UFC returns to its Apex venue (groan) in Las Vegas, Nevada, this weekend (Sat. March 16, 2024) for the 88th time. The headlining bout, predictably, is a Heavyweight affair, pitting fan favorite knockout artist, Tai Tuivasa, against long-time veteran (but not quite title contender), Marcin Tybura.
It’s a fine fight. It’s hard not to like Tuivasa, who usually delivers the entertainment one way or another. I also have a personal respect for Tybura for being one of the big men who can first, continue fighting after taking a beating and, secondly, fight at a reasonably high pace for more than seven minutes.
The rest of the card is similarly okay, if unexceptional. Gerald Meerschaert, Kennedy Nzechukwu and Christian Rodriguez — I know these names and like watching them throw down. In the greater search of meaning, however, there isn’t much inspiring at UFC Vegas 88.
Bryan Battle might be the exception.
“Pooh Bear” — or “The Butcher,” depending on which fighter database you trust more — is a genuinely interesting Welterweight prospect. Battle, then just 5-1 as a professional, first came into the public eye on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 29, the last pick at 185 pounds. He went on to win two fights on the show, then the finale, then the unofficial bonus finale against fellow original finalist, Tresean Gore.
Then, he dropped to 170 pounds and immediately landed a high kick knockout over Takashi Sato (watch highlights). At 6’1” with a 77-inch reach, Battle appears to have an ideal frame for Welterweight, a long and strong kickboxer and grappler. His ability to consistently make the weight also adds some value to those Middleweight wins — how many other Welterweights could go on a 4-0 UFC run (including TUF bouts) up a weight class that early in their careers?
Clearly, Battle had more skills than some random Contenders Series pickup who’s going to be on and off the roster in 18 months. Wrestling ace, Rinat Fakhretdinov, did hand him a dominant loss in his sophomore Welterweight appearance, but Battle seems to have absorbed the learning lesson, as he hasn’t been taken down since.
In his last two bouts, Battle’s kickboxing has continued to develop as well. Gabe Green tried to overwhelm Battle off the jump, which can be a viable tactic against relatively inexperienced foes — Battle knocked him cold in 14 seconds. His next bout with AJ Fletcher lasted quite a bit longer, but Battle was still able to maintain distance well, hurt him, then jump on a submission.
When fighters with relatively few fights are showing composure, skill, and finishing opposition, it’s a very good sign for their overall ceiling.
The unaddressed issue is level of competition. The best win of Battle’s career is … Gore? Sato? The only time he stepped up from low-to-mid level UFC competition was against Fakhretdinov, and that proved too massive a jump in Dec. 2022.
Ange Loosa, his opponent this weekend in UFC Vegas 88’s co-main event, has not yet proven himself the level of “The Gladiator,” but he’s demonstrated more potential than the likes of Green and Fletcher. He has the volume striking on the feet to keep up with Battle, as well as the wrestling to really test whether or not Battle’s defense has improved since the Fakhretdinov loss.
Should Battle vs. Loosa be the co-main event on a UFC event? Probably. not. But, it’s a definite highlight of a pedestrian card, featuring a continually overlooked finisher against a fellow talented up-and-comer.
It’s something worth watching.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 88 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.
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This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
