Bantamweights
Caolan Loughran (9-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Jake Hadley (10-3, 2-3 UFC)Buy UFC 304 for a chance to win a VIP trip to UFC 310 in Las Vegas!
Loughran mostly gains notice through his brashness, but the Irishman backs that up inside the cage with an aggressive and focused style. “The Don” looks to march forward, throw power and eventually get to his wrestling game, at which point he can hunt for a submission. It’s a solid process, even if Loughran’s short and squat frame figures to lead to some limitations in his effectiveness. That was the case in his UFC debut, where the much longer Taylor Lapilus was content to peck away at Loughran and keep him at bay for the better part of three rounds. Loughran was much better able to show off his wares in an entertaining three-round win over Angel Pacheco in March, and after a few late shuffles, he looks to keep that momentum going against a late replacement in Hadley. This pairing should be interesting, if only because it’s unclear how the physicality at play will shake out—Loughran is an undersized bantamweight, while Hadley has spent his UFC career as an oversized flyweight—and the fact that both men look to implement similar games. On the regional scene and the Contender Series, England’s “White Kong” got by through playing an effective bully and leveraging his grappling game, but his five trips to the Octagon have been a mixed bag. He has looked sharper than expected as a striker but also gotten stalled out handily when asked to face better athletes. This is a coinflip, especially with Hadley moving up in weight, but Loughran looks more powerful and more dedicated in his aggression, so the Irishman gets the nod here. The pick is Loughran via decision.
Jump To »
Mokaev vs. Kape
Wood vs. Pineda
McCann vs. Brasil
Loughran vs. Hadley
Parkin vs. Brzeski
Parsons vs. Elliott
Patterson vs. Crosbie
Bannon vs. Ardelean
Bukauskas vs. Prachnio