Preview: UFC on ESPN 25 ‘Jung vs. Ige’

Welterweights

NR | Dhiego Lima (15-8, 4-6 UFC) vs. NR | Matt Brown (22-18, 15-12 UFC)

ODDS: Lima (-170), Brown (+150)

As is true of a few fighters on this card, it is worth appreciating Brown for the violence that he can still bring even as his career starts to wind down. A memorably intense human going as far back as Season 7 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2008, Brown overcame a middling start to his UFC career to become a beloved purveyor of violence, putting together a seven-fight winning streak from 2012 to 2014 that put him within one fight of a welterweight title shot. Brown never quite recaptured that lightning in a bottle, losing five of his next six fights against a strong slate of competition, though his teased retirement bout in 2017 did see him provide a reminder of his peak, as he obliterated Diego Sanchez with an elbow for a first-round knockout. Of course, MMA retirements never last, and Brown was back training within weeks before a torn ACL kept him out of action until late 2019. Now 40 years old, Brown has looked obviously aged since coming back from that hiatus, though there is still the same relentlessness that there has always been throughout his career. He handled Ben Saunders and nearly finished Miguel Baeza before dropping his last bout to Carlos Condit. Brown looks to rebound against Lima, who has enjoyed a stunning career turnaround in the last three years.

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Up until that point, Lima looked like a stark example of someone stuck between the regional scene and the UFC. He had enough skill and athleticism to run through his regional opponents but would inevitably get either outwrestled or knocked out against most of his opponents inside the Octagon. However, everything has clicked since a December 2018 win over Chad Laprise, as Lima has discovered a newfound comfort that has allowed him to keep his fights on track and hold his own against stronger competition. A February bout against Belal Muhammad was a surprisingly large step up in competition that saw Lima fall short, but it will be interesting to see how he fares against Brown; it is a winnable test against a lot of the same problems that gave Lima trouble in the past. Brown is still mean and aggressive enough to take Lima out of his comfort zone, but athleticism and cardio are two major concerns at this point in his career. If he cannot get Lima careening off the rails early, the Brazilian should be able to outlast Brown and either pick him apart or take over in the clinch. With that said, it remains unclear if Lima has enough power to find a finish and fully put himself in the clear. The pick is Lima via decision.

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