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With March’s UFC events now in the history books, attentions will now turn to the promotion’s events that are on tap for April, including a major pay-per-view in just two weeks time.
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Four UFC events are set to take place in April, and it’s safe to say that we should be in for some truly thrilling fights across the month, including a pair of big title bouts.
So with one week’s breathing space before the promotion kicks itself into gear again, here are a look at some of the better fights on tap next month.
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Here are five great UFC fights to look forward to in April.
#5. Rob Font vs. Marlon Vera – UFC Fight Night 208
The final UFC event in April is set to be headlined by a bantamweight bout between two of the top 135lbers in the world, as Rob Font and Marlon Vera are expected to go to war in the octagon.
Not only is this fight highly relevant for the bantamweight division – Font is currently ranked at #5, while Vera is just three spots below him at #8 – but given the thrilling fighting styles that both men deploy, we could well be in for some fireworks, too.
Font is coming off a loss to Jose Aldo in December, but prior to that, he’d defeated four opponents in a row, including former champ Cody Garbrandt and former title challenger Marlon Moraes. Standing at 5’8” and possessing a 71.5” reach, Font’s biggest skill is his ability to keep his opponents on the end of his strikes.
However, whether he’ll be able to do that to Vera is another thing entirely. ‘Chito’ is wildly aggressive, both standing and on the mat, and it’s likely that he’ll be willing to walk through plenty of fire in order to hurt his Boston-based opponent.
More to the point, Vera is coming in with plenty of momentum thanks to his brutal knockout of Frankie Edgar in November, and he’s a nasty finisher too, with just one of his last eight wins going the distance.
Whoever wins this one should move into title contention at 135lbs, but more importantly, they’re also likely to gain serious popularity if the fight turns out to be the classic that many fans are expecting.
#4. Vicente Luque vs. Belal Muhammad – UFC Fight Night 206
April 16th’s return to the UFC’s APEX in Las Vegas is set to be headlined by a rematch between two of the world’s best welterweights, and if the fight turns out anything like their first meeting, we could be in for something special.
The first time Vicente Luque faced off with Belal Muhammad was back in 2016 at UFC 205. Unsurprisingly, given that the show was one of the biggest in MMA history, the bout flew under the radar. However, it was a thriller, as Muhammad made the error of deciding to brawl with Luque, and found himself on the wrong end of a knockout in just over a minute.
Will the same thing happen this time? Luque undoubtedly remains one of the most dangerous 170lbers on the planet, as he’s coming off four straight wins, has lost just once in his past eleven fights, and finished both Michael Chiesa and Tyron Woodley in 2021.
Muhammad has made massive improvements in his own right, though, and is unbeaten since 2019, a run of seven bouts in the octagon. More to the point, he’s beaten both Stephen Thompson and Demian Maia in his last two fights, picking up the two biggest wins of his career.
The big knock on ‘Remember the Name’ is his lack of finishes, but it’s unlikely that he’ll be able to force Luque into anything but a wild barnburner here.
Regardless of who wins, this bout should throw up a welterweight title contender, and hopefully, it’ll produce some crazy action in the process.
#3. Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan – UFC 273
UFC 273, which goes down on April 9th, is set to feature two title bouts, and in the first of the two, Aljamain Sterling defends his bantamweight crown against interim champion Petr Yan.
Naturally, there’s a ton of bad blood between these two fighters coming into this rematch. That stems from the end of their first clash last year, when Yan – who was winning the bout handily – was disqualified in the fourth round for hitting Sterling with an illegal knee, meaning he became the first fighter in the promotion’s history to lose his title in such a way.
Since then, Sterling has been on the shelf, largely due to a serious neck injury, while Yan returned seven months after the bout to defeat Cory Sandhagen to claim the interim title.
Many fans are expecting this rematch to be a walkover in favour of ‘No Mercy’, and they’ve probably got a point given he was clearly beating Sterling in their first bout. More importantly, Yan’s pinpoint striking looked better than ever in his win against Sandhagen.
However, ‘The Funk Master’ was not completely out of the first fight, and there’s every chance that he times a takedown correctly this time. If he can get his Russian foe to the ground, there’s absolutely no doubt that he can probably get him out of there.
Overall, this should be a far more heated bout than we saw last March, and it’ll be impossible to deny that the winner is the best 135lber on the planet. It’s a classic must-see UFC title fight and is clearly one of the best bouts on tap in April.
#2. Gilbert Burns vs. Khamzat Chimaev – UFC 273
The third ‘big’ fight on UFC 273 doesn’t feature a title on the line, but it’s definitely one of the most intriguing bouts put together by the promotion in some time. It features arguably the hottest prospect in MMA – Khamzat Chimaev – making a real step up in competition for the first time.
‘Borz’ has thus far been perfect in his octagon career, destroying John Phillips, Rhys McKee, Gerald Meerschaert and Li Jingliang with ease. However, #2 ranked welterweight Gilbert Burns is on another level to those fighters altogether.
Once considered a hot prospect in his own right, ‘Durinho’ appeared to have failed to reach his potential a couple of years ago. However, a move up to 170lbs in mid-2019 reignited his career entirely, and he’s since won seven of eight bouts, with his only loss coming against current welterweight champ Kamaru Usman.
With a genuinely world-class grappling game, heavy hands and a solid technical striking base, Burns would be favoured against most welterweights. However, right now, Chimaev feels more like a force of nature than a mere fighter.
Nobody has even come close to testing him thus far, to the point that he’s never even eaten a significant strike. He’s been able to blow through every opponent he’s faced, and he’s always made it look easy.
Despite this, there are still plenty of questions around him – questions that, theoretically at least, should be asked by Burns.
Basically, if Chimaev blows through ‘Durinho’ has he’s done to everyone else he’s faced, then there’ll be no denying that he’s the real deal. If he fails, his hype train could come to a crashing halt. Overall, this is an utterly unmissable fight, and a great piece of matchmaking from the UFC.
#1. Alexander Volkanovski vs. Chan Sung Jung – UFC 273
While it’s arguably fair to suggest that Chan Sung Jung isn’t the official #1 contender in the UFC’s featherweight division right now – and in fact, wouldn’t be getting a title shot if Max Holloway were healthy – it’s hard to dispute that his clash with Alexander Volkanovski is April’s best fight on paper.
Simply put, this one has the potential to be just as exciting as Volkanovski’s last title defense against Brian Ortega, a fight that was widely considered one of the best of 2021.
‘Alexander the Great’ remains undefeated in both the UFC and in MMA overall, a rarity in the modern era, and thus far, nobody has been able to solve the puzzle that he brings, courtesy of a solid wrestling game, granite chin and heavy-handed striking.
However, Ortega appeared to thrive in moments of chaos against the Australian, and those chaotic moments are where Jung really shines. ‘The Korean Zombie’ is not the most technically sound fighter, particularly on the feet, but he’s willing to exchange bombs with any fighter in the division.
More to the point, Jung is probably the most underrated grappler at 145lbs, making him almost a uniquely dangerous foe for Volkanovski to handle.
The Australian champion will quite rightfully be considered the favourite here, but ‘The Korean Zombie’ will be a live underdog, and if he performs to his potential, then we could be in for a genuinely classic title bout.
