Topic: UFC 297
UFC 297: Strickland vs. Du Plessis
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- Saturday 01.20.2024 at 06:30 PM ET
- U.S. Broadcast: Pay Per View | Prelims: ESPN
- Promotion: Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Ownership: Endeavor
- Venue: Scotiabank Arena
- Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Enclosure: Octagon
- TV Announcers: Jon Anik, Dominick Cruz, Daniel Cormier
- Ring Announcer: Bruce Buffer
- Post-Fight Interviews: Daniel Cormier
- Ticket Revenue (live gate): $7,898,695
- Attendance: 18,559
- MMA Bouts: 12
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Promotion Links:
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Event Links:
| Bout | Info | |
|---|---|---|
| Dricus Du Plessis defeats Sean Strickland via Decision, Split | 5 Rounds, 25:00 Total Bout Page | |
| Raquel Pennington defeats Mayra Bueno Silva via Decision, Unanimous | 5 Rounds, 25:00 Total Bout Page | |
| Neil Magny defeats Mike Malott via KO/TKO, Ground and Pound | 4:45 Round 3 of 3, 14:45 Total Bout Page | |
| Chris Curtis defeats Marc-André Barriault via Decision, Split | 3 Rounds, 15:00 Total Bout Page | |
| Movsar Evloev defeats Arnold Allen via Decision, Unanimous | 3 Rounds, 15:00 Total Bout Page | |
| Garrett Armfield defeats Brad Katona via Decision, Unanimous | 3 Rounds, 15:00 Total Bout Page | |
| Sean Woodson defeats Charles Jourdain via Decision, Split | 3 Rounds, 15:00 Total Bout Page | |
| Ramon Taveras defeats Serhiy Sidey via Decision, Split | 3 Rounds, 15:00 Total Bout Page | |
| Gillian Robertson defeats Polyana Viana via KO/TKO, Ground Strikes From Back Mount | 3:12 Round 2 of 3, 8:12 Total Bout Page | |
| Sam Patterson defeats Yohan Lainesse via Submission, Rear Naked Choke | 2:03 Round 1 of 3 Bout Page | |
| Jasmine Jasudavicius defeats Priscila Cachoeira via Submission, D'arce Choke | 4:21 Round 3 of 3, 14:21 Total Bout Page | |
| Jimmy Flick defeats Malcolm Gordon via Submission, Arm Triangle Choke | 1:17 Round 2 of 3, 6:17 Total Bout Page |
Responses Page 22
01.15.2024 | 9:17 AM ET
Ash98
Predictions: 3 of 12 Winners, 0 Perfect, 150 Points | Tied for 5455th
Terrance "one round or nothing" McKinney will be Top 15 lightweight you say ? I don't think it's that crazy or dog**** of an opnion, he is 29 so I can see him becoming a gatekeeper at 14 or 15 in the ranks. A guy the UFC uses to see what your level really is.
McKinney has proven that if you are not UFC level he will smoke you inside one round and if you are UFC level you will weather the storm of round 1 and smoke him in round 2.
McKinney has proven that if you are not UFC level he will smoke you inside one round and if you are UFC level you will weather the storm of round 1 and smoke him in round 2.
"This is a rat race...but I’m not a rat. I’m a f*ckin’ turtle, ninja turtle. So which one is your favorite? I like Michelangelo....next question - Tony Ferguson"
01.15.2024 | 9:25 AM ET
Predictions: 3 of 5 Winners, 2 Perfect, 215 Points | Tied for 4667th
* Edited at 01.15.2024, 9:25 AM ET *
"G.O.A.T.S. come and go, but B.O.A.T.S. stay afloat. I'm the B.O.A.T."
01.15.2024 | 9:33 AM ET
Why sean woodson will win
Predictions: 6 of 12 Winners, 1 Perfect, 355 Points | Tied for 1271st
"Why they allow makeup in beauty contest but not steroids in contest of strength?"
