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In the UFC, big names bring buys, big fights bring anticipation, and good fights bring talk. Often the three aren’t exclusive. How many times have we seen the most anticipated fights disappoint? On the same card, a fight that went under the radar tends to capture the headlines and bring the night’s most memorable moment.
Whether through a crazy knockout or a hard-fought three-round war, fights that are talked about less in the lead-up to an event can provide the most entertainment. Some of 2021's best fights so far are prime examples.
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With that said, here are five UFC matchups that could end up being some memorable sleeper fights in June.
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#5 Tim Means vs. Danny Roberts - UFC Vegas 29
The matchup between Tim Means and Danny Roberts at UFC Vegas 29 is an underrated pairing. Both men have scored multiple knockouts and when they enter the octagon together on June 19, we could see a real fiery affair,
Roberts was always one of the most promising fighters to come out of the UK MMA scene. 'Hot Chocolate' debuted in the UFC at 11-1 and won his opening two fights in the promotion. Since a defeat to Mike Perry in 2016, the 33 year old has been inconsistent and has struggled to build a winning streak. Two defeats to Claudio Silva and Michel Pereira in 2019 stalled any momentum he had.
But a brutal knockout win over Zelim Imadaev reminded the UFC what he can do. Having not fought in 2020, Roberts will look to secure consecutive wins for the first time since 2018 next month.
The Englishman will be looking to reproduce the devastating left hook that brought him his last win, but against a veteran like Tim Means, that'll be no easy task. Like Roberts, Means has struggled with inconsistency. Ever since a four-fight winning streak was broken by Matt Brown in 2015, 'The Dirty Bird' has traded wins and losses.
Despite this, Means was still fighting top names. Defeats to opponents like Belal Muhammad, Alex Oliveira, Niko Price and Daniel Rodriguez are nothing to be ashamed of. But since his loss to Rodriguez, Means has looked close to his best. Two unanimous decision wins over Laureano Staropoli and Mike Perry have raised Means' stock once again.
This fight should be an entertaining affair and a finish is more than likely.
#4 Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Michel Prazeres - UFC Vegas 30
Not many fights fulfill the veteran vs. prospect criteria to the extent of this one. The UFC Vegas 30 fight between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Michel Prazeres will see an unbeaten 26-year-old make his second walk to the octagon to face a 13-fight UFC veteran who's less than two months away from turning 40.
Shavkat Rakhmonov is about as promising as any prospect in the UFC right now. Prior to his UFC debut last year, the Kazkhstani welterweight had built a perfect 12-0 record that included 12 finishes, six of which came in the very first round. That's some way to build your name in MMA.
Not much says a promotion recognizes your potential like matching you up with Alex Oliveira for your debut. 'Cowboy' boasts wins over Carlos Condit and Tim Means, and has faced the likes of Donald Cerrone, Gunnar Nelson and Gilbert Burns. Rakhmonov arrived in style, submitting the Brazilian in under five minutes.
Rakhmonov will look to maintain his 100% finishing rate at UFC Vegas 30. However, his opponent, Michel Prazeres, hasn't been finished in his 29-fight career so far. Three decision losses to Paulo Thiago, Kevin Lee and Ismail Naurdiev are his only MMA defeats.
Before a loss in 2019, the Brazilian was riding an eight-fight winning streak that included wins over former title challenger Gilbert Burns, Zak Cummings and Bartosz Fabinski. Having not fought for over two years, it remains to be seen what kind of performance the 39 year old will put in. But Prazeres has fought the best and that can only aid in Rakhmonov's development,
#3 Khaos Williams vs. Matthew Semelsberger - UFC Vegas 29
This welterweight matchup pits two men that entered the UFC in style last year. With a crazy main event between Chan Sung Jung and Dan Ige set for UFC Vegas 29, the bout between Khaos Williams and Matthew Semelsberger will likely fly under the radar in the build-up. It really shouldn't.
