Montana De La Rosa will be back on the octagon this Saturday at UFC Vegas 20, looking to bounce back after losing two fights: one to Viviane Araujo, and another to the pandemic after De La Rosa and her husband both contracted COVID-19.
UFC Vegas 19 Results: Tom Aspinall Taps Ex-Champ Arlovski
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 20: (L-R) Tom Aspinall of England punches Andrei Arlovski of Belarus in a heavyweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 20, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
At UFC Vegas 19, Tom Aspinall was tasked with taking on a fighter he quite literally watched growing up: former UFC champion Andrei Arlovksi.
Aspinall, two wins into his UFC career at 27 years old, wasn’t even a teenager back when Arlovski held gold in the promotion. But while deeply respectful of “The Pitbull” heading into this Saturday’s fight card, Aspinall would have to put all that aside in the bout itself.
“Hopefully Dana White and Las Vegas PD are not going to charge me with child abuse,” Andrei Arlovski joked ahead of his fight this weekend against Tom Aspinall. “It’s good. It’s 15 years difference between myself and Aspinall. I’m very excited. He’s tough. Strong, young, probably hungry. I’m ready to go.”
The truth is, nearly any opponent Arlovski (30-19, 2NC) fights these days is younger than him. The 42-year old from Belarus is one of the elder statesmen of the UFC heavyweight division, alongside Aleksei Oleinik, who also competes Saturday at UFC Vegas 19.
Aspinall will be the third straight “youngin” Arlovski has fought against. He enters the weekend off a pair of wins over Philipe Lins and Tanner Boser. At 35, Lins was the oldest. Boser and Aspinall are both shy of 30.
Prospect Watch: Brazilâs Brendo Bispo
Brendo Bispo Credit: Youtube/SFT
There is a wealth of MMA talent emerging from Brazil each and every year. The South American nation is one of the long-standing hot spots of the sport, thanks to former and current champions like Royce Gracie, Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo, and now Amanda Nunes and Deiveson Figueiredo. Two months into 2021, Brendo Bispo is an underrated prospect who is destined to have his breakout year.
Tale of the Tape
Age: 27
Record: 17-4
Pros
Heavy leg kicks
Striking/Kickboxing: A
Bispo is a fearsome striker. He has the speed, technique, and power to be a real problem. The Brazilian is a tight-knit fighter with a high guard always keeping his hands up and staying with a very technical style. Bispo fights behind a textbook jab and throws with distinguished tight straight punches. The leg kicks is a big weapon for Bispo. He puts everything into his hips when he fires them and when they connect you can tell he has a lot
In a flyweight scrap that didn't quite live up to the hype, Alexandre Pantoja out-worked a hesitant Manel Kape en route to a unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 18.