Schnell has bounced around between flyweight and bantamweight during his first nine UFC appearances, cobbling together a 5-3 record with one no contest verdict. The 32-year-old Louisiana native has earned those five wins in his last seven starts, and will look to shake off the rust from a frustrating year without stepping into the Octagon when he does so this weekend.
Things are starting to get congested towards the top of the flyweight division, but that’s good news for these two, as the winner shouldn’t have any difficulty finding a willing dance partner to share the floor with in the second half of the year.
Blagoy Ivanov vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima
Blagoy Ivanov ends a near two-year hiatus and looks to halt a two-fight skid when he steps in on Saturday with Marcos Rogerio de Lima, who aims to build on his two-fight winning streak this weekend.
The Bulgarian heavyweight Ivanov last competed on May 30, 2020, suffering a split decision loss to Augusto Sakai, which came seven months after suffering a similar fate in a pairing with Derrick Lewis. Now 35 years old, “Baga” looks to re-establish himself as a Top 15 presence in the big boy division by picking up the 19th win of his career at UFC 274.
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Now in his ninth year on the UFC roster, de Lima debuted with a win at heavyweight, before shifting to the 205-pound ranks for his next six appearances, posting a 3-3 record. He transitioned back to heavyweight with a win over Adam Wieczorek at UFC 230, and after alternating wins and losses through his first four outings, the Brazilian veteran posted back-to-back wins over Maurice Greene and Ben Rothwell last year.
Will Ivanov get back into the win column and show he’s still got plenty to offer or can “Pezao” post another win and continue his transformation into an intriguing dark horse in the heavyweight division?
Francisco Trinaldo vs. Danny Roberts
Ageless Brazilian Francisco Trinaldo looks to secure the 18th win of his UFC career and second straight win as a welterweight, while British veteran Danny Roberts has designs on collecting a third straight win while halting his opponent’s ascent.
Trinaldo has quietly put together an impressive career inside the Octagon, entering Saturday’s contest with a 17-7 record that includes wins over Ross Pearson, Paul Felder, Jim Miller, Bobby Green, and Jai Herbert. Last time out, “Massaranduba” landed on the favorable side of a split decision verdict in a clash with Dwight Grant, and he looks to improve on that effort here.
After nearly two years on the sidelines, Roberts returned to action last October in Las Vegas, collecting a split decision win over Ramazan Emeev. It was his first appearance since knocking out Zelim Imadaev in Russia and a reminder of what the 34-year-old southpaw is capable of when he’s healthy, focused, and firing on all cylinders.
This is one of those fights that highlights the depth of the welterweight division, and should serve as a perfect lead in to the televised prelims on Saturday night.
Tracy Cortez vs. Melissa Gatto
Intriguing flyweight hopefuls Tracy Cortez and Melissa Gatto face off here in a battle that should determine which one of them will make a push for a place in the rankings in 2022.