This Weekend’s MMA: October 25

There is a massive UFC 308 card this weekend, but there is also a couple of decent local promotions as well. I am i the middle of end of year exams for my engineering degree, and I wanted to take a step back after doing the Contender Series so this will be a very short article.

LFA 195: Wetzell vs. Usmonov

This was a very solid LFA card but a couple of the better fights got cancelled. It can be watched on UFC Fight Pass at 10:00 PM ET on Friday.

JUSTIN WETZELL (9-2) vs. BEKHZOD USMONOV (11-4) – Bantamweight

I thought that Usmonov was going to fight in the TUF finale like how Nathan Fletcher did, but I assume he wanted to fight at 135. He was in a war on TUF and Dana seemed to like him so maybe with a win here we could see him signed to the UFC. Justin Wetzell is a pretty solid test for anyone. I don't think that he is the best prospect at this weight class but he is proven. He holds wins over Askar Askar and DWCS fighter Brandon Lewis. Usmonov will want to strike here, and Wetzell will want to wrestle. We have seen Wetzell hurt his opponents on the feet but I don't think that he is going to want to strike with Bekhzod for long periods of time. Usmonov hasn't fought in a professional MMA fight since 2022 and in that time he has been boxing and fighting in BKFC. If Wetzell comes with a smart game plan he can avoid getting knocked out by getting take downs.

Pick: Justin Wetzell (-185) by decision. Low-medium confidence.

DANTE SCHIRO (10-5) vs. AJ FLETCHER (10-4) – Welterweight

AJ Fletcher fights again after being released from the UFC. This isn't his return fight as he actually lost recently to a 4-3 opponent. I was able to watch the fight against Lewis and it was a really bad performance from AJ. AJ was getting boxed up on the feet and was getting nearly every one of his take downs defended. When he was signed to the UFC in 2022 I said it was too early and I guess that fight really proved it. He did have some big moments in the UFC though and his win over Themba Gorimbo has aged very well. Dante Chiro is also on a come back tour as he fought for Bellator before signing with the LFA. Schiro never reached the top of the Bellator's rankings but he does have a split decision loss to Logan Storely who is fighting for the PFL now and was a Bellator champion. He has a lot of wins by submission but seems to be more of a boxer. He showed Austin Jones but I don't think Jones is as good at wrestling as AJ, wven though AJ lost his last fight. I don't feel great about it but if AJ Fletcher loses this fight he will have to hang up the gloves, so with that pressure I think we see a good performance out of him. If he had better fight IQ he could have beaten Ange Loosa in the UFC as well.

Pick: AJ Fletcher (-200) by decision. Low confidence.

JOSIAH REYES (4-1) vs. KEVIN FERNANDEZ (7-1) – Flyweight

This a pretty decent prospect battle here at 125. Reyes is probably a bit old to be classified as a prospect as he is 35 years old now. His striking seems to be pretty decent from range but in close it can get pretty sloppy. In his loss, he got caught by a nasty knee in the clinch by Luis Gurule but in the moments leading up to in he didn't look very comfortable in boxing range. He can be taken down. Against Jordan Burkholder, Burkholder controlled him for a decent amount of round 1 and then looked like he gassed out. Reyes took over the striking in rounds 2 and 3 but Burkholder was able to get a take down in round 3. Fernandez is 25 so with a win or two we could see him on the Contender Series in 2025. He has very fast kicks and knees in the clinch. He looks to be pretty small for flyweight and will definitely be the smaller fighter here. He also looks to grapple and is great at taking the back of his opponents. In this fight I think Fernandez can find success buy closing the distance and getting the take down. He might be able to find a submission of sort sort as well as Reyes can be controlled on the ground.

Pick: Kevin Fernandez (-205) by submission. Medium confidence.

Samurai Fight House 18: El Fino vs. El Charrua

Samura Fight House 18 is a free event that can be watched on YouTube on Sunday. This is an event worth watching if you are wanting to follow some prospects from Argentina. This is the promotion Kevin Vallejos, Ailin Perez, Francisco Prado, Tamires Vidal and Esteban Ribovics come up in. The card is on YouTube and starts at 01:00 PM ET on Sunday.

CARLOS PETRUZELLA (12-0) vs. GASTON PALOMINO (4-0) – Welterweight

Petruzzella has a lot of excitement around him and for good reason. He is now 12-0 with 12 finishes. He had a poor performance in his last fight but with a big performance here I would expect to see him the UFC.