For the first time in six weeks, the UFC is back in the cozy confines of the APEX, which hosts a banger of a lightweight contender fight between Rafael Fiziev and Mateusz Gamrot. Both men have been scraping and clawing their way up the rankings, so will a win lead to a breakthrough into the top 5? And will the loser find themselves a long way from contention? MMA Fighting’s Alexander K. Lee, José Youngs, and E. Casey Leydon preview this weekend’s event, which features a fan-friendly headliner as well as several veteran names on the card. Fiziev and Gamrot jockey for position in a tight lightweight race, Bryce Mitchell looks to bounce back from his first loss when he takes on the battle-tested Dan Ige, and Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson-Gomez face off in a rematch of their May 2021 affair. Is the final chapter of Waterson-Gomez’s career nearing its end? What about Tim Means, who competes in his 50th pro fight when he meets Andre Fialho on the prelims? Plus, we share a few thoughts on Saturday’s Bellator 299 card in Dublin, Ireland, headlined by undefeated middleweight champion Johnny Eblen defending against Fabian Edwards. Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee Follow José Youngs: @JoseYoungs Follow E. Casey Leydon: @ekc Subscribe: http://goo.gl/dYpsgH Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/u8VvLi Visit our playlists: http://goo.gl/eFhsvM Like MMAF on Facebook: http://goo.gl/uhdg7Z Follow on Twitter: http://goo.gl/nOATUI Read More: http://www.mmafighting.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices