UFC Fight Night: Hendricks vs. Thompson will bring us an epic night fights in lead up to Super Bowl Sunday. The event is capped off by a very important 170 lb affair between champion Johny Hendricks and surging contender Stephen Thompson. It’s all free on Fox Sports 1, and that’s exactly what we’re here to discuss! The Fox Sports 1 prelims will give us 4 bouts to warm us up for the main card – here is what to look for Saturday night.
Noad Lahat vs. Diego Rivas
Starting things off in the featherweight division, we have two very promising, young up-and-comers. Between Lahat and Rivas, they share a 15-1 record, but these two guys are still growing and rounding out their games. As it stands right now, I believe Lahat is the more experienced, more dangerous fighter. Rivas is undefeated for a reason, but this will only be his second UFC fight. Against a real prospect Noad Lahat, I think he will crumble under the pressure.
On the feet, both men have their basics down, but Rivas has a tendency to get a little sloppy and overcommit to his aggression. This will leave him susceptible to takedowns which Lahat will definitely look for. Lahat is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu word champion and also has a Judo background, so expect Lahat to be much more well-versed in the grappling game. Rivas isn’t bad on the mat either, but Lahat is just on another level. As long as Lahat is smart about how he approaches the takedown, he should be able to floor Rivas and tap him out inside three rounds.
Ray Borg vs. Justin Scoggins
Speaking of promising up-and-comers, both Ray Borg and Justin Scoggins are very real prospects in the flyweight division. They both bring entertaining styles to the Octagon, and seeing how desperate the 125 lb division is for contenders, I could see either of these men contesting for a belt in the future. However, one man has to lose Saturday, so let’s go over who that might be.
Scoggins is a very crafty striker. He stays on the outside, whips taekwondo techniques, and throws straight shots down the pipe. In addition, Scoggins has great offensive wrestling which is set up by his striking. That being said, Scoggins hasn’t shown to be very comfortable off of his back; he often gets his guard passed several times, and John Moraga caught him with a guillotine. Ray Borg is all about creating chaos on the mat. He’s very skilled and has a great feel for where transitions are going to lead, and then staying one step ahead of his opponent. If Borg can close the distance and take Scoggins down, I believe he’ll be able to keep him down and dominate from the top. With a 78% success rate in the takedown department, he should be able to do that just fine. This should be a very fun fight on the Fox Sports 1 prelims. Expect Borg to win via a decision if not a late tap out.
Derrick Lewis vs. Damian Grabowski
In a clash of styles, heavyweight slugger Derrick Lewis takes on the ultra-experienced grappling specialist Damian Grabowski. Lewis has shown to be an exciting name in the UFC as he either wins by KO, or gets KO’d. He has decent boxing skills, but doesn’t move a whole lot. He relies a lot on his power, but not too many people are dumb enough to trade shots with Lewis. On the mat, Lewis has shown to be surprisingly athletic as he scrambles fairly well. Of course, his cardio could improve, but Lewis’s game revolves around not needing a deep gas tank.
Grabowski on the other hand wouldn’t mind going into deep waters. Grabowski, while he’s not too threatening on the feet, knows how to survive long enough to take his opponent down and completely dominate from there. Grabowski tore up the Polish MMA scene for much of his career, so his record is a little inflated, but he is a serious threat if he gets on top of you; he can either pound you out, or look for a submission.
Stylistically, I favor Grabowski as he has made a career out of taking on heavy-handed fighters and coming out on top, but I think Lewis will pull it off. Look for Lewis to be a bit more reserved, cautious, and really calculate his shots knowing the consequences of being taken down. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lewis goes for the takedown either because his ground and pound is absolutely devastating. I’ve got Lewis by first round knockout.
Josh Burkman vs. KJ Noons
Headlining the Fox Sports 1 prelims is a welterweight collision. Nearing the end of his career, Josh Burkman doesn’t have a much left to prove or a much left in him. He has been on the other side of some vicious beatings the past three fights. While he’s managed to get into the third round in every one of them, he hasn’t looked too impressive on the offensive side of things. KJ Noons has been struggling as well. He scored that stunning 30-second KO over Sam Stout in 2014, and followed it up with a back-and-forth battle with Daron Cruickshank which ultimately ended with an accidental eye poke. Then, he got upset by ‘Cowboy’ Oliveira in Brazil. While Noons hasn’t been too active lately, I think he has more left in his body than Burkman does. On the feet, Noons slings heat and has years of boxing experience under his belt. Burkman will for sure want to take this fight to the ground, but his takedown game has never been his strong-suit. If the fight ends up there, Burkman has more than enough submission capabilities, but I just think Noons is too quick and too deadly on the feet for this fight to develop. I’ll take KJ by a first round TKO in a bout that should be Burkman’s last.
