A new era for UFC kicks off on Saturday night as it begins its new broadcast partnership with ESPN. This new ESPN era, however, could also mark the sad end of another for the 125-pound division. UFC Fight Night 143 in Brooklyn will see bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw cutting down to 125 pounds to take on flyweight champion Henry Cejudo as he aims to become the fourth simultaneous two-division champion in company history -- joining Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes.
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Dillashaw has maintained through the build up to this fight, which was moved up a week from its originally scheduled date at UFC 233, which was canceled without a suitable main event, that he has been sent to kill the flyweight division.
It's hard to argue given what has unfolded over the last few months with UFC cutting ties with many 125-pound fighters. But the biggest question becomes what happens if Cejudo is successful? Nobody really knows for sure since UFC president Dana White has remained quiet on the matter, wanting to see how Saturday's main event plays out. One thing is for certain though, fireworks should be expected.
In the co-main event is a bit of a surprise as former NFL defensive lineman Greg Hardy makes his UFC debut against Allen Crowder. Hardy was originally scheduled to take part in a developmental bout later this month, but UFC decided it was time to call the prospect up to the big leagues for its ESPN debut. He has finished each of his three professional bouts in under a minute.
Plus, we get the return of fan favorites in Paige VanZant and Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. VanZant is in her first fight in over a year after suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery. She takes on Rachael Ostovich, who was nearly knocked off the card after she was the victim of a domestic assault by her husband.
Cerrone, meanwhile, reutrns to the Octagon, and the lightweight division, after scoring one of the top submissions of 2018 against Mike Perry in November.
Here's a look at the complete fight card from Brooklyn with the latest odds from Bovada.
| Favorite | Underdog | Weightclass |
|---|---|---|
TJ Dillashaw -230 | Henry Cejudo (c) +180 | Flyweight title |
Greg Hardy -550 | Allen Crowder +375 | Heavyweight |
Gregor Gillespie -550 | Yancy Medeiros +375 | Welterweight |
Joseph Benavidez -240 | Dustin Ortiz +190 | Flyweight |
Paige VanZant -160 | Rachael Ostovich +130 | Women's flyweight |
Glover Teixeira -120 | Karl Roberson -110 | Light heavyweight |
Alexander Hernandez -190 | Donald Cerrone +155 | Lightweight |
Ariane Lipski -200 | Joanne Calderwood +160 | Women's flyweight |
Alonzo Meinfield -285 | Vinicius Moreira +225 | Light heavyweight |
Cory Sandhagen -550 | Mario Bautista +375 | Bantamweight |
Te Edwards -140 | Dennis Bermudez +110 | Lightweight |
Geoff Neal -185 | Belal Muhammad +150 | Middleweight |
Kyle Stewart -175 | Chance Recountre +145 | Welterweight |
With a big card on tap, our experts took a crack at picking the main event. Here are your pick makers: Brian Campbell (combat sports writer), Matthew Coca (producer), Michael Mormile (producer), Jack Crosby (editor) and Brandon Wise (editor).
| Fight | Campbell | Coca | Crosby | Mormile | Wise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cejudo (c) vs. Dillashaw | Dillashaw | Dillashaw | Cejudo | Cejudo | Cejudo |
Coca on why Dillashaw will win: Dillashaw has advantages across the board. Height, weight, reach, style -- but I think the biggest advantage is his unorthodox striking style. Not only can no one figure out how to defend it, but he generates so much power behind those shots. Over the past few years, Dillashaw has perfected his craft and I don't see anyone beating him anytime soon.
Crosby on why Cejudo will win: I admittedly didn't buy much stock in Cejudo leading into the fight with Johnson last year, but the flyweight champion made me a believer. And he'll bring in a few more believers on Saturday in Brooklyn. Cejudo has certainly evolved into one of the most well-rounded fighters in the entire promotion, and he remains determined to prove he can be a headliner for Dana White and Co. That determination will carry him past Dillashaw on Saturday to retain the flyweight title as he avoids the power danger from Dillashaw while executing enough significant takedowns to come away with the decision victory.
Mormile on why Cejudo will win: I see a bunch of value on Cejudo after he just beat the G.O.A.T. (Demetrious Johnson). I know it was close but Cejudo's striking is improving every fight. I think their gas tanks are probably close to equal and I just can't see Dillashaw out-wrestling the Olympic gold medalist.
Wise on why Cejudo will win: The biggest storylines of this fight has almost become white noise because of how much it's talked about while being brushed off at every turn. Dillashaw already comes into championship fights at 135 pounds as lean as can be, and we're supposed to expect him to just make 125 with ease? I'm not buying it. We'll see a depleted Dillashaw on Saturday night who won't have the gas tank to compete over five rounds because of the difficult cut. Cejudo grinds out a decision win.
