Preview: UFC 221 ‘Romero vs. Rockhold’
Blaydes vs. Hunt
Heavyweight
Curtis Blaydes (8-1) vs. Mark Hunt (13-11-1)Advertisement
ANALYSIS: Unsurprisingly, this fight comes down to how many takedowns you think Blaydes can land over 15 minutes. We are wise to Hunt’s style at this point. We know the 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix winner will barrel forward as long as he is given rope, throwing low kicks, overhand rights and familiar setups.
We know Hunt’s traps at this point: lead left hook, the lunging overhand right, the left hook-right uppercut combo. All of these are still effective scoring combinations; the question is whether or not they score on a man whose boxing has steadily improved over the last year and if they register on a man who is averaging 6.38 takedowns over 15 minutes, especially when we know Blaydes is going to shoot, shoot and shoot some more.
Although Blaydes has become a more capable exchanger and has shown some legitimate standup influence over his last four bouts, he is not going to hang on the feet with Hunt -- a fighter who only needs a short lead hook to start a fight-ending offensive salvo. The striking here will still likely be led by Blaydes’ jab and the takedown attempts behind it.
Again, there is little question about who is the more versatile striker; Hunt has the genuine ability to mark up Blaydes with almost everything he throws. The question is whether or not he can free his body long enough to do it in a meaningful way and, frankly, whether or not he can hold that pattern for the better part of 15 minutes against a fresh, willing opponent. Hunt is going to land licks, but look for Blaydes to stay glued to his lower body long enough to earn a tough, close decision.
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