01.15.2024 | 10:24 AM ET
UFC 297 Strickland vs Du Plessis: King Of The Hill
Predictions: 4 of 12 Winners, 0 Perfect, 215 Points | Tied for 4407th
Previous Winners: BLUBEARD x2, gem779, kushycake, Calfoth, BriggsH, tapsumbong, Oh_fiddle_sticks, MB alias Mboris, blooder6665, M101
Join: https://www.tapology.com/fantasy/73632/players/new?code=21ee1719e7cc
Join: https://www.tapology.com/fantasy/73632/players/new?code=21ee1719e7cc
"POUND FOR POUND, HEADSHOT, DEAD - Leon Edwards "
01.15.2024 | 1:30 PM ET
Predictions: 6 of 12 Winners, 1 Perfect, 340 Points | Tied for 1554th
Jourdain is 60-65%
"She’ll go there and smash her. She’ll get a title shot, become a UFC champion. We have a Ronda Rousey on steroids. This is what we have.” - Ali Abdelaziz on Kayla Harrison
01.15.2024 | 1:35 PM ET
Predictions: 3 of 12 Winners, 0 Perfect, 150 Points | Tied for 5455th
After a lot of thinking and changing my mind way to much, I am picking Strickland by round 5 KO and will not change it anymore.
The last drop that made me change my pick was that Strickland trains with Eblen a lot and that has to mean that his TDD and ability to fight against pressure is good. At least good enought to keep the fight going until the championship rounds where I am sure he will be fresher than Dricus.
...If after all this thinking Dricus drops Sean in one round I am going to feel so dumb.
The last drop that made me change my pick was that Strickland trains with Eblen a lot and that has to mean that his TDD and ability to fight against pressure is good. At least good enought to keep the fight going until the championship rounds where I am sure he will be fresher than Dricus.
...If after all this thinking Dricus drops Sean in one round I am going to feel so dumb.
"This is a rat race...but I’m not a rat. I’m a f*ckin’ turtle, ninja turtle. So which one is your favorite? I like Michelangelo....next question - Tony Ferguson"
01.15.2024 | 2:09 PM ET
Predictions: 5 of 12 Winners, 2 Perfect, 315 Points | Tied for 1994th
First PPV of the year should be decent, for a PPV this card is not that stacked but the main card is fine. Wish we had atleast 14 fights on this card rather than just 12. Most of the prelims fights are DWCS level fights if we are being honest. Lets see sometimes cards like these really do deliver
01.15.2024 | 2:38 PM ET
Vicstik
Predictions: 7 of 12 Winners, 2 Perfect, 445 Points | Tied for 362nd
Terrance McKinny could fluke cold **** a top 15 guy, but I don’t think he beat any more after that. Terrance McKinny loses if he get extended to 2 minute of a fight, **** can happen in MMA, but most good lightweight are going to avoid getting cold ****ed
Don’t think Terrance will ever be that good if he has a 0 in the cardio stat, it such a hinderance, especially at lightweight which is top 3 most skilled division in MMA
Don’t think Terrance will ever be that good if he has a 0 in the cardio stat, it such a hinderance, especially at lightweight which is top 3 most skilled division in MMA
* Edited at 01.15.2024, 2:40 PM ET *
"Quack quack quack"
01.15.2024 | 6:39 PM ET
Prediction Comments
Predictions: 4 of 12 Winners, 2 Perfect, 250 Points | Tied for 3618th
Pennington vs. Bueno Silva
Mayra Bueno Silva, DEC
win
Magny vs. Malott
Mike Malott, DEC
win
Allen vs. Evloev
Arnold Allen, DEC
win
Katona vs. Armfield
Brad Katona, DEC
win
Jourdain vs. Woodson
Charles Jourdain, DEC
win
Robertson vs. Viana
Gillian Robertson, DEC
win
Lainesse vs. Patterson
Yohan Lainesse, DEC
win
Gordon vs. Flick
Malcolm Gordon, DEC
winner
Mayra Bueno Silva, DEC
win
Magny vs. Malott
Mike Malott, DEC
win
Allen vs. Evloev
Arnold Allen, DEC
win
Katona vs. Armfield
Brad Katona, DEC
win
Jourdain vs. Woodson
Charles Jourdain, DEC
win
Robertson vs. Viana
Gillian Robertson, DEC
win
Lainesse vs. Patterson
Yohan Lainesse, DEC
win
Gordon vs. Flick
Malcolm Gordon, DEC
winner
"hay maker"
01.15.2024 | 6:40 PM ET
Prediction Comments
Predictions: 6 of 12 Winners, 1 Perfect, 340 Points | Tied for 1554th
