UFC welterweight questions: Stakes for RDA-Luque? Is Chimaev done at 170? Will we get Edwards-Covington? - ESPN

This weekend's UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas features a pair of well-known welterweights — Rafael dos Anjos and Vicente Luque — in the main event.

It's a 170-pound showcase Saturday (7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, with prelims at 4 p.m. on ESPN/ESPN+) bout between two names who carry a lot of respect with fans but are battling to maintain their position in a crowded field. The division has a relatively new champ in Leon Edwards, whose only title defense so far was an immediate rematch against Kamaru Usman.

There are moves to be made at welterweight, and this division could look vastly different by the end of the year. When will the 170-pound title be up for grabs? Does Khamzat Chimaev still have a future within the division? What rising prospects are on the verge of stardom? Lets answer those questions and more, but first — let's start with the big fight this Saturday.

For RDA? Very little.

Dos Anjos' stature in this sport is already built in cement. He's a former lightweight champion and is considered a tough out for anyone at lightweight or welterweight. He is not, unfortunately, seen as a genuine title threat in either division. Both of those two statements are likely going to stay the same, regardless of what happens Saturday. If he loses, he's an established name with gas still in the tank but isn't on a title path at 155 or 170 pounds. If he wins, that's pretty much still the case. No one will be clamoring for him to get a fight that puts him in the title picture, although he would keep that hope alive a little with a victory.

It's different for Luque, who is seven years younger and was creeping into title contention as recently as 2021. He's lost his last two and hasn't looked like a title challenger in either. He's