On September 4, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is back with its brand of Octagon violence for UFC Vegas 36, inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is a unique afternoon broadcast that was previously planned to take place in London, England before the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced the promotion to scrap those plans.
The card is heavy on talent from the United Kingdom and is headlined by a star from the region when seventh-ranked middleweight Darren Till goes to war with red hot fifth-ranked fighter, and division stalwart, Derek Brunson.
How to watch UFC Vegas 36 on September 4
- UFC Vegas 36 kicks off at 1:30 pm ET with preliminary action exclusively on streaming service ESPN+
- The main card follows at 4 pm ET, also on ESPN+
UFC Vegas 36 fight card
UFC Vegas 36 appointment television fights
Derek Brunson vs Darren Till
Brunson vs Till is a pivotal matchup in the career of Liverpool’s most well-known UFC talent. After an impressive six-fight unbeaten run scored “The Gorilla” a welterweight title shot against Tyron Woodley in 2018, the 28-year-old has lost three of four and made the move up to the middleweight division. The question has always been if Till is as elite as he and the UFC seem to think he is. If he can beat Brunson on Saturday afternoon, and score a second win on a ranked middleweight, he quiets the doubters. However, if the 37-year-old American hands him a fourth loss in five fights, the luster on Till’s star will dim at a rapid pace.
Prediction: Till by technical knockout, round 3
Tom Aspinall vs Sergey Spivak
Tom Aspinall has quickly become one of England’s brightest up-and-coming prospects in the heavyweight division. He is on a six-fight winning streak, already ranked in the division’s top-15, and is a sizable betting favorite against a battle-tested and also ranked promotional veteran in Sergey Spivak. If Aspinall can score a win over “Polar Bear,” a fighter almost as red hot as him, it would be a serious passing grade on a legitimate divisional litmus test and set the Englishman up for a major matchup in the top-10 next.
Prediction: Aspinall by unanimous decision
Khalil Roundtree vs Modestas Bukauskas
Khalil Roundtree is one of the more confounding talents in the UFC. He seems to have all the tools to be a regular in the rankings, yet the “War Horse” will often lose momentum just as fast as he builds it up. The fact that he is a betting underdog to Modestas Bukauskas, a fighter in his third Octagon bout and on a two-fight losing streak, shows that oddsmakers have trouble getting behind The UItimate Fighter Season 23 alum. Both Roundtree and Bukauskas are on two-fight losing streaks. This is a high-pressure fight as both could very well be in a win or fight elsewhere scenario.
Prediction: Bukauskas by unanimous decision
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