Jared Gordon (left) punches Joe Solecki of their light-weight bout.
Zuffa LLC
The Pandemic Period of the UFC has decidedly gone Jared Gordon’s method.
The Astoria, Queens native is 3-0 over the previous two years — the longest unbeaten stretch of his tenure with promotion. He’s competing at a extra snug weight: 155 kilos. He even obtained married “American Ninja Warrior” veteran Christina Gambino whom he’s recognized since first grade in late October.
Gordon (18-4, eight finishes) can hold the new streak happening Saturday at UFC Apex in Las Vegas with a win over Grant Dawson, his opponent for a main-card bout set to air on ESPN and stream on ESPN+ (7 p.m. begin).
Even Gordon’s final defeat is getting older higher nowadays than when it occurred in November 2019, when a surging Charles Oliveira knocked the New Yorker out within the first spherical. Inside 18 months, the Brazilian nicknamed “do Bronx” was the light-weight champion. He's set to defend his belt subsequent weekend within the UFC 274 pay-per-view headliner towards Justin Gaethje.
Oliveira’s win over Gordon marked his sixth in a row, as the long run champion was lastly realizing the potential many had seen in him almost a decade earlier. And, as Gordon tells it, Gambino noticed it coming whilst many beforehand had written him off.
“It’s bizarre as a result of, after the battle, my spouse was like, ‘He’s gonna be the champion,’ ” Gordon just lately advised The Submit through Zoom. “… It virtually sounds good. ‘Oh, my final loss was [to] Charles Oliveira.’ ”
Clearly, Gordon wouldn’t thoughts that remaining his newest defeat in perpetuity. To maintain it that method within the quick time period, he’ll must navigate his well beyond Dawson (17-1-1, 15 finishes), who equally to Gordon has outgrown the featherweight division and settled up a weight class.
Gordon’s unique scheduled opponent, Rafael Alves, bowed out for undisclosed causes about 5 weeks earlier than battle evening. Although not unusual, an opponent change isn’t ideally suited. Nonetheless, there’s loads of upside in now going through Dawson, who's unbeaten in six UFC fights in comparison with Alves’ 1-1 mark with the promotion.
Not that Gordon views both opponent as simpler than the opposite, viewing each males as powerful. However it’s plain to see how far more of a springboard to larger and higher issues a win over Dawson could be than one over Alves, and even different potential opponents the UFC had tried to ebook towards him.
“Grant stepped in, and I used to be positively glad,” stated Gordon, who now lives and trains in Florida. “Stylistically, it’s a fantastic battle for me. And he’s obtained far more of a reputation than any of the fellows that [UFC] had given me [after Alves withdrew].”
Even the bumps within the street are going Gordon’s method these days, it will appear.
The 33-year-old has designs on getting into the rankings before later as he — like all 155-pounders on the UFC roster — chases down Oliveira’s gold. His is arguably probably the most loaded weight class in combined martial arts, in order that’s no simple feat. However Dawson occupies a spot inside the highest 25 from each Tapology and Battle Matrix, which each compile deeper rankings than many retailers and embrace fighters from all promotions. A victory may vault Gordon to extra of the career-advancing bouts he craves.
“After I win,” Gordon declares, “I believe I ought to get a top-15 [opponent]. I’ll deserve it at that time.”
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