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UFC Fight Night: Costa vs. Vettori is very much a return to form for the UFC, having had two slightly underwhelming cards over the past few weeks. The main event has two former title challengers competing for a chance to re-establish themselves into middleweight contendership.
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The two fighters in question are Marvin Vettori and Paulo Costa, hard-hitting strikers who are rarely willing to take a single step back. Costa has admittedly announced that he can't make the 186-pound limit, which may have some impact on how the fight plays out. Either way, it should still be a violent war for as long as it lasts.
The main event will be preceded by an exciting lightweight co-main event between rising prospect Grant Dawson and MMA veteran Ricky Glenn. Both men are coming off big KO victories and will be looking for yet another showcase stoppage.
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However, whilst these two fights are very much the marquee matchups of the card, there are also a number of hidden gems placed throughout the rest of the event.
On the following list, we break down five under the radar fighters competing at UFC Fight Night: Costa vs. Vettori. Honorable mentions go to Jeff Molina and Tabatha Ricci.
#5. Jonathan 'The Dragon' Martinez - UFC bantamweight
Opening up the early prelims is a rising UFC bantamweight prospect. Jonathan Martinez currently holds a record of 13-4 and already has four UFC wins under his resume. Amongst these wins is a brutal flying knee KO against UFC veteran Frankie Saenz.
He takes on undefeated debutant Zviad Lazishvili, who is currently 12-0. Martinez was initially scheduled to face off against Aaron Phillips, but the fight was scrapped on short notice after Phillips fell ill.
Lazishvili is a prospect in his own right. However, stepping in with little notice against a fighter with the quality possessed by Martinez, seems like it will be too tough a challenge.
Martinez is coming off a loss to Davey Grant and will be looking to regain the hype he amassed after picking up consecutive victories over Saenz and Thomas Almedia.
#4. Jai 'The Black Country Banger' Herbert - UFC lightweight
Lightweight prospect Jai Herbert has had a rough time since transitioning from Cage Warriors to the UFC. He was first matched up with Francisco Trinaldo, a staple of the UFC's 155-pound division. Despite winning much of the fight early on, Herbert was eventually caught by a heavy overhand that left him unconscious.
He then faced a former top-ranked featherweight in Renato Moicano and was swiftly submitted. However, those fights were against such high-level opposition that Herbert was never given the chance to truly adapt to the UFC.
This weekend he faces off against Khama Worthy, who is still a dangerous opponent but has a much more fitting skill level for a fighter new to the UFC. Herbert has lethal striking and considering Worthy's habit of getting KO'd early as of late, look for the 'Black Country Banger' to make a statement.
#3. Jun-Yong 'The Iron Turtle' Park - UFC middleweight
The iconic 'Iron Turtle' returns to the UFC this weekend in a featured preliminary bout. He takes on Gregory Rodrigues in an all-action fight that promises to show off multiple facets of these two well-rounded middleweights' skillsets.
Jun-Yong Park is an intriguing fighter in the 185-pound landscape. He has solid boxing fundamentals, an aggressive top game and consistent durability. Currently riding a three-fight win streak, Park will no doubt be hoping that a big win here may put him within touching distance of the division's top 15.
#2. Mason 'The Dragon' Jones - UFC lightweight
The nation of Wales continues to churn out surprising UFC prospects. The latest is Mason 'The Dragon' Jones, who takes on David Onama this weekend. Alongside Jack Shore and Cory McKenna, Jones represents a new wave of MMA stemming from the often-overlooked country.
Jones is a former Cage Warriors lightweight and welterweight champion. He has a background in judo, but often prefers to utilize his hands to devastating effect. His last fight with Alan Patrick served as a showcase for just how dangerous the Welshman can be, although it, unfortunately, ended in a no-contest after an accidental eye poke.
Against Onama, Jones has a chance to fully announce himself in the UFC lightweight division. Should he pick up a spectacular victory, a big-name opponent will likely be next for him.
#1. Choi 'Sting' Seung-Woo - UFC featherweight
The number one pick goes to South Korea's Choi Seung-Woo. Similar to several other fighters on this list, Seung-Woo had a tough start to his UFC career, getting matched up with Movsar Evloev and Gavin Tucker.
However, 'Sting' has since corrected the course of his career, putting together a three-fight winning streak. Back-to-back decisions against Suman Mokhtarian and Youssuf Zalal gave an early indication of just how good Seung Woo-Choi could be. The brutal KO of Julian Erosa then cemented his status as a legitimate prospect in the 145-pound divsion.
This weekend, he faces his toughest test yet. He takes on UFC veteran Alex 'Bruce Leeroy' Caceres. A win over such an established name as Caceres will truly put Seung-Woo Choi's name on the map.
