UFC Battle Night 234: Rapidly Picks and Prognostications

Kicking off the predominant card in Las Vegas is a middleweight matchup between Phil Hawes and Bruno Ferreira.

Despite Hawes opening north of a 2-1 favourite, public cash has advance pouring in on Ferreira to flip the betting line.

Despite the proven fact that the line circulation doesn’t basically surprise me, I’m not definite how assured anybody can also honest additionally be in both gather together.

Ferreira is less confirmed with a smaller sample dimension, whereas Hawes has an undeniable propensity to self-destruct in unbelievable vogue.

I’ll reluctantly rob Ferreira to get a predominant-spherical knockout after surviving a sturdy start from Hawes.

Filling out the predominant card is a probably banger at bantamweight between Ricky Simon and Mario Bautista.

Forecasting this one can also honest additionally be subtle given how sport and properly-rounded every fighter is, but I don’t disagree with Simon being most current from a betting perspective.

Despite the proven fact that I imagine that Bautista is on his manner up, his dimension and strength would be stymied if Simon’s on-paper advantages within the wrestling department enable him to dictate the motion.

Now not handiest is Simon a stud wrestler who can tirelessly stride, but the American Top Workers Portland gather quietly carries a Brazilian jiu-jitsu unlit belt in his support pocket.

I don’t demand Simon to submit a John Crouch-trained brown belt with ease, but I can also interrogate Bautista on the defective stay of takedowns and vitality strikes.

For that reason, I’ll aspect with Simon to edge out the scorecards in what I demand to be a competitive affair for fifteen minutes.

Serving as a solid offering at lightweight is a battle between southpaws, Jim Miller and Gabriel Benitez.

Despite the proven fact that Benitez is one of my favourite combatants to advance off “The Final Fighter: Latin The US,” Miller is one of my favourite combatants of all time.

With that in thoughts, you’ll prefer to forgive me for the grisly bias in my words provided that Miller is with out doubt one of the crucial few combatants who stay from my days of searching at this sport strictly as ‘a fan.’

Miller is clearly within the iciness of his profession, but I restful imagine that he has passable within the proverbial tank to assemble the job accomplished here.

Jim Miller tweet: https://x.com/DanTomMMA/dispute/1440970841718607874?s=20

Despite Miller having the spottier epic towards fellow UFC-stage southpaws (standing at 5-7 opposite Benitez’s 2-0), the American comports himself properly in closed-stance matchups.

Now not handiest can Miller gather entry to leg kicks and left crosses down the centerline, but the 40-three hundred and sixty five days-frail additionally has a knack for catching kicks and countering with takedowns.

Couple that with the chaos that’s impressed by the smaller octagon, and I’ll scurry with Miller to get but any other club-and-sub in Spherical 1.

The principle match on ESPN+ facets a rematch between light heavyweights Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker.

As acknowledged in my in-depth breakdownI think that the smaller octagon of the UFC APEX will strongly desire Ankalaev from a stylistic perspective.

Despite the proven fact that Anakalaev can also honest additionally be maddeningly reluctant to press his obvious grappling advantages, the extra confined preventing condominium of the APEX can lend a hand chaos and grappling alike.

Johnny Walker, who faces Magomed Ankalaev at #UFC294is 2-3 opposite UFC-stage southpaws (W: Rountree, Cirkunov; L: Hill, Abreu, Prado)

Walker presentations a style of feints/flash in open-stance fights but appears uncomfortable/largely seems to be to play off rear leg attacks #TheSouthpawReport pic.twitter.com/d0p5rEAtmi

— Dan Tom (@DanTomMMA) October 20, 2023

Add in Walker’s venerable troubles with southpaws, and I’ll aspect with Ankalaev to force a stoppage by strategy of strikes advance the 2nd spherical.

For additional on the card, talk over with MMA Junkie’s match hub forUFC Battle Night 234.