Logo

With two gigantictitle fights at the top of the card, it’d be easy to say that UFC 223 is top heavy. But that just isn’t the case.

Here are five more fights to keep an eye on:

No. 9 Michael Chiesa (14-3-0) vs. No. 12 Anthony Pettis (20-7-0)

Chiesa was on one hell of a roll heading into his last fight against Kevin Lee, which he only lost because of a truly bizarre refereeing decision. At the end of the first round, Lee had Chiesa in a choke hold and the universally criticized Mario Yamasaki jumped in and ended the fight. The only problem was that Chiesa never tapped and never lost consciousness. As if that injustice weren’t enough for Chiesa, Lee’s tainted win got him an interim title shot against former UFC 223-headliner Tony Ferguson. Lee picked up a staph infection that prematurely drained his gas tank and Ferguson was victorious.

After a ten-month hiatus, Chiesa has an opportunity to get his career back on track against former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. Once a wall-running, highlight-reel wunderkind, Pettis fell from grace as he entered what should have been his prime. Switching between featherweight and lightweight, he’s won two of his past seven fights although he’s been taking on absolute killers like Rafael Dos Anjos and featherweight champion Max Holloway. The talent is still very much there with the Milwaukee native, the question now is if he can turn his artistic style into consistent success. Chiesa, who is creative in his own right, is the perfect opponent for Pettis to find out.

No. 11 Al Iaquinta (13-3-1) vs. Paul Felder (15-3-0)

Al Iaquinta (right) fights Kevin Less at UFC 169.APAl Iaquinta (right) fights Kevin Less at UFC 169.AP

This highly-anticipated fight was supposed to go down at UFC 218 back in December, but Long Island’s Al Iaquinta had to pull out because of an injury. Sadly, injuries are the defining characteristic of Iaquinta’s career and it’s why he’s only fought once — against decrepit legend Diego Sanchez — in the past three years. When he does get in the cage, Iaquinta is a hand grenade of action.

Paul Felder is just the guy to pull Iaqunita’s pin. Felder has earned Performance of the Night bonuses in two of his past three fights and is one of the most underrated fighters in the incredibly deep lightweight division. A tough-as-nails puncher who likes to sit in the pocket and throw bombs, Felder showed in his last fight against jiu-jitsu pretzel Charles Oliveira that he’s also got one hell of a ground game. Not that it should matter against Iaquanita: this matchup has “stand and bang” written all over it.

No. 4 Karolina Kowalkiewicz (11-2-0) vs. No. 8 Felice Herrig (14-6-0)

Karolina Kowalkiewicz (right) fights Heather Jo Clark at UFC Fight Night 87.Getty ImagesKarolina Kowalkiewicz (right) fights Heather Jo Clark at UFC Fight Night 87.Getty Images

The last time Kowalkiewicz was in New York, she lost to former strawweight queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk at Madison Square Garden. After that, she lost to third ranked beast Claudia Gadelha. But Kowalkiewicz has a win over current champion Rose Namajunas and shares her Zen-like mentality. All smile before fights, Kowalkiewicz lounges against the cage like she doesn’t have a care in the world but don’t be mistaken, there’s a calculating terminator lurking beneath her calm exterior.

Felice Herrig doesn’t hide anything. A hardcore veteran from Illinois, Herrig isn’t as comfortable on her feet as Kowalkiewicz, but she lives up to her “Bulldog” nickname when she gets top position on the ground. To get there against Kowalkiewicz she’ll have to bite down on her mouthpiece, absorb the Pole’s strikes, and then take her down. That’s a recipe for excitement because Kowalkiewicz likes moving forward. It’s a classic case of a rock meeting a hard place.

No. 3 Ray Borg (11-3-0) vs. No. 7 Brandon Moreno (14-4-0)

Ray Borg (right) fights Louis Smolka at UFC 207.APRay Borg (right) fights Louis Smolka at UFC 207.AP

Pound-for-pound, the flyweights are the most exciting fighters in the world. They’re mini-brickhouses that make up for their lack of power with sheer precision and speed that is as visceral as a heavyweight’s strength. Ray Borg, who got dismantled by pound-for-pound king Demetrius Johnson in his last fight, is a 24-year-old whirling dervish of aggression that looks to create chaos in order to get his hands on his opponent’s neck. Once he does, he morphs into a writhing boa constrictor and it’s game over.

What’s interesting about Borg’s fight with fellow 24-year-old Brandon Moreno is that the Mexican is equally comfortable trying to take advantage of opportunities created by chaos. Moreno’s problem is experience, or the lack thereof. He just doesn’t have as much cage time in big fights as Borg which could be a huge problem for an emotional fighter like Moreno. He tends to push all his chips into the center of the ring when he senses an advantage — which is great, if he gets the finish. If he doesn’t, he’s toast because he hasn’t developed a Plan B or Plan C.

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy