UFC Fight Night: Canada

A clash between two of the most entertaining scrappers is set to take place this weekend. Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone will take on Al Iaquinta in the main event Saturday, May 4 in Ottawa, Canada. Prelims start at 2 p.m. at Canadian Tire Center on ESPN leading up to the main card at 5 p.m. on ESPN+.

The last time fans got a glimpse of Iaquinta was last December when he earned a unanimous decision win against grappling powerhouse Kevin Lee. Over his last seven fights, “Ragin’ Al” has a record of 6-1, with that one loss being a lightweight championship bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov, the undefeated Dagestani grappler. Not to mention, it was a bout that Iaquinta took on one day notice after the debacle of the originally scheduled Nurmagomedov vs Tony Ferguson bout. Nevertheless, Iaquinta has his eyes set on Saturday night. An opportunity that may eventually lead him to be able to train a full fight camp for Nurmagomedov in the future.

The only thing in the way of that, of course, is the always dangerous Cowboy Cerrone. Cowboy, on a two-fight win streak, seems to be fighting off a newly-discovered passion since the birth of his son, Dacson Danger Cerrone. Cowboy has looked better than ever, and his last two wins have come via finishes. Although Cowboy fluctuates between competing at lightweight and welterweight, his power is able to translate well when he competes at 155 pounds and he finds himself to be a contender in the lightweight division as well. The all-time leader in UFC wins hopes to add another Saturday and continue his upwards trend towards capturing his first UFC title.

The bout between both of these brawlers is appealing to every fight fan. Both fighters are well-rounded in their game and present danger in all aspects of fighting. Cerrone, a known submission specialist, also has the capability to put the lights out. However, between the two of them, Iaquinta seems to be the more powerful, more boxing-heavy fighter. He is also the better of the two in the wrestling department, having wrestled throughout high school and college. Nevertheless, wrestling may not be the game plan Ragin’ Al would want to take, since Cerrone is often dangerous when throwing up submissions from his back. It should be a war and looks to be very unlikely to go the full 25 minutes.

Also on the card, welterweight Derek Brunson looks to avoid dropping three straight as he takes on Elias Theodorou. Theodorou is riding a three-fight win streak and looks to crack the top 10 rankings. Also, Cub Swanson looks to bounce back when he takes on the crisp boxing of Shane Burgos. Both of these men look to keep the fight standing and the fight will probably be decided by who goes down first.

Make sure to tune in this Saturday as UFC Fight Night Ottawa looks to deliver a solid card. Subscribe to ESPN+ and watch the prelims at 2 p.m. PST and the main card at 5 p.m.