Prelim Watch: David Dvorak vs Jordan Espinosa

Right, so for two weeks in a row my "Prelim Watch" fight has been cancelled. Either I'm cursed, or the UFC hates me. Both are entirely possible. With that in mind, let's keep our fingers crossed that this bout manages to make it to completion and lives up to expectations. This weekend, in an absolutely stacked card, Czech knock-out machine David Dvorak takes on number 13 ranked Jordan Espinosa, in a fight that could result in fireworks.

David "The Undertaker" Dvorak currently holds an impressive mixed martial arts record of 18-3, with 15 of these wins coming by way of stoppage. For a flyweight, that type of finishing power has the ability to fly (see what I did there?) you up the rankings. The 28-year-old fighter is currently on an impressive 14-fight win streak and has not been defeated in nearly eight years.

Dvorak has shown in the majority of his fights that he has the skills to compete wherever the fight may take place. With eight KO/TKOs and seven submission stoppages to his name, he has proved himself on the regional circuit and will have his eyes fixed firmly on the division's current king Deiveson Figueiredo.

The Hradec Kralove native first signed with the UFC in March of this year and took on Bruno Silva in his promotional debut. He would win this fight comfortably, and cruise to a unanimous decision victory. There hasn't been this kind of hype for a flyweight fighter in some time, and I'm hoping that this is a sign of things to come in the future.

In a division crying out for new contenders and exciting prospect, if Dvorak is able to best his opponent, we could see a shift in the rankings and a fresh face at the top of the division.

Jordan Espinosa has gone 2-2 in his UFC career, after securing a contract through Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series in 2018. Espinosa defeated Eric Shelton via unanimous decision in his promotional debut, however, has failed to mount any serious momentum in the UFC. He dropped two straight to Matt Schnell and Alex Perez, both losses coming via submission.

Now, I'm not going to trash Espinosa and write him off completely, because he does have the experience advantage when it comes to UFC fights. This will be his fifth walk to the Octagon, whilst it'll be only the second for Dvorak. Also, the 30-year-old put on arguably his best performance of his career against Mark De La Rosa in June of this year, although that bout took place in the 135lb division.

Jordan's striking looked great in his last outing, and he showed he does have the power to at least wobble his opponents with his strikes. Through the duration of his previous bout, he showed he is also adept at dealing with whatever circumstances the man across the cage throws at him. Espinosa also holds FOUR brabo choke submission, which is an impressive feat in itself and adds another element of danger to his game.

Personally, I don't see Espinosa taking the win in this bout, although he has the ability to surprise us and walk out victories. Regardless of the result, it has all the components to be a fantastic fight.