UFC Vegas 109 brings an exciting fight card to Las Vegas, although there is more than just a blockbuster to keep fans interested.
While the collision between Roman Dolidze and Anthony Hernandez should excite the loyalty of the UFC, there is talent up and down the map that hopes to leave their mark on the UFC Apex.
With countless last-minute replacements, fighters who fight for their career and a number of emerging young stars, there is plenty of discussion in Las Vegas this week.
Here are a few things for which you should pay attention to UFC Vegas 109 on 9 August.
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A victory over UFC Vegas 109 can be crucial for the future of Christian Rodriguez as a top UFC hunter
UFC Vegas 109 seems to offer a crossroads for Christian Rodriguez. He seems to have the ability and the potential to be a top hunter in the Featherweight division, although recent results have thrown aspersies on his future in the UFC.
Ceerod has had a number of very entertaining fights since he made his debut in 2022, despite his career with a loss for Jonathan Pearce.
Win over Joshua Vensi and Austin Bashi have shown his assets and toughness in the Octagon, but Rodriguez has struggled for consistency last year.
He only won two of his last four fights and went into the ranking with two major losses.
If he wants to see himself at the top of the map and a challenge for titles, his fight against Andre Fili will be crucial for that goal.
A loss could see that Dana White reduced his losses and concentrated on another prospect, while a victory can restore that fire in his belly and send him straight to the top, if he can string the next few fights but some good wins.
Steve Erceg has had to contend with a third planned opponent for UFC Vegas 109
It has been a tough road to UFC Vegas 109 for Steve Erceg, although it is difficult to blame him for the constantly changing fight for which he was signed.
The Australian Fighter was originally booked to record it with the former UFC Flyweight-Title finer Alex Perez in the Co-Main event.
However, another Perez extraction meant that the fight had to be canned, with a new opponent found for the 30-year-old.
The next opponent of ERCEG, the South Korean Park Hyun Sung, pulled itself out of the game with a week of cancellation, instead they fought in the main event in Las Vegas only a week earlier, in a defeat against Tatsuro Taira.
With a day to go before the fight, Erceg has had a third opponent in Ode 'Osbourne. As it looks now, that competition is still going on, although it is difficult to say what will happen to his bad luck.
Elia Smith was able to catapult himself in a top-15 discussion with a victory
A man who could see his career shoot up with a victory over UFC Vegas 109 is Elijah Smith.
“Swift” is only 22 years old and already has an impressive canon of victories to his name while he continues his journey in the UFC.
The Bantamweight hunter obtained a UFC contract with a victory over Aaron Tau in the Dana White Contender Series, before an impressive and mature version to beat Vince Morales earlier this year on his UFC debut.
Although he has not yet shown it in the big competitions, Smith is an impressive finisher in a number of ways and he managed to beat opponents by knockout and submission, and in various ways, to earn his place in the highest level of MMA.
He is confronted with Tsohiomi Kazama on the Prelims of UFC Vegas 109, and an impressive victory could make fans talk about him as a look in the Bantamweight Division in the future.