Preview: UFC Fight Night ‘McGregor vs. Siver’

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MIDDLEWEIGHTS

Uriah Hall (9-4, 2-2 UFC) vs. Ron Stallings (12-6, 0-0 UFC)

THE MATCHUP: A late injury to Costa Philippou and replacement Louis Taylor means Hall draws debuting journeyman Ron Stallings. Hall lost a pair of split decisions to open his UFC career but has since put together two straight wins over Chris Leben and Thiago Santos to get back on track, showcasing some of the skills that had observers so high on him two years ago. Stallings was riding a three-fight winning streak, but he lost his last outing against “The Ultimate Fighter 19” competitor Tim Williams in a five-round title fight.

Given the amount of hype floating around Hall as he left the 17th season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” anything other than straight-up domination is a letdown, but that should not distract us from the fact that Hall is still pretty good. While his striking game includes plenty of flash, the whole package is predicated on a crisp jab, a lightning-fast right hand and a steady diet of low kicks, the threat of which provides the foundation for the devastating spinning kicks and backfists that gave Hall his reputation. He has good head movement and is quite difficult to hit cleanly, though low kicks and pressure have been a consistent problem for him. Catching kicks and turning them into takedowns or counters is a strong point, and he is a better wrestler both offensively and defensively than his reputation might suggest. The problem with Hall’s game is a general lack of urgency and output. He is often content to feint and wait for openings instead of using his offense to create the windows he needs for the shots he wants to throw, and if he does not land a big knockdown strike, it is essentially guaranteed that his fights will be close on the scorecards.

Stallings is aggressive, tough and reasonably well-rounded. He has a preference for kicks, a decent straight left from his southpaw stance and throws with a bit of power, but he mainly uses his striking to cover distance and facilitate his clinch entries. While not an explosive wrestler, Stallings does have a fine ability to grind down his opponents against the cage with knees and short punches that pack a surprising amount of power; and he maintains good control. Grappling is likewise a strong suit, as Stallings excels at snagging submissions in transition and working opportunistically to dominant positions.

THE PICK: This is Hall’s fight to lose. He holds drastic advantages in speed, athleticism, power and the depth of his striking arsenal, and if he can stay out of the clinch, he should be able to easily pick apart Stallings at range. The debutante has struggled with technical strikers, especially strong kickers who can keep him at range and exploit his mediocre footwork and command of angles, and that describes Hall to a T. I expect Hall to work over Stallings with his crisp jab, long right hand and powerful kicks before finishing in highlight-reel fashion. The pick is Hall by knockout in the second round.

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