Heading into his UFC debut last year, Khaos Williams was on a six-fight winning streak and hadn't been beaten since his third professional MMA bout back in 2018. He was highly regarded and his first two walks to the octagon showed exactly why. Not many have established their name in the UFC in more emphatic fashion than 'The Oxfighter'.
After knocking out Alex Morono in just 27 seconds in his debut, Williams secured back-to-back 30 second KO's against knockout machine Abdul Razak Alhassan. That KO is always worth another watch...
After a close decision loss to Michel Pereira registered Williams' first UFC defeat, he'll look to bounce back in June against Matthew Semelsberger. 'Semi The Jedi' has had a similarly strong start to his UFC career. After going 3-2 as a professional, a strong run in 2020 and two UFC wins has seen the 28 year old build a five-fight winning streak and move to an 8-2 record.
Off the back of a brutal 16 second KO against Jason Witt, Semelsberger will look to add another recognized name to his resume. With both men looking to ascend the 170-pound division, this one could steal the show on June 19.
#2 Movsar Evloev vs. Hakeem Dawodu - UFC 263
What a matchup at the back end of the featherweight rankings this could be...
The featherweight division has arguably been the most entertaining in the UFC in recent months. Every card seems to have some 145-pound bangers on the prelims or main card. UFC 263 will be no different. In a battle between two highly touted prospects, Russia's Movsar Evloev will face Canada's Hakeem Dawodu on June 12.
Evloev, 27, has impressed since making his UFC debut. The Sunzha-born featherweight attracted the promotion's attention in 2019, after he'd accumulated an unbeaten 10-0 record that included three knockouts and four submissions.
Despite not finding a stoppage in the UFC, Evloev has looked sharp and has maintained his unbeaten professional record. Wins over Mike Grundy and Nik Lentz in his last two octagon outings extended his UFC record to 4-0. He'll look to make a push for the featherweight top-10 at UFC 263.
Evloev's opponent, Hakeem Dawodu, has been in similar form. The Calgary-born 145lber has just one blemish on his 14-fight MMA career. A 7-0-1 record that included six knockouts secured 'Mean' a place on MMA's biggest stage. A debut defeat to Danny Henry got the 29 year old off to a slow start, but a five-fight winning streak since then has re-railed Dawodu's hype train.
With the pair occupying the final two spots in the featherweight rankings, a win for either man will help ascend them further up the rankings and towards contention. This should be a good one.
#1 Marlon Vera vs. Davey Grant II - UFC Vegas 29
What a rematch this is. Two big-swinging bantamweight names are set to collide at UFC Vegas 29. Fan-favorite Marlon 'Chito' Vera will look to strengthen his position in the 135-pound rankings against England's 'Dangerous' Davey Grant.
Ecuador's Vera has grown in popularity since his UFC debut in 2015. He first fought Grant in what was his second fight in the promotion. Having been defeated by the Englishman, 'Chito' won three of his next five before beginning a streak that would see him earn a number next to his name.
After a loss to Douglas Silva de Andrade in 2018, Vera won six consecutive bantamweight fights. A narrow decision loss to Song Yadong in a featherweight bout last May was the only blemish on an otherwise perfect few years. Having become the first man to defeat Sean O'Malley, Vera earned the opportunity to face the legendary Jose Aldo.
Despite being defeated, the 28 year old took the former champion to a decision and will be looking to secure another opportunity against a top bantamweight name with a win over Davey Grant.
'Dangerous' Davey Grant has fought just five times since his victory over Vera in 2016. Vera has entered the octagon 13 times in the same period. But despite being less active than his upcoming opponent, Grant has certainly been living up to his moniker recently.
After falling to consecutive defeats against Damian Stasiak and Manny Bermudez, Grant has resurrected his UFC career with an impressive three-fight winning streak. His last two fights have ended in brutal knockouts and saw him collect back-to-back Fight of the Night bonuses.
With Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori 2 and Deiveson Figuieredo vs. Brandon Moreno 2 scheduled for UFC 263, this rematch is likely to slide under the radar. It certainly shouldn't.
