Preview: UFC 295 Prelims

Lightweights

Mateusz Rebecki (18-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Roosevelt Roberts (12-3, 4-3 UFC)

ODDS: N/A

Rebecki could be a problem for the lightweight division sooner rather than later. Already well-proven after a long career in his native Poland, Rebecki looked readymade to make an impact with his one-sided win on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. “Rebeasti” has not slowed down since. His UFC debut resulted in an extended beating of Nick Fiore, and his June knockout of Loik Radzhabov was a fight where Rebecki’s pressure stylings were clearly clicking at a high level. There is some concern that Rebecki might eventually hit a physical wall as an undersized bowling ball of a lightweight, but that probably will not become an issue for a while. Still, it does provide some intrigue in this fight against a late replacement. Roberts returns to the UFC after a solid showing on this year’s season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which came after a surprising slide out of the promotion in 2021. A lanky lightweight with a slick submission game, Roberts looked like a prospect to watch after some impressive showings to kick off his UFC career, but he eventually hit a hard ceiling. Jim Miller and Kevin Croom were veterans who exploited the defensive holes in Roberts’ game, and he had little answer for another physically talented and more aggressive prospect in Ignacio Bahamondes. However, Roberts’ two-fight stint on the regional scene proved he was still clearly too good for that level, and he should be able to stick in the UFC this time around, even if this return does not figure to go particularly well. Rebecki could charge himself into a submission if he gets overaggressive with his wrestling, but his unchecked aggression does figure to put Roberts immediately on his toes and could lead to some wreckage shortly thereafter. The pick is Rebecki via first-round knockout.

Jump To »
Erceg vs. Costa
Godinez vs. Ricci
Rebecki vs. Roberts
Sadykhov vs. Borshchev
Gordon vs. Madsen
Castaneda vs. Kang
Van vs. Borjas
Emmers vs. Buzukja