Strickland vs. Du Plessis
Sean Strickland, TKO, R4
Sean late tko i dont know if i trust ddp to last five rounds with sparring machine sean strickland after what i saw in the darren till fight if it wasnt for his lack of tdd i would see till winning especially in five rounds but he is hungry for sure we will see
Pennington vs. Bueno Silva
Mayra Bueno Silva, DEC
I dont trust pennington at all what ive seen from mayra is potential to be a dominant fighter
Magny vs. Malott
Neil Magny, SUB, R2
Neil magny the vet w an upset dont know why malott is such a favourite but ill take the odds on magny any day coming of a humiliating loss to the cuck
Curtis vs. Barriault
Chris Curtis, TKO, R3
Action man knocks out this gimp but might also be dominated im staying away from this fight betting wise but hoping for a tko from chris
Allen vs. Evloev
Movsar Evloev, DEC
Movsar is next up
Katona vs. Armfield
Garrett Armfield, SUB, R2
Dont know both really explosive will be a fun fight but staying away from putting money on it
Jourdain vs. Woodson
Charles Jourdain, DEC
Jourdain is untrustworthy at times but on a good tear
Sidey vs. Taveras II
Serhiy Sidey, TKO, R2
Hopefully it will be a ko ramon shouldnt be in the ufc honestly
Robertson vs. Viana
Polyana Viana, DEC
Boring fight, scrambleing all the way to decision
Lainesse vs. Patterson
Sam Patterson, SUB, R2
See it going either way going for the underdog but can see yohan taking it its 45/55
Jasudavicius vs. Cachoeira
Jasmine Jasudavicius, DEC
Wmma
Gordon vs. Flick
Malcolm Gordon, DEC
Both flyweight flies what a not good way to start ufc 297
Sean Strickland, TKO, R4
Sean late tko i dont know if i trust ddp to last five rounds with sparring machine sean strickland after what i saw in the darren till fight if it wasnt for his lack of tdd i would see till winning especially in five rounds but he is hungry for sure we will see
Pennington vs. Bueno Silva
Mayra Bueno Silva, DEC
I dont trust pennington at all what ive seen from mayra is potential to be a dominant fighter
Magny vs. Malott
Neil Magny, SUB, R2
Neil magny the vet w an upset dont know why malott is such a favourite but ill take the odds on magny any day coming of a humiliating loss to the cuck
Curtis vs. Barriault
Chris Curtis, TKO, R3
Action man knocks out this gimp but might also be dominated im staying away from this fight betting wise but hoping for a tko from chris
Allen vs. Evloev
Movsar Evloev, DEC
Movsar is next up
Katona vs. Armfield
Garrett Armfield, SUB, R2
Dont know both really explosive will be a fun fight but staying away from putting money on it
Jourdain vs. Woodson
Charles Jourdain, DEC
Jourdain is untrustworthy at times but on a good tear
Sidey vs. Taveras II
Serhiy Sidey, TKO, R2
Hopefully it will be a ko ramon shouldnt be in the ufc honestly
Robertson vs. Viana
Polyana Viana, DEC
Boring fight, scrambleing all the way to decision
Lainesse vs. Patterson
Sam Patterson, SUB, R2
See it going either way going for the underdog but can see yohan taking it its 45/55
Jasudavicius vs. Cachoeira
Jasmine Jasudavicius, DEC
Wmma
Gordon vs. Flick
Malcolm Gordon, DEC
Both flyweight flies what a not good way to start ufc 297
"ZAZAAAAA"
01.15.2024 | 8:59 PM ET
FUN FACT
Predictions: 7 of 12 Winners, 2 Perfect, 400 Points | Tied for 712th
Both Charles Jourdain and Sean Woodson have been submitted by Julian Erosa by D'arce Choke 12 seconds apart in round 3 Charles (2:56) Sean (2:44).
01.15.2024 | 9:38 PM ET
Predictions: 6 of 12 Winners, 2 Perfect, 365 Points | Tied for 1132nd
You do know we all have the same access to their fight records?
* Edited at 01.15.2024, 9:39 PM ET *
"They killed Jesus for speaking the truth..."
01.15.2024 | 10:00 PM ET
Predictions: 7 of 12 Winners, 1 Perfect, 430 Points | Tied for 444th
Yes fun indeed and you get double points if you can tell the story of where the name comes from, Darse Choke.
It has been corrected on here to correlate to a persons name.
It has been corrected on here to correlate to a persons name.
"“I took no damage,” Hill said. “Most of the fall was me falling down"
01.15.2024 | 10:02 PM ET
Predictions: 7 of 12 Winners, 2 Perfect, 445 Points | Tied for 362nd
Also both dropped Erosa before getting submitted
"Quack quack quack"
01.16.2024 | 12:09 AM ET
Prediction Comments
Predictions: 6 of 12 Winners, 2 Perfect, 375 Points | Tied for 1009th
Strickland vs. Du Plessis
Dricus Du Plessis, TKO, R2
Tired of hearing ''Defensive Genius'' narratives or hearing Strickland be called the ''Money Floyd of MMA" when clearly those people were the same people who made fun of the ''iCarly Stance'' but for convenience now Sean is a ''Defensive Genius'' because '''''''''he brutally beat the #1 who is along with Whittaker who is #2 is a thousand steps away from Vettori and Cannonier who were the only top 5 of MW who were perhaps the only ones maybe close and blah blah blah...''''''''''
Strickland has good cardio and can throw in the same high pace for 25 minutes straight (literally his teammates say that the only thing he does is sparring at Gym), but the fact that your cardio is your main weapon is generally synonymous with little power. KO and no ability to finish fights, for his part Dricus is one of those types of fighters who are double threats: Brutal KO Power (both standing and ground and pound) and solid enough grappling with transitions and solid submission attempts (in his first fight against Soldic, DDP was about to find the sub in the final seconds of the first round, he still got the KO in the second round to win the KSW championship). Sinus is a serious issue and that operation probably helped Dricus a lot although he did not fully buy the DDP ''Oxygenated mode''. Not counting UFC 293, Strickland is 0-2 in Top 5 Fights or Fight that include Top 5 spot (UFC 276 Fight against Poatan) however DDP is 2-0 with 2 victories by Round 2 KO against Top 5 Fighters (Brunson and Whittaker), I think Du Plessis will win the championship by KO at the beginning of the second round.
Pennington vs. Bueno Silva
Mayra Bueno Silva, SUB, R2
I like the Mayra Bueno Silva's honesty about many people not being interested in this title fight, it seems to me that the change in category has suited her taking into account that she is a well-rounded fighter and doesn't need to cut too much weight. Raquel Pennington is a veteran in the division and I think she was the most logical contender for the title shot after her victory over Vieira, Pennington style focuses a lot on the clinch and control time, I think that opens the way for another victory for Silva with a guillotine choke against the fence. The Reaction of Juliana Peña after seeing Silva as champion gonna be Priceless hahaha
Magny vs. Malott
Mike Malott, SUB, R2
The interesting thing about Malott's run is that it has managed to prove to be more than Round 1 Finish or Bust Fighter: Although he demonstrated KO Power in his debut against Gall, he has also shown to have good technique (apart from being striking coach in Team Alpha Male and Niagara Team) and good fight IQ to finish Fugitt by submission after score the knockdown. Magny has always been a good test to determine the level of a fighter and his chances of making it in the Top 10. The ways to beat Magny are leg kicks or heavy takedown game and I think Malott will get the submission in the first or second round and will establish himself as the new Canadian MMA prospect
Allen vs. Evloev
Movsar Evloev, DEC
Evloev is the Combat Sambo specialist in the FW division and has shown to have magnificent dominance in top position and an elastic submission defense capable of lifting armbar in even complicated chokes to defense like anaconda and brabo chokes (evidenced in his fights against Lopes and Grundy). Allen seems superior to me in striking, but I think that Evloev's stand up fight should allow him to be capable of mixing with takedown and secure a 29-28 decision and put him only one more step of a title shot.
Jourdain vs. Woodson
Charles Jourdain, TKO, R3
Jourdain came to the UFC really young and despite alternating victories with defeats, he generally seems to be at a high point of maturity in terms of his skills and their development. Woodson has always seemed to me to be a range striker with a good boxing base but quite far from approaching the Top 15 level. Saldana showed that Sean can be blitzed on feet, Jourdain has good KO power and plenty of durability/energy. I wouldn't be surprised if a late KO or guillotine choke win came earlier from Jourdain.
Dricus Du Plessis, TKO, R2
Tired of hearing ''Defensive Genius'' narratives or hearing Strickland be called the ''Money Floyd of MMA" when clearly those people were the same people who made fun of the ''iCarly Stance'' but for convenience now Sean is a ''Defensive Genius'' because '''''''''he brutally beat the #1 who is along with Whittaker who is #2 is a thousand steps away from Vettori and Cannonier who were the only top 5 of MW who were perhaps the only ones maybe close and blah blah blah...''''''''''
