Preview: UFC Vegas 106 Prelims

Lightweights

Jared Gordon (20-7, 8-6 UFC) vs. Thiago Moises (19-8, 8-6 UFC)

ODDS: Gordon (-110), Moises (-110)

Gordon has done well to improve over the course of his UFC career, though it would be nice if “Flash” had more to show for those improvements in recent years. Gordon looked more than ready for the UFC call ahead of his 2017 debut, but he had a surprisingly rough start to his career. Weight management issues made it unclear if he would fight at featherweight or lightweight, plus his hard-charging style resulted in his eating knockouts against opponents that hit harder than his regional opposition. After a 2019 loss to Charles Oliveira, Gordon started the process of adapting to a more thoughtful style in fits and starts, eventually winding up with a crafty approach that has typically kept him out of danger on the feet while allowing him to pick his spots to effectively wrestle. For a while, it looked like Gordon had figured out how to survive and advance, with a loss to athletic wrestler Grant Dawson serving as his only setback in a five-fight run, but the last few years have seen him suffer a run of bad luck. Most notable was his controversial decision loss to Paddy Pimblett that capped off 2022, but then came a no contest due to an accidental headbutt against Bobby Green; and after an impressive rebound performance against Mark O. Madsen, Gordon’s lone fight of 2024 resulted in another controversial decision loss, this time to Nasrat Haqparast. Gordon has had trouble finding a fight in the time since, but after nearly a year on the shelf, he returns to take on Moises in an interesting pairing. Moises came to the UFC in 2018 with a patient and poised game that belied his youth at the time—an approach he has continued to stick to over the years. Now 30, Moises has carved out a niche as one of the lightweight division’s most effective neutralizers. Moises can get overwhelmed if an opponent is truly dedicated, but he’s otherwise content to sit back and peck at his foes with effective offense on the feet. If pressed, he often breaks out a solid wrestling game supplemented by one of the most underrated grappling attacks on the UFC roster. Gordon makes for an interesting mix of skills to try and crack that puzzle. He has the dedication to stay aggressive and the fighting intelligence to navigate through Moises’s weapons, but he would also clearly be the worst athlete to outwork the Brazilian at a UFC level. At the end of the day, the tentative nod goes to Gordon’s dedication to activity. The pick is Gordon via decision.

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