5 under the radar names to look out for at UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Rodriguez

The UFC hosts its 39th Fight Night at the Apex this weekend with UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Rodriguez. The card has received some stick from fans of the sport for being somewhat light in terms of name value.

The event's headline fight sees UFC strawweights Mackenzie Dern and Marina Rodriguez clash in a fight that may well produce the next contender in the 115-pound division. However, aside from that fight, no other matchups on this card will have much impact on the future title pictures of their respective divisions.

Despite that, there are still a number of fighters on this card that are well worth a watch. A mixture of experienced veterans and rising contenders will all seek to put on a dominant performance that allows them to truly stand out from the pack.

In the following list, we break down five under the radar names to look out for at UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Rodriguez.

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#5. Charles Rosa - UFC featherweight

Charles Rosa has been a stalwart of the UFC featherweight division since 2014. The Boston native holds a record of 14-5, having defeated the likes of Justin Jaynes, Sean Soriano and Kevin Aguilar.

At UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Rodriguez, Rosa will take on Damon Jackson, a former LFA fighter who has amassed an impressive 18-4-1 record, including a submission victory over Mirsad Bektic in his UFC debut.

Charles Rosa is a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. He has eight submission wins on his record, with the armbar a specialty of his. However, he has also finished opponents with a D'Arce choke, an Anaconda Choke and even a Peruvian necktie.

What makes this fight so intriguing is the fact that Rosa's opponent is also a submission specialist. This bout may well provide some exhilarating scrambles and transitions on the ground. Rosa has been competing against high-level UFC opposition for some time now, but Jackson has more fights on his resume.

#4. Phil Hawes - UFC middleweight

Phil Hawes is still somewhat of an enigma within the UFC middleweight division. He is clearly an incredible athlete with some solid wrestling and natural power. However, he has shown moments of inexperience, gassing hard against Nassourdine Imavov.

Despite that, Hawes is coming off a truly impressive victory over Kyle Daukaus. He is also currently riding a seven-fight win streak and is 3-0 in the UFC so far. He also recorded a win on Dana White's Contender Series, as well as a victory under the banner of Bellator MMA.

At UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Rodriguez, Hawes will take on Deron Winn, an experienced wrestler who transitioned over to MMA in 2017. He holds a 7-2 record, which includes wins over Antonio Arroyo and Eric Spicely.

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#3. Alexandr Romanov - UFC heavyweight

Alexandr Romanov falls into a new collection of rising heavyweight prospects alongside the likes of Tom Aspinall and Chris Daukaus. 'King Kong' holds an undefeated record of 14-0, already holding three victories inside the UFC.

Those wins came against Roque Martinez, Marcos Rogerio de Lima and Juan Espino. Whilst they are not at the top of the food chain in the heavyweight division, Romanov was able to use those fights to showcase his impressive skillet. His wrestling is what truly sets him apart, with an excellent top game and brutal ground-and-pound.

Romanov will face Jared Vanderaa at UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Rodriguez. Vanderaa is a solid striker with impressive durability. However, he has previously had issues defending takedowns, which Romanov will no doubt seek to exploit.

#2. Matheus Nicolau - UFC flyweight

UFC flyweight Matheus Nicolau has gradually amassed a solid record of 18-2-1 over the past 11 years. He is currently in his second UFC stint, initially putting together a 3-1 record before testing the waters at Future FC and Brave CF. Nicolau won back-to-back victories with those promotions, prompting a return to the UFC in 2021.

In March, Nicolau was matched up with one of the division's rising prospects, Manel Kape. The fight was a closely contested three rounds in which Nicolau was able to secure a split decision victory. The win saw him enter the flyweight rankings at No.11.

This weekend, he will have the opportunity to break into the division's top 10 as he faces No.9-ranked Tim Elliot. Nicolau will no doubt have his hands full against the UFC veteran. However, should he be victorious, a title shot would only be a few more wins away.

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#1. Chris Gutierrez - UFC bantamweight

The event's featured preliminary bout sees UFC bantamweight Chris Gutierrez return to action. He'll face off against Felipe Colares. Gutierrez last competed at UFC 258, where he put on a striking clinic against Andre Ewell.

Gutierrez currently holds a 16-3-2 record and is undefeated in his last five fights (4 wins, 1 draw). His sole loss in the UFC came against Raoni Barcelos, who is considered by many to be the dark horse of the bantamweight division.

Felipe Colares is no scrub either, he already has two UFC wins on his record, having defeated Luke Sanders and Domingo Pilarte. He has a high-level submission game and is yet to be finished. Colares may well be the perfect opponent to test Gutierrez and to see if he is ready for a big step up in opposition.