UFC Fight Night 178 is set for Saturday night from the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas. This week’s main event features former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley and former interim champ Colby Covington in a welterweight tussle. The co-main event is also a welterweight fight, pitting Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone against Niko Price. You can catch the entire evening of action on ESPN+.
We have put together the complete fight card for you as well as some UFC betting thoughts on the key matchups.
UFC Fight Night 178: Covington vs Woodley
Ultimate Fighting Championship
September 19
UFC APEX
ESPN+
UFC Fight Night 178 | Main Card
Colby Covington vs Tyron Woodley (Welterweight)
Donald Cerrone vs Niko Price (Welterweight)
Khamzat Chimaev vs Gerald Meerschaert (Middleweight)
Johnny Walker vs Ryan Spann (Light Heavyweight)
Mackenzie Dern vs Randa Markos (Women’s Strawweight)
Kevin Holland vs Darren Stewart (Middleweight)
UFC Fight Night 178 | Preliminary Card
Jordan Espinosa vs David Dvorak (Flyweight)
Mayra Bueno Silva vs Mara Romero Borella (Women’s Flyweight)
Jessica-Rose Clark vs Sarah Alpar (Women’s Bantamweight)
Darrick Minner vs T.J. Laramie (Featherweight)
Journey Newson vs Randy Costa (Bantamweight)
Andre Ewell vs Irwin Rivera (Bantamweight)
Tyson Nam vs Jerome Rivera (Bantamweight)
Colby Covington (15-2, -360) vs Tyron Woodley (19-5-1, +300)
Colby Covington vs Tyron Woodley is a rivalry fight that fans have been waiting for for some time now. However, it almost seems anticlimactic for Woodley since he lost the welterweight belt to Kamaru Usman. Woodley has never really emerged as a major force in UFC. He was able to beat Carlos “The Chosen” Condit, but that came via injury stoppage. He took a bad loss against Rory MacDonald, but eventually he got his title fight. He knocked Robbie Lawler out to take the belt, and then he defended his belt against Stephen Thompson, a fight that was called a draw. The rematch was one of the most boring fights in recent memory, as both fighters played defense. Woodley won on the cards, but the fight was devoid of any significant action. Woodley likes to conserve his energy, waiting by the cage for his opponent to come in, giving him a chance to deal a big bomb or take the fight to the ground. His title defense against Demian Maia saw him defend each of Maia’s 21 takedown attempts, but other than that, he just accumulated points quietly and safely to hold his belt. Usman was the first fighter in a long time who was able to outwrestle Woodley, and that brought things to a quick conclusion. Woodley’s most recent fight was a loss to Gilbert Burns back in May, and Burns followed the same script, taking the fight to the mat, where Woodley gave up.
Covington is another strong wrestler who had coasted along until 2017, when he went on a tear. He beat dong Hyun Kim, sending him out of the sport, and when Demian Maia showed he could hang with Covington on the ground, Covington showed a terrific striking game in terms of pace. He didn’t bring a lot of power (or defend himself well), but he was able to wear Maia out. Covington won the interim title over Rafael dos Anjos but was unable to fight Woodley in a last-minute main event, so Covington lost that interim belt and went a year without a bout. He also lost to Usman in a fight that mostly featured boxing. Now both of these fighters need a jump-start, and Covington still looks more together.
Final Prediction:
Covington wins via decision | Check the Odds
Donald Cerrone (36-15, +130) vs Niko PRice (14-4, -150)
Donald Cerrone vs Niko PRice involves one of UFC’s most storied fighters, in Cerrone. He has lost four fights in a row, but he keeps getting fights because he will enter the cage against anybody. That approach saw him win 19 of 23 fights between 2011 and 2016. However, since then, things have been difficult. He lost three in a row to Robbie Lawler, Jorge Masvidal and Darren Till, but wins over Alexander Hernandez and Al Iaquinta saw him elevated back to the tougher opponents — and he took speedy and emphatic knockouts from Conor McGregor and Justin Gaethje. His last fight was a decision loss to Anthony Pettis in May, one that some felt was not judged fairly. Pettis brought a slower pace; he will not get that from Price.
Price brings striking power that can end fights with one blow. His knockout of Alan Jouban in 2017 was the first indication, but his finishes against Randy Brown, Tim Means and James Vick showed that he brings power from a variety of angles. He knocked Vick out with an upkick from his back. The odds here are close, but there is nothing to indicate that Cerrone can avoid Price’s power.
Final Prediction:
Price wins via knockout | Check the Odds
