UFC 235 fight card: Three undercard bouts to keep a close eye on in Las Vegas

UFC 235 on Saturday night in Las Vegas is one of the most anticipated events of the young year — and for good reason. Two championship fights take center stage as Jon Jones defends his light heavyweight championship against Anthony Smith and Tyron Woodley puts his welterweight title on the line against Kamaru Usman. Plus, undefeated welterweight sensation Ben Askren makes his long-awaited promotional debut when he battles veteran Robbie Lawler. 

When fans refer to UFC 235 as a loaded card, though, they’re not just speaking about the top-heavy portion. The fact is that there are fights set to take place this weekend inside the T-Mobile Arena on the undercard that should be watched intently for one reason or another. Let’s now take a look at three of those fights that should have viewers excited to tune in, be it on pay-per-view or television. 

1. Cody Garbrandt vs. Pedro Munhoz — Bantamweight (main card): Having won six of his last seven UFC fights, the 32-year-old Munhoz (17-3, 1 NC) continues to rise up the ranks in the 135-pound division. Unquestionably, a victory over former bantamweight titleholder Garbrandt will only help his cause of securing a championship opportunity in the near future. Following reigning champion TJ Dillashaw’s stunning first-round TKO defeat to flyweight champion Henry Cejudo at 125 pounds as well as Marlon Moraes firmly setting himself as the No. 1 contender with three straight first-round finishes and Performance of the Night honors, there’s no telling how long he’ll be waiting in line. But a convincing win over a former champion will only put Munhoz on more people’s radar going forward. 

Garbrandt (11-2), meanwhile, is not only aiming to eventually get back into the title hunt, he’s looking to repair his reputation as well. En route to the bantamweight title, Garbrandt was 11-0 in his MMA career before the two lopsided losses to Dillashaw knocked him down more than a few pegs both in the rankings and in fans’ eyes. So, stepping into the Octagon with a rising contender such as Munhoz on Saturday is the first step in redemption for Garbrandt as he looks to earn his way into title contention once again while maybe gaining back some respect in the process. 

2. Jeremy Stephens vs. Zabit Magomedsharipov — Featherweight (preliminary card): Currently on a 12-fight winning streak which includes success in his first four UFC bouts, Magomedsharipov (16-1) has quickly become a name to watch in the featherweight division. There generally comes a time for every rising star, though, when they have to be battle-tested against a veteran, and in Stephens (28-15), Magomedsharipov will face that test in the feature bout of the preliminary card on Saturday. 

Stephens’s stocked may have dropped a bit due to his first-round TKO loss to the legendary Jose Aldo in July 2018, but as we’ve been learning of late with his tremendous bounce back wins since the dual losses to 145-pound king Max Holloway, a defeat at the hands of Aldo isn’t anything too damning. Prior to the Aldo loss, Stephens was getting himself back on track with three consecutive wins, and now he seeks to climb back up the featherweight rankings if he can stop the incredible momentum of the 27-year-old Magomedsharipov. 

3. Johnny Walker vs. Misha Cirkunov — Light Heavyweight (preliminary card): Let’s face facts: The light heavyweight division is not in a good place right now despite quite possibly the greatest fighter of all time currently in possession of the title. All due respect to the tough-as-nails challenger in the main event on this card, the marquee fight of UFC 235 does very little to instill confidence in the future. What may give this division the jolt it needs is the rise of brash newcomer, and that newcomer may be charismatic Brazilian Johnny Walker. 

Walker (16-3) made his UFC debut last November with a first-round KO victory over Khalil Rountree Jr. in just 15 seconds, and he followed that performance up earlier this month with a TKO win over Justin Ledet in just 1:57. Itching to make more of a name for himself, Walker stepped in for this very quick turnaround after Ovince Saint Preux was removed from the bout with injury. Walker openly lobbied for this opportunity following Saint Preux’s removal, and he was granted the opportunity to once again cement himself as one of the top prospects in the 205-pound ranks. Should Walker dispose of Cirkunov (14-4) in a similar fashion as his first two appearances in the Octagon, presenting him as an eventual, credible challenger to Jones could become somewhat of a priority for Dana White and Co.