5 contenders for the Fight of the Night award at UFC 272

#4. Kennedy Nzechukwu vs. Nicolae Negumereanu – UFC light heavyweight bout

Kennedy Nzechukwu will be looking for a knockout against Nicolae Negumereanu this weekend

UFC 272's preliminary card features a number of intriguing bouts, but one that seems almost guaranteed to produce fireworks is the light heavyweight clash between Kennedy Nzechukwu and Nicolae Negumereanu.

Sure, neither man is going to be challenging for the UFC light heavyweight title any time soon – from what they’ve shown in the octagon so far, they’re both far too limited overall – but these two hard hitters could definitely produce something special this weekend.

Both men largely prefer a standup brawl, and it’s safe to say that during their careers inside the octagon and prior to that, they’ve proved that they’re capable of producing the goods.

Negumereanu has 11 wins to his name, with just one of those fights going the distance. Most recently, he knocked out Ike Villanueva in pretty violent fashion.

Meanwhile, Nzechukwu has six wins via knockout or TKO. Two of those have come in the octagon, with the Nigerian dealing with Danilo Marques and Carlos Ulberg and claiming two $50k bonuses in the process.

Essentially, this fight isn’t likely to win any awards for technical ability. However, it’s likely to see both men exchange bombs until one goes down, meaning it should be a definite contender for the Fight of the Night award.

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#3. Marina Rodriguez vs. Yan Xiaonan – UFC strawweight bout

Marina Rodriguez could claim a title shot with a win over Yan Xiaonan this weekend

Another preliminary bout on this weekend’s card that could produce excellent action inside the octagon pits Marina Rodriguez against Yan Xiaonan in a key strawweight clash.

Both of these women should be considered in firm contention for a UFC strawweight title shot, with a combined record inside the octagon of 11-2-2.

It’s odd for the promotion to match Rodriguez – who is on a three-fight win streak – against Xiaonan, who is coming off a loss. However, in other ways, it makes perfect sense.

Both women are strikers by trade and are amongst the better fighters in the division from a technical perspective. Given that Rodriguez is coming off a win over a high-level grappler in Mackenzie Dern, if she can overcome a high-caliber kickboxer in Xiaonan, she may cement a future title shot.

Most importantly, while neither woman should be classed as a ruthless finisher, the chances of them exchanging heavy strikes in the center of the octagon seem pretty high. Therefore, if they trade off at a high clip, they could well produce their best fight yet, and end up winning the Fight of the Night award.