Preview: UFC on ESPN 50 ‘Sandhagen vs. Font’

Featherweights

Diego Lopes (21-6, 0-1 UFC) vs. Gavin Tucker (13-2, 4-2 UFC)

ODDS: Lopes (-170), Tucker (+142)

This should be an all-action affair, but there is some additional intrigue as to exactly what form Tucker shows up in. Tucker has had an odd career thus far. Born in Newfoundland and fighting out of Halifax, he was brought in as some local talent for the UFC’s trip to Nova Scotia in 2017, when he impressed in a debut win over Sam Sicilia. However, Tucker’s UFC campaign looked like it might end before it truly got started. His next fight was a loss to Ricky Glenn with enough refereeing malpractice to turn a one-sided beating into a career-threatening one, leaving Tucker to spend two years on the sidelines recovering from his injuries. Shockingly, Tucker returned a much better fighter than he was before the layoff. Primarily a striker beforehand, Tucker suddenly showed off an effective wrestling game that made him a well-rounded threat, enough so that he made a charge to the fringes of the featherweight rankings after a win over Billy Quarantillo. Tucker’s big breakout opportunity against Dan Ige ended in just 22 seconds thanks to a brutal knockout punch from Ige, and since then, “Guv’nor” has essentially vanished from the radar until this return roughly two and a half years later. At 37 years old, there is a chance that Tucker might have fallen too far out of his prime during this latest layoff, and Lopes is a solid litmus test to see exactly where he stands.

A Brazilian who has put down roots in Mexico, Lopes was on the verge of a UFC call for years until he finally got tabbed in May. However, his opportunity came against top contender Movsar Evloev in what figured to be an unwinnable fight. It was an easy bout to judge in Evloev’s favor after 15 minutes, but Lopes acquitted himself about as well as possible in the process, showing some grappling chops and putting the Russian in danger on the mat multiple times in a wrestling-heavy affair. Lopes should be able to find some wins in the UFC going forward, and this could be one of them. He has youth and energy on his side, along with a considerable size advantage over Tucker—one of the most compactly built fighters on the roster. However, Lopes’ approach is mostly focused around pressure and aggression, which should allow Tucker to get a fight on his terms, particularly since the Lobo Gym rep’s willingness to scrap often leaves him open for takedowns. It is easy to see the Canadian taking a lot of opportunities to shake off the rust in a much safer manner by taking this to the mat. Lopes is enough of an opportunist that any slippage for Tucker since 2021 could be a huge issue, but the veteran looked good enough before the layoff to get the nod. The pick is Tucker via decision.

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Sandhagen vs. Font
Suarez vs. Andrade
Nzechukwu vs. Jacoby
Lopes vs. Tucker
Boser vs. Camur
Bahamondes vs. Klein
The Prelims