Streaking Brazilian Paulo Renato Junior squares off with returning Contender Series alum Jamal Pogues in the second heavyweight fight of the season.
Entering on a nine-fight winning streak that includes three victories in four months last year following a nearly four-year layoff, Renato is the latest arrival at the UFC APEX from Brazil with an impressive record that is difficult to decipher. He hasn’t faced much in the way of name brand competition, but neither had Vinicius Salvador last week, and the flyweight certainly showed he belonged.
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Renato will look to do the same this week.
Pogues earned a quality win over Marcos Brigagao on Season 3 but failed to secure a contract and has only fought twice since, suffering a submission loss to Alex Polizzi in an LFA light heavyweight title fight before defeating Tim Hiley seven months later. It will have been 23 months since his last appearance when he steps into the cage on Tuesday, but he’s still just 26 years old and showed promise before his hiatus, so it will be interesting to see what he brings to the table this week.
There is always room for new heavyweights on the roster, so you have to think that if either of these men is able to go out and turn in an impressive performance, they could find themselves competing in the Octagon before the year is out.
