UFC lightweights Luis Pena and Alex Munoz have been tasked with being the main card opener for UFC Vegas 23. The fight card is headlined by Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum, who stepped up in place of Paulo Costa. The aforementioned middleweight main event clash has brought a lot of fans to the table, giving Pena and Munoz a platform.
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The lightweight division is currently in limbo without an undisputed champion to currently occupy the top spot. The division is rather top-heavy, however, a few solid wins could bring either Pena or Munoz into the conversation. Their placement on the card is a good indication of the potential both men have shown across their respective runs.
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UFC Fight Night: Luis Pena vs Alex Munoz
‘Violent Bob Ross’ is coming off a guillotine choke submission loss to Khama Worthy in his last outing in June. He’s 1-2 in his last three fights and needs to regain his footing in order to properly scale the lightweight division. Pena has shown a lot of promise out of his time with the ‘American Kickboxing Academy’ and has elite skills.
Luis Pena is well-rounded no matter where the fight goes, however, he’ll favor fighting at range. With his defensive abilities being largely in check, Pena will be favored as long as Munoz doesn’t gauge distance on him.
Alex Munhoz is fresh off a unanimous decision loss to Nasrat Haqparast in his last fight that took place in August. He’s now 6-1 and perhaps bit off more than he could chew going up against Haqparast. Luis Pena will serve as a solid litmus test for Alex Munoz, as he’s a lightweight to watch out for.
Munhoz is a fundamentalist at heart and could face some adversity when going up against Pena’s fluidity. The 31-year-old will rely heavily on his leg-kicking arsenal in order to slow down any erratic movement from his opponent. Furthermore, his ability to cut off the cage is something worth watching out for under the bright lights.
Prediction: Luis Pena to claim a second-round TKO
