UFC Fight Night: Andre Lima vs Kevin Borjas Preview & Prediction
Flyweights are on deck for the second fight on the main card, as Andre Lima puts his undefeated record on the line against Kevin Borjas.
Andre Lima vs Kevin Borjas facts
What time are Andre Lima and Kevin Borjas expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Kape vs Horiguchi? Meta Apex, Enterprise, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Kape vs Horiguchi? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 279
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Kape vs Horiguchi on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Kape vs Horiguchi? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Kape vs Horiguchi main card
Manel Kape vs Kyoji Horiguchi (Flyweight)
Ion Cutelaba vs Navajo Stirling (Light Heavyweight)
Hyder Amil vs Christian Rodriguez (Featherweight)
Melsik Baghdasaryan vs Murtazali Magomedov (Featherweight)
Andre Fili vs Vinicius Oliveira (Featherweight)
UFC Fight Night: Kape vs Horiguchi prelims
Andre Lima vs Kevin Borjas (Flyweight)
Beatriz Mesquita vs Melissa Mullins (Women's Bantamweight)
Allan Nascimento vs Mitch Raposo (Flyweight)
Gaston Bolanos vs Michael Aswell Jr. (Featherweight)
Leon Shahbazyan vs Levan Chokheli (Welterweight)
Karol Rosa vs Luana Santos (Women's Bantamweight)
Shane Collins vs Otari Tanzilovi (Featherweight)
Andre Lima: Will "Mascote" go 5-0 in the promotion as a large favorite?
Best known for earning a DQ victory in his debut after Igor Severino decided the best way to win was by biting his opponent, Andre Lima (11-0) looks for his fifth win in five fights under the UFC banner. In addition to his farcical first victory, Lima has wins over Mitch Raposo, Felipe dos Santos, and Daniel Barez, the latter of which saw him earn his first UFC stoppage with a rear naked choke. A slick Muay Thai striker with high output and excellent defense, the undefeated Brazilian could well be knocking on the door of the Top 10 were it not for his relative inactivity; "Mascote" has struggled to build momentum after multiple fight cancellations.
Kevin Borjas: "El Gallo Negro" looks to avoid his walking papers and a third consecutive defeat
Punching his ticket to the promotion with a decision win on the Contender Series, things haven't panned out brilliantly for Kevin Borjas (10-5) since making the jump to UFC level. "El Gallo Negro" is just 1-4 since, with a stunning upset performance against Ronaldo Rodriguez serving as his only win in a run that has seen him finished twice. The Peruvian is a quality striker who compensates for his short stature with an impressive reach, but his win over Rodriguez is looking more like a flash in the pan with every subsequent performance. Borjas was last seen in action in February, failing to capitalize after knocking down Imanol Rodriguez twice and subsequently losing by second round TKO.
Andre Lima vs Kevin Borjas prediction
Lima is a sneakily good flyweight. He's got excellent striking and complements his Muay Thai with well-timed bursts of offensive grappling, keeping his opponents guessing and adapting to wherever the fight takes place. Felipe dos Santos may no longer be on the roster but he gave top talents, Manel Kape and Lone'er Kavanagh, a run for their money; the fact that Lima beat him so decisively is a testament to his quality.
By contrast, Borjas looks to be on his way out, despite only being 28 years old. His time in the promotion has been marred by lapses in fight IQ and an inability to pull the trigger in important moments. He's proven susceptible to getting badly overwhelmed when the fight isn't going his way; Joshua Van, Su Mudaerji, and Alessandro Costa literally turned him into a walking punching bag after negating the Peruvian's early threat.
While he hasn't proved that he's on the same level as the aforementioned fighters, Lima looks to have a pretty decisive advantage on the feet and in the grappling. Borjas is going to be dangerous early, but I think that once "Mascote" avoids the early blitzes, he's going to take over rapidly. Consistently teeing off on "El Gallo Negro" at range, Lima's damage is going to snowball, culminating in a late finish. I see Borjas shelling up against the cage or giving up his neck after crumpling under Lima's onslaught.
Prediction: Andre Lima to win by stoppage
