If you're slumbering on the finale of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America season 3, the snooze alarm is clanging your name.
No, TUF: Latin America is not what you might call essential viewing for the mainstream MMA fan, but this card that doubles as the season swan song, airing mainly on Fox Sports 1, probably is.
Don't let the reality show spinoff and the recent lull in UFC action throw you off the scent. Don't let yourself be blinded by next weekend's blockbuster to end all blockbusters, UFC 205, which features Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight strap at the top of an uber-stacked card.
This TUF finale has plenty to offer in its own right, and not on a relative scale. Headlined by a bout that will probably determine the next lightweight title challenger, this Mexico City card is cheesecake-dense with talent and intrigue.
Here are the four key storylines heading into Saturday's action:
For Dos Anjos-Ferguson Winner, This Is the Road Ahead
Rafael dos Anjos thinks so.
"I think whoever wins the fight deserves a title shot," he recently told James Goyder of MMA Weekly.
Tony Ferguson thinks it should have happened a long time ago.
"I'm the only one that's been earning the s--t in this division," he told Submission Radio in October (h/t Bloody Elbow).
Both sentiments have plenty of merit; only Khabib Nurmagomedov sits higher in the UFC's official lightweight rankings than Dos Anjos (No. 2) and Ferguson (No. 3). Dos Anjos held the belt for a year before losing to Alvarez this summer. All Ferguson has is the longest active win streak in the UFC, currently holding steady at eight.
If the winner does indeed earn himself a title fight, he'll be facing the winner of Alvarez and McGregor. It's equally well-known that anything involving McGregor is basically the biggest thing that can happen at this particular moment.
There's a bit of intrigue between hot-headed Ferguson and cool-hand Dos Anjos as well. Both men like to come forward and are well-rounded, virtually ensuring an exciting scrap.
Add in that Ferguson said in a recent UFC video (see above) that he wants to "make Rafael dos Anjos quit"—Dos Anjos is a third-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt—and you have all the makings of a big-time fight. That's true Saturday, and it could be even truer, if that's a word, in 2017.
Will This Season's TUF Winner Have a Viable UFC Career?
This season, the lightweights did battle under rival coaches and blue-pants wearers Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin. The contestants represented nine countries from across Latin America.
The final pits Mexican Martin Bravo against Peruvian Claudio Puelles, and according to Odds Shark, most oddsmakers have this fight as a toss-up. Bravo, of team Griffin, took a total knockout and two decisions to the finals. Puelles hit the trifecta with a knockout, a submission and a decision win en route to Mexico City.
At 23 and 20 years old, respectively, Bravo and Puelles are both young, green competitors. The younger man may have the inside track. "El Nino" Puelles was Liddell's top pick and sports a 7-1 pro record. He's a big kid whose ground game is probably his best attribute as a fighter, though he appears competent everywhere.
At the same time, though, he appeared a little overwound on the show, and his weight cut was no small task.
Even so, Puelles has the hype heading into Saturday, and that will surely build if he can handle Bravo. But those seeking the next Yair Rodriguez, at least out of the gate, may want to pump the brakes.
Top Prospect Alexa Grasso Makes UFC Debut
Alexa Grasso has been lighting up opponents and scorecards for more than two years inside the all-female Invicta FC promotion.
Now, the strawweight takes her talents to the Octagon, where she gets a stiff debut test in TUF veteran Heather Jo Clark.
tell ya what, I could watch gifs of @AlexaGrasso all day. solid striker. :thumbsup: pic.twitter.com/IHA1FJoH9u
— Shawn@CombatDocket (@kingdazy) October 31, 2016
The 23-year-old Grasso (8-0) seems up to the challenge. Just ask Jodie Esquibel, her latest opponent, for feedback on Grasso's striking and movement. Or you could just look at the bloody mask that enrobed Esquibel's mug as time ran out. Regardless, Grasso is one to watch at strawweight, and this fight with the battle-tested Clark, which kicks off the evening's main card on FS1, is a can't-miss bout.
Diego Sanchez, Ricardo Lamas Fight to Stay Relevant
They are two favorites in the lighter-weight divisions. Both mix wrestling and power striking in their games. Neither shies away from a donnybrook. Both are 34 years old.
Diego Sanchez and Ricardo Lamas have a lot in common. Here's one more thing to add: Both may be fighting to maintain prominence in their divisions. Why? Because both have dropped two of their last three bouts.
In fact, the last person Lamas beat was Sanchez, when Sanchez made his ill-fated featherweight debut. Now back at lightweight, Sanchez is hoping to hit pay dirt against Marcin Held. That won't be easy. A longtime standout with Bellator, the 24-year-old Held is a submissions ace. Watch for that kneebar, Diego.
Lamas is looking across the aisle at Charles Oliveira, the 27-year-old wunderkind who has never quite matched his success to his talents. Lamas' heavy takedowns and ground-and-pound will face a heavy headwind in Do Bronx, who knows how to fight off his back.
Neither man is fighting for his continued UFC employment here; they're both too exciting, accomplished and popular for that. But either or both could be relegated to the novelty or gatekeeper circuits with a defeat in Mexico City.
Scott Harris writes about MMA for Bleacher Report. For more stuff like this, follow Scott on Twitter.
