Preview: ‘The Ultimate Fighter 20’ Finale

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LIGHTWEIGHTS

Joe Proctor (10-2, 3-1 UFC) vs. Yancy Medeiros (10-2, 1-2 UFC)

THE MATCHUP: What Proctor and Medeiros lack in name value, they more than make up for with the capacity for entertaining violence. Proctor, a Massachusetts native, fought on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 15 and has won two in a row. Medeiros has fought brutal competition -- Rustam Khabilov, Yves Edwards and Jim Miller -- since debuting in the UFC, but he has consistently improved and is looking to string together a winning streak here. This should be a heck of a fun scrap, so be sure to tune in.

Proctor, a student of Joe Lauzon, greatly resembles his training partner but is slightly more athletic. He throws powerful, mechanically sound combinations both moving forward and punching on the back step, and he intersperses the occasional cracking kick to mix up things. Like Lauzon, however, the problem with this offensive focus is defense: Proctor can be hit hard, especially when he exits on straight lines without moving his head. While he is not a particularly proficient offensive wrestler, his takedown defense has usually been up to the task, and he makes up for that skill gap with his grappling. Proctor’s active submission game makes him dangerous from his back, though he has been grinded down from the top before. In general, however, Proctor is essentially a skilled and entertaining sprawl-and-brawler with tremendous finishing instincts.

Medeiros is a wild talent with real potential if he can put together the various facets of his game into a coherent package. He is tall at 5-foot-10, with long limbs and surprising quickness to go along with the serious pop in his hands. Medeiros has spent time training with the Diaz brothers, and their influence certainly shows in his rangy, powerful and high-output boxing game. He complements his punching combinations with a strong, controlling clinch game, and he can do real damage with his punches and knees at close range. Unlike his Stockton, Calif., brethren, however, Medeiros has stellar takedown defense and is difficult to grind down without eating a fair number of shots. Grappling was not a strength for Medeiros until recently, but he has developed a creative submission and scrambling game that keeps him out of trouble on the mat.

BETTING ODDS: Medeiros (-250), Proctor (+210)

THE PICK: This is an interesting fight between two fighters with similar skills and a preference for trading on the feet. If Medeiros and Proctor are content to exchange at striking range, it is essentially a coin flip, but if Medeiros chooses to work in the clinch or is able to get Proctor to the ground, he should have a substantial edge. Regardless, Medeiros is the more athletic fighter, and I think his speed, length and better ancillary skills should allow him to catch Proctor with a punch and finish on the ground in the second round.

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