Strickland has good cardio and can throw in the same high pace for 25 minutes straight (literally his teammates say that the only thing he does is sparring at Gym), but the fact that your cardio is your main weapon is generally synonymous with little power. KO and no ability to finish fights, for his part Dricus is one of those types of fighters who are double threats: Brutal KO Power (both standing and ground and pound) and solid enough grappling with transitions and solid submission attempts (in his first fight against Soldic, DDP was about to find the sub in the final seconds of the first round, he still got the KO in the second round to win the KSW championship). Sinus is a serious issue and that operation probably helped Dricus a lot although he did not fully buy the DDP ''Oxygenated mode''. Not counting UFC 293, Strickland is 0-2 in Top 5 Fights or Fight that include Top 5 spot (UFC 276 Fight against Poatan) however DDP is 2-0 with 2 victories by Round 2 KO against Top 5 Fighters (Brunson and Whittaker), I think Du Plessis will win the championship by KO at the beginning of the second round.
Pennington vs. Bueno Silva
Mayra Bueno Silva, SUB, R2
I like the Mayra Bueno Silva's honesty about many people not being interested in this title fight, it seems to me that the change in category has suited her taking into account that she is a well-rounded fighter and doesn't need to cut too much weight. Raquel Pennington is a veteran in the division and I think she was the most logical contender for the title shot after her victory over Vieira, Pennington style focuses a lot on the clinch and control time, I think that opens the way for another victory for Silva with a guillotine choke against the fence. The Reaction of Juliana Peña after seeing Silva as champion gonna be Priceless hahaha
Magny vs. Malott
Mike Malott, SUB, R2
The interesting thing about Malott's run is that it has managed to prove to be more than Round 1 Finish or Bust Fighter: Although he demonstrated KO Power in his debut against Gall, he has also shown to have good technique (apart from being striking coach in Team Alpha Male and Niagara Team) and good fight IQ to finish Fugitt by submission after score the knockdown. Magny has always been a good test to determine the level of a fighter and his chances of making it in the Top 10. The ways to beat Magny are leg kicks or heavy takedown game and I think Malott will get the submission in the first or second round and will establish himself as the new Canadian MMA prospect
Allen vs. Evloev
Movsar Evloev, DEC
Evloev is the Combat Sambo specialist in the FW division and has shown to have magnificent dominance in top position and an elastic submission defense capable of lifting armbar in even complicated chokes to defense like anaconda and brabo chokes (evidenced in his fights against Lopes and Grundy). Allen seems superior to me in striking, but I think that Evloev's stand up fight should allow him to be capable of mixing with takedown and secure a 29-28 decision and put him only one more step of a title shot.
Jourdain vs. Woodson
Charles Jourdain, TKO, R3
Jourdain came to the UFC really young and despite alternating victories with defeats, he generally seems to be at a high point of maturity in terms of his skills and their development. Woodson has always seemed to me to be a range striker with a good boxing base but quite far from approaching the Top 15 level. Saldana showed that Sean can be blitzed on feet, Jourdain has good KO power and plenty of durability/energy. I wouldn't be surprised if a late KO or guillotine choke win came earlier from Jourdain.
* Edited at 01.16.2024, 12:10 AM ET *
"Moicano Wants Money!"
01.16.2024 | 12:34 AM ET
Predictions: 6 of 12 Winners, 1 Perfect, 340 Points | Tied for 1554th
It's kinda insane that Mayra Bueno Silva went 2-2-1 at flyweight then changed to bantamweight, beat a can in Yanan Wu and a trio of old women in Egger Länsberg and Holm, the first 3 of which was on the prelim cards, and now have a title fight. But what is even more insane is that she might actually be the best current female bantamweight in the organization.
Talk about a bad division for that sequence of events to make sense.
Talk about a bad division for that sequence of events to make sense.
