This week’s latest Ultimate Fighting Championship spell of Octagon violence comes in the form of UFC Vegas 35. The event, like last weekend’s card, will take place inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The broadcast will be headlined by a strikers delight when ninth and tenth ranked featherweights Edson Barboza and Giga Chikadze go to war to take some big steps forward in the top-10 of the division. The card also features the middleweight and bantamweight finals from season 29 of The Ultmatate Fighter.
How to watch UFC Vegas 35 on August 28
- The event airs on Saturday and will kick off with the preliminary portion of the card at 7 pm ET on ESPN & ESPN+
- Main card action follows at 10 pm ET also on ESPN and ESPN+
UFC Vegas 35 Fight card
Main Card (10 pm ET, ESPN & ESPN+)
Edson Barboza (-105) vs. Giga Chikadze (-115)
Bryan Battle vs. Gilbert Urbina
Ricky Turcios vs. Brady Hiestand
Kevin Lee (-145) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (+125)
Andre Petroski vs. Micheal Gillmore
Gerald Meerschaert (+350) vs. Makhmud Muradov (-475)
Preliminary Card (7 pm ET, ESPN & ESPN+)
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Alessio Di Chirico
Sam Alvey (+130) vs. Wellington Turman (-150)
Dustin Jacoby (-190) vs. Darren Stewart (+160)
JJ Aldrich vs. Vanessa Demopoulos
Pat Sabatini (+125) vs. Jamall Emmers (-145)
UFC Vegas 35 Appointment television fights
Edson Barboza vs Giga Chikadze
Chikadze has quickly become the new “it” guy at featherweight in the UFC. Six straight wins in the Octagon and rarely losing a round will do that. In Babrboza he gets an outstanding litmust test of if he can compete at the higher levels of the organization. The Brazilian is battle tested in the lightweight and 145-pound divisions. Fighting high-ranked talent and former champions during an 11 year stint on the roster. If “Ninja” can beat him, he is mostly certainly the real deal and a title contender sooner than later.
Prediction: Chikadze by unanimous decision
Kevin Lee vs Daniel Rodriguez
After two scheduled bouts against Sean Brady fell through, former lightweight title contender Kevin Lee gets a talented short-notice replacemen in Daniel Rodriguez at welterweight. Despite a slip up to Nicolas Dalby in November of last year, “D-Rod” has won five of six in the Octagon and impressed in that time. In Lee he will get the biggest name opponent of his career, as well as the most physically gifted foe yet. It’s a big matchup for both. Rodriguez will get to prove if he has top-10 talent, and “Motown Phenom” can showcase that he is as lethal a 170-pounder as he once was at 155.
Prediction: Lee by unanimous decision