Preview: UFC Fight Night 72 ‘Bisping vs. Leites’

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LIGHTWEIGHTS

Steven Ray (17-5, 1-0 UFC) vs. Leonardo Mafra Texeira (12-2, 1-2 UFC)

THE MATCHUP: Ray has long been one of the top fighters in Scotland, and he finally got his chance in the UFC on April’s Poland card, where he defeated Marcin Bandel on short notice. He gets “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” Season 1 competitor Texeira here in what looks like a barnburner of a lightweight matchup. The Brazilian was cut from the UFC but rebounded with a series of wins on the regional scene and has gone 1-1 since his return.

Ray is big for the division and has outstanding physical tools. He boasts a nice southpaw striking repertoire, with a powerful left kick, a clean straight left and a good counter right hook, but he could stand to throw more volume and work in combination more often. Clinch fighting and wrestling are strengths; he is quite difficult to take down; and he does an excellent job of using his strikes to cover his takedown attempts. Grappling, however, is probably the best facet of his game. He passes nicely, maintains a heavy base with good posture, packs real power in his ground strikes and has good instincts for submissions in transition. Getting reckless in scrambles was a problem earlier in his career but one that he seems to have solved for now.

Texeira is a big, powerful lightweight with bricks for fists. He works behind a crisp jab and strings together combinations of hooks that he punctuates with hard low kicks. Pace is a strong suit, and he can operate moving forward and on the counter. On the downside, he is quite hittable, does not absorb shots well and can be drawn into a brawl. In addition to his striking skills, Texeira is a serviceable wrestler, with a nice double-leg and strong defense. Nobody will confuse him for an ace grappler, but he can control from the top and generate good power in his ground strikes.

THE PICK: This is a difficult fight to pick, as it essentially comes down to Texeira’s combination power punching on the feet versus Ray’s ability to work this to the ground and control or finish. The latter seems more likely to me. If the Scotsman does not allow himself to get drawn into a brawl, he can use his strikes to set up takedowns, duck under Texeira’s counters and work from the top. The pick is Ray by submission in the second round.

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