UFC Tampa Start Time, TV Schedule, Who Is Fighting Tonight!

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is ready to invade Amalie Arena later tonight (Sat., Oct. 12, 2019) to stage UFC Fight Night 161 in Tampa, Fla., streaming only on ESPN+. Headlining the event is a women’s Strawweight bout that will see former division champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, take on fellow top contender, Michelle Waterson. In the co-headlining act, Cub Swanson will look to stop Kron Gracie’s momentum before it picks up further steam.

Waterson has proven she likes to stand and bang. But, as much as she likes to trade punches, she hasn’t scored a knockout win in her UFC career. That said, going blow-for-blow against Joanna may not be the best strategy because she has proven to be one of the better strikers in the division. For Joanna, a win here will likely earn her yet another title shot, which may not sit too well with someone like Tatiana Suarez. But Joanna (and UFC) still seem to be going by what she did before, reigning the division to the tune of five title defenses.

What’s Not:

I can’t really complain too much bout this card. It’s not stacked by any means, but for a “Fight Night” event, it has some pretty interesting match ups. We can’t expect them all to be home runs, but for an ESPN+-streamed event that won’t cost more than $60, it’s worth the while.

Original Card Vs. Actual Card:

The card pretty much stayed intact — there was no flip-flopping of match ups.

Injuries:

The only injury that occurred for this event was Brok Weaver being forced out of the event one week ahead of fight night after he sustained an unfortunate setback. In his place, Mike Davis stepped in to face Thomas Gifford at 155 pounds.

New Blood:

Miguel Baeza is the only newcomer at this event, as he will bring his perfect record (6-0) to the Octagon after earning his way in via Dana White’s “Tuesday Night Contender Series” (DWTNCS). He will be facing Hector Aldana, who has dropped his first two fights inside the Octagon.

How The ‘Prelims’ Look:

In a battle of rising 185 pound contenders, Ryan Spann and Devin Clark will headline the underbelly of this card. Spann is currently riding a nice six-fight win streak, winning his first two fights for the promotion after making an impression on DWTNCS. Clark, meanwhile, has been hot and cold so far in his UFC career, alternating wins and losses in his last five outings.

Max Griffin recently snapped his two-fight losing streak by taking out Zelim Imadaev this past April. Prior to that, Griffin looked as if he could be a legit contender in a very stacked Welterweight division. He will look for back-to-back wins for the first time in a while when he faces Alex Morono, who is currently riding two-straight wins. A third-straight victory for Morono could help him get his name out there a bit more.

Also, the Flyweight division is still going strong, as Deiveson Figueiredo and Tim Elliott will collide in what should be an entertaining “Prelims” scrap. After suffering the first loss of his career this past March, Deiveson got back on track by taking out Alexandre Pantoja just a few months ago. Elliott, meanwhile, is 2-2 in his last four outings, failing to garner any momentum that could help him climb the ranks. If he can hand Deiveson his second defeat, it would be a huge mark on his resume.

Plus, Marlon Vera is looking to make a big jump in the Bantamweight division if he can score his fifth-straight win against Andrew Ewell, who is 2-1 so far in his young UFC career. Meanwhile, J.J. Aldrich will look to bounce back after having her three-fight win streak snapped by Maycee Barber in her last outing as she takes on Lauren Mueller.

To get a more detailed look at all of the “Prelims” action click here and here.

Who Needs A Win Badly:

James Vick was once considered a rising contender at 155 pounds, but he has now dropped three straight. Sure, losing to Justin Gaethje, Paul Felder and Dan Hooker is nothing to be ashamed of, as they are three of the best in the world; however, winning the big fights matters inside the Octagon. If he can’t score a victory over the always-dangerous Niko Price in his move up to Welterweight, there is no telling what UFC will do with Vick.

Cub Swanson also needs a win in the worst way, as he has dropped his last four fights inside the Octagon, which is a far cry from the man who was in title consideration just two years ago. Where it’s all gone wrong for Cub is unknown, but trying to avoid his fifth straight loss will be a tough task to say the least, as he will be facing one of the more exciting prospects in the game today.

Indeed, Gracie will look to carry on the family name in what will be his second UFC fight. Gracie made his debut this past February, submitting Alex Caceres. His UFC return was delayed on purpose, as Gracie said he wanted UFC to find him the toughest fight available. And despite Swanson’s recent skid, he is just that, as he can offer Gracie a legit challenge, maybe even upset him and hand him his first loss.

Interest Level: 7 of 10

It’s going to be very interesting to see how Joanna and Michelle perform in this fight, as Waterson was open this week in saying she and her foe have gotten close over the last year or so on a personal level. But, business is business and they each need to handle it if they want to earn a championship fight.

Also, Mackenzie Dern will make her return to action just five months after giving birth to her first child. It’s a truly remarkable feat, one UFC almost prevented from happening. The submission specialist will look to add to her mint record (7-0, 2-0 UFC), when she takes on Amanda Ribas.

Ribas is currently 7-1 in her young mixed martial arts (MMA) career, making good on her Octagon debut by defeating Emily Whitmire just a few months ago. Dern has been getting a lot of shine since making her UFC debut, so if Ribas can upset her and hand Dern her first loss that shine may rub off on her. It’s a tough task to say the least, as Dern has improved every outing. Whether or not she’s returning too soon remains to be seen.

Hard-hitting Middleweight Eryk Anders will look for back-to-back wins after snapping his horrid three-fight losing streak when he takes on Gerald Meerschaert. This fight has the chance to steal the show, as both men crack hard, and Anders is always just one punch away from bringing the crowd to its feet.

Enjoy the fights!

UFC Fight Night 161 Full Fight Card:

UFC Fight Night 161 Main Event:

115 lbs.: Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Michelle Waterson

UFC Fight Night 161 Main Card On ESPN+ (8 p.m. ET):

145 lbs.: Kron Gracie vs. Cub Swanson
170 lbs.: Niko Price vs. James Vick
115 lbs.: Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
155 lbs.: Max Frevola vs. Luis Pena
205 lbs.: Eryk Anders vs. Gerald Meerschaert

UFC Fight Night 161 Prelims Card On ESPN+ (5 p.m. ET):

205 lbs.: Devin Clark vs. Ryan Spann
155 lbs.: Mike Davis vs. Thomas Gifford
125 lbs.: Tim Elliott vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
170 lbs.: Max Griffin vs. Alex Morono
170 lbs.: Miguel Baeza vs. Hector Aldana
185 lbs.: Marvin Vettori vs. Andrew Sanchez
125 lbs.: J.J. Aldrich vs. Lauren Mueller
135 lbs.: Marlon Vera vs. Andre Ewell

*Fight card, bout order and the amount of matches subject to change.

For more upcoming UFC events click here.