The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will be in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for the first time in promotional history with UFC 215: Johnson vs. Borg. The 12 fight card will kick off with preliminary action on UFC Fight Pass at 6:15 p.m. ET, and prelims will continue on FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m., with the main card getting underway at 10 p.m. on Pay Per View. If interested in wagering on any bouts for this fight card, all betting lines are made available at Several Bookmakers.
These are my fighters to watch at UFC 215 in Edmonton:
Tyson Pedro
The 25-year-old will be looking to remain undefeated by picking up his third straight victory inside the Octagon in what will be the stiffest test of his professional mixed martial arts career, as he takes on Lebanese-Swede Ilir Latifi, who trains out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL. Pedro is a decade Latifi’s junior, so youth will definitely be on his side in this contest, which could be a real “coming out party” for the Australian. He is a young blood with great potential in what is the UFC’s razor-thin light heavyweight division. I think the promotion would prefer the undefeated 25 year old to pick up a win in this fight against Latifi, who many consider to be playing the role of the gatekeeper. Will Pedro pass? We have to tune in to find out, but if he does, then he will certainly be a 205-pounder to keep an eye on moving forward.
Ketlen Vieira
This undefeated 26-year-old is 2-0 inside the Octagon and will be looking to extend that streak to 3-0 by picking up the biggest win of her professional mixed martial arts career against former UFC bantamweight title challenger Sara McMann. Vieira trains out of Rio de Janeiro’s Nova Uniao camp, where some of the best Brazilian fighters in the world are. A victory over McMann would move the 26-year-old to 9-0 as a pro and it would make her relevant in the division. She appears to be improving from fight to fight, and in what is her toughest matchup to date, I think Vieira is a fighter to watch this Saturday night.
Arjan Bhullar
The UFC hit the trifecta with this guy; 1) He is a heavyweight. 2) He is an Olympic wrestler, and 3) He is Indian AND Canadian! Not only do they add a heavyweight to their razor-thin division, but they add one who is undefeated and has competed in the Olympics as a wrestler. Not only that, but they also get to hit two big markets by having him under contract. The UFC has been in dire need of a real Canadian star other than GSP, and I’m sure they see big money signs knowing he could be a big draw in India, as well, which is a big market they have been trying to get into for a while. Bhullar is certainly a fighter to watch this weekend, as he has potential of being a star moving forward. It all starts with his UFC debut against Brazil’s Luis Henrique.
