5 fighters who are flying under the radar going into UFC 268

#2. Shane Burgos – UFC featherweight

Shane Burgos is one of the UFC's most exciting featherweights

Featherweight contender Shane Burgos is in a tricky spot coming into his fight at UFC 268. He’s still ranked at No.14 in the 145-pound division, but he’s also coming off two straight losses and hasn’t won in the octagon since November 2019.

‘Hurricane’ should not be in danger of being cut by the UFC, but stranger things have happened. That means that he’s probably got his back to the wall right now, making him an extremely dangerous fighter to face off against.

Burgos’ fight with Billy Quarantillo is scheduled for this weekend’s main card, but it’s still largely flying under the radar. That's because it was only elevated into that spot when UFC 268 lost Luke Rockhold vs. Sean Strickland.

However, the clash may well prove to be a contender for the Fight of the Night award. Quarantillo is a gritty and aggressive fighter, while Burgos tends to produce wild and violent striking battles. He has already claimed four $50k bonus awards in his nine-fight UFC career.

If ‘Hurricane’ can get back to form again and win impressively this weekend, he should quickly find himself back in genuine contention, making him a fighter to keep an eye on at UFC 268.

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#1. Alex Pereira – UFC middleweight

Alex Pereira (right) is the only man to knock out UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya

Israel Adesanya is currently the reigning UFC middleweight champion. While he failed to become a double champion when he faced Jan Blachowicz in April, he’s still ranked as the third best pound-for-pound fighter in the promotion. That’s why it’s so crazy that the UFC aren’t making a bigger deal of the octagon debut of Alex Pereira this weekend.

For those who are unaware, Pereira is not only the former GLORY middleweight and light heavyweight kickboxing champion, but he’s also the only man to ever knock Adesanya out in a fight.

To say Pereira is a highly credentialed kickboxer would be a massive understatement. ‘Poatan’ has victories over some of the world’s best strikers, including Artem Vakhitov, Simon Marcus and Jason Wilnis. Of his 33 victories, 21 came by knockout.

The Brazilian is naturally less experienced in MMA, holding a record of 3-1. However, he’s still one of the most fascinating prospects to move into the UFC in some time.

Pereira’s UFC debut will see him face off against Andreas Michailidis, a man with far more MMA experience. However, he's also a fighter who has been knocked out on four occasions. Essentially, he seems like a favorable opponent for ‘Poatan’.

Usually, such a debut would garner plenty of hype, but UFC 268 is so stacked that Pereira is largely flying under the radar. If he can pick up a KO in his octagon debut, though, that will change quickly.