* Edited at 01.16.2024, 12:35 AM ET *
"She’ll go there and smash her. She’ll get a title shot, become a UFC champion. We have a Ronda Rousey on steroids. This is what we have.” - Ali Abdelaziz on Kayla Harrison
-
- GreenTeaEnthusiast
01.16.2024 | 1:42 AM ET
Prediction Comments
Predictions: 6 of 12 Winners, 1 Perfect, 340 Points | Tied for 1554th
Strickland vs. Du Plessis
Dricus Du Plessis, SUB, R2
Finally sitting down and analyzing fighters again. Been a while. I've firmly believed DDP was going to secure a title from the moment he set foot in the UFC, and I'm optimistic that this is his arrival moment. Strickland is a measured pressure-striker who cuts off the cage and walks his opponent into strong 1-2s. One of his biggest weapons in this fight will be his guard, but not just from a defensive standpoint - the way he alternates the level of his philly shell from head to chest will be crucial in getting DDP to overcommit on a looping punch and making him pay for it. Broadly speaking, that's Strickland's best avenue to victory here: control the pace by making Dricus second-guess his work - something that Whittaker found himself unable to do precisely because he didn't vary his offense enough - and batter him en route to a dominant decision or stoppage. Where the strategy falls off for me is that Strickland relies on dictating the pace; without it, his game is about half as effective as it potentially could be... if not even less. If we turn back the clock to 2021, which is when the major stylistic improvements began to transpire for DeSean Strickland, every last count he's experienced hardships in a fight has been because he couldn't manipulate the rhythm into a potshotting tango. Dricus du Plessis will not play into that game. Whilst I don't see him juggernauting his way into a middleweight championship, it's hard for me to muster the image of Strickland effectively stifling Dricus' offense for long enough to fend him off. People seem to forget that Dricus kicked off his career smoking up people on the ground - I expect that to be the theme on Saturday night. I'll take Dricus in an early FOTY contender to abuse Strickland into a stoppage.
Pennington vs. Bueno Silva
Mayra Bueno Silva, SUB, R1
Mayra is an amazing bantamweight. She's got the most well-rounded, cohesive mix of striking and grappling. Defense will be the key here against an active striker in Pennington; her posting arm is solid and keeps her out of range, much akin to Jonny Bones in the way she employs it, and her balance against the fence enables her to open up on offense in the form of tight elbows and unpredictable submission attempts. On the other hand, I don't have much to say about Pennington - she's a refined boxer relative to WBW standards, and that allows her to keep pressure on for extended periods of time. The problem is that it's largely ineffective from a damage standpoint: hardly enough to fend off MBS. Both ladies will walk forward, and I only see Silva initiating clinches and tactically neutralizing Pennington's hands with long-range body kicks. Expect dominance.
Magny vs. Malott
Mike Malott, TKO, R2
This should be a cakewalk for Malott... fast, flashy striker with filthy countering abilities. He's everything you don't want in an opponent as a Neil Magny fan. At this stage in their respective careers, he's the more athletic, more competent and definitely the more creative striker of the two. Grappling may be utilized to aid him in hunting a finish, but besides that, there's not much else to discuss here. I'll go with Malott to secure a dub with a jab-headkick as Magny leans out of range posting to safety.
Curtis vs. Barriault
Chris Curtis, TKO, R3
I'm a fan of the way Curtis changes the angle of his upper body to fire his straight left: upper body orthodox, lower body southpaw. Makes it difficult to predict incoming strikes, and he does a really good job of using his left hands up top to set up body shots and big rights to the jaw. Barriault can push a pace, but the effects of it will be negated by Curtis' seamless switching of the stance. How can you pile the pressure when your opponent is not where you expect him to be? I'll take Curtis to score a finish by way of body-battering late in the fight.
Allen vs. Evloev
Arnold Allen, DEC
I love this fight. There are two points to consider here: 1) how Evloev deals with southpaw right hook -> straight left combinations on the feet, and 2) whether Evloev can hang with Allen in a point fight. To the first point - Evloev is not good at reading punches. Particularly, straight punches that are masked behind looping shots. It was the theme of Diego Lopes' success against him. Over here, he's faced with an elite featherweight with a ridiculous striking game paired with championship-level fight IQ. Arnold Allen is extremely good at mixing the martial arts. As for the second point, if we Evloev struggling to take down Almighty, no issues - he's a chain wrestler. But how effectively can he sustain that whilst having to keep up in the striking department against a wide-stance, low-kicking Allen whose straight lefts are fast as they are unpredictable? My bet is that he won't be all that effective. Gimme Allen by decision.
