Preview: UFC Fight Night ‘Dos Anjos vs. Ferguson’

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‘The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3’ Lightweight Final

Martin Bravo (10-0) vs. Claudio Puelles (7-1)

THE MATCHUP: Both of these fighters have potential. Puelles is a clean, well-rounded fighter; Bravo is more of a scrapper. Both men have excelled over the course of the show, and their fight presents an interesting clash of styles.

The words that best describe Puelles are “well-rounded” and “poised.” His striking has a classic southpaw look, built on the twin threats of the left hand and left kick. He has solid footwork, and though he is not a knockout artist, he has enough snap behind his straight punches to demand his opponent’s respect. Puelles uses his strikes to set up very clean takedowns, changing levels before ripping his opponent away from the fence. Cuelles’ submission grappling is not perfect, but he is calm and methodical enough on the ground that opponents struggle to find openings.

Bravo is a bit of a wild man. His style recalls that of Erik Perez. Bravo is always willing to mix things up in the pocket, and he uses takedown attempts and clinch strikes to keep things interesting. More than Puelles, Bravo pushes the pace and forces his opponent to react to a hailstorm of awkward punches. Like Perez, his scrappy nature is backed up by a solid boxing game, built around dipping jabs and counter right hands.

THE ODDS: Puelles (-110), Bravo (-110)

THE PICK: Puelles’ pretty style marks him as a serious prospect, but Bravo has a grimy attitude and killer instinct that makes him far more dangerous. Bravo’s 80 percent finishing rate is a feather in his cap, and his willingness to press the pace no matter the cost should come in handy against Puelles, whose calm visage cannot make up for the fact that he allows himself to be repeatedly backed into the fence. Expect Puelles to turn in good work early before finding himself in the midst of a wild scrap that suits Bravo’s nature. The pick is Bravo by unanimous decision.

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