‘UFC on ESPN 34: Luque vs. Muhammad 2’ fight-by-fight preview, Prelims

The first Fight Night event of the second quarter brings us back to the UFC Apex for a 14-fight affair capped by an outstanding rematch in the welterweight division.

After an outstanding initial three months of action inside the octagon and a stupendous night of fights last weekend at UFC 273 in Jacksonville, Saturday’s return home to Las Vegas is an excellent way to keep the ball rolling in April with UFC on ESPN 34.

Here’s a look at what’s on tap this weekend for the preliminary card.

Devin Clark vs. William Knight

Veteran light heavyweights take it up a division in this short-notice pairing, as Devin Clark (12-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) and William Knight (11-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) square up in an impromptu heavyweight clash.

The 31-year-old Clark has fought quality competition throughout his six-year, 12-fight UFC run to date, but has never managed to consistently string together positive results. Some of that is because he’s shared the cage with a host of ranked competitors, including former champ Jan Blachowicz and title challenger Anthony Smith, but he’s gotten a little ahead of himself at times, as well.

Knight finished 2021 on a two-fight winning streak and then jumped on a short-notice opportunity in February at UFC 271, only to miss weight by a considerable amount before losing to Maxim Grishin. The Dana White’s Contender Series alum has serious power and is thicker than a bowl of oatmeal, but he’s been too inconsistent with his output and approach through his first five UFC appearances, making him a tough one to read heading into this contest.

Both are physical, powerful men who tend to run hot and then slow down, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them come out of the gates on fire and try to end this one early.

Lina Lansberg vs. Pannie Kianzad

Bantamweight veterans both representing Sweden clash here as Lina Lansberg (10-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) returns to face the woman who handed her a loss back in 2012, Pannie “Banzai” Kianzad (15-6 MMA, 4-3 UFC).

Lansberg last competed on January 25, 2020, dropping a unanimous decision to Sara McMann. She and her partner, UFC veteran Akira Corassani, welcomed a daughter last year, and now the proud mama is ready to get back into the octagon, where she sports a 4-4 record that includes bouts against Cris Cyborg and Aspen Ladd, and wins over Tonya Evinger and Macy Chiasson.

Kianzad extended her winning streak to four with a victory over Alexis Davis at UFC 263, but couldn’t keep it rolling through her bout against Raquel Pennington in September. The Iranian-born former Ultimate Fighter finalist has developed into a sound technician with crisp boxing and good conditioning, so don’t be surprised if she looks to push the pace and maintain distance against Lansberg on Saturday.

Currently stationed right next to one another in the rankings – Lansberg at No. 11, Kianzad at No. 12 – this is an opportunity for the winner to get things moving in the right direction and potentially set up a date with a dance partner in the top 10 in the second half of the 2022 campaign.

Drakkar Klose vs. Brandon Jenkins

Drakkar Klose (11-2-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) competes for the first time in 25 months, while Brandon Jenkins (15-8 MMA, 0-1 UFC) makes his first appearance with a full training camp in this lightweight matchup on Saturday’s fight card.

Back at the MMA Lab and ready to get things rolling again, Klose enters with an 11-2-1 professional record and 5-2 mark inside the octagon that includes wins over Marc Diakiese, Lando Vannata, and Bobby Green. He’s been out of action since his wild brawl with Beneil Dariush at UFC 248, but long ago cemented himself as a dangerous fixture just outside of the top 15 in the 155-pound weight class.

Jenkins was called into action on short notice last September against Rong Zhu, making a quick turnaround a couple weeks after defeating UFC alum Jacob Kilburn. Things didn’t go his way, but now the Las Vegas-based lightweight is back for his sophomore appearance, eager to show what he can do with ample time to prepare for battle.

Can Klose shake off the rust and get back into the win column or will Jenkins collect his first UFC victory?

Rafa Garcia vs. Jesse Ronson

Rafa Garcia (13-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) and Jesse Ronson (21-10 MMA, 0-3 UFC) meet in a lightweight scrap that is sure to be fireworks on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

After landing on the wrong end of things in each of his first two UFC appearances, Garcia finally got into the win column with a unanimous decision victory over Natan Levy towards the end of November. The 27-year-old was unbeaten prior to arriving in the UFC and now that he’s got things moving in the right direction, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him start consistently posting positive results.

Ronson’s UFC experience to date has been a nightmare. In his first tour with the company, the Canadian veteran dropped three straight split decisions to Michel Prazeres, Francisco Trinaldo, and Kevin Lee, and when he finally worked his way back seven years later, his first-round submission win over Nicolas Dalby was overturned and ruled a No Contest after “The Body Snatcher” tested positive for a banned substance.

Cleared of any intentional wrongdoing and ready to get back to business, Ronson will once again be looking to secure his first UFC victory this weekend.

