UFC Fight Night: Piera Rodriguez vs Sam Hughes Preview & Prediction
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A strawweight rematch opens the prelims, with Sam Hughes looking for revenge against Piera Rodriguez.
Piera Rodriguez vs Sam Hughes facts
What time are Piera Rodriguez and Sam Hughes expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos? Meta Apex, Enterprise, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 269
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos main card
Josh Emmett vs Kevin Vallejos (Featherweight)
Amanda Lemos vs Gillian Robertson (Women's Strawweight)
Ion Cutelaba vs Oumar Sy (Light Heavyweight)
Andre Fili vs Jose Miguel Delgado (Featherweight)
Marwan Rahiki vs Harry Hardwick (Featherweight)
Vitor Petrino vs Steven Asplund (Heavyweight)
UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Vallejos prelims
Charles Johnson vs Bruno Gustavo da Silva (Flyweight)
Brad Tavares vs Eryk Anders (Middleweight)
Chris Curtis vs Myktybek Orolbai (Welterweight)
Bolaji Oki vs Manoel Sousa (Lightweight)
Luan Lacerda vs Hecher Sosa (Bantamweight)
Beatriz Mesquita vs Montserrat Rendon (Women's Bantamweight)
Elijah Smith vs You Su-young (Bantamweight)
Piera Rodriguez vs Sam Hughes (Women's Strawweight)
Piera Rodriguez: "La Fiera" looks to build on a win over Ketlen Souza last time out
Contender Series alum Piera Rodriguez (11-2) looks to have turned things around following a rough two fight skid that could have cost her a spot on the roster with another defeat. “La Fiera” enters this matchup with a two fight win streak in tow, earning decisions over Ketlen Souza and Josefine Knutsson after dropping back to back fights against Gillian Robertson and Ariane Carnelossi. Primarily relying on her takedowns, the Venezuelan native’s fights tend to go the distance; she hasn’t scored a finish since 2021, a fight that predated her bow on the Contender Series.
Sam Hughes: "Sampage" aims to push her current win streak to four
While her overall UFC record stands at an unremarkable 6-5, Sam Hughes (11-6) makes her latest bow with the promotion riding a three fight win streak, a run punctuated with a second round submission victory over Shauna Bannon in September. The Fortis MMA representative relies on a frenetic pace and suffocating wrestling to wear on her opponents; while her striking isn’t perfect, it’s serviceable enough to allow her to close the distance and work her game in close. Hughes is also notoriously hard to finish; she’s only been stopped twice in her career and one of those came due a doctor’s stoppage rather than a fully fledged TKO.
Piera Rodriguez vs Sam Hughes prediction
Following in the vein of Joselyn Edwards vs Nora Cornolle or Gregory Rodrigues vs Brunno Ferreira, 2026 would appear to be the year of UFC rematches that nobody asked for.
Serving as the second matchup between the pair after Rodriguez earned a close decision victory back in 2022, fans will be hoping for a repeat of the pair’s high-paced original encounter. However, there’s a solid chance that this could revert to an absolute stinker if one fighter gains the upper hand decisively. Pitting two grinding, finish-shy wrestlers against each other, this one could well come down to who can work their takedowns and control more effectively.
While Rodriguez currently stands as the slight favorite, I actually like Hughes to get this one done and earn her revenge. She’s got a slight edge in overall experience and has had a more impressive run than Rodriguez since their initial meeting, fighting better levels of competition and only losing to top prospect, Yazmin Jauregui, in that time. “La Fiera” will have a mental edge having walked away with the victory first time around, but the pick is for “Sampage” to grind her way to a decision victory.
In any case, don't hold your breath for a finish here.
Prediction: Fight will go the distance
