Preview: UFC Fight Night 125 ‘Machida vs. Anders’
Early Prelims
Flyweight
Deiveson Figueiredo (13-0) vs. Joseph Morales (9-0)Advertisement
ANALYSIS: Two undefeated prospects meeting in an early prelim clash is almost always going to be intriguing, but these two flyweights are all offense. Figueiredo has an awkward style composition, though: He lands only 1.44 significant strikes per minute in UFC competition, completes just 1.80 takedowns per 15 minutes, yet throws up 5.40 submission attempts over three rounds. This is largely based on his two-fight sample size, but it does reflect the long-running strangeness of his style dating back to the Brazilian regional scene. He eats an incredible amount of flush punches standing and has been knocked down several times in his career, yet he once managed to knock out Denis Araujo with a standing backhand. He is not an effective wrestler, but he uses his nifty guillotine attempts to liberally set up sweeps, as he did in his October win over Jarred Brooks. Here is the rub: Morales is a 23-year-old, prototype MMA athlete in the Team Alpha Male mold with hyper-aggressive wrestling who works at a staggering pace when passing guard, pounding and locking up submissions. Figueiredo may get some good juju out of fighting in his hometown, but without defensive wrestling improvements, he may never get to set up his scrambling offense. Morales spoils “Daico’s” Belem homecoming and wins a decision.
Women’s Strawweight
Maia Kahaunaele-Stevenson (6-4) vs. Polyana Viana Mota (9-1)ODDS: Mota (-370), Kahaunaele-Stevenson (+310)
ANALYSIS: A holdover from the maligned Season 26 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Kahaunaele-Stevenson started her pro career 1-4 before ripping off five straight wins to earn a berth on the show. Unfortunately, she was bounced in the opening round of the show by Sijara Eubanks and with a level of grappling one-sidedness that does not bode will for the wife of UFC veteran Joe Stevenson. The 25-year-old Mota, a decade her junior, is an incredibly dynamic Brazilian jiu-jitsu player, capable of taking the back standing, pulling guard and instantly sweeping to top position; and the former Jungle Fight champion has finished every opponent she has fought. She has only been out of the first round twice in her 10-fight pro career. Look for “Dama de Ferro” to keep up her finishing ways by winging punches at Kahaunaele-Stevenson, dragging her to the ground by whatever means possible and locking up a submission in transition inside of five minutes.
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