Prior to this weekend’s contest, Anders’ 2021 has consisted of fighting Darren Stewart, as their first meeting was halted prematurely due to an illegal knee, prompting a rematch. Anders won the second battle between the two by unanimous decision and is now 3-1 with one no contest over his last five, putting him in a position to potentially re-enter the Top 15 if he’s able to halt Muniz’s momentum this weekend.
Business has been picking up in the middleweight division of late, so this is a critical bout for both Muniz and Anders. A fourth straight UFC win could launch the Brazilian into the Top 15, while a second straight victory and four wins in six starts would make Anders an intriguing veteran presence in the 185-pound weight class, which should mean both come out looking to make a statement on Saturday.
MIRANDA MAVERICK VS ERIN BLANCHFIELD
Miranda Maverick and Erin Blanchfield square off in a clash of two of the top prospects in the UFC and a bout that has the potential to be the start of a long-term rivalry in the flyweight division.
Maverick dropped a split decision to Maycee Barber last time out and replaces “The Future” here, looking to rebounded from that debated decision by toppling another promising young talent. The 24-year-old showed a ton of resolve in her hard-fought win over Gillian Robertson in March and is the kind of powerful, physical athlete that could develop into a legitimate force in the 125-pound weight class in the not too distant future.
The 22-year-old Blanchfield made her promotional debut in September, registering a unanimous decision win over Sarah Alpar to push her record to 7-1 overall. She already holds wins over fellow UFC competitors Kay Hansen and Victoria Leonardo, and her lone loss came to fellow flyweight hopeful Tracy Cortez at Invicta FC 34 in a decision many felt should have gone the other way.
It’s not hyperbolic to say that each of these women have the talent to be Top 5 fixtures in the division within the next couple years and then remain there for a considerable amount of time. This is an outstanding clash of dynamic, young competitors and one that anyone looking to see what the future of the flyweight division looks like should be tuning into this weekend.
ALEX PEREZ VS MATT SCHNELL
Fourth time’s the charm for Top 10 flyweights Alex Perez and Matt Schnell as they finally share the Octagon at UFC 269 after a trio of delays earlier in the year.
A standout on the first season of Dana White’s Contender Series, Perez competes for the first time since his championship meeting with Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 255 last November. He’d earned consecutive first-round stoppage wins prior to that contest and has only lost to elite competition inside the Octagon, but he will need to shake off any rust and be in top form to get back into the win column this weekend.
Schnell has bounced around between divisions and faced solid competition at both bantamweight and flyweight, amassing a 5-4 record through his first nine UFC appearances. He dropped a bantamweight fight to Rogerio Bontorin last time out with the Brazilian missing weight by a pound, but is 4-1 over his last five flyweight fights.