Garcia fought quality competition just prior to reaching the UFC and now has his feet under him in the octagon, and Ronson is surely champing at the bit to get back out there, so this should be an exciting, explosive contest from the outset and for as long as it lasts.

Chris Barnett vs. Martin Buday

Everyone’s favorite heavyweight Chris Barnett (22-7 MMA, 1-1 UFC) returns to action this weekend and welcomes Martin Buday (9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) to the octagon for the first time.

A veteran who finally got the chance to compete on the big stage last year, Barnett rebounded from his debut loss with one of the most memorable efforts of 2021, stopping Gian Villante with a spinning wheel kick and ground-and-pound at Madison Square Garden before hitting a memorable celebration. With 22 wins in 29 starts and surprising agility for a man his size, “Beastboy” is an entertaining and experienced competitor perfectly suited for these types of assignments.

Buday has rattled off eight straight victories since losing to former “The Ultimate Fighter” winner Juan Espino in his second professional appearance back in October 2017. Last fall, the Slovakian big man battered Lorenzo Hood in the clinch on Dana White’s Contender Series, finishing him with a knee to the head just before the close of the first round to secure his spot on the UFC roster.

Barnett is the most talented and game opponent Buday has faced to this point in his career, but the newcomer will have a massive size advantage on Saturday night. Will experience win out or will Buday get to enjoy a successful first foray into the UFC cage?

Jordan Leavitt vs. Trey Ogden

Lightweight hopefuls meet in this preliminary card matchup as Dana White’s Contender Series alum Jordan Leavitt (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) welcomes newcomer Trey Ogden (15-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) to the octagon for the first time.

Leavitt has gone 2-1 through his first three UFC starts, slamming his way to victory in his debut before showing his grappling acumen last time out with an inverted triangle choke submission of Matt Sayles. In between, the Syndicate MMA representative dropped a decision to Claudio Puelles that showed “The Monkey King” is still a work in progress inside the cage.

The 32-year-old Ogden arrives in the UFC on a three-fight winning streak and sporting a 15-4 record overall. He impressed in front of UFC president Dana White and the “Lookin’ for a Fight” crew in his last outing, submitting former DWCS competitor JJ Okanovich in the second round to earn a call to the octagon, where he joins the growing cast of fighters trained by James Krause and representing Glory MMA & Fitness competing on the big stage.

Can Leavitt build off his unique submission finish in his most recent appearance and start a winning streak or will Ogden’s long-awaited UFC debut result in a positive outcome for the new arrival?

Istela Nunes vs. Sam Hughes

Istela Nunes (6-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and Sam Hughes (5-4 MMA, 0-3 UFC) clash in a battle of strawweights looking to start fresh in 2022.

Brazil’s Nunes was initially signed in 2019, but got hit with a two-year suspension before being able to step into the octagon for the first time. She finally made the walk last October, where Ariane Carnelossi submitted her in the third round. Currently stationed at American Top Team and looking to return to the form that saw her win six of seven to begin her career, the 29-year-old should be even better this time around with just six months since her last outing.

Hughes has faced a tough slate through her first three trips into the octagon, debuting on short notice against Tecia Torres before dropping consecutive decisions to quality prospects Loma Lookboonmee and Luana Pinheiro. The former collegiate track star recently relocated to the Dallas area and is now training at Fortis MMA, so it will be interesting to see if a change of scenery can bring about a change in results this weekend.

Neither of these women wants to get saddled with another loss, so expect them each to come out guns blazing, looking to make a statement and finally get their hand raised inside the UFC octagon on Saturday night.

Alateng Heili vs. Kevin Croom

Bantamweights get the party started this weekend as Alanteng Heili (14-8-2 MMA, 2-1-1 UFC) and Kevin Croom (21-14 MMA, 0-2 UFC) meet in what should be a competitive, entertaining scrap to kick off the night’s action.

Making his fifth UFC appearance and the 25th start of his career, the 30-year-old “Mongolian Knight” enters on a two-fight drought, having lost to Casey Kenney in October 2020 before battling Gustavo Lopez to a draw last September. Prior to that, Heili earned consecutive wins over Batgerel Danaa and Ryan Benoit as part of a 10-1-1 stretch over 12 fights, which highlights what he’s capable of inside the cage.

Aptly nicknamed “Crash,” the 34-year-old Croom is a durable and experienced veteran hand with an “always up for a fight” approach. He debuted in the UFC at lightweight and dropped his last two appearances against Alex Caceres and Brian Kelleher at featherweight, making this his debut in the UFC bantamweight division and first fight at 135 pounds since January 2015.

Can Heili get things moving in the right direction again or will Croom hand him another setback and secure his first UFC triumph?

This story first published at UFC.com.