To Infinite and beyond! Buckle up for a bumper dose of HCS and UFC action this weekend.

HCS Major Kansas City 2022

Calling all Halo fans! Make sure to get the popcorn in this weekend as split 1 of the 2022 HCS season draws to an exciting conclusion with Kansas City playing host to this year’s second major open LAN, HCS Major Kansas City 2022.

Thought the intrigue surrounding the latest HCS season was starting to die down after Cloud9 appeared to be sweeping all before them? Well, after the recent Nissan FaZe Clan Halo Invitational it appears that, on the contrary, we’re just getting started as OpTic Gaming laid down a marker in emphatic fashion by cruising their way to the $40,000 grand prize. OpTic had already raised plenty of eyebrows by reaching the final of HCS Anaheim in February, where they eventually succumbed to a 4-2 defeat to Cloud9, but they well and truly got their own back earlier this month.

Not only did OpTic brush Cloud9 aside with a resounding 3-0 win in the winners’ bracket final, but they also doled a 4-1 thrashing to their opponents in the grand prize. Couple this with the fact that they lost just 1 map (which was incidentally in the grand final against Cloud9) in the whole duration of the Nissan FaZe Clan Halo Invitational and it’s not hard to see why OpTic will fancy their chances of scoring another famous victory here.

That being said, hell hath no fury like a wounded animal and they’d be unwise to write off Cloud9 heading into this HCS Major Kansas City 2022. Although they well and truly came off second best at the Nissan FaZe Clan Halo Invitational, Cloud9 have been a force to be reckoned with this season. Out of the 8 tournaments which they have competed in this year, they’ve taken home the grand prize in 6 of them and come second in the other two.

Will normal service be resumed, or could we be in for a “major” shock?

UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Vera

UFC fans from around the world will be getting ready to rumble this Saturday as bantamweight contenders Rob Font and Marlon Vera lock horns in what looks set to be a gripping contest at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Font will be eager to get back to winning ways after his 4-fight winning streak and rise up the rankings came to an abrupt halt in December of last year on his last trip to Sin City. 

Despite having a solid game plan, Font didn’t quite have enough to defeat José Aldo as the King of Rio won by unanimous decision. That being said, many have been touting Font as the favourite heading into this bout, which could prove to be the ideal opportunity for him to get some winning momentum going once again.

His opponent Marlon Vera will have other ideas, however, and will no doubt be full of confidence after securing a spectacular front kick knockout out of former champion, Frankie Edgar at UFC 268. Whilst many fancy his opponent to emerge victorious on this occasion and following up this Performance of the Night winning effort will be a tough ask; Chito is no stranger to being labelled as the underdog heading into crunch clashes and is unlikely to be phased by such remarks. After all, many pundits didn’t give him a cat in hell’s chance ahead of his bout with previously unbeaten Sean O’Malley back in 2020 and Vera responded in incredible fashion by TKOing his opponent in the first round.

Could the Ecuadorian put his opponent to the sword in similar fashion here or will Font be the first to finish Vera? Whatever happens, we’re set to be in for a thrilling contest that’s bound to have us on the edge of our seats.