5 likely contenders for the Fight of the Night award at UFC 271

#4. UFC flyweight bout: Roxanne Modafferi vs. Casey O’Neill

Casey O'Neill will be hoping to knock off veteran Roxanne Modafferi in an exciting-sounding fight this weekend

The women’s flyweight division is often one of the more maligned weight classes in the UFC and it’s largely with good reason. For the most part, the division feels thin on talent, with champion Valentina Shevchenko standing absolutely miles above every other fighter.

However, the clash this weekend between veteran contender Roxanne Modafferi and hot prospect Casey O’Neill sounds like an absolutely outstanding one and could definitely be an under-the-radar contender for Fight of the Night.

O’Neill, quite rightly, should come in as the hot favorite. The Scotland-born, Australia-based ‘King Casey’ is unbeaten at 8-0. She’s looked fantastic in the octagon thus far, putting beatdowns on Shana Dobson, Lara Procopio and Antonina Shevchenko.

However, Modafferi certainly isn’t a stranger to upsetting the odds against a favored opponent. ‘The Happy Warrior’ has always been an excellent grappler, but she’s now improved her strength and conditioning hugely. Early 2020 saw her knock off another hot prospect in Maycee Barber.

These two women will probably go move-for-move on the ground. So, if they scramble and exchange positions and submission attempts, they may well put on a hugely entertaining battle. If they can do this, they might steal the show and find themselves $50k richer at the end of it.

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#3. UFC flyweight bout: Alex Perez vs. Matt Schnell

Alex Perez remains one of the world's most dangerous flyweight fighters

The flyweight division has always had a tendency to produce exciting fights. The clash between Alex Perez and Matt Schnell on UFC 271’s undercard is unlikely to be an exception. There’s a definite chance that this fight could produce something special.

For Perez, it marks a chance to get back into the saddle following his devastating loss to Deiveson Figueiredo in his first title bout in December 2020. Perez hoped to push the Brazilian hard, but ended up being caught in a guillotine choke before two minutes had even gone.

Prior to that, though, he’d been on a fantastic run in the octagon, going 6-1 with stoppages of Jose Torres, Carls John de Tomas, Jordan Espinosa and Jussier Formiga. With skill in all areas, Perez remains one of the most dangerous 125lbers on the roster.

Schnell, meanwhile, was not expected to do all that well in the UFC after arriving there via TUF 24. However, after a tricky start he’s now won five of his last seven bouts, shining in wins over Tyson Nam and Jordan Espinosa in particular.

Aggression is the name of the game for ‘Danger’, whether he’s fighting on the feet or the ground. That may well play into the hands of Perez, but either way, this should be a wild, back-and-forth fight that isn’t likely to go the distance.

So if both men produce their best, it’s definitely likely to be a contender for this weekend’s Fight of the Night award.