Post#2310 » by Clav » Yesterday 10:26 pm
prelims start in 1hr! Main Card is on ESPN starting at 10PM EDT/7PDT.
I'm 5/10 excited about this card. Would have appreciate one more "attractive" main card fight from any number of ranked fighters, this just feels lacking. However it is with a live-audience in Atlanta, so I'm optimistic the crowd will improve the ambiance.
early prelims will be some tests of the deeper roster. One to watch for me is Wellmaker / Moutinho. Wellmaker is a solid striker and already has a KO to his resume in the UFC, Moutinho is returning after a bit away from UFC, fighting for his career. Sounds like a knockout is loading....
Longtime UFC watchers can get another Court McGee fight, though I picked Chiesa over him. Also Ricky Simon is on this card. Paul Craig/Rodolfo Bellato looks good, but Craig seems to still be a 1-trick grappler w/o a chin anymore. Might be a quick fight. the other bouts are still okay... but Menifield, Brundage, Oumar Sy, Cody Garbrandt... a lot of veterans that need wins to stay relevant in the divisions.
For the main-card, I'm only really interested in the co-main and main events.
Thug Rose v Maverick --- Namajunas is my pick, way more well rounded. Though they used to train together so could be a decision if they don't want to, like, kill each other. Maverick has impressed recently but Rose is usually pretty hard to deal with for the up and coming fighters.
Meanwhile Buckley is my pick over Usman - Kamaru has been kind of inactive, or not that impressive to me for a few years now. Though I think we have to credit him for stifling Khamzat during that fight they had [still a Usman Maj. Dec loss]. Buckley very well could be controlled on the ground so that's kind of the metric I'm looking for here. If Buckley can just strike and not be forced to wrassle, this is his to win. Usman needs to rack up control time & I don't see him being that fast on the feet as he was never a devastating striker to begin with.
Enjoy!
Cheers
\m/
