After this week’s card, the UFC only has three live shows left in 2019.
Saturday, the year begins to wind down with the last of 12 consecutive weekends with a UFC show as it makes a return visit to Sao Paulo, Brazil for UFC on ESPN+ 22.
In total, this event features 12 MMA contests from Sao Paulo’s Ibiarpuera Gymnasium.
The card begins with a seven-fight undercard at 5 p.m. EST, 2 p.m. PST on ESPN+, with a five-fight main card immediately following at 8 p.m. EST, 5 p.m. PST on the subscription-based streaming platform.
Highlighting UFC on ESPN+ 22 on Saturday night is a five-round non-title fight in the UFC’s Light Heavyweight ranks.
No. 6 contender Jan Blachowicz (23-8) will fight No. 8 contender Jacare Souza (26-6, one no-contest) to close the show. Souza is moving up from the Middleweight division for this fight.
Contender Comparison
Heading into Saturday’s main event, Jan Blachowicz is the taller fighter, standing 6-foot-2, one inch taller than Jacare Souza at 6-foot-1.
Blachowicz has gone 4-1 in his last five fights, most recently defeating Luke Rockhold by second-round knockout (left hook and ground and pound strikes) during UFC 239 in July.
In the other corner, Souza has posted a record of 2-3 in his last five UFC appearances. Last time out, he dropped a unanimous decision vs. Jack Hermansson in UFC on ESPN+ 8’s main event on Apr. 27 in Ft. Lauderdale. He was to have fought Yoel Romero during that event last spring, but the pairing was canceled due to Romero falling ill.
The Tale of the Tape
UFC.com shows that Jan Blachowicz has a six-inch reach advantage (78 inches to 72 inches), as well as a three-inch leg reach advantage (44 inches to 41 inches) over Jacare Souza heading into the main event on Saturday night.
Prediction: Jan Blachowicz by first-round knockout.
Four other fights make up Saturday night’s main card
No. 14 contender Shogun Rua (26-11) vs. Paul Craig (12-4) [Light Heavyweight, co-main event]
No. 13 contender Charles Oliveira (26-8, one no-contest) vs. Jared Gordon (14-3) [Lightweight]
Antonio Arroyo (8-2, UFC debut) vs. Andre Muniz (18-4, UFC debut) [Middleweight]
Markus Perez (11-2) vs. Wellington Turman (15-3) [Middleweight]
UFC on ESPN+ 22 at a Glance
Prelims: Saturday, 5 p.m. EST, 2 p.m. PST, ESPN+
Main Card: Saturday, 8 p.m. EST, 5 p.m. PST, ESPN+
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