UFC 259 Preliminary Fighters With Bright Futures

Overtime Heroics Editorial

821 days ago

UFC 259 possessed a star-studded main card. However, the card had an interesting and comprehensive ten-fight prelim lineup with many fighters making their mark on the international audiences.

Kyler Phillips Impresses

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 06: (L-R) Kyler Phillips and Song Yadong of China trade strikes in their bantamweight fight during the UFC 259 event at UFC APEX on March 06, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Kyler Phillips earned a unanimous decision over the dangerous Song Yadong at UFC 259. Utilizing strategic kicks and elite ring generalship, he refused Song’s attempts to brawl. Phillips exhibited impressive fight IQ, imposing his grappling late into the fight to impede any momentum Song was gaining. Phillips earned an impressive victory over another great prospect cementing himself as threat in the bantamweight division. Phillips is riding a three-fight winning streak in the UFC and is on the verge of the top ten.

Brady Extends Undefeated Streak

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 06: In this handout image provided by UFC, (R-L) Sean Brady punches Jake Matthews of Australia in their welterweight fight during the UFC 259 event at UFC APEX on March 06, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Sean Brady out grappled Jake Matthews for the first two rounds of their fight eventually securing an arm triangle and submitting the Australian early in the third round. Brady’s dominance is impressive as Matthews has shown a strong wrestling and jiu-jitsu game in previous fights. With how slow the upper echelon of the welterweight division is moving, it is great for new talent to be pushing the top fifteen. At 14-0, Brady’s claims to the rankings cannot go unnoticed for long.

The Dominator Returns

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 06: In this handout image provided by UFC, (R-L) Dominick Cruz punches Casey Kenney in their bantamweight fight during the UFC 259 event at UFC APEX on March 06, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Dominick Cruz earned his first win since 2016 taking a split-decision over Casey Kenney. Rebounding from his loss to Henry Cejudo last year, Cruz’s signature movement and footwork were fully displayed at UFC 259. Landing with awkward looping hooks and mixing in his takedowns were the keys to staying ahead on the judges’ scorecards. Despite being thirty-five years old and competing for over fifteen years, Cruz still showed he can give a competitive fight to the top bantamweights in the UFC.

Medić’s Exciting First Round TKO

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 06: (R-L) Uros Medic of Serbia punches Aalon Cruz in their lightweight fight during the UFC 259 event at UFC APEX on March 06, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Uroš Medić, an Alaska FC and Contender Series Alumni, improved to 7-0 with a blistering knockout over Aalon Cruz this past weekend. A flying knee and follow-up punches were all “The Doctor” needed to punctuate his UFC debut. The impressive display earned the Serbian a Performance of the Night bonus. Medić, primarily a striker, trains with Rafael Cordeiro at Kings MMA. With such a strong camp behind him and an exciting fighting style, Medić is one to look out for in the future.

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Featured Image Credits to Embed from Getty Images