The Pulse: UFC Fight Night 236

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will pitch its tent inside the familiar haunts of the UFC Apex for a second consecutive week with UFC Fight Night 236 on Saturday in Las Vegas. Middleweights shoulder the marquee, as former Ring of Combat champion Joseph Pyfer faces Jack Hermansson in the five-round headliner at 185 pounds. Meanwhile, Dan Ige meets Team Alpha Male’s Andre Fili in the three-round featherweight co-main event.

While not much jumps off the page in terms of true relevance, an anticipatory buzz surrounding the event permeates social media. A sampling of some of the discussions:

Pyfer enters the Octagon on the strength of five straight finishes but continues to have to address doubts regarding whether or not he deserves such a high-profile assignment so soon in his UFC career.

1-on-1 with @Joe_Pyfer96 ahead of his first main event tomorrow night at #UFCVegas86 pic.twitter.com/SC3eR2qw0T

— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) February 9, 2024

While more than a year has passed since Hermansson last suited up, resilience has never been an issue for the onetime Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder.

Jack "The Joker" Hermansson continued to fight with a broken rib and won😨

He returns this Saturday at #UFCVegas86 pic.twitter.com/9BSOvS7m0U

— Yazko (@YazkoMotashobi) February 5, 2024

Highly regarded for his explosive standup and well-rounded ancillary skills, Ige finds himself on the rebound following a unanimous decision defeat to Bryce Mitchell in September. Can the Hawaiian return to the winner’s circle and once again live up to the reputation that brought him his “50K” nickname?

Holy Smokes Dan Ige! 🔥

How did you react to this @Dynamitedan808 KO?

📺 Watch Ige vs Fili at #UFCVegas86 tomorrow night! pic.twitter.com/iBbsgJJKZF

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) February 9, 2024

Now 20 fights into his UFC tenure, no one can question Fili’s motivations at this stage of his career. The 33-year-old Californian seeks back-to-back victories for the first time since 2019.

Andre Fili on why he stepped in vs. Dan Ige: ‘I’m here to win a bunch of money, get a number next to my name’ https://t.co/SyiHechEMt

— MMA News (@MMA_News) February 8, 2024

Polish newcomer Robert Bryczek makes his promotional debut opposite Ihor Potieria—the man who retired the great Mauricio Rua—in a three-round middleweight showcase. Having secured 11 of his 17 career victories by knockout or technical knockout, Bryczek has been known to call down the thunder.

Robert Bryczek finally makes his UFC debut this weekendpic.twitter.com/2O9gW6d8wp

— Cerebral Vigilante (@Delisketo) February 6, 2024

Former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion Gregory Rodrigues has earned a reputation for being a difficult nut to crack ahead of his middleweight clash with Brad Tavares. Even in the face of serious adversity, “Robocop” often finds ways to emerge with his hand raised.

Damaged but NOT done 😤@Gregory_MMA is a force to be reckoned with and he’s back in the Octagon this weekend for #UFCVegas86 pic.twitter.com/IYPChIjIjV

— UFC (@ufc) February 6, 2024

Longtime Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Rodolfo Vieira draws Armen Petrosyan in a classic striker-versus-grappler middleweight feature. While some still question Vieira’s long-term viability in the sport, the 2015 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Fighting World Championships gold medalist has plenty of believers in his corner and beyond.

People will see Rodolfo Vieira do this in R3 & still bet on the Armenian kickboxer with 33% TD defense 🤦‍♂️#UFCVegas86 #MMATwitter pic.twitter.com/kQvoQMGmzz

— Maestro MMA (@mmamaestro_) February 6, 2024

An amusing bit of past history adds some flavor to the lightweight attraction between Darrius Flowers and “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 finalist Michael Johnson.

Darrius Flowers revealed he used to be cool with Michael Johnson before Johnson randomly blocked him on Instagram #UFCVegas86 @sportskeedaMMA

"I'm not trying to bring the drama into it. I'm just telling it like it is" pic.twitter.com/BlINV0yehN

— Jake Foley🇺🇸🥋 (@JFoMMATalk) February 7, 2024