Hayes
Brett we will be here with all of your
coverage and we will will see you later
this weekend
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