Preview: UFC Fight Night ‘Rothwell vs. Dos Santos’

Heavyweights

Francis Ngannou (6-1) vs. Curtis Blaydes (5-0)

THE MATCHUP: At 29, Ngannou qualifies as a prospect, but 25-year-old Blaydes is practically a teenager by heavyweight standards. One wonders why the two have been matched so early in their respective careers, but it should be a fun fight at the very least.

Blaydes has expressed admiration for Jon Jones, and it is not hard to see the former light heavyweight champion’s influence on his fighting style. Blaydes is more than happy to compromise his position to land a Superman punch or hit a suplex. His best skill, however, is his wrestling. Blaydes was a junior college national wrestling champion for Harper College, but his wrestling style is not that of the typical heavyweight. “Razor” has an excellent shot, which he either times as a counter to his opponent’s punches or sets up with a quick jab. Though his striking has a long way to go, Blaydes seems to have excellent instincts on the feet, as well, changing the rhythm of his strikes and landing them off the threat of his double-leg.

Ngannou will be the biggest, strongest and hardest-hitting opponent Blaydes has ever faced, but he has a similar level of experience. Where Blaydes excels with his wrestling, Ngannou excels with striking. He is not only powerful and quick but throws intelligent combinations, such as the one which sent Luis Henrique Barbosa de Oliveira to the canvas in Ngannou’s UFC debut.

Wrestling would appear to be a gap in Ngannou’s skill set, however. He was taken down several times by Henrique and did very little to improve his position, threaten from his back or return to his feet. Ngannou’s power and striking instincts mean that any amount of time spent on the feet multiplies his chances of winning, but Blaydes seems more comfortable in Ngannou’s face than Ngannou does in his.

THE ODDS: Ngannou (-127), Blaydes (+107)

THE PICK: This is effectively a battle between Ngannou’s uppercuts and Blaydes’ takedowns. There is no doubt that Ngannou could put away Blaydes with a single shot, but he struggled with a far inferior wrestler in his UFC debut, one with neither Blaydes’ speed nor technique. Blaydes is also a big, full-sized heavyweight. He carries a bit of fat, unlike Ngannou, but his grappling-based style makes use of each and every one of his 265 pounds. Blaydes has yet to develop an efficient or particularly effective system of ground striking, but he has the timing and control necessary to keep Ngannou down anyway. The pick is Blaydes by unanimous decision.

Next Fight » Johnson vs. Tybura