Else earned some quality finishes prior to arriving in the UFC, stopping Paddy Pimblett, Dylan Tuke, and Aidan James on the way to amassing a 9-4 record with nine first-round finishes. He dropped his promotional debut to Kyler Phillips in a bantamweight scrap in October 2020 but returns here at flyweight in hopes of getting back to his finishing ways.
Else has never been out of the second round and he’s facing a guy nicknamed “The Mongolian Murderer,” so yeah, I think it’s safe to say this should be a wildly entertaining, action-packed affair for as long as it lasts.
Marcin Prachnio vs Philipe Lins
Polish veteran Marcin Prachnio looks to build on a breakthrough 2021 campaign this weekend as he welcomes Philipe Lins back to the light heavyweight division.
Prachnio began his UFC tenure with a trio of first-round stoppage losses, but he reversed course last year, registering a unanimous decision win over Khalil Rountree Jr. in January before felling Ike Villanueva with a body kick in June. The last time Prachnio won consecutive fights, it grew into a seven-fight run of success, and you best believe he’s looking to do something similar here.
After logging his last six appearances at heavyweight, Lins moves back down to the 205-pound weight class in hopes of securing his first UFC win. The Brazilian veteran dropped a decision to Andrei Arlovski in his promotional debut in May 2020 and was stopped by Tanner Boser six weeks later in his sophomore outing, but hasn’t competed since, sending him into this one as a huge question mark.
Can Prachnio keep the good times rolling or will Lins finally break into the win column himself?
Dean Barry vs Mike Jackson
Saturday’s opener takes place in the welterweight division, as Irish newcomer Dean Barry squares off with the returning Mike “The Truth” Jackson.
Team Ryano’s Barry is just 4-1 in his mixed martial arts career but arrives on a three-fight winning streak, having collected each of those victories in the opening round. Last time out, the 29-year-old finisher needed just 21 seconds to dispatch Drew Lipton, and now he makes the transition to the biggest stage in the sport in hopes of maintaining his finishing ways.
Jackson is the third member of the “CM Punk Triangle” in the UFC, having lost to Mickey Gall in the “Winner Faces Punk” fight back in February 2016 before sharing the cage with the current AEW standout at UFC 225. Originally a unanimous decision win for the Houston native, the bout was ruled a no contest after Jackson tested positive for marijuana in his post-fight screening, meaning he arrives in Las Vegas still looking for his first MMA victory.
Will Barry continue making quick work of the opposition now that he’s in the UFC or can Jackson spoil his debut and snag a victory of his own?
