3 fights to look forward to and 2 that will likely disappoint at UFC Fight Night: Paulo Costa vs. Marvin Vettori

UFC Fight Night: Paulo Costa vs. Marvin Vettori could be the combo breaker MMA fans need after back-to-back weeks of bland events. Also known as UFC Fight Night 196, the event will take place on Saturday, October 23 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The card will feature an explosive middleweight matchup atop the marquee as top contenders Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori try to return to the win column. Saturday night's event will also see an intriguing lightweight battle between Ricky Glenn and Grant Dawson, as well as the return of fan-favorite Jessica-Rose Clark, who faces Joselyne Edwards.

With two bona fide stars in the main event, UFC Fight Night 196 is shaping up to be a must-see show. However, it runs into the same problem as other non-pay-per-view events in that it's a top-heavy show that heavily relies on unheralded fighters in the undercard.

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So there's still the possibility for the UFC to lay a big, fat egg for a third straight week. On that note, let's take a look at three fights to look forward to and two that will likely disappoint at UFC Fight Night: Paulo Costa vs. Marvin Vettori.

Fight to look forward to at UFC Fight Night 196: Alex Caceres vs. Seung-Woo Choi

Two under-the-radar featherweights will clash as cage veteran Alex Caceres takes on Seung-Woo Choi in a sneaky Fight of the Night candidate at UFC Fight Night 196.

Even before he got to the UFC, Caceres stood out to MMA fans as he was seen as somewhat of a comic relief in the The Ultimate Fighter season 12. Although Caceres lost before making it to the finale, he ultimately made his way into the octagon and has been a mainstay over the past decade.

Throughout his UFC tenure, Caceres has been inconsistently going back between wins and defeats. However, 'Bruce Leeroy' appears to be finally finding his groove in recent years as he has strung together four straight victories for the first time in his UFC stint. Lest we forget, Caceres is only 33 years old despite being with the company for over a decade.

Meanwhile, Choi is similarly on a hot-streak with three straight victories in his most recent outings. The South Korean did not have the most ideal start to his UFC career, to say the least. He suffered back-to-back losses to Movsar Evloev and Gavin Tucker in his first two UFC appearances. Since then, Choi has been nothing short of impressive.

This has the potential to be an action-packed matchup. With both men desperate to stand out in a loaded 145-pound division, it's safe to expect great performances from Caceres and Choi.

Fight that will likely disappoint at UFC Fight Night 196: Francisco Trinaldo vs. Dwight Grant

Welterweight veterans Francisco Trinaldo and Dwight Grant will try to ignite a late-career push as they battle it out on the main card of UFC Fight Night 196.

Trinaldo, who recently turned 43, will appear for the 24th time in the UFC on Saturday as he hopes to bounce back from a unanimous decision loss to Muslim Salikhov at UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai in June. 'Massaranduba' had been enjoying a successful run of three wins prior to the fight. If the Brazilian wants to make one final push before the inevitable drop-off, now is the time.

Meanwhile, Grant, who has gone 3-2 in the octagon since earning a UFC contract on the second season of Dana White’s Contender Series, is no spring chicken himself. The 37-year-old is fresh off a split decision win over Stefan Sekulic in April and is looking for his fourth victory in the UFC.

Unfortunately, neither Trinaldo nor Grant have been very impressive in their respective UFC stints so far. Frankly, this matchup has the markings of filler fight written all over it. With that in mind, it is likely to disappoint.

Fight to look forward to at UFC Fight Night 196: Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Joselyne Edwards

UFC Fight Night 196: Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Joselyne Edwards [Photo via @joselyne_edwards]

Jessica-Rose Clark will make her first octagon appearance of the year as she guns for a second straight victory.

This will be the first time Clark will see action since being sidelined with a torn ACL last September. In her last outing, Clark defeated Sarah Alpar via third-round TKO. Now, she will attempt to build on her momentum to erase the bitter memories of her back-to-back losses to Jessica Eye and Pannie Kianzad.

Joselyne Edwards, on the other hand, delivered a spectacular upset win over Yanan Wu to kickoff her 2021. However, the Panama native appearred to bite off more than she could chew when she decided to make a quick turnaround the following month to face Karol Rosa at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov.

Fortunately, Edwards will have the opportunity to end the year on a high note. This time around, she will also have the benefit of having a complete training camp. There remains doubt whether Clark can pick up where she left off and Edwards will be a good litmus test for the Australian.

Fight that will likely disappoint at UFC Fight Night 196: Paulo Costa vs. Marvin Vettori

In the main event of UFC Fight Night 196, middleweight powerhouses Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori will look to re-establish their status at each others’ expense after unsuccessful title bids against division kingpin Israel Adesanya.

Costa has not competed since suffering a devastating second-round TKO loss to Adesanya at UFC 253 on Fight Island. Before he challenged for the title, Costa had proven himself to be a bona fide star, succeeding in 13 straight fights, including five contests in the UFC.

However, Costa fell short under the brightest of spotlights when 'The Last Stylebender' picked him apart before putting him away.

Meanwhile, Marvin Vettori's UFC career is somewhat similar to Costa's. The Italian has performed well against every contender he has ever faced with the exception of Adesanya. In his last fight, Vettori slid to 0-2 against the reigning champ after landing on the losing side of a unanimous decision at UFC 263.

On paper, Costa vs. Vettori is a brilliant piece of UFC matchmaking and should live up to the hype. However, the elephant in the room has to be addressed and that's Costa's preparation for the upcoming bout.

The contest is expected to be changed to a 195-pound catchweight bout instead of a middleweight contest due to concerns that Costa won't make the 186-pound limit. Two days before the weigh-ins, Costa revealed that he was sitting at around 211 pounds (25 pounds over the limit).

Costa's weight mismanagement is a red flag that indicates the Brazilian hasn't taken his preparation as well as he should. With that in mind, this UFC Fight Night 196 bout might disappoint.

Fight to look forward to at UFC Fight Night 196: Grant Dawson vs. Ricky Glenn

UFC Fight Night 196: Grant Dawson vs. Ricky Glenn [Photo via @grantdawsonkgd on IG]

Grant Dawson will lock horns with Ricky Glenn in a co-main event clash between lightweights looking to keep their momentum going. The goal for both fighters, of course, is to crack their division's top 15. In the talent-rich lightweight division, that task is easier said than done.

Dawson has shown flashes of brilliance since making his way to the UFC. The 27-year-old hasn't been defeated in the octagon after five fights and is coming off a spectacular KO win in his last outing. At UFC Fight Night 196, Dawson will try to extend his winning streak to nine as he goes against a formidable opponent.

Standing on the opposite side of the cage will be 32-year-old Glenn. After a 31-month layoff due to hip surgery, the Team Alpha Male fighter looked phenomenal in his return, knocking out Joaquim Silva in just 37 seconds. Glenn will now have the chance to prove he's ready to take his career to new heights when he squares off with the streaking whippersnapper, Dawson.

This bout is undeniably a perfect matchup for each man given where they stand in their respective careers. Based on their recent performances, we might not hear from the judges to decide the outcome of this UFC Fight Night 196 co-main event.

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Edited by Harvey Leonard