The Pulse: UFC on ESPN 52

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will enter the home stretch of its 2023 campaign with UFC on ESPN 52 this Saturday at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. It marks the promotion’s first visit to The Lone Star State in more than eight months.

Ranked lightweights share the spotlight in the five-round main event, where Kings MMA rep Beneil Dariush awaits American Top Team’s Arman Tsarukyan at 155 pounds. Meanwhile, Jalin Turner steps up as a late-notice replacement for Dan Hooker to challenge former King of the Cage champion Bobby Green in the three-round lightweight co-headliner. The rest of the main card features a bantamweight tilt matching Rob Font with Deiveson Figueiredo, a welterweight scrap pitting Sean Brady against Kelvin Gastelum, a lightweight affair pairing Clay Guida with Joaquim Silva and a middleweight confrontation slotting Punahele Soriano opposite Dustin Stoltzfus. Miesha Tate helps carry the freight for the undercard, as she takes on Julia Avila in a three-round women’s bantamweight battle.

An anticipatory buzz surrounding the event permeates social media. A look into some of the discussions:

While the headliner between Dariush and Tsarukyan carries plenty of intrigue and figures to put the winner on the short list of potential title contenders, it has not moved the needle for everyone.

DARIUSH vs TSARUKYAN pic.twitter.com/uEj1RQEIAK

— 𝕯𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖓🐊 (@Destan_DMR2) December 1, 2023

Dariush has rattled off eight wins across his past nine outings but finds himself on the rebound following a technical knockout loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 289 in June. The 34-year-old Rafael Cordeiro protégé sees his showdown with Tsarukyan as something of a high-risk, low-reward proposition.

Beneil Dariush admits he "gains nothing" status-wise from fighting Arman Tsarukyan at #UFCAustin

"I'm an athlete who loves to compete and I like to compete with the best people in the world. I believe he's one of the best people in the world." pic.twitter.com/57JSTYahoU

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) November 30, 2023

Tsarukyan, 27, has managed to fly under the radar at 155 pounds despite losing to only current champion Islam Makhachev and former two-division KSW champion Mateusz Gamrot. The Russian has been known to turn bouts into bloodbaths.

Arman Tsarukyan FIGHT WEEK 🇦🇲🔥 pic.twitter.com/roUG0FCUAf

— MMA TIME (@MMA__TIME) November 27, 2023

Widely regarded as one of the most physically gifted lightweights on the roster, the 6-foot-3 Turner keeps himself grounded by remembering his origins.

"I take a lot of pride in (where I’m at now) because I was 17, training in my backyard, looking at YouTube videos, didn’t know what direction my life was gonna go."

Jalin Turner (@JalinTurner) reflects on his journey ahead of #UFCAustin🔊🆙

Read more ➡️: https://t.co/QqrHvaKprb

— UFC News (@UFCNews) December 1, 2023

Now 47 fights into a career that stretches all the way back to 2008, Green has arguably never looked better. He heads into his latest test on the heels of back-to-back finishes of Tony Ferguson and Grant Dawson. Green’s late-career resurgence has some drawing parallels to a popular contemporary.

Could Bobby Green embark on Jorge Masvidal-like run with #UFCAustin win?

— Hammer Investments (@hammerinvests) December 1, 2023

Figueiredo twice ruled the UFC flyweight division but leaves his old haunts behind to start anew at 135 pounds. His bantamweight debut follows a historic four-fight series with archrival Brandon Moreno. Many feel the move will prove beneficial for Figueiredo, who turns 37 in a matter of weeks.

Thank god figgy moved up. He looks absolutely horrible at 125. No way he was performing at his best and it showed with his inconsistent performances #UFCAustin pic.twitter.com/OflLy6Z7WF

— SickydoesMMA (@SICKYDOESMMA) December 1, 2023

New England Cartel’s Font, a former CES MMA champion, may have lost three of his last four fights, but he remains entrenched as one of the UFC’s Top 10 bantamweights. His exploits at 135 pounds are well-documented.

Crisp striking by Rob Font, what a timing on the head kick 🔥.

On duty to welcome Deiveson Figueiredo to the UFC Bantamweight division, #UFCAustin is fully stacked ⚔️. pic.twitter.com/8do7zu3jDd

— El Champ Champ (@ElChampChampMMA) December 1, 2023

Guida made his UFC debut on Oct. 14, 2006—an almost inconceivable 6,258 days ago. The former Strikeforce champion now ranks fourth on the company’s all-time list with 35 appearances, trailing only Jim Miller (42), Andrei Arlovski (40) and Donald Cerrone (38). Guida has been a model of consistency in his 17-plus years on the roster.

Clay Guida competes for a 36th time in the UFC this weekend. He made his UFC debut in 2006 and has fought in every single year since that point.

18 straight years. An incredible feat of longevity.

— Andy Hickey MMA (@AndyHickeyMMA) November 27, 2023

Weight cutting and its effects on the human body remains an uncomfortable point of discussion in mixed martial arts. Tate pulled no punches when addressing the matter.

UFC star Miesha Tate on pain of weight-cuts: ‘It’s like your muscle is being liquified’https://t.co/Me9fbt6al7 #UFCAustin pic.twitter.com/6mzOD54bHf

— Indy Sport (@IndySport) December 1, 2023