Dricus Du Plessis, SUB, R2
Finally sitting down and analyzing fighters again. Been a while. I've firmly believed DDP was going to secure a title from the moment he set foot in the UFC, and I'm optimistic that this is his arrival moment. Strickland is a measured pressure-striker who cuts off the cage and walks his opponent into strong 1-2s. One of his biggest weapons in this fight will be his guard, but not just from a defensive standpoint - the way he alternates the level of his philly shell from head to chest will be crucial in getting DDP to overcommit on a looping punch and making him pay for it. Broadly speaking, that's Strickland's best avenue to victory here: control the pace by making Dricus second-guess his work - something that Whittaker found himself unable to do precisely because he didn't vary his offense enough - and batter him en route to a dominant decision or stoppage. Where the strategy falls off for me is that Strickland relies on dictating the pace; without it, his game is about half as effective as it potentially could be... if not even less. If we turn back the clock to 2021, which is when the major stylistic improvements began to transpire for DeSean Strickland, every last count he's experienced hardships in a fight has been because he couldn't manipulate the rhythm into a potshotting tango. Dricus du Plessis will not play into that game. Whilst I don't see him juggernauting his way into a middleweight championship, it's hard for me to muster the image of Strickland effectively stifling Dricus' offense for long enough to fend him off. People seem to forget that Dricus kicked off his career smoking up people on the ground - I expect that to be the theme on Saturday night. I'll take Dricus in an early FOTY contender to abuse Strickland into a stoppage.
Pennington vs. Bueno Silva
Mayra Bueno Silva, SUB, R1
Mayra is an amazing bantamweight. She's got the most well-rounded, cohesive mix of striking and grappling. Defense will be the key here against an active striker in Pennington; her posting arm is solid and keeps her out of range, much akin to Jonny Bones in the way she employs it, and her balance against the fence enables her to open up on offense in the form of tight elbows and unpredictable submission attempts. On the other hand, I don't have much to say about Pennington - she's a refined boxer relative to WBW standards, and that allows her to keep pressure on for extended periods of time. The problem is that it's largely ineffective from a damage standpoint: hardly enough to fend off MBS. Both ladies will walk forward, and I only see Silva initiating clinches and tactically neutralizing Pennington's hands with long-range body kicks. Expect dominance.
Magny vs. Malott
Mike Malott, TKO, R2
This should be a cakewalk for Malott... fast, flashy striker with filthy countering abilities. He's everything you don't want in an opponent as a Neil Magny fan. At this stage in their respective careers, he's the more athletic, more competent and definitely the more creative striker of the two. Grappling may be utilized to aid him in hunting a finish, but besides that, there's not much else to discuss here. I'll go with Malott to secure a dub with a jab-headkick as Magny leans out of range posting to safety.
Curtis vs. Barriault
Chris Curtis, TKO, R3
I'm a fan of the way Curtis changes the angle of his upper body to fire his straight left: upper body orthodox, lower body southpaw. Makes it difficult to predict incoming strikes, and he does a really good job of using his left hands up top to set up body shots and big rights to the jaw. Barriault can push a pace, but the effects of it will be negated by Curtis' seamless switching of the stance. How can you pile the pressure when your opponent is not where you expect him to be? I'll take Curtis to score a finish by way of body-battering late in the fight.
Allen vs. Evloev
Arnold Allen, DEC
I love this fight. There are two points to consider here: 1) how Evloev deals with southpaw right hook -> straight left combinations on the feet, and 2) whether Evloev can hang with Allen in a point fight. To the first point - Evloev is not good at reading punches. Particularly, straight punches that are masked behind looping shots. It was the theme of Diego Lopes' success against him. Over here, he's faced with an elite featherweight with a ridiculous striking game paired with championship-level fight IQ. Arnold Allen is extremely good at mixing the martial arts. As for the second point, if we Evloev struggling to take down Almighty, no issues - he's a chain wrestler. But how effectively can he sustain that whilst having to keep up in the striking department against a wide-stance, low-kicking Allen whose straight lefts are fast as they are unpredictable? My bet is that he won't be all that effective. Gimme Allen by decision.
01.16.2024 | 3:33 AM ET
Predictions: 5 of 12 Winners, 1 Perfect, 290 Points | Tied for 2566th
Feel like Patterson going to get KO'd again. I Was at London last time when he fully tried to fight the ref it was some crazy **** lol
"I was once knocked out by a Mexican bantamweight - six of my pals were swinging him around by his heels at the time. - Randall "Tex" Cobb"
01.16.2024 | 3:35 AM ET
Predictions: 6 of 12 Winners, 2 Perfect, 365 Points | Tied for 1132nd
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