Chris Gutierrez is the UFC Kansas City fighter to watch
Chris Gutierrez is the fighter to watch at UFC Kansas City.
Chris Gutierrez, a No. 13-ranked bantamweight, returns to action Saturday after last beating Frankie Edgar. Gutierrez is riding a four-fight win streak and hasn't lost since his UFC debut in 2018. Gutierrez will face Pedro Munhoz for an important matchup in the stacked bantamweight division, potentially the toughest division in the sport.
The 31-year-old was 12-3-1 before joining the UFC, fighting for Bellator, World Series of Fighting (now the PFL), Legacy Fighting Alliance, and winning the bantamweight titles for smaller promotions Sugar Creek Showdown and World Fighting Championships. Gutierrez made his debut during The Ultimate Fighter: Heavy Hitters finale, losing to Raoni Barcelos, but hasn't lost since. Gutierrez's last win, a knockout against Edgar, forced the former champion and UFC legend to retire, and Gutierrez is now thrust into a higher competition.
Chris Gutierrez faces a step up in competition this weekend against Pedro Munhoz
Gutierrez will face No. 9 ranked Munhoz, who is winless in his last three and 1-4-1 in his last five, his most recent fight a no-contest against future title challenger Sean O'Malley. Brazil's Munhoz has been on two separate three-fight win streaks since joining the UFC in 2014 and has fought the who's who of the bantamweight division, though his path to the title has never materialized. Munhoz has been in there with Raphael Assuncao, Jimmie Rivera, Rob Font, John Dodson, Brett Johns, Cody Garbrandt, current champion Aljamain Sterling, Edgar, Jose Aldo, and former champion Dominick Cruz.
Gutierrez will hold the slight height and reach advantage over Munhoz, who is trying to avoid his fourth winless fight. With a win over the seasoned Munhoz, Guetierrez can climb the ranks of this cutthroat division on his way to a potential